Ski Resorts

Ski resorts in Virginia don’t normally jump into your mind when first considering a family ski vacation. Normally, one might think of the towering peaks found in Colorado, Utah, or New Mexico and begin to set their sights on some of the popular ski resorts found there. However, for families on the East Coast or Eastern area of the Country, the time and price involved to go to those places might be a bit too much, particularly if you allow a little more time for you to acclimate yourself to the higher elevation.

Although the mountains are not quite as tall, the good news is that you have many fine ski resorts within the Eastern United States, offering fun for your family, and Virginia has a lot of them. The reality is, the Mid-Atlantic area has plenty of ski resorts, many of which are four season resorts that include fun activities all year-long. To better acquaint you as to what all is available, here is some information on a few of the top ski resorts located in Virginia.

Wintergreen Ski Resort – Wintergreen, Virginia
Probably Virginia’s most varied ski resort; its situated within 11,000 acres of pristine forest within the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is located within Central Virginia only 1 hour 30 minutes from Richmond, Va. and approximately three hours from Washington, D.C. and North Carolina. Rising to an elevation of 3,515 feet, Wintergreen offers 26 slopes and trails, of which 14 are lighted for night skiing. The longest run is 1.4 miles, which has a vertical drop of 1,003 feet. The ski terrain mix includes approximately 23% beginner slopes, 35% intermediate, and 42% advanced/expert runs. On top of the ski runs, the resort includes 2 terrain parks and 2 tubing parks, so whether its skiing, snowboarding, or snow tubing which you enjoy most, there is a little something for all.

Massanutten Ski Resort – Massanutten, Virginia
This ski resort can be found about 10 miles east of Harrisonburg, VA, within the northwestern region of Virginia, on the tip of Massanutten Mountain with an elevation of 2,880 feet. Serving guests from Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and the Washington D.C. area, Massanutten offers 8 ski lifts and 14 trails, and all of these are lighted for night skiing. The ski terrain mix is approximately 30% beginner runs, 35% intermediate, and 35% advanced runs, having a vertical drop of 1,110 feet. The resort includes 2 terrain parks for skiers and snowboarders and they also host Virginia’s first snow tubing park, which opened in 1998 and contains a 900 foot long tubing hill. In addition, there’s an ice skating facility at Massanutten, which accommodates close to 132 skaters at one time.

The Homestead Ski Area – Hot Springs, Virginia
Virginia’s first skiing resort, The Homestead has operated since 1959 and is particularly famous for its wide slopes along with a great learning area. Its located off of Interstate 81 and Route 64, and merely several miles from the West Virginia border in the Allegheny Mountains. For skiers and snowboarders, the summit is 3200 feet having a vertical drop of 700 feet. The resort offers 9 trails or runs and the terrain mix is 33% beginner runs, 33% intermediate, and 34% advanced runs, with night skiing on Saturday nights. The resort has a terrain park to offer additional challenge and excitement to both skiers and snowboarders. Off the slopes there’s still ample winter fun with ice skating, snow tubing and snowmobile tours. After the fun day of activities, relax by the fire in the Mountain Lodge to warm-up and share some of the highlights of your day with loved ones.

Bryce Ski Resort – Basye, Virginia
This ski resort is very nice for first time skiers or snowboarders and wins high marks for being a family friendly ski resort. It is located in the heart of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, tucked on a low-lying ridge between the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains towards the West Virginia border. Bryce will be the closest Virginia ski resort to Washington D.C. and it is just A couple of hours away. The summit is 1750 feet having a vertical drop of 500 feet. You’ll find 8 ski runs or trails and the longest run is 3500 feet. If you are a parent or loved one who wants to watch your kids ski, then the mountain layout is great. All slopes funnel down to one central area at the base, so it’s simple to spot your children while enjoying a mug of coffee. The terrain mix is roughly 34% beginner runs, 33% intermediate and 33% advanced runs. The bottom slopes do a good job of accommodating beginners, nonetheless the upper slopes still offer challenging terrain for intermediate or advanced skiers and snowboarders. Tubing is extremely popular at this resort and their Ridge Runner’s Tubing Park offers 800 foot long snow tubing lanes to deliver fun for the whole family.

Whether it’s a quick weekend trip to the mountains to ski or snowboard, or an extended ski vacation, your family is certain to enjoy yourself. There is nothing like enjoying good quality family time amongst beautiful mountain scenery, where you can either discover how to ski or snowboard the first time or continue to challenge yourself and hone your skill. After having a day on the slopes there is nothing like enjoying a good meal and relaxing with family around a roaring fire to share stories about the day and mention both the good runs and the wipe-outs.

