Winter Getaway Guide - Adventure

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With rugged mountain peaks for a backbone, it’s no surprise that these high-country hotspots are home to some unforgettable winter adventures

Mammoth, CA

Unbound Terrain Parks Free-riding skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels will want to check out the parks’ three pipes (Olympic athletes love to train on the Super Duper Pipe’s 18-foot walls) and more than 50 jumps and 40 jibs. (800) MAMMOTH, mammothmountain.com.

Tamarack Cross-Country Ski Center  Venture onto 19 miles of groomed cross-country ski and snowshoe trails that wind through the Mammoth Lakes Basin, past seven high Sierra lakes. On winter nights when the moon is full, bundle up for a naturalist-guided snowshoe or cross-country ski tour through the backcountry. (760) 934-2442, tamaracklodge.com.

Mammoth Dog Teams Explore the wilderness with a team of Malamutes and Siberian and Alaskan Huskies as your guides. The one-hour-long Minaret Vista Lookout Ride offers great views and an education on the inner workings of the team. For the truly adventurous, there are over- night trips, too. (760) 934-6270, mammothdogteams.com.

Vail, CO

Vail Mountain, CO photo courtesy Jack Affleck/Vail Resorts

Adventure Ridge  If you’re looking for a challenge, sign up for a nighttime downhill ski-bike tour. Guides will show you how to ride the part-ski, part-bike contraption, then lead you down the mountain with the help of glowing head lamps. (970) 476-9090, vail.snow.com.

Nature Discovery Center Located atop Vail Mountain in an all-season yurt, the Nature Discovery Center features natural history exhibits and artifacts and offers a naturalist-led Moonlight Snowshoe Tour, which takes you out into the night to learn about astronomy and the habits of nocturnal animals. (970) 479-4675, gorerange.org.

Backcountry Hut Trips The Vail area is home to 24 huts that are part of the 10th Mountain Division Hut system. Inspired by the European tradition of hut-to-hut travel, they provide overnight shelter for seasoned skiers and snowshoers who prefer the great outdoors to a hotel room. (970) 827-5715, vail.snow.com.

Triple G Outfitters Saddle up and take a peaceful ride through snow-blanketed meadows and along Muddy Creek on horseback at the 4 Eagle Ranch in nearby Wolcott, Colorado. Bring a camera, as you’ll want to capture the breathtaking views of the Sawatch Range, Castle Peak and Red and White Mountains. (970) 926-1234, tripleg.net.  

Banff/Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada

Alberta, CA photo courtesy Junichi Tak Yoshi/banff lake louise tourism

RK Heli-Ski For skiing you just won’t find at a resort, hop aboard one of RK’s helicopters and access the spectacular Purcell Mountains’ (located on the edge of the legendary Bugaboos) wide-open alpine slopes, scenic glaciers and gladed forests, dusted with annual snowfalls of up to 36 feet. (403) 760-2824, rkheli ski.com.

Banff Fishing Unlimited Just because the water’s frozen doesn’t mean you can’t still fish for lake trout and Rocky Mountain whitefish. Settle into a private heated hut on uncrowded Spray Lake, set high in the Rockies, where a guide will help you catch your lunch, then cook it right on the shore. (403) 762-4936, banff-fishing.com.

Canmore Caverns Cave Tours Guides lead the way through the undeveloped Rat’s Nest Cave’s twisting passages and chambers, past fossils, pools of sparkling water and stunning calcite formations. (403) 678-8819, canadianrock ies.net/wildcavetours.

Awesome All-Season Adventures  Book a half-day, full-day or evening snowmobile tour and zip past the waterfalls, glacier-capped peaks and forested valleys of the Canadian Rockies’ backcountry wilderness. Try the evening tour and experience the night sounds of the Beaverfoot Valley and, if you’re lucky, the Northern Lights. banffatvtours.com.

Big Sky, MT

Big Sky Resort Hit the slopes, where you’ll find 400 inches of annual snowfall, more than 85 miles of runs on 3,812 acres and plenty of elbow room (lift lines are rare here). Purchase a joint lift
ticket and enjoy unlimited access to Big Sky Resort and Moonlight Basin. (800) 548-4486, bigskyresort.com.

Spanish Peaks Residents enjoy private high-speed lift service to Big Sky’s world-class skiing, plus miles of cross-country ski and snowshoe trails. The members-only yurt-style Sacajawea Camp welcomes weary skiers and snowboarders with cozy slippers, warm fireplaces and first-class on-mountain dining. (877) 995-3104, spanish-peaks.com.

Spirit of the North Sled Dog Adventures A team of enthusiastic Huskies will guide you through backcountry landscapes framed by the dramatic Spanish Peaks and snow-capped Lone Mountain on this unforgettable journey through Big Sky country.

You’ll have a chance to drive the sled—and to warm your frozen hands around a steaming cup of hot cocoa out on the trail. (406) 995-3424, huskypower.com.

Moonlight Basin Situated on the northern face of Montana’s famed Lone Mountain, Moonlight Basin enjoys 400 inches of light, dry powder that falls each year on more than 1,500 acres of extraordinary ski terrain. You’ll find everything from gentle trails and impeccably groomed cruisers to hair-raising chutes, quickly accessed with lifts like the Six-Shooter, Montana’s only high-speed, six-passenger chairlift. (888) 362-1666, moonlightbasin.com.