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Ski Resorts

Heavenly: The Best Resort for Intermediates?

By Adam ⋅ January 5, 2009 ⋅ Email this post Email this post ⋅ Print this post Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

A recent article in USA Today suggests Lake Tahoe’s Heavenly resort is the best resort the author has even visited for the intermediate skier. Having never been to Heavenly I can’t really judge; in fact, my lack of ‘big mountain’ experience (save for repeated trips to Whistler, Tremblant and Jay Peak) means I can’t really form an opinion at all. But I thought the statement was intriguing, so I’m putting it out there to get your thoughts: what ski resorts are good for the intermediate?

Based on my limited resort experience, here’s what I think:

  • Nothing in Ontario, Canada, should ever be considered for the moniker ‘best’ intermediate resort.
  • Whistler does have one of the world’s longest intermediate runs, “Peak To Creek”, which should give Whistler a bit of consideration, I imagine. The run is about six kilometres.

Whaddaya think?

Discussion

  1. I’m excited to head down to Tahoe (and Heavenly) in March! Can’t wait.

    Whistler is good, but I find it quite frustrating… I consider myself an intermediate skier. Lots of cattracks… = slow and leg burn. There are also lots of Black diamond runs and advanced terrain. Not to mention big crowds. It’s hard to find terrain on Whistler that is somewhere between easy and too hard. In my personal opinion :)

    I definitely think Cypress Mountain in Vancouver, BC is a perfect intermediate mountain resort for the price. It’s 20 minutes away from Vancouver. The lift tickets aren’t too expensive. They’ve got high speed quad chairs. There’s lots of tree runs and a “sky chair” that is pretty much all intermediate terrain. Not many cattracks. Nothing too advanced. And beginner areas that are easy to stay away from.

    But Cypress is still a relatively small resort.

    If we’re talking “big” resorts here… I’m going to go for Apex Mountain or Big White.. both in interior BC. Lots of powder. Lots of terrain… great tree runs… and not too many flat cattracks!

    Posted by VancityAllie | January 5, 2009, 9:42 pm

  2. I think for an intermediate rider, the sheer size of places like Whistler and Heavenly might be somewhat daunting (if not overwhelming).

    I would say in the Tahoe region, Sierra is a good mix of intermediate terrain and West Coast acreage, or moving over to Utah (just from my own personal experience), Solitude is one of the more family-oriented resorts in the Rockies.

    For an East-Coaster like myself, choices in Vermont would be Okemo and Sugarbush.

    Posted by Tim Z. | January 6, 2009, 9:55 am

  3. I find the rating scales at W-B to be real weird. I’ve been on Blue runs on Blackcomb that have been narrow and steep and tough and Black runs on Whistler that seemed crazy easy.

    As for a great intermediate mountain, I think Breckenridge or Beaver Creek would be great places. The blue runs at Breck aren’t very aggressive at all and the few real flat cat tracks that the mountain has can be avoided by most boarders in most circumstances.

    BC on the other hand does a lot of grooming which makes their steeper stuff a lot more friendly to the intermediate. I’ve never skied a place like Deer Valley that prides itself on extensive grooming but I would imagine it would be the same.

    Posted by Mark Mascolino | January 7, 2009, 3:28 pm

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