National Geographic lists out Top 25 Ski Towns

[jimk]

Of the towns I'm familiar with on that list I'd have to say Aspen is the most overrated. Don't get me wrong, it's a great ski town but the problem with it is the skiing itself is overrated, at least by western ski resort standards. I may be somewhat biased against it because it's the go to ski town I married into rather than the one I would have picked (father in law has condo there). The best actual skiing mountain there by far is Highlands. You'll find a lot to like at Snowmass, and I'm sure there's a ton there that I don't even know about, but it otherwise reminds me of a western version of Killington, and I mean that more as a knock on Snowmass since god gave them a lot more to work with. Ajax only has 750 acres and no bowls and one would probably enjoy a day at Stratton as much as they would Buttermilk.

I still think towns like Park City get underrated on lists like these just because you have to actually pour your own alcohol into your cocktail (haven't been in awhile so I don't know if they still make you do this). Back in the day Jackson Hole had a reputation for being hostile to locals so if you lived in Jackson you'd most likely drive around the canyon to Targhee than ski there. I don't know if this is still true but I'd want to know something like that before I declared Jackson my dream ski town to live in. Telluride, Crested Butte and Whitefish are two towns on my bucket list if I can ever break my family of it's Aspen addiction.

The grass is always greener, err...whiter:razz:
I know a really strong skier with a place in Aspen who prefers Aspen Mtn over any of the other three. Aspen Mtn has a lot of good challenging skiing in between the designated trails. It strikes me as the kind of hill that gets better the more you know it. But I'll agree that Snowmass and Aspen Highlands are awesome. Highlands might be my number one favorite anywhere. Something about the challenge, much of it over my head, and the scenic beauty, and that fact that the mtn still feels like an overgrown day trip area just really does it for me. It's like MRG's big brother with better snow. And though you'll see the Bogner crowd, you'll also not feel totally out of place brown bagging it on a table outside Cloud Nine restaurant.

 

[deadheadskier]

Highlands is definitely my favorite ski area in Colorado that I've been to. Ajax maybe small by western standards, but as jimk says, it packs a punch.

 

[skiNEwhere]

Never been to Ajax, but will get there this year. Highlands just has a vibe that can't be described that makes it great in addition to the terrain. It's just kind of like, people there are passionate about the skiing. They enjoy it. And like jimk said, there is the Bogner crowd, but you have the people there who ski from open to close. I talked to some guy in his 60's while hiking up the highlands bowl and he was telling me that was like the 50th time he's hiked up to the top this season.

The fact that there is duct tape hanging from a dispenser (like TP) to "fix" your ski clothes gives you a rough idea of what there customers are like.

I would imagine Ajax is similar

 

[Edd]

Never been to Ajax, but will get there this year. Highlands just has a vibe that can't be described that makes it great in addition to the terrain....

I would imagine Ajax is similar

Really not much to Ajax, as I recall, in terms of facilities. It's proximity to town (it's practically downtown) sort of gives it this aura that it's nicer than it actually is. Certainly, both places have seriously challenging terrain, and I didn't even make it to Highland bowl.

Shut up, Deadhead.

 

[jimk]

Highlands just has a vibe that can't be described that makes it great in addition to the terrain. It's just kind of like, people there are passionate about the skiing. I talked to some guy in his 60's while hiking up the highlands bowl and he was telling me that was like the 50th time he's hiked up to the top this season.

The fact that there is duct tape hanging from a dispenser (like TP) to "fix" your ski clothes gives you a rough idea of what there customers are like.

To continue thread hijack...that is one tough 60 year old, but doesn't surprise me. Here's another old guy story from Aspen Highlands: so I'm riding the free, but very full snowcat up to Highland Bowl at about 2pm last New Year's Eve. I'm a little nervous, not so much about the skiing, but about the ~600' vertical hike required after the cat ride to get to the 12,392' oxygen starved summit of the Bowl:-? I'm looking around the cat to see if there is anyone older than me (age 60) riding it. Don't think so and I decide then I'm probably going to bail out and drop-in early right after the cat ride. But then I spy a ski patroller on skis hanging onto a tow rope off the back of the cat. I guess he's there in case anyone drops something or falls out? Or maybe he's just using that as a way up so as not to take a seat from a customer? Anyway, he's age 75 if he's a day. Face full of wrinkles. I still chicken-out on the hike and take an early drop-in to the Bowl, but that patroller sure got my mind right about what it means to be "old" in Colorado.

 

[Edd]

To continue thread hijack...that is one tough 60 year old, but doesn't surprise me. Here's another old guy story from Aspen Highlands: so I'm riding the free, but very full snowcat up to Highland Bowl at about 2pm last New Year's Eve. I'm a little nervous, not so much about the skiing, but about the ~600' vertical hike required after the cat ride to get to the 12,392' oxygen starved summit of the Bowl:-? I'm looking around the cat to see if there is anyone older than me (age 60) riding it. Don't think so and I decide then I'm probably going to bail out and drop-in early right after the cat ride. But then I spy a ski patroller on skis hanging onto a tow rope off the back of the cat. I guess he's there in case anyone drops something or falls out? Or maybe he's just using that as a way up so as not to take a seat from a customer? Anyway, he's age 75 if he's a day. Face full of wrinkles. I still chicken-out on the hike and take an early drop-in to the Bowl, but that patroller sure got my mind right about what it means to be "old" in Colorado.
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Are you the same guy that posted CO trip reports with your son on Epicski? With the road trip from the east coast?

 

[jimk]

Are you the same guy that posted CO trip reports with your son on Epicski? With the road trip from the east coast?

Yes Edd. Same internet pest. Worse than a cockroach.

 

[deadheadskier]

One of the times I hiked up the bowl when I was out there, I got passed on the hike by some dude in his 60s. I was only 25 at the time. :lol:

 

[MadMadWorld]

One of the times I hiked up the bowl when I was out there, I got passed on the hike by some dude in his 60s. I was only 25 at the time. :lol:

If no one else saw it then it doesn't count.

 

[deadheadskier]

Don't have pictures of that, but do have one of me standing next to the sign for Ozone. I'll need to scan sometime. Also got a pic of an avalanche happening across the valley to the west. Seeing that during my first hike up made very a pretty exhilarating accent.

 

[skiNEwhere]

One of the times I hiked up the bowl when I was out there, I got passed on the hike by some dude in his 60s. I was only 25 at the time. :lol:

Wouldn't feel TOO bad. Some of The locals are hardcore and get 100+ days a season. At least that's what I tell myself

 

[deadheadskier]

Wouldn't feel TOO bad. Some of The locals are hardcore and get 100+ days a season. At least that's what I tell myself

I was a ski bum living in Stowe that winter and already had 80 days in myself that season before I headed out there :lol:

 

[Edd]

Yes Edd. Same internet pest. Worse than a cockroach.

Great TR you posted over there. Well done.

 

[Old Duderino]

I was a ski bum living in Stowe that winter and already had 80 days in myself that season before I headed out there :lol:

There is a huge difference between hiking up a mountain with ski gear at 4,000 feet vs 12,000 feet. The last time I hiked up Highlands bowl was on a bluebird powder day so everyone was kinda in a hurry to get to the top and as I'm sucking wind on the last few steps I get a strong whiff of something now legal but then illegal in CO and look up to see what looks like a guy in his mid-50's sharing a doob with a couple of guys that looked old enough to be his sons.