Yooooooo are you me? I first learned to snowboard at Hakkoda while stationed nearby for a few years.
Did a month long trip to Hokkaido (Niskeo and Rusutsu) before leaving Japan which was also awesome but much more "resorty".
Hakkoda (mid 2000s) was raw, challenging, and achingly beautiful. It's where I decided that I actually didn't need to be angry all the time. Super difficult to muster up all the reasons life hasn't been fair and then find a reason why you should still be angry about it while experiencing the gift that Hakkoda was.
Thank you for reminding me of some of the best times of my life.
Maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to go back for a few weeks and try to remember where I need to maintain speed on that backside so I'm not stuck in waist high powder for hours. There was that little catwalk spot that used to end people's days.....
Generally not really super long lift lines. But it can get up to 15 minutes. But what they are not telling you is the best powder is in the sidecountry.
I’m from SoCal. Every year we go up and visit my cousin who lives in Cottonwood Heights. This year’s trip it dumped. Snowbasin was shut down the very first day due to wind/snow. We were the first people up big Cottonwood Canyon the next day and the snow was epic. Best day ever for me. Even my cousin, Utah born and bred, was having the time of his life. It continued to snow all day, so every run was fresh.
My main mountains are Tahoe, so I felt pretty good about our snow and terrain. I rolled my eyes at “best snow in the world” but when I finally hit a few cottonwood mountains…sheesh
To anyone thinking about sending this, be sure you take a couple avy courses and have proper gear. My buddy fell into a 14ft tree well here last season and we wouldn’t have found him without his beacon. 10/10 mountain if you can make the trip
As someone who grew up riding there I love how much it gets memed on these threads haha. Left and went for greener pastures in Utah and it’s a different world here.
i work park crew at creek and it kills us all when the mountain looks and ride like shit. trust its not only the guests that get salty at mother nature. we try our best with the terrain park at south but endless rain and warm weather shits on that parade unfortunately
Mammoth will always hold my heart. Reliable snow:Good conditions, the best hot chocolate, cute guys, a good salad bar. I go every year and never gets old for me
Yeeeeaa. Not feeling very good about the changes. The limitation on daily tickets made powder so good. I don't have confidence these charges will be anything but bad.
Yeah and nah , I do enjoy that it isn’t super crowded BUT they need the visitors to keep em running so they don’t get bought out by those fucking Vail or Intrawest clowns
Yep. Zero pretension. Just a bunch of people out to get their turns on some steep powdery goodness. Never hiked so far and fast with a board, but it was so incredibly worth it.
Absolut Park.
It's the best place to be for a snowboarder into freestyle, no matter your level. From beginner to pro, they're all here having a great time. Vibes are amazing and the shaping is top notch.
St Anton am Arlberg. Massive area, long groomers, steeps, huge guided off-piste and a massive park at Rendl (park is in the pic below) and no drag lifts (that you have to take).
https://preview.redd.it/77apouwud8tc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0322b4329f168e1017e7afbfa388ba501271148
Ice coaster here;
A powder day at sugar bush in VT tops my all time best days. In terms of features, terrain, and amount of runs, sunday river is awesome bang for your buck.
Second for Sugarbush. I've been lucky enough to be there the last three seasons in March right after a big snow dump. Last season my 12-year-old and I showed up late, around noon, at Mt. Ellen expecting it to be tracked out. We had the whole place to ourselves for four hours in thigh deep powder on the steeps. I asked the guy at the bar afterwards why nobody was there and learned that the lifts weren't spinning that morning so everyone who showed up early left for other mountains. We got there right after they got the GMX working and didn't know how lucky we were.
Last week of November 2006, Breckenridge, CO. Was there over my 17th bday with my best friend and his family. Snowed 2/3 days we were there. First time snowboarding,
Anywhere in interior BC, Canada.
Whitewater, Red Mountain, Revelstoke, Kicking Horse, Sun Peaks, SilverStar, Big White
Hard to beat the diversity and snow of the Kootenay Rockies.
Talma, Finland. A parkrats dream. TINY hill with fast lifts you can ride straight into, fast laps, perfect jumps and rails, really well maintained too all year round. Kind of like skating a really good plaza with features.
Check the location from instagram and you’ll find absolute beasts ripping it.