Hopefully this information about several of the ski resorts in Virginia is useful and gives you a better appreciation for the area. Especially for those of you who are in the Eastern United States, definitely consider Virginia when planning your upcoming ski vacation. Most important, make sure to plan family getaways like these each year. Our children grow up so quickly, and before we know it they are gone and out on their own, so make sure and create these special times and memories that last a lifetime. Have a good time and stay safe!

Rich Herman loves traveling with his family, and regularly shares vacatio

Working a Ski Season – You have probably heard of someone who has spent the season working in a winter ski resort job. Sure, you heard about how glamorous it was and what a fantastic time these individuals have but is it all fun and games?

Well like most jobs, a ski resort job is a JOB! So there certainly will be challenges and you will not be having the same experience as guests who are visiting the resort for a week or more of relaxing and having fun on the slopes, but if you do your research well and are careful in the resort jobs you apply for then you could land a fun job which still allows you to spend plenty of time on the mountain.

Most people when considering working a ski season want to spend as much time as possible on the mountain. If this is the case then some of the best winter jobs to apply for include, mountain guides, ski school, mountain safety and maintenance. The only issue is that several f these positions require certain skills and experience. Another alternative it to look for opportunities in bars and restaurants, if you are lucky you can land several more lucrative evening shifts and then also have more time to have fun on the snow during the day!

Normally seasonal staff working at ski resorts in the USA will work 6 days a week with 1 day off per week, pay and hours can vary a great deal depending on the positions you are working and the qualifications that the position requires.

Most people working in resorts end up finding basic entry-level positions such as lift attendants, customer service staff lift tickets sales jobs.

When To Apply – Most resorts will be operational from November time until April or even May in some parts of the US. Resorts will however start their recruitment process way before this and will often start taking applications as early as June or July for the following ski season. It is a good idea to apply early and follow-up on you application several times through emails and phone calls to show the recruitment team that you are serious about securing a job in their resort.

International Applicants – Working in a ski resort is a great opportunity to spend an extended period of time in a great location and often people will travel from all over the world to fill these jobs. In the USA international staff looking to work a ski season must come from the southern hemisphere and will be allowed to work in the US on a 5 month temporary J1 exchange visa. It is a little bit of a funny system with northern hemisphere applicants being able to apply for the visa in the summer months. This is why many resorts, especially on the west coast will have a lot of resort workers from Chile, Argentina, Peru and other countries from this region.

Top 5 Destinations For Ski Resort Jobs in the USA

So here you go, here are our unbiased top 5 destinations if you are looking for a ski resort job in the United States…

1 – Crested Butte, CO – OK so this may be a little surprise and isn’t one of the mega resorts out there but spending a season working at Crested Butte, is a wonderful experience. The resort is located in Colorado and is usually overshadowed by some of its more well known neighbours but this resorts has a fantastic reputation for having great conditions all season long. The resort is a lot smaller than many of the major resorts around the USA but this creates a more intimate feel, where you can really get to know a lot of the locals and quickly make friends in the resort. They are also very well known for looking after their employees and offer all kinds of great benefits.

2 – Heavenly Ski Resort, CA – When they decided to call this resort Heavenly they came up with a very appropriate name. The views from the top of this mountain over the beautiful Lake Tahoe certainly are breath taking. Located on the state line between California and Nevada this resort has the lot! Great snow conditions throughout the season. Plenty of different options when it comes to potential ski season jobs. A whole host of entertainment options away from the slopes with bars, restaurants, casinos and much more. It is also conveniently located easily driving distance to numerous other resort which are dotted around Lake Tahoe.

3 – Vail, CO – Well if you didn’t know Vail is the largest ski resort in the United States and each year it attracts international visitors from all over the world. With fantastic skiing and a great resort center, Vail is one of the best places in the US to land a ski resort job. The numerous hotels, bars, shops and restaurants employ hundreds of season workers during the winter months. Vail is also located near many of the other top resorts in Colorado so on your days off it is always fun to try out a different mountain for the day.

4 – Stowe, VT – If you like your ski resorts to have a little bit of history then Stowe is a great option when applying for a winter job. Located in Vermont, Stowe is one of the oldest ski resorts in the US and it still has so much character today, even with the many modern buildings that have been constructed in the resort. One of the other great things about working at Stowe is that if you fancy a day away from the mountains then you can venture over to the wonderful city of Boston and spend some time exploring.

