Best US Ski Resorts for Tree Skiing
Three Ski Mountains Across the US Offering Top-Notch Glade Skiing
Tree skiing is more than just a simple specialization of skiing, it's a passion. Anyone who's ever made a beeline for those towering firs and spent run after run focused on that perfect needle line knows it. Not every patch of forest houses great skiing and not every resort has a stretch of trees worth the time. From the masses, rise a select few ski resorts that offer glade skiing head and shoulders above the competition. Here's the creme de la creme, in each major geographical skiing area in the US.
East - Jay Peak
East coast resorts may get scoffed at by their western counterparts for their shortcomings, but tree skiing is one place where they have nothing to be ashamed of. Jay Peak, Vermont is a venerable glade gold mine, offering 24 seperate glades spread all over the mountain. The resort also holds the east coast heavyweight belt at a 350 inch annual snowfall average - so there's never a long wait for fresh, virgin powder to fill all those lines and tight gaps. Staircase and Everglades offer challenging continuous glades and acres of knee-deep powder after a storm. Timbuktu on the skiier's-right boundary of the resort, offers some wider spacing and is great for a powder morning. In the unlikely instance all of Jay's glades get tracked, the resort also offers some rare east coast backcountry - find a local and get some knowledge. Jay even offers glade clinics to supply the necessary skills.
Rocky Mountains - Steamboat
Steamboat, Colorado is known for the two same elements that Jay Peak is: snow and tree skiing. The resort coined the term Champagne Powder and is home to a number of fields of perfectly-placed aspens that even a newcomer to tree skiing can glide through with a smile on his face. Closet and Shadows Glades, to the skiier's right of Sundown Lift, are some of the longest and most rewarding on the mountain, perfect for a powder morning. When these get tracked, the Pony Express Lift offers service to more untracked lines, less crowds and plenty of tight glades. Christmas Tree Bowl and No Names, a brief hike up the ridge from the Morningside Lift, offer steep tree lines for expert skiiers - getting there early is crucial, as they get tracked and bumpy quickly.
West - Heavenly
Rounding out the tour of glades across the US, Heavenly, Lake Tahoe has long demonstrated a commitment to great tree skiing. Ski Way Glades right in the middle of the ski resort automatically captivates the vision, when looking at a trail map. Other sweet glade areas such as Dipper Woods and Powderbowl Woods dot every corner of the mountain, ensuring every skiier has access to that secret tree stash no matter what lift he rode up. Heavenly is always actively adding new glade areas and thinning out trees so there is always new tree skiing to check out.
Jay Peak, Steamboat and Heavenly are the elite leaders in glade skiing in their respective corners of the country, a country that has some of the best tree skiing in the world. A visit to one or all of these resorts is a must for any skiier that spends the majority of his days deep in the woods.
What do you think about this article?
More in Outdoor & Recreation
Latest Articles