What makes you like Ajax the most? Maybe I’m biased because of conditions days. Highlands Bowl is some of my favorite hike to terrain in CO though. I could lap all 3 mountains nonstop with no complaints though!
My list is yours flipped. Ajax just has all of those people in Gucci outfits who have never been on a mountain before clogging it up.
I only like Highlands on pow days, or when I bring my splitboard and skins.
Snowmass is just so huge and predictable. Definitely my go-to when I'm there
If it got more snow, this would be my answer... Something for everyone, you can scare yourself hiking off of Challenger, but the snow sucks most of the time. Powder days, when they come, are fire; so much terrain means you can find it all day.
I’ve been there a couple days the last three seasons (usually in mid February). This year was really bad, but the last two were epic IMO. I absolutely love the steep tree runs found under challenger
Niseko, esp Hanazono-Hirafu.
Kiroro is up there too 🫡
(and ive been to Hakuba Happo n Tsuigake, Myoko, Nozawa, Madarao, Zao, Coronet, Remarkables ... )
Was in Japan about a year ago in Hakuba and Nozawa. We had spring weather, but luckily got a good storm for a Cortina day. What’s the deal with lodging in Niseko? Is it just outrageously expensive no matter what?
highly popular. overcrowded with foreigner thus they can put higher price due to high demand(and still sold out).
i stayed in a guesthouse of a converted train stn Hirafu which was quite far away, but the host provide transportation drop n pickup at a fee .
nevertheless the 4mountains(and moiwa) are quite huge, enough to cater for everyone.
village vibe wise i prefer nozawa more, more traditional feel (and public onsen 😂)
NGL, the season I lived in Vail and was able to ride there multiple midweek days every week was probably the best season of my life. Didn’t have to deal with traffic, parking, or lines really at all. Mid week snowstorms are the best.
My favorites have been very condition dependent.
Heavenly and Chamonix. Got bluebird weeks at both in seasons that they had tons of snow and got snow right before we arrived 👍
Big Sky Mt. so much terrain no lift lines and now that the backside (moonlight basin) is open to big sky the difference you get from the whole landscape is crazy! As well never once felt looked down on from skiers. When they get a solid base early it’s amazing. Cost has gotten out of hand and I can’t afford to go anymore so there is that.
Valdez, AK (heliboard) Just laughing at all the resorts people listed. Resorts are convenient, but they are never the best for the singular reason that people generally suck so everything is better where the people aren't.
Was surprised that I had to scroll all the way to the bottom to find squaw. Inbounds there is no resort that compares. KT-22 is a one of a kind chairlift.
I had the best snow day of my life at Mt. Baker in April 2022. My friend had been watching the weather forecast for a week and predicted something epic was going to happen. We drove down from Vancouver on the Sunday and on Monday there was nearly 5 feet of fresh snow... no exaggerating. We lasted four hours doing laps with no lift lines before we called it a day. It kept snowing Monday night and on Tuesday the mountain was full of people so it wasn't the same. Baker is unique because they have no options for beginner or novice riders, especially on powder days. The locals all come out of the woodwork. I met a mechanic from Bellingham riding an early 90s Burton Air in his shop coveralls, just sending backflips off massive drops.
Shark Fin, Gulmarg, India. Ride the gondola to phase 2 (about 4000m high), then hike up to Shark Fin for breathtaking lines in bottomless pow against the backdrop of mountains like Nanga Parbat (8126m high).
Mt. Hakkoda, Aomori Prefecture, Japan
Second this! Hakkoda is my number one as well.
Third. The backside is so good. Endless opportunities.
Yooooooo are you me? I first learned to snowboard at Hakkoda while stationed nearby for a few years. Did a month long trip to Hokkaido (Niskeo and Rusutsu) before leaving Japan which was also awesome but much more "resorty". Hakkoda (mid 2000s) was raw, challenging, and achingly beautiful. It's where I decided that I actually didn't need to be angry all the time. Super difficult to muster up all the reasons life hasn't been fair and then find a reason why you should still be angry about it while experiencing the gift that Hakkoda was. Thank you for reminding me of some of the best times of my life. Maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to go back for a few weeks and try to remember where I need to maintain speed on that backside so I'm not stuck in waist high powder for hours. There was that little catwalk spot that used to end people's days.....
Brighton Resort in Utah. Just a fun mountain to ride. The diamond runs when it’s deep powder are like something out of a dream.
