The Top Spots: Playboy Polls the Ski Editors

Few Skiers ever have the opportunity to visit as many U. S. ski areas as have the handful of men who write about the sport for a living. With this in mind, Playboy assembled a panel of leading ski editors and asked them to write about their five favorite American ski havens. Those participating were Doug Pfeiffer, editor of Skiing; John Fry, editor of Ski; Enzo Serafini, editor of Skier; Michael Strauss, ski editor of The New York Times; and Philip Fradkin, ski editor of the Los Angeles Times. Not surprisingly, our experts all had their own favorite areas--for novices and veterans alike--and their selections include several smaller, lesser-known resorts. We think you'll find the reasons they give for their choices enlightening and informative.

Sun Valley, Idaho

"Created back in 1936 by Averell Harriman's Union Pacific Railroad," writes Doug Pfeiffer of Skiing, "Sun Valley was America's first built-from-scratch ski resort. Other winter resorts may now outdo this delightful place in terms of numbers, but they'll never outclass it." Panache has always been Sun Valley's strong point: By the Forties, the resort was a favored retreat of high society and a goodly mixture of Hollywood stalwarts. Things really haven't changed since then, although ownership has: Six years ago, Union Pacific sold Sun Valley to developer Bill Janss. Aside from businessmen, socialites and celebrities, Sun Valley's largest classifiable clientele is usually in the process of becoming single. Thanks to Idaho's liberal divorce laws, hundreds of people each year--mostly women--wait out the state's six-week residency requirement at the resort. As to the pampered life: Sigi Engl's six-day ski school uses TV tape machines, so that guests can see their mistakes immediately, and Dollar Mountain is a nonpareil course for novices. Sun Valley's other mountain, Baldy, offers some of the finest ski runs for experts in North America. And for an added fillip, helicopters fly advanced skiers to scenic runs in the Sawtooth Mountains. A près-ski, of course, is a supersophisticated scene. Adds Pfeiffer, "Sun Valley is a memorable experience you'll share with TV and film stars, successful industrialists and cosmopolite skiers from all over the world."

Lifts: 1 triple chair, 6 double chairs, 4 single chairs, 1 T-bar, helicopter.

Ski runs: 10 beginner, 23 intermediate, 23 advanced trails.

Accommodates: 4600 in area, 2500 nearby. By air: Hailey, 12 miles away via Salt Lake City shuttle. Longest run: 4 miles.

Stowe, Vermont

"Despite all of its commercial growth, despite the fact that once-beautiful Mountain Road is now a gaudy gauntlet of inns, restaurants, motels and shops," reports Skier's Enzo Serafini, "Stowe is still the spot revered by name-droppers and veteran skiers alike." Offering the most complete skiing in the East, Stowe can challenge--or coddle--every level of skier. From afar, first-time visitors will be impressed by the village's traditional New England appearance; up close, however, Stowe is anything but tranquil. Afternoons and evenings, a dozen pubs and discos provide meeting places for young people who congregate there from all over the East. The varied runs of Stowe's Mt. Mansfield--such as famed Nose Dive Trail--are why they congregate, however. A word of caution: Stowe's slopes often build up bumps and icy patches from heavy use, so ski intermediate terrain early and move on to higher ranges later on. An added attraction is the frequent racing competitions. "Stowe has, over the years, been the site of many of the country's most important races," notes Serafini. "And even today, a big race at Stowe becomes mantled with a glamor and excitement seldom duplicated anywhere else."

Lifts: 1 single chair, 3 double chairs, 3 T-bars, 1 gondola. Ski runs: 4 beginner, 17 intermediate, 7 advanced, 7 open slopes.

Accommodates: 4500 in area, 3000 nearby. By air: Burlington, 40 miles away; or private airstrip. Longest run: 4 miles.

