For some reason, the end of year is the time for lists. Here's Conde Nast Traveller's list of underrated (could they have said under appreciated) ski resorts, starting for some unkind reason with #4: http://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/...-awards-2014/4

Don

__________________
-Don-

Life and baseball both sometimes are not fair, but it is how you play the hops that counts. —Scott Miller, NYT Sports

#6 Powder Mountain, UT I live about and hour and some change away. My favorite place on earth on the right day.

__________________
2003 7.3 UJOINT 4x4 SMB

I'll second Powder Mtn but on a big day Snowbasin across the valley is just as good or better. More vert anyway. Caught a pretty good powder day while there for a ski race and got to meet Rionapo and mrs. R to boot.

Not sure what Brian Head is doing on this list.

__________________
2005 E350 RB 6.0 PSD for extended fun
1989 Landcruiser FJ62 for local fun
2011 VW TDI Golf for hwy fun

ive had great days at both powder mtn and snow basin, not to mention brighton. ive heard good things about brainhead, but is that photo of it the entire mtn??

that list seems awfully lacking. wonder what their criterias were? the 2 resorts in the us with the most vertical drop arent even on the list.

__________________
"understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of your car, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of your car, horsepower is how hard your car hits the wall, and torque is how far your car moves the wall."

I presume it to mean under-rated resorts, or those that are awesome but fly under the radar. That would rule out any of the Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon resorts in SLC to me.

But Snowbasin and Powder Mountain get over-looked which is pretty nice on a powder day. snowbird gets tracked out in 2 hours. At least Alta exercises a bit of snow preservation by opening various parts sequentially. Snowbird is a feeding frenzy fueled by a tram.

Brian Head is nice in that there are few people there but the terrain is woefully lacking with lots of flats. I would hate it on a snowboard. I would add Beaver Mountain to that list before Brian Head.

__________________
2005 E350 RB 6.0 PSD for extended fun
1989 Landcruiser FJ62 for local fun
2011 VW TDI Golf for hwy fun

well that was a bigole fail. i thought it was top rated, not underrated. my bad

thanks for info on brainhead though. have always had it in the back of my head that i wanted to go there, but ill stay clear being a boarder. flat and boards dont mix well.

not allowed at alta, and never have made it to snowbird yet. from the sound of others that have visited, i assumed it was a madhouse when it snowed. have only heard positive things about their snowfall though. ive heard that they have to clear snow just to make space for the lifts to run. thats just nuts, lol.

either way, i have a hard time paying what places want for their lift tickets anymore. i just cant justify 75-100 bucks a day anymore. im too old to be able to get that many turns in to make it worth the money.

__________________
"understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of your car, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of your car, horsepower is how hard your car hits the wall, and torque is how far your car moves the wall."

Also heard about Alta as an incredible place for powder ski...

__________________
Travelling in VivaLaVida (custom 2010 6.0 Ford E-350 Extended with U-Joint 4WD conversion)