Ever come across the bro who’s “not into resort skiing”? Who skis “a lot of backcountry”? Who conspicuously walks around the resort’s base village in ski-mountaineering boots while sipping fair-trade arabica from the resort coffee shop? Don’t let him fool you. He shreds the resort when the backcountry avalanche danger is too high. He drinks its beer and eats its burgers. He loves it. So do we, and so do you. You voted for your overall favorite resorts and told us where to find the best steeps, trees, park, powder, nightlife, and—yes—backcountry access. Here’s all that, with some editors’ picks thrown in. Click on the links to find out about the winners.
Best Overall: Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia
Best Backcountry Access: Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Best in the East: Stowe, Vermont
Best Steeps: Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Best Snow: Alta/Snowbird, Utah
Best Trees: Steamboat, Colorado
Best Park: Breckenridge, Colorado