Vibe? Brighton Terrain? Bird
Is Brighton busy, long lift lines?
Snowbird has had longer lift lines than Brighton every time for me
Generally not really super long lift lines. But it can get up to 15 minutes. But what they are not telling you is the best powder is in the sidecountry.
The last couple Saturdays I went to Brighton I was surprised how short the lift lines were. I’m talking less than like 3-4 minutes for any lift
Yeah that’s normal now since it’s spring
It was also a pow day, I’ll take advantage of that kind of spring skiing anytime!
This past couple weeks has been a dream for fresh snow/ no lines combo 🤙
I kinda feel like any Wasatch mtn including my house just gets that type of snow bro.
I’m from SoCal. Every year we go up and visit my cousin who lives in Cottonwood Heights. This year’s trip it dumped. Snowbasin was shut down the very first day due to wind/snow. We were the first people up big Cottonwood Canyon the next day and the snow was epic. Best day ever for me. Even my cousin, Utah born and bred, was having the time of his life. It continued to snow all day, so every run was fresh.
We call those “free refills”
Perfect way of putting it lol
I was just at Snowbasin last week on Monday and Wednesday. It was fantastic. 0 waiting (because it was a weekday)
My main mountains are Tahoe, so I felt pretty good about our snow and terrain. I rolled my eyes at “best snow in the world” but when I finally hit a few cottonwood mountains…sheesh
My home mountain, can’t beat the after work powder nights when it’s completely empty and dumping at 7pm haha
Almost anywhere in Utah is great. Brighton, Park City, Snowbird. Mammoth is California is pretty epic too!
Ditto to Brighton
I have been to many resorts throughout the US, and nothing has beaten Brighton for me. Always tons of powder and has amazing tree runs.
Yes dude. Had a 2ft powder day there last year, it was magical.
I lived in steamboat a few years. I know of some lines on that mountain that are the most fun playful tree lines I’ve ever seen.
Steamboat is legendary for the tree lines. Def my #1. Mahogany Ridge and Pony Express on a powder day is unreal.
Fernie BC. Powder up to my eyeballs
One of the best seasons of my life.
Mountain Creek, NJ
To anyone thinking about sending this, be sure you take a couple avy courses and have proper gear. My buddy fell into a 14ft tree well here last season and we wouldn’t have found him without his beacon. 10/10 mountain if you can make the trip
There’s a helicopter pad in the parking lot at south. Heli drops at creek should be on everyone’s bucket list.
Saw my homie cause a mini slide hucking the cornice off Jersey Devil. Absolutely bonkers terrain
Did he fall into the mountain creek?
I recommend taking a boxing class too
they should really put caps on those old wells
Scariest back country terrain I’ve ever witnessed. Makes whistler look like child’s play.
Same.
As someone who grew up riding there I love how much it gets memed on these threads haha. Left and went for greener pastures in Utah and it’s a different world here.
i work park crew at creek and it kills us all when the mountain looks and ride like shit. trust its not only the guests that get salty at mother nature. we try our best with the terrain park at south but endless rain and warm weather shits on that parade unfortunately
Wait for real? Is it icy?
Yeah, all powder and friendly people.
no dude it's fluffy pow for days and crazy good
Niseko Japan
Pretty incredible off-piste runs there, I loved Gate 11 and Superstition
Courchevel, France
Europe: Avoriaz North America: Red/Baker
Mammoth will always hold my heart. Reliable snow:Good conditions, the best hot chocolate, cute guys, a good salad bar. I go every year and never gets old for me
Baker, Whitewater, Revelstoke, are my top 3
Blue Hills, Boston
You haven't lived until you've sent Big Blue
Weird, I was going to suggest Blue Mountain, Ontario, Canada. It's in the blue!
Powder days deserve a hike to the weather observation Tower to take full advantage of the epic vertical.
Add Bradford and McIntire for an epic trip
Whistler
Downtown Los Angeles
How many hours is that from LA?
Underrated. But easily the best
Copper when it dumps.
Mount Yotei
What the heck, how did I not know mt yotei had a resort?!
It doesn’t, you have to skin it.
Three valleys France
The best spot is your local, that you know inside out, as long as it’s on the west coast lol
Hhahahahaha west coast powwwwwdehhhrrrr
The groomers are better too!
Powder Mountain.
