Ski the East

Top Ski Resorts

One of the best parts of my job as About.com's Skiing Guide, is, of course, the skiing.  I spent the better part of last season on the road - skiing from California to the East Coast and in Europe.

During the off-season, I'm working on my list of favorite ski resorts - from Alta to Whitefish and lots of places in between.  From terrain for all level skiers, to ski resort activities, apres-ski, and, most importantly - snow, there's something for everyone. 

Depending on what you're looking for, you can have a great family ski vacation close to home or travel across country or across the pond or to South America this summer.  And it's certainly too early to start planning your ski season now - there's already discounts for the 09/10 season coming into my In Box.

More: Skiing | Ski Deals and Discounts

Now I Can Say: I've Been To The Mountain

Martin Luther King said when he had been to the mountaintop his life was complete, he could see the promised land. Now, in a less significant, but no less profound sense I've been to the mountain and seen the glory and expanse of boundless acres buried in powder snow as far as I could see in any direction. I've been to Val d'Isere.

I've noticed that when those who know and love Val d'Isere are away from there and talk about what it's like, it  becomes  - "Val" - a reverent whisper that invokes understanding nods and ahhs. And I do now understand the ahhs that need only be remembered and not spoken.

A long time ago when I was stationed in Spain I took all my leave time and set out to that promised land but the time wasn't right. My little Ford 6 cylinder Mustang broke down in a small city not far from Val d'Isere and I was laid up three days waiting for a clutch. The day I got back on the road a massive avalanche slammed into a hostel in Val d'Isere and killed about 40 young people on vacation. 

I changed direction and went to Switzerland. I said the time wasn't right the last time I headed to Val d'Isere because of the lives lost and the grief I didn't want to see. But the grief I didn't want to see kept me from the raw beauty I wanted to see and experience. 

So maybe it was best I didn't get there at that time. At that time I just might have stayed. I know that possibly could have happened, because last week I finally made it to Val d''Isere. And now I know Val.

In France - Protect Your Skis From the Ski Resort

Well, after a really fine week of skiing and relaxing in and around Megeve, France I was stuck in Newark for the second time this season when Albany got shut down last night. But that gave me a chance to read up on some of the finer details about skiing France and how that differs from here.

A big difference pointed out to me by some American expatriate friends is, if you get injured, or if you need the ski patrol service to get you down the mountain for any reason - you pay on the spot. That is they don't give you your skis back unless you pay cash for the services rendered, right then and there. Stick that broken wrist into your wallet and dig out 400 or 500 Euros or have your skis confiscated or some legal attachment made immediately.

However, there is an insurance policy available at the time you purchase your lift ticket. If you buy it forabout $6 a day it is imprinted on your lift pass and Voila! no charge for ski patrol sled use, bandages, and/or ambulance, and it will even cover the cost of shipping the "corpse to the mortuary." How can you pass that up!

Seriously, I'm told without the insurance there are some knock down, drag out confrontations. I guess thy were burned too many times by foreign visitors skipping town, or country because it takes so long for the non-French health insurance coverage to catch up - even if it will cover the incidents.

The reason I'm addressing this is because sitting in the Newark airport - until they finally canceled my flight to Albany - I read an article at DailyLocal.com - "Injured skiers in Pa. have little legal recourse."

My thought is maybe we need some "Universal Health and Safety Coverage" split up between resort ticket prices and out-of pocket.

Just a thought to keep my mind off the fact that I got lazy and checked my ski boots as baggage on the way home and haven't seen them in almost 48 hrs.

More R & D

I had a very unique military career. I was in the Navy, but never set foot on a ship. I was stationed in Europe for 2 years, and for 2 years and 2 days I never came back to the States, but I managed to ski a heck of a lot of ski resorts throughout Europe. Now it's time to go back and make sure not too much has changed.

So, for the next week I'll be basing in Megeve, France and hopefully skiing up everything down and over to Italy and Switzerland. I'm anxious to see if the snow is holding up that well and check out the glaciers as I remember then. Hopefully, they have fared better than my memories of Europe...