5 – Mammoth Mountain, CA – Most people think southern California is just beaches and surfers but it is also home to one of the most fun ski resorts in the US. Mammoth Mountains offers year round outdoor activities with hiking and mountain biking in the summer and skiing and snowboarding in the winter. The resort is a great place to work with all kinds of great housing opportunities for seasonal staff, multiple job opportunities at the various businesses in the area and convenient access to LA and San Diego, so that you can spend the morning skiing and the afternoon surfing!

Breckenridge Ski Resort

· Breckenridge is a picturesque Victorian mountain town

· Main Street is lined with boutique shops, independent coffee shops, bars & restaurants

· Breckenridge is well-known for its nightlife and offers a range of restaurants from affordable to fine dining of every genre.

· Everything is close together in Breckenridge and you can walk nearly everywhere or take the free shuttle if it’s chilly or uphill!

· The slopes, lifts and ski school at Peak 9 come right down into town just by Main Street.

· The gondola runs from the centre of town up to Peak and 7 and onto Peak 8

· Peak 7 has mostly blue runs, perfect for intermediates

· Peak 8 has a newly built base area & is home to a variety of green, blue and black runs

· Peak 9 has some good beginner runs, plus other terrain

· Peak 10 has some fantastic tree & mogul skiing

· The Imperial Super chair is the highest chairlift in North America and accesses some fantastic black diamond and double black runs

· Peak 6 is being opened this year with new runs & 2 new lifts

Vail Ski Resort

· Designed in an alpine style Vail has 2 main pedestrian base villages “Vail Village” & “Lionshead Village” with gondolas rising up from each.

· The pedestrian villages have a large variety of shops (including the obligatory fur coats), restaurants & bars to stroll around, plus ice rink & fountains, although Vail village is livelier at night.

· Golden Peak base area is 5-7 minute’s walk from Vail Village and is home to the main children’s ski school (there is ski school in Lionshead too).

· There is also some accommodation in East Vail, a less expensive residential area about 15 mins bus ride from the slopes. West Vail also has some larger homes.

· Vail is the largest single resort in the USA and is famous for its 7 legendary back bowls with fantastic powder after a snowstorm. There is so much terrain though in Vail it takes a while to cover it all and mid-Vail is an area which shouldn’t be overlooked.

Aspen / Snowmass Ski Resort

· Aspen / Snowmass is known as the “power of 4″ and consists of the 4 mountains of Aspen, Snowmass, Buttermilk & Aspen Highlands, all interconnected by bus.

· All 4 resorts are on the same lift pass and Aspen being Aspen you can even arrange for your skis to be transferred to a different mountain for the next day’s skiing so they’re ready & waiting for you.

· Aspen town itself is well-known for its sophisticated, lively & varied nightlife

· Aspen has a plethora of restaurants, bars, designer shops, art galleries to choose from, plus has an ice skating rink & even a rugby field right in the middle.

· The rich & famous often frequent Aspen, so people watching is a sport in itself here

· Aspen mountain has a gondola from the middle of town and consists of blue runs and above but is not really for beginners.

· Snowmass has the most skiing of the 4 areas, but is a little quieter especially at night.

· Snowmass is great for families with its new ski school & childcare centre “The Treehouse” & has tons of ski in, ski out accommodation, making getting to the skiing very convenient.

· Snowmass is a huge ski area, covering every type of terrain. It even has a people mover lift which the locals call the “skittles” to take you from the base area to the mall area part way up the mountain

· Buttermilk is the beginner mountain and home to the X-games, Aspen Highland has advanced & expert including hike to terrain.

Beaver Creek Ski Resort

· “Not exactly roughing it” is their slogan and that pretty much says it all

· Guests skiing in Beaver Creek are spoilt by the escalators taking you up to the slopes so you don’t have to walk up the steps, the chaps unloading your skis from the ski bus and the complimentary freshly baked cookies at 3pm each afternoon.

· On the same lift pass as Vail Beaver Creek is only about 20 minutes away

· Beaver Creek has a quiet sophistication and is slightly more reserved than the flashier Vail. It is home to the rich & famous and ex-presidents and celebrities have their homes here.

· Beaver Creek Village is compact and designed around the ice rink and has a high standard of restaurants, boutique shops, galleries & bars.

