Ski Towns USA

There are many mountain ranges with good skiing in the continental United States, but to keep it simple, I’ll split them all into Eastern States and Western States. Links connect to maps of the ski town, showing where hotels and attractions are located.

Eastern States

Maine
  Sunday River in Bethel Maine.
New Hampshire 
  Waterville Valley, Canon Mountain near Franconia NH, Loon Mountain near Lincoln NH,  Wildcat Mountain near Jackson and North Conway NH,  and Bretton Woods
Vermont
  Mount Mansfield at Stowe Vermont, Killington VT, Stratton Mountain, Jay Peak
Massachusetts
 Mount Wachusetts in Westminster, Butternut Basin in Great Barrington MA
New York - Whiteface Ski Area in Lake Placid
North Carolina
  Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley NC, Sugar Mountain in Banner Elk, NC
The mapmaker of Hotel Maps USA has enjoyed skiing all that I visited; about 9 of them.

Western States

Wyoming
  Jackson Hole in Jackson WY, and nearby Teton Village
Colorado
  Aspen, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Sunlight at Glenwood Springs, Keystone, Silverton, Snowmass Village, Mt Werner in Steamboat Springs, Telluride, Vail, Winter Park/Mary Jane
Montana
  Big Sky, Moonlight Basin at Big Sky MT, Bridger Bowl in Bozeman MT, Discovery Ski Area in Anaconda (90 mi east of Missoula MT), Great Divide, with 140 trails, is 23 miles north of Helena MT. Lost Trail Powder Mountain is located in Conner MT, which is 90 miles south of Missoula on US Highway 93. Red Lodge Mountain is extremely popular. Big Mountain in Whitefish MT
California
  Squaw Valley USA at Olympic Valley CA near Lake Tahoe. South Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain at Mammoth Lakes CA, Mount Shasta Ski Park, and Badger Pass in Yosemite National Park.

Planning Your Ski Trip

If you’re traveling in your own private vehicle, people have a tendency to pack the wrong things. In order to avoid hassles, just think of the ski trip as though it were any other trip. Decide what you are planning to wear. Some skiers actually plan to make a fashion statement, while others think about the skiing and are not overly concerned about making an appearance dictated by fashion. The bottom line still remains; think about a ski trip as though it were any other trip, and then think about all the items you will be needing when you ski. Seperating the tasks of packing for a trip and packing for the slopes. If you can physically divide the items you need for the slopes, it will be much easier to run down the checklist and spot any items that are missing. You don’t want to end up buying items near the slopes because you will find a large markup on everything from gloves to wax and everything in between. If your bindings need adjustment, it is okay to get the adjustments done at the slopes but if you want to buy skis, ski poles, ski boots, or a good ski coat or ski jacket, you can usually find better discounts on ski equipment near your home. Ski resorts and ski towns do tend to have all the latest models of skiing equipment, so if you have read reviews, you might find the latest ski gear there.

Ski trips with groups of friends can be good for savings, if you are the type of person who is into organizing a group effort. Going with a large group of friends can be lots of fun. Do keep in mind that people ski at different levels. If you are in a large group, people should pair up with people of their own level. If you have some advanced skiers who want to speed ahead of everyone and make the run down the mountain non-stop, don’t think of them as anti-social. You should plan on approximate times to occasionally meet up with them in the lodge. Planning to meet at the top or the bottom of slope on a cold day is not a good idea.
 

And, of course, if you are interested in having a ski vacation in the ALPS, you can visit Hotels.Bays.US and make hotel reservations in Zurich, Torino, or anywhere else in the world.