By Nicky Holford
Nothing beats hitting the open road in North America as a way to see majestic scenery and ski several of the US and Canada's top ski resorts in one holiday.
Rocky Mountain Highway: Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper - Canada
Banff National
Park has some of the most spectacular scenery in North America. Expect to see
the Rocky Mountains at their best, towering jagged peaks, forests of pine, glacial
lakes and wildlife such as moose and elk. There's no better way to experience
it than by driving to the three resorts within the park and staying in some
of the majestic old Canadian Pacific Railway hotels such as the Banff
Springs, Chateau Lake Louise, and Jasper
Park Lodge. Mount Norquay, 10 minutes from Banff is ideal for half days
or getting your post trans-Atlantic ski legs. There's even night skiing on Fridays.
Sunshine Village and Lake Louise are 20 and 45 minutes away respectively. From
here you can head along the stunning Columbia Icefields to Jasper and the ski
resort of Marmot Basin. Think elegant log cabins, romance and blazing fires
in a spot that has seduced royalty and celebs from Marilyn Monroe to Bing Crosby.
In all these resorts there is skiing to suit all standards, long runs for confident
intermediates, good beginner areas with easy lifts and challenges for off piste
daredevils. Goat's Eye mountain at Sunshine is a "black run" mountain with a
Wild West area.
Ski Pass:A tri-area ski pass includes unlimited access to all three resorts, Mount Norquay, Lake Louise and Sunshine in Banff National Park and bus transport between them.
California Dreamin': Lake Tahoe and nearby resorts
Hit the road to Lake
Tahoe, which has 14 ski areas including the top resorts of Heavenly and
Squaw
Valley all spectacularly located on the California/Nevada border. The drive
from San Francisco eases
through blistering scenery going from relative warmth to the snowy Sierra Mountains.
Here you can combine pancake breakfasts, skiing (and roulette tables, once you
cross the Nevada state line) all in one day. As you ascend California's highest
resort of Heavenly there's a breathtaking view of Lake Tahoe. The skiing has
long, wide, perfectly groomed runs through pine forests, pipes and parks for
snowboarders and some seriously steep mogul runs. South of the lake, there's
the smaller, Sierra and Kirkwood resorts. North of the lake, you can ski Northstar,
Mount Rose, Alpine Meadows, all quite different in character, and the highly
rated Squaw Valley. This powder trap resort has an award-winning children's
ski programme and a three-mile long intermediate run. If you want to notch up
more resorts there's the legendary Mammoth
Mountain that works well as a two-centre resort.
Ski Pass: The South Tahoe interchangeable lift pass is valid at 7 ski resorts: Heavenly, Sierra at Tahoe, Kirkwood, Mount Rose, Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows and Northstar at Tahoe.
New England Charm: Stowe, Killington & North Conway
Think churches with tall white steeples and the Sound of Music as your New
England ski tour is likely to take in sights like the Ben & Jerry factory
near Stowe and the Von Trapp cross country ski area. New Hampshire's Cranmore
Mountain Resort in North Conway is a perfect start for getting your skilegs
- lots of gentle runs and a good ski school. It's very family orientated with
a supervised Adventure Centre. There's also ice-skating, snow tubing and the
nearby North Conway factory outlet for shoppers. In Vermont,
Killington is the east coast's biggest mountain claiming the most artificial
snowmaking in the world (92 km). It's got a lively après- ski scene with cheap
drinks starting at 3 pm. A high density of lifts covers the seven peak ski area,
boarding is taken seriously and the nursery slopes are excellent. Stowe is the
most picturesque with colourful clapboard shops, decorated with twinkling lights.
The Green Mountain Inn has a real cosy wintery feel with open fires to fend
off the New England chill. The ski area a few miles out of town has two main
mountains with good slopes for all abilities.
Ski Pass: Day tickets and multi-day passes available at all these resorts.
If you fancy some multi-resort skiing in North America, check out our
latest
deals on ski holidays now.
Nicky Holford is a freelance travel writer. She writes regularly for the Sunday Telegraph and is addicted to powder snow! Her favourite resorts are Chamonix, St. Anton and Alagna in Italy.