· It has some good ski in, ski out accommodation including The Osprey, Beaver Creek, which is the closest hotel to a chairlift in North America.

· Bachelor Gulch is the second base area at Beaver Creek with the Ritz Carlton Hotel and its outdoor pool at the bottom of the slopes & other ski in, ski out accommodation.

· The third area of Beaver Creek ski resort is Arrowhead. The town of Avon 10 minutes outside Beaver Creek has more affordable accommodation and has a gondola which goes up to Beaver Creek Landing, from where skiers can take another lift to access the Beaver Creek ski area.

· Beaver Creek seems to groom its intermediate slopes non-stop, plus is host to the “Birds of Prey” world cup race, which is ski-able but not for the faint-hearted!

Steamboat Springs Ski Resort

· The historic town of Steamboat is about 10 minutes drive from the main ski area.

· The town has a western feel to it with shops selling cowboy boots & hats, amongst the sophisticated restaurants

· The strawberry hot springs are natural mineral springs, just a few minute’s drive from Steamboat and are a must after some strenuous skiing.

· The ski area has 6 peaks of world-class skiing, including some fantastic glade skiing.

· Steamboat coined the name “Champagne powder” and is incredible on a powder day

· The base of the ski area is developing more and more each year and there is now the main area around the gondola and Ski Times Square just a little further along.

· There are some top-notch ski in, ski out places to stay at the base with every amenity you could imagine.

· Steamboat is pretty family friendly & offers free children’s lift passes with an adult pass, a nice touch.

Winter Park Ski Resort

· Winter Park is a down to earth town, more low-key than many of the other ski resorts and thus good value for money.

· They say that the only time you see a fur coat in Winter Park is when it’s on the animals!

· The town is where most of the shops, bars & restaurants are, set along its main street and has quieter nightlife, some late night bars, but no clubs as such.

· The base area is about 10 minutes drive or bus from town and is the closest resort to Denver.

· Winter Park Resort is known as Colorado’s favourite, is where many Coloradans learnt to ski and is still very popular with local residents

· A skiers mountain Winter Park has the most consistent snow year after year, 30 feet or so.

· Winter Park Resort consists of the main base area at Winter Park with its beginner area, intermediate & advanced runs, Mary Jane, famous for its epic moguls, Vasquez Ridge a quieter area, with blue and black runs, Parsenn Bowl, above treeline with intermediate & advanced skiing & the Cirque for expert skiers. If you’re into tree skiing, there is some fantastic natural terrain on Eagle Wind.

Skiing & Snowboarding are such popular sports and really offer a great break from the Winter blues. Ski season in the USA generally lasts from about mid November to mid April depending on the resort & weather conditions. All ages can really enjoy this sport & you’ll see tiny kiddies through to octogenarian ski clubs on the slopes. There are so many ski resorts in the USA that it can be hard to choose which one to visit. Yes there are the big names like Vail & Aspen world-famous resorts, known throughout the world as great ski areas & deservedly so.

But do you know which is the biggest ski resort in the USA? Major changes are afoot and the biggest ski area in the USA is now Park City Mountain Resort.

Ski resort operating giant Vail resorts took over Park City, after it was already running next door Canyons ski resort. These 2 fantastic ski resorts are being combined to make one giant ski resort called Park City Mountain Resort. Major investment is adding a new “interconnect” gondola to connect the 2 resorts between the Silverlodge lift in Park City & the Flatiron Lift at Canyons. In addition to this new lift there will be major upgrades to Kingcon chairlift changing it to a 6 person high-speed detachable chair & increasing capacity. The Motherlode lift is being upgraded to a 4 person high-speed detachable lift from the old fixed grip chairlift, making it much easier to access the slopes.

From the new interconnect gondola it will be possible for skiers & riders to unload at the top of Pine Cone Ridge (snow conditions permitting) & ski or board down to Thaynes Canyon. There are also going to be new runs from Pine Cone Ridge down to the Canyons Iron mountain area.

So if you love skiing there will be so much to ski at this one mountain. The new ski resort will have 7300 acres of terrain, bigger than Vail and have a great variety of runs from green beginner, through to blue intermediate pistes & black expert areas. The total combined lifts will stretch for nearly 23 miles & the vertical rise will amount to 34,400 feet. Altogether there will be 17 peaks to swoop down, after checking out the views from the top of course. The 14 bowls will be paradise in the powder & after all this area of Utah, USA does get 355 inches of snowfall on average per year, so chances of some epic freshies are high. Over 300 ski runs will be marked & over 150 park features for those who love to strut their stuff in the terrain parks. 8 half-pipes including the super pipe will also be ideal for those who love to get big air.