Taos, New Mexico

"Probably no ski center in America achieves closer harmony with nature than Taos," writes Philip Fradkin of the Los Angeles Times. Set among the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico--a landscape D. H. Lawrence once called the most beautiful on earth--Taos is worth seeing even if you don't ski. The town, 18 1/2 miles from the slopes, is a picturesque mix of Spanish-American and Pueblo Indian architecture and harbors a large art colony as well as several nearby hippie communes (see West of Eden, page 173). As to the skiing: Taos is a series of escalating challenges located far enough off the Western ski circuit to attract mostly advanced skiers, who enjoy its slopes from Thanksgiving to May 1. (The ski valley shuts down for two weeks, and then offers corn skiing through mid-June.) Taos is the creation of a crusty, good-humored German Swiss named Ernie Blake, who, among other enterprises, runs a ski school whose pupils are usually able to schuss down easy intermediate slopes after only three days. He's also apt to get on the radio during a low-snowfall November and announce (as he has), "The skiing is from ghastly to awful and I suggest you stay home. Some of us are skiing--but on a firm base of tree stumps and bones of last year's visitors." Taos' runs are tough--some of them reach angles of 40 degrees; among the more famous trails is milelong Al's Run, named for a local physician, Dr. Al Rosen. Concludes Fradkin: "It's for the true aficionado who thinks he's seen everything. When he gets to Taos, he wants to go no farther."

Lifts: 3 double chairs, 2 Pomas. Ski runs: 8 beginner, 12 intermediate, 15 advanced trails. Accommodates: 600 in area. By air: Santa Fe, 92 miles away; or private airstrip. Longest run: 6 1/4 miles.

Heavenly Valley, California/Nevada

"In all my years of reporting," says Ski's John Fry, "I've never seen a more beautiful spot to ski in North America than Heavenly Valley. The great gambling casinos of Lake Tahoe's south shore lack ambiance, of course, as does the town of Stateline, both situated almost at the base of the mountain. But these impressions simply disappear as you swing up the cable car and the enormous blue expanse of Lake Tahoe unfolds below." Each hour, 14,000 skiers can be lifted to the 10,000-foot peak of Heavenly Valley; from the California side (the more challenging), you can ski across to Nevada terrain, often as remote on a weekday as an Alaskan tundra. (It's an especially attractive area for cross-country day-tripping.) There's more than enough diversity at Heavenly to satisfy any degree of expertise. Although the 12-unit Christiana Inn is the only slopeside lodge, 7000 hotel and motel rooms are available a ten-minute drive away. Plan on spending an evening at one of the gambling-and-show complexes such as Harvey's or the Sahara-Tahoe, both of which are fine hotel choices, or at Harrah's. "After idly visiting the roulette or blackjack tables," advises Fry, "sit down to dinner, take in a floorshow featuring big-name acts and stay on for dancing and perhaps some serious gambling. It's hardly traditional après-ski, but that's part of Heavenly Valley's unique allure."

Lifts: 1 cable car, 11 single chairs, 1 T-bar, 2 Pomas. Ski runs: 9 beginner, 10 intermediate, 8 advanced trails.

Accommodates: 7000 in area.

By air: South Lake Tahoe, 6 miles away. Longest run: 7 1/4 miles.

Aspen, Colorado

"Whenever I'm asked to name what I consider to be America's top ski area," writes The New York Times's Michael Strauss, "I start thinking about such resorts as Vail, Taos, Mammoth Mountain and a personal favorite such as Steamboat Springs, Colorado. But when the daydreaming is done, I always come up with Aspen." No small wonder, since Strauss, like many a knowledgeable U. S. skier, feels that Aspen--with its four major ski sites of Aspen Highlands, Aspen Mountain, Buttermilk and Snowmass--presents the most complete ski terrain and facilities to be had anywhere in America. A onetime silver-mining town that went bust in 1900 when America switched to the gold standard, Aspen remained dormant until World War Two, when the Army used its mountains as a training base for ski troops. After the War, Army instructors returned--and suddenly the boom was on. By 1950, when the Federation of International Skiing Championships were staged there, the town's future was no longer in doubt. Aspen has since become North America's biggest ski resort, with more than 70 lodges, dozens of condominiums, 40 restaurants, at least a dozen night clubs and a new crop of discos each winter. But the biggest and most vital Aspen statistic is its ski acreage--there are more than 180 miles of trails, more than enough for the 14,000 skiers who may be vacationing there at any given time. Most experts ski Aspen Mountain (although it also has runs suitable for intermediates and beginners). Buttermilk gets most of the novice trade and the slopes of Aspen Highlands are laced with intermediate skiers. Snowmass offers the most well-rounded terrain of the four, with The Big Burn a famed run for the intermediate skier and Fanny Hill an obvious choice for the beginner. Aspen's growth continues unabated: Five new lifts are opening this year. Says Strauss, "Much more of the area will be developed in the next few years and when that happens, Aspen will have just cause to call itself Shangri-La--a skier's version, that is."

