Best Ski Areas to Hit Up at the End of the Season

Is it really time to put away the skis and get out the Summer gear? It’s late April, and my Summer storage situation is complex. My camping gear is packed deep against the back wall of my garage, the dirt bike is sadly sitting covered and in serious need of a tune up. The Spring surf in California is flat and blown out. None of that is going to help me get my weekend adrenaline fix.  Lo and behold, my trusty skis, boots and poles are still sitting front and center, begging for a few more late-season turns.

It may be hitting 75 degrees here in California, but what about the rest of the country? Where can one go to squeeze in a few more runs?

Dusting off my trusty 1992 IBM ThinkPad 700 (still works like a champ), I quickly got to work, researching my late-season mountain rendezvous.  Here’s what I found.

Photo Credit: Killington

Killington in Vermont is not only open, but has tickets available for 37% off. Killington is one of the largest ski resorts in the Northeast, and features about 88 miles of diverse terrain & 191 trails for skiers and riders of all ability levels.  While not all of their terrain is open at the moment, they still have some great options available.  Keep an eye on their website for the latest conditions and a list of open trails.

While Killington sounded great, I decided to look a bit closer to home and began browsing open ski areas in Utah, which ultimately led me to Snowbird.

Snowbird is located right next to Salt Lake City, in the heart of Little Cottonwood Canyon.  With 85 runs, more than 2,500 acres of terrain, and a summit elevation of 11,000 feet (important when considering snow could melt the minute temperatures start to warm up), Snowbird is known for some solid Spring skiing.  Like Killington, check out their website for the latest conditions & trail reports.

Utah has it going on, no doubt about it.  But I had also heard Colorado was getting dumped on, and decided to check in with our friends at Aspen/Snowmass.

Photo Credit: Aspen/Snowmass

Aspen Highlands is one of the locals’ favorite mountains, and one of mine, too.  While the resort technically closed on April 21st, they’ll be opening back up for a bonus weekend this weekend (April 27-28) to take advantage of the awesome conditions.  Plus, if you book now, you’ll save 36% on your lift tickets!

There’s also Arapahoe Basin, which boasts the longest ski and ride season in Colorado (yes, you read that relevant little blog nugget correctly – the longest ski and ride season in Colorado).  A-Basin, known as “The Legend,” has an awesome, laid-back atmosphere that locals and vacationers of all ages can enjoy – an ideal trait for Spring skiing.   Again, watch their site for the most up-to-date conditions.  On top of knowing I’d have a great time at A-Basin, I also noticed the 42% savings on lift tickets, meaning I was having an even harder time figuring out where to go.  Decisions, decisions…

Okay, so, Colorado and Utah both seemed doable – financially and travel-wise.  But what if I wanted to go even bigger?  Maybe get in on the action at Whistler/Blackcomb?  You’ve probably read the magazine articles, seen the ski movies, and heard the stories from friends about how incredible Whistler/Blackcomb is.  Plus, they still have some great late-season snow!

After checking out these options, I started to wonder if this was going to be a much tougher decision than simply unpacking my Summer gear.

I bet you’re wondering which resort I picked.  I decided on Aspen Highlands, mostly because they got a few feet of fresh snow last week and the price was right.  My next quandary?  Deciding whether or not to bomb down this tasty little untracked tree line or take my time to enjoy the fresh powder. I charged it.

Where do you enjoy some late season skiing and riding? Share with us in the comments below!