The whole resort is being called Park City Mountain Resort and will still be connected to the Town of Park City & historic Main Street via the Town lift. The old canyons village is being re-named canyons base area at Park City, but the ski runs rising out of the village will all be part of Park City Mountain Resort.

There are so many places to ski around the world, each with their own pros & cons. Here we focus on the american ski resorts and travel times. You may be travelling domestically or internationally, but no matter where you’re coming from, staying near an airport shortens your overall travel time. So it maybe a quick hop from an american city or an international flight from the UK, Australia, New Zealand or South America, but it’s always convenient to have just a short transfer to the ski slopes to get you on the snow more quickly.

Many ski resorts in the USA are near regional airports allowing you to fly close to where you’re staying and skiing.

Aspen & Snowmass ski resorts have the shortest transfer times. You can fly directly into Aspen Pitkin airport right in the mountains from many cities around the US, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston & Chicago. From there it’s a very short 10-15 minutes drive or airport transfer to Aspen town, where Aspen Mountain (Ajax) is located and where the famous town of Aspen with its many shops, bars, restaurants & nightlife hums with activity. Snowmass is also only about 15 mins transfer from Aspen airport. Snowmass is the largest of the 4 Aspen mountains and where most of the ski in, ski out lodging is. Often airport transfers from Aspen Pitkin are included with an accommodation booking, making it super easy to get to your ski lodge quickly & conveniently.

Eagle Vail airport is another example of a regional airport near several ski towns. Beaver Creek si the nearest about 25 mins from Eagle Vail and Vail itself is about 40 mins from there. Beaver Creek is a hidden treasure of a resort and because most day visitors come from Denver, many of them stop at Vail and don’t go on the extra 10-15 mins to get to Beaver Creek. If you fly into Eagle Vail, Beaver Creek is the first ski area you get to and with less people is one to try. Vail ski resort is of course famous for having the largest amount of terrain in Colorado with its incredible back bowls, especially fabulous on a powder day, plus its front side groomed runs for more intermediate skiers & snowboarders.

Now Jackson Hole airport is close to its namesake ski resort of Jackson Hole, just 30 mins away by car or shuttle airport transfer. Jackson Hole ski resort is located in Teton Village and is well-known for its expert runs including “Corbet’s Couloir”. However lesser known is the number of blue, intermediate runs it possesses and every lift (except the tram) has access to at least one blue run, to give you some peace-of-mind. Guests who fly into Jackson Hole airport can also access the nearby ski areas of Snow King and Grand Targhee.

Salt Lake City is an international airport with daily flights from Paris & Amsterdam as well as many US cities including Los Angeles & San Francisco, particularly helpful for our Australian clients. From Salt Lake it’s a super quick 35 mins transfer to Park City ski resort, now the largest in the USA. Since Park City & Canyons ski areas were connected by the Quicksilver gondola, this ski area now just called Park City Mountain is huge and offers endless skiing & snowboarding opportunities even for people who are staying for two weeks or more.

Also nearby is Deer Valley Resort, just 45 mins from Salt Lake City airport. This ski only resort is named the number one ski resort in North America by ski magazine year after year and has a plethora of luxury ski in, ski out lodging. The short transfer makes Park City & Deer Valley ski resorts convenient choices, especially with the Town of Park City less than 5 mins away for your to enjoy with its historic Main Street, shops, bars & restaurants.

Salt Lake City also allows access to other Utah ski resorts including Brighton, Alta, Snowbird & more.

Denver International airport is home to at least 2 direct flights from London, wonderful for UK skiers who want to experience the delights of the powder skiing in America. British Airways & Norweigan Air both currently offer direct flights during ski season, with United flights being added towards the end of March / April for Easter. With this direct flight, it’s then easy to hop straight on a shuttle up to one of the Colorado resorts. Breckenridge & Winter Park are approximately 2 hours drive away or sometimes less, depending on snow conditions. Alternatively Vail & Beaver Creek are just over an hour away. Aspen & Steamboat can also be accessed from Denver, but a bit further around 4 hours transfer, so the regional airports can be more convenient.

These are some of the main ski resorts in America close to an airport with short transfers, making your journey quick & easy. Make the travel time short, check into your accommodation, jump into your skis & be on the slopes in no time, happy skiing!

Helen Gienke, Chalets USA.

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