Lifts: Aggregate--1 single chair, 24 double chairs, 5 Pomas, 1 T-bar. Ski runs: Aspen Highlands--36 open slopes, 3 beginner, 2 intermediate trails; Aspen Mountain--50 miles of trail, 5 beginner, 10 intermediate, 15 advanced intermediate, 20 expert; Buttermilk--40 miles of trail, mostly beginner; Snowmass--55 miles of open slopes and trails, mostly intermediate and expert. Accommodates: 14,000 in area. By air: Aspen Airport via Aspen Airways and Rocky Mountain Airways from Denver. Longest runs: Aspen Highlands, 5 miles; Aspen Mountain, 2 miles; Buttermilk, 2 miles; Snowmass, 3 miles.

Mammoth Mountain, California

On any given winter weekend, aptly named Mammoth Mountain is deluged with thousands of Angelenos who feel compelled to drive six hours to this broad giant. Unfortunately, traffic, both human and automobile varieties, often mitigates against weekend schussing; more than 250,000 skiers crowd the tent-shaped mountain's slopes each year. Having been warned about its disadvantages, you can now consider the strong points: Mammoth's ski season begins in November and runs through July, and since crowds abate after March, it's an excellent choice for spring skiing. The mountain offers 4000 acres of mostly intermediate slopes, but a number of runs will test even the most daring of downhill racers. "Mammoth's only problem," notes Fradkin, "is coping with the impersonality bigness brings on, and every time a new lift opens, the crowds increase." But that also lowers a solo skier's odds of finding a companionable snow bunny with whom to share the excitement of the slopes--and the great indoors.

Lifts: 2 gondolas, 7 double chairs, 2 T-bars. Ski runs: 19 open slopes, 5 beginner, 12 intermediate, 6 advanced trails.

Accommodates: 2000 in area, 4000 nearby. By air: Reno, 168 miles away; private airstrip. Longest run: 3 miles.

Squaw Valley, California

In 1955, Alec Cushing, Squaw Valley's developer and guiding genius, visited the International Olympic Committee in Paris to propose that the 1960 Winter Olympics be staged at his then-unheralded resort. When the I. O. C. surprisingly accepted, more than $13,000,000 was spent getting Squaw Valley in shape for international competition. "Since then," says Strauss, "Cushing has never permitted Squaw's momentum to be slowed." Each year, there have been improvements in the sleek luxury lodges, and the opening of new lifts now seems to be almost an annual event: In 1968, Cushing unveiled the world's largest gondola lift, featuring two Garaventa gondolas, each of which can haul 125 skiers 1 1/2 miles in under five minutes. Since Squaw has 25 other lifts, there's no need to worry about being stranded at the base. Squaw can accommodate 23,000 skiers an hour, who battle their way down excellent intermediate trails and such superb, steep runs as Headwall, Siberia and K-22. Actually, it's a lot easier to ski at Squaw than to find a room there; Squaw Valley has only six housing complexes, but there's plenty of room at nearby Tahoe City--and Reno is only 46 miles away.

Lifts: 1 tram, 2 gondolas, 18 double chairs, 6 Pomas. Ski runs: 28 open slopes.

Accommodates: 900 in area, 8000 nearby.

By air: Reno. Longest run: 1 1/2 miles.

Cannon Mountain, New Hampshire

Since its inception in 1929, Cannon Mountain has figured heavily in the history of U. S. skiing: It was the home of the first formal American ski school, the site of the nation's first aerial tramway (opened in June 1938), and it was where the first authentic American racing trail was built--the Richard Taft Trail, a Civilian Conservation Corps project in the mid-Thirties. "Today, more than 40 years after its start," notes Serafini, "the real skiers are still making the scene at Cannon." And the reasons are scenically evident; Cannon's slopes are so graceful and challenging that the lack of après-ski activity doesn't keep overflow crowds away. Although the stolid atmosphere of this state-run facility generally may daunt the under-30 crowd, Cannon adamantly remains what it always has been: a beautiful place to ski. Period.

