Where to Ski

Tucked into the end of a box canyon in Little Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah; Alta is known for steep chutes and deep powder - an old-style ski town focused on the skiing and the people who ski there.

Scott Urtel has guided for Wasatch Powderbirds, and for Ski with Kim for a decade. He is currently the lead training officer for the Alta Ski Patrol, and skis this mountain pretty much every day of the season.

Our Favs

In this bonus episode we hit on one of my favorite subjects – mountain weather.  Nothing worse than planning a trip, getting somewhere, and getting weathered out – either rain, too little snow or even too much snow can affect your day. Weather has a lot to do with my own decision-making process of where to ski.

This bonus episode is a new twist on Where to Ski where we explore the culture, history, and future of mountain towns.  Today’s focus is on what makes skiing in Europe different from skiing in other parts of the world. 

Today we talk to the youngest generation of one of the oldest families in St Anton, Austria, our guest today is Anna Schranz.

Anna’s family has lived in this region for 7 generations, she was born and has lived most of her life in St Anton and has seen many of the changes to the town and she is one of many who will be leading St Anton into the future. 

The Mont Blanc Valley is so amazing we decided to do our first video podcast - we hope you enjoy it. Chamonix is in the French Alps just north of Mont Blanc, and about an hours drive south of Geneva. Between the peaks of the Aiguilles Rouges and the Aiguille du Midi, it borders Switzerland and Italy and sits at the foot of Mont Blanc. It is one of the oldest ski resorts in France. AND Chamonix has some incredible skiing as well as history going back to Napoleon.

Taos Ski Valley attracts skiers from everywhere to its terrain, its powder, its unique vibe, and its just plain fun. Privately owned – it has kept its unique identity, has expanded services and I believe the most environmentally committed ski area in the world as the first ski resort in the world to become a certified B-Corporation and it has a 2030 net zero carbon commitment.

Alain Veth grew up skiing – first as a racer, at the World Junior Championships, on the Europa Cup and World Cup winning the National Championship of Spain along with National titles in France before turning Pro. Alain became a fully certified ski instructor and ski coach first in France and later in the United States. He and his wife own and run one of the countries best ski shops, Le Ski mastery. Alain's knowledge and passion for the sport of skiing is very evident in our discussion and contagious.

My Favs

Down in southwest Colorado at the end of a box canyon in the San Juan mountains sits Telluride. Rumor has it that the name “Telluride” actually derived from the phrase “To Hell You Ride”, which described the treacherous journey to get to this remote mountain town.

Skiing started there in 1972 with a few runs emptying into town, the skiing has expanded to include some of the best and most varied skiing in the world.  Supported by a newer mountain village, the town itself remains historic, quaint and awesome with restaurants, bars and hotels catering to everyone.

Bob Gleason, known for his bootfitting skills honed over 40 years, has been skiing, living and working in Telluride for 27 years.  Last year Bob skied over 3.1 Million vertical in all conditions - he knows the mountain and the area very well. 

My Favs

• Best Restaurant – wow there are so many choices - we are settling on Allreds for the views and the food and the Floradora for fun
• Best Hotel - New Sheridan
• Best Pizza – Rustico
• Best Apres - the bar at the New Sheridan
• Best Run- Lift 9 Bushwacker to the Lower Plunge....

At the very end of Ötztal valley about an hour and twenty minute drive west from Innsbruck you'll find one of Alps' best and snow-surest ski areas.  Ski-in, ski-out Gurgl, the only spot in Austria which is home to three mountains which reach up above the 3,000m mark suitable for all levels of skier.

Our special guest for this episode is Dave “the Rocket” Ryding, an English World Cup alpine slalom ski racer. Considered the most accomplished modern day British skier of all time, he has competed for Great Britain in four Olympics, seven World Championships, and he also won the Europa Cup. Dave’s best World Cup result was a win at the Kitzbühel slalom, and he placed 4th at the race in November at his home ski area of Gurgl, Austria. Dave also just placed third at the Madonna slalom in December.

St Moritz ... You Need to do it once ...five star hotels, Michelin starred restaurants, designer boutiques, and high class apres-ski... also has some of Europe's best skiing.  Home to winter Olympics,  multiple Alpine Skiing World Championships – there is some real skiing in St Moritz. 

My guests for this episode are Christophe Steck and Marco Balz. Cristophe is a skier, mountaineer and climber, in 2010 he co-founded PassionSki to bring his passion for the region to guests from all over the world.   Marco has guided for over 10 years in the Engadin region, he also teaches health and wellness.

My Favs

• Best Restaurant – if we are really going there then Da Vittorio
• Best Pizza – La_Stalla_Ristorante
• Best Apres - Paradiso at Badrutts Palace or Roo Bar at Hauser
• Best Run- Suvretta Cante

We're at 8800 ft and heading to Colorado. Grab your skis, and let's dive into the world of skiing at Crested Butte, Colorado.

My guest today instructs and guides at Crested Butte and knows the mountain and the town. Dave McGuire, Mac as he's known, has been skiing, living and instructing at Crested Butte since he attended Western State College 22 miles down the hill; he knows the mountain and the area very well. 

Crested Butte started as a supply town for the coal and silver mines and the ranches in the Gunnison Valley in the late 1800s. The town is small, historic, and a bit eclectic and nestles in the heart of the Rocky Mountains just north of Gunnison Colorado. Amazing restaurants, watering holes and shops of all kinds make the town an attractive landing spot for visitors.

