Ski vacations for 2009

Melanie Chambers
Published: December 15, 2008

For many winter sports enthusiasts, part of what makes a ski vacation special is the experience of staying in a mountain community away from traffic and the glitz of the city.

Some renowned ski areas have become small cities with towering hotels, glittering shops and branches of famous gourmet restaurants. If you would prefer a quiet, low-key environment consider some of the following smaller ski towns in various parts of the USA.

Instead of Big Sky, a posh place filled with expensive condos and a mall, look to Big Mountain near Whitefish, Mont. This is a peaceful side of Montana with a rustic village and good, but fewer, ski runs. Whitefish is near the western edge of Glacier National Park. This is a charming area with spectacular scenery and “down to earth” folks.

The Grand Teton Mountains of Wyoming, so well known for Jackson Hole and its mammoth development, hold secret towns away from the spotlights. There are tiny hamlets like Victor, Driggs and Tetonia, Idaho just 25 miles across the Wyoming border from Jackson Hole. Life in these Teton Valley towns still moves at a rural pace, and the main draw here is the stunning mountains and miles of wilderness. Sprawled nearby is the Grand Teton National Park, part of the 20 million acre greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Here you can take a snowshoe or cross country ski tour. If you prefer downhill skiing you’ll relish the uncongested Grand Targhee Resort, best known for its grand views, mellow clientele and broad ski runs.

Bend, Ore., home to Mount Bachelor where a day lift ticket is still a seasonable $55, is celebrated for its “bluebird sky” and plenty of high desert sunshine. Bend is a lively, growing, frontier town within 30 minutes of Mt. Bachelor and its 3,700 acres of pristine, snow covered trails.

Set among the endless snowfields and working cattle ranches of the Elk Mountains, Crested Butte, Colo. started out as a coal mining camp in the late 19th century. In the 1960s the coal gave way to ski resorts, but the community held fast to its historic district filled with old saloons, stately Victorian homes, and antique street lights. The Elk Mountains are home to Crested Butte ski area, which is legendary for steep, rugged terrain. The highly spirited and independent residents of this area haven’t allowed the glitz of other Colorado ski resorts to creep over the Kebler Pass to spoil their unique environment.

Closer to home, in the Green Mountains of Vermont, you might choose to escape to Waitsfield and Warren, located in Mad River Valley. This is a hub for both artisans and skiers alike. An eclectic community of potters, weavers, and glassblowers with “down to earth” virtues which extend to the local ski areas. Mad River Glen (lift tickets $60) is one of the last of the old school resorts. It’s a place where ski runs go ungroomed (as nature intended), and innovations like snowboarding and high-speed chairlifts remain unwelcome.

In 2009 plan for a truly relaxed, lower cost ski trip! Pick one of these less famous but more charming ski destinations, avoid the crowds, and ski to your heart’s content.

Melanie Chambers, CTC, is a travel consultant for Battlefield Travel in downtown Culpeper. She can be reached at 825-1393 or .