Lifts: 1 tram, 2 double chairs, 4 T-bars. Ski runs: 11 open slopes, 6 beginner, 15 intermediate, 6 advanced trails. Accommodates: 2500 in area. By air: Whitefield, 15 miles away. Longest run: 2 1/4 miles.

Alta, Utah

Just 25 miles from Salt Lake City, Alta, perhaps the most Alpine-looking ski area in America, is also our country's powder capital: Heavy snows begin in November and by the end of each winter, more than 450 inches of snow have fallen on this singular ski complex. One of the oldest ski resorts in America (its first lift was operational in 1938), Alta has not altered its basic character: Even though some recent gestures have been made toward novices, it is still a haven for the expert, as might be indicated by the names of some of its more difficult trails--High Rustler, Stone Crusher, Baldy Chutes, Gunsight and Rock Gulley. "Filled with circuitous take-offs, walls, chutes and bowls," Pfeiffer reports, "Alta is both an aesthetic adventure and a constant challenge."

Lifts: 1 single chair, 5 double chairs, 4 ropes. Ski runs: 10 beginner, 10 intermediate, 35 advanced slopes. Accommodates: 400 in area, 5000 nearby. By air: Salt Lake City, 25 miles away. Longest run: 3 1/3 miles.

Mineral King, California

Located at the southern edge of Sequoia National Park--and on Forest Service lands--Mineral King will soon have its future determined by the courts: Walt Disney Productions wants to spend $35,000,000 developing the area--installing scores of lifts, lodges, restaurants, etc.--and the Sierra Club strongly opposes a Disneyland grab of this remote and beautiful wilderness. The area's skiing is nothing less than sensational. Mineral King has 10 major bowls, each of which offers more skiing than all of Squaw Valley. Says Willy Schaeffler, head coach of the U. S. Ski Team, "Mineral King offers European-type skiing not found anywhere else in the United States." Presently, there are only three ways to get there: by charter helicopter, driving a tracked vehicle or hiking--above the snow line. From the 8000-foot level, where hotels and restaurants would be located, the view is straight up to a ring of 12,000-foot mountain peaks. "Every skier should have the opportunity to see what a near-virgin mountain area is like in winter without other skiers breathing down his neck," comments Fradkin. The area probably should be developed, but whether the Disney operators should be allowed to do it is another question. Would long-haired skiers be barred from the slopes?

Mineral King has no lifts; its slopes have not been rated for recommended levels of ski proficiency. Accommodates: 500 in Sequoia National Park, 400 nearby. By air: Visalia, 48 miles away.

Mt. Snow, Vermont

In recent years, Mt. Snow has become the snow-bunny capital of the East. Each winter weekend, thousands of New Yorkers drive the 200 miles to West Dover to sample Mt. Snow's pleasures. The majority of the crowd is far more expert at après-ski than at speeding down the slopes. The resort's rise in popularity has given way to some intriguing innovations, such as the world's first bubble-chair lift (an enclosed two-seater) and an "air car" that transports six skiers at a time from Snow Lake Lodge to the lift lines. Between the gimmicks and the evening action, Mt. Snow has, perhaps justifiably, become known as the Coney (concluded on page 206)Top Spots(continued from page 112) Island of skiing. Many of its trails, however, are hardly a carny game: While it's true that most of the 75 miles of ski runs are highly suitable for skiers just past the beginner stage, the mountain's uncrowded North Face will positively delight the most seasoned expert. And in the evening there are all those bunnies. "If there's a facility or entertainment lacking on or off the slopes of Mt. Snow," writes Serafini, "I haven't heard about it."

Lifts: 2 gondolas, 9 double chairs, 1 bubble chair, 1 T-bar, 1 rope. Ski runs: 39, mostly intermediate. Accommodates: 1000 in area, 3000 nearby. By air: Mt. Snow Airport, 2 1/2 miles away. Longest run: 3 miles.

Bromley--Magic Mountain--Stratton Mountain, Vermont

These three Vermont ski resorts are located within 20 minutes' driving time of one another. "Thus," Strauss reports, "if snow conditions are marginal at Magic, you're apt to find an abundance at Stratton; and if it's too cold at Stratton, it will be warmer on Bromley's sun-exposed southern slopes." All three, it should be noted, offer well-planned trails for the expert and plenty of room for beginners and intermediates. Each of the resorts has snow-making equipment, as well.