The ski area boasts an incredible variety of terrain suitable for every level of skier from beginners to seasoned experts. With over 1,500 acres of skiable terrain, Crested Butte offers a mix of groomed runs, glades, and challenging steeps, ensuring that everyone can find that perfect place to ski.    The mountain is renown among skiers of all levels but has a reputation for providing some of the most extreme skiing in North America. 

My Favs

Stowe is quintessential New England, beautiful buildings, churches and town squares with restaurants, local businesses, shops and hotels that make it attractive and fun.   

Stowe's heavy investment in base facilities, high speed lifts and snowmaking lets it boast some of the best facilities in the US on two separate mountains.

My guest is Dave Merriam, Dave served as the Senior Director of Skier Services to Director of the Ski and Snowboard School.  Dave doesn’t just know Stowe, he knows skiing, he was on the Professional Ski Instructors of America Demo team for 12 years and was their head coach for 8 years; he instructed and directed the race program at LaParva, Chile for 2 years; helped develop product for both Olin and other companies and wrote extensively for Ski Magazine.  Dave raised his two daughters in the area and today Dave lives outside of Stowe with his wife, Eve.

Enough ...lets talk to Dave and see what Stowe is really like.

My Favs

Aspen has lots to it, so be prepared, this is longer than usual.

Starting as a mining town in the 1880s, Aspen has been legendary in the ski world for its skiing, the parties, dining, shopping and culture.  It’s a small town with a mammoth reputation due to it four mountains – Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Snowmass and Buttermilk.

Steve Marolt is a native Aspenite, together with his brother Mike, he has led over 50 ski mountaineering expeditions all over the world skiing where no man had skied before – down 8000 meter mountains like Mt Everest in Nepal to Illimani in Bolivia, to Mustagh Atta in China.  Inducted as the first ski mountaineers into the Ski Hall of Fame in 2017.

My Aspen Favs

An amazing episode with our very special guest Zach Crist, a multifaceted skier, guide and Sun Valley local. We explore Sun Valley and Ketchum, skiing Bald Mountain and skiing the thousands of acres of backcountry in the three mountain ranges around Sun Valley.

After a huge skiing career as a Wold Cup racer, Xgames winner, big mountain skier, and with Warren Miller; Zach became the owner and operator of Sun Valley Guides.  Zach knows the mountain, the backcountry and the area very well. He also knows the history of the area which makes for an interesting view of the resort, the ski school and the surrounding mountains.

Our kick off to season 2 is an in depth look at skiing with Niseko Japan with Kim Reichhelm.

Niseko is a hidden gem located in the northern part of Japan's main island, Hokkaido. It's known for epic snow, unbelievable landscapes, and a ski culture unrivaled in the US and Europe. No matter your skill level, Niseko has something to offer.  Located in Hokkaido prefecture, 2.5hrs drive from Chitose Airport and the city of Sapporo. The area is comprised of 4 interlinked ski resorts. Averaging around 15m+ of snow each season, Niseko is famous for its wide open powder bowls, tree runs, and stunning views of Mt Yotei.

Traveling to and skiing in Italy is fun – the ambiance, the skiing the food and the people all make it unforgettable.  Today we are going to the Dolomite region of Italy- two hours north of Venice.  The most celebrated ski town in the Dolomites is Cortina d’Ampezzo – Cortina is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with great on and off-piste skiing in some of Europe's most spectacular mountain scenery. Cortina will also be the host resort of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

From my time in the region, Cortina is no different just add in visions of huge rock formations, beautiful ski runs, ski tours and amazing food.  However, Cortina is just the tip of the iceberg here - the entirety of the Dolomites is a huge ski region that gives a skier the ability to ski from town to town.  This is the Dolomiti SuperSki with 15 resorts from Cortina to Alta Badia to Val Gardena and others that comprise some of the most celebrated mountains in Europe.

Cortina – on its own it has four ski areas with skiing for all levels of skier.  With 120 km of runs in Cortina and fabulous hotels, restaurants and other activities in town, this is a great place to start or base yourself.

In this episode we go south…way south to the Andes Mountains in Chile. My guest today lives and works in the mountains 12 months a year. In the winter Katie White is in charge of all instructor training at the Yellowstone Club in Wyoming and is a PSIA-AASI Examiner, in the summer, she is the Ski School Director for Ski Portillo.

Portillo is unlike any other ski resort in the world. It is approximately 2 hrs by car from Chile’s capital, Santaigo. A small resort by US standards, this resort is family owned, has world class skiing for all levels of skier and crea tes a “live-in community” similar to a small ski town. 

My guest today is Bud Marolt. Bud is a member of the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame; oldest of the Marolt  brothers (the others being Max and Bill), all of whom have contributed so much to US skiing. The Marolts grew up in Aspen CO where they began their ski careers and witnessed the exploding growth of skiing.  Bud, in his youth was an accomplished ski racer including national downhill champion in 1950, he and his wife Jeannine created the Loveland Ski School’s children’s ski programs that brought 2,500 kids from Denver to ski each winter. Bud also founded the Loveland Basin Ski Club and established the Loveland Derby, the oldest amateur ski race in the U.S.

In this episode we go to Jackson Hole Wyoming, to find out what makes this beautiful area so special. Today we are talking about the real Jackson with Tim Flanagan, longtime Jackson skier, coach and owner of SkiGear TV. Tim has lived in Jackson for over 21 years, teaching, coaching and raining his family.