Bromley, built by beer scion Fred Pabst, Jr., doesn't really need much snow; because its slopes are carefully mowed and groomed during the summer, a four-inch snowfall is more than enough to make for fine skiing.

Magic is notable for its authentic Swiss atmosphere, night skiing, its short lift lines on busy days (ticket sales are limited to 1500) and its efficient and amiable director, Hans Thorner.

Stratton, a haven for Ivy League alumni, is Austrian in flavor, boasts Emo Heinrich's fine ski school and is ringed by well-designed, comfortable chalets.

Lifts: Bromley--3 double chairs, 5 J--bars, 1 Poma; Magic--2 double chairs, 1 T-bar; Stratton--6 double chairs, 2 T-bars. Ski runs: Bromley--8 beginner, 9 intermediate, 6 advanced; Magic--2 beginner, 11 intermediate. 3 advanced, 4 open slopes; Stratton--13 beginner, 14 intermediate, 10 advanced, 6 open slopes. Accommodates: 5000 in vicinity. By air: Bromley--Rutland. 30 miles away; Magic--private airstrip; Stratton--Rutland, 39 miles away, or Springfield, 22 miles away. Longest runs: Bromley--2 miles; Magic--2 1/2 miles; Stratton--2 1/4 miles.

In addition to the major American ski areas already described, smaller, less-publicized ski settings are also worthy of consideration. Keep in mind that most skiing is done on slopes of 600-1500 feet in vertical descent. Those dramatic, soaring cable cars pictured on postcards of every European winter resort are designed less to serve ski trails than to transport skiers to smaller, higher hills served by Poma lifts and T-bars. The fact that similar hills might be located a couple of hours from downtown New York, Chicago or Los Angeles doesn't seem to occur to many skiers or travel agents. Some smaller but worthy choices:

Great Gorge, New Jersey: An hour's drive from New York--and the site of a new Playboy Club-Hotel due to open next winter--Great Gorge has been going great guns since it was developed a couple of years ago. Excellent across-the-board terrain for all levels of prowess, reliable snow-making equipment and a nice little racing run.

Jiminy Peak, Massachusetts: Offering the most intriguing skiing in the Berkshires, Jiminy was an Eastern mainstay before new roads and new facilities spawned the giants of Vermont and New Hampshire. Massachusetts' best ski area, Jiminy--and especially its Whirlaway Trail--still delights the experts. And there's nary a lift line in sight.

Highmount, New York: Located in the Catskill Mountains, a two-hour drive north of Manhattan, Highmount has a couple of T-bars, assorted rope tows, a modest base lodge and the ability to assure skiing through compressed-air snow making. It has an 825-foot vertical descent and the price is right: $5.50 admission to the area.

Bear Valley, California: A four-hour drive east of San Francisco, Bear Valley is a medium-sized resort nestled in the Sierra Nevadas. Most of its ski runs range from advanced intermediate to expert and the vertical drop of 2100 feet is hardly Little League stuff. Distinctly San Francisco in character, Bear Valley offers sophisticated après-ski. We advise you to write for details; Bear Valley's brochure features a lovely blonde--wearing nothing but her boots and skis. (The address is: Bear Valley, California 95223.)

Attitash, New Hampshire: What sets Attitash apart from almost all other ski resorts is that when management decides the slopes are getting too crowded, it simply stops selling lift tickets. This rather admirable practice means that lift-line waits rarely exceed eight minutes. Novices to hot-shots have ample terrain to test themselves, and a two-year-old chair lift that goes to the summit stretches Attitash's vertical drop to 1525 feet.

Armed with the information supplied by our panel of ski editors, and perhaps some of the equipment displayed on pages 104-109, you're now ready to hit the slopes. In addition to our editors' choices, a number of other American resorts--such as Vail, Colorado, Sugarloaf. Maine, Killington, Vermont, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to name only a few--will also prove to be challenging and memorable sites for an American ski odyssey. In parting, our experts warn against tackling tougher terrain than you're ready to handle. Other than that: Track!