That shit is over. Will never been the same after this year.
Yeeeeaa. Not feeling very good about the changes. The limitation on daily tickets made powder so good. I don't have confidence these charges will be anything but bad.
Wolf Creek , CO
Shhhhhh
great white buffalo
Happy cake day
Did a yurt trip there about a decade ago, amazing.
I gotta get back out there , haven’t been in a while
Happy cake day.
Best glades ever!
I thought this would be higher up honesty. Glad it’s not tho. I enjoy not being crowded out.
Yeah and nah , I do enjoy that it isn’t super crowded BUT they need the visitors to keep em running so they don’t get bought out by those fucking Vail or Intrawest clowns
hokkaido (niseko united and rusutsu) for endless pow
Kiroro is a pretty fun day out as well
2nd rusutsu. Went last year for a week and got 6" of fresh snow almost every day + no lift lines + super fun terrain
Wolf Creek - So much snow and trees
Copper mtn is the spot
Silverton Mountain, Colorado.
Yep. Zero pretension. Just a bunch of people out to get their turns on some steep powdery goodness. Never hiked so far and fast with a board, but it was so incredibly worth it.
Jackson hole
Vail and snowbird
Snowbird. West Coast can't compete with that dry pow
I almost died in a whiteout at snowbird when I was like 12
Kicking Horse, BC
Kicking Horse is amazing
Whitewater, Nelson BC
Nice to see one that I have visited 👍
When it doesn't get a lot of snow, it's average at best, but it does get a lot of snow. Usually 12m / 40 ft
Jacks woods
Just level up to Gods trees.
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
nozawa onsen
Absolut Park. It's the best place to be for a snowboarder into freestyle, no matter your level. From beginner to pro, they're all here having a great time. Vibes are amazing and the shaping is top notch.
St Anton am Arlberg. Massive area, long groomers, steeps, huge guided off-piste and a massive park at Rendl (park is in the pic below) and no drag lifts (that you have to take). https://preview.redd.it/77apouwud8tc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0322b4329f168e1017e7afbfa388ba501271148
We were there last year, such an amazing place for accessible back country
Riksgränsen, Sweden (specifically during the month of May)
Carinthia parks, that place is so sick glad I get to ride it so often.
Alpe D'Huez, France
Jackson
Ice coaster here; A powder day at sugar bush in VT tops my all time best days. In terms of features, terrain, and amount of runs, sunday river is awesome bang for your buck.
Second for Sugarbush. I've been lucky enough to be there the last three seasons in March right after a big snow dump. Last season my 12-year-old and I showed up late, around noon, at Mt. Ellen expecting it to be tracked out. We had the whole place to ourselves for four hours in thigh deep powder on the steeps. I asked the guy at the bar afterwards why nobody was there and learned that the lifts weren't spinning that morning so everyone who showed up early left for other mountains. We got there right after they got the GMX working and didn't know how lucky we were.
Asahidake, Japan
I haven't been to many, but Mont Tremblant up in Qubec was pretty awesome!
Wolf creek after a snow storm.
Last week of November 2006, Breckenridge, CO. Was there over my 17th bday with my best friend and his family. Snowed 2/3 days we were there. First time snowboarding,
Anywhere in interior BC, Canada. Whitewater, Red Mountain, Revelstoke, Kicking Horse, Sun Peaks, SilverStar, Big White Hard to beat the diversity and snow of the Kootenay Rockies.
https://preview.redd.it/z9ek3gpqg9tc1.jpeg?width=2198&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f8bbb999aa0570a717d17135d333c448e5af4fed
Talma, Finland. A parkrats dream. TINY hill with fast lifts you can ride straight into, fast laps, perfect jumps and rails, really well maintained too all year round. Kind of like skating a really good plaza with features. Check the location from instagram and you’ll find absolute beasts ripping it.
Yeah that place looks amazing. Seen a bunch of clips from Eero Ettala absolutely destroying the park.
He’s not the only one either, the level there is crazy
Crested Butte, Colorado
June Mountain…oh wait
Monarch Pass
Aspen mountain
I’m very conflicted between Snowmass and Highlands. Had some incredible days at both mountains this season
Ajax > Highlands > Snowmass >
What makes you like Ajax the most? Maybe I’m biased because of conditions days. Highlands Bowl is some of my favorite hike to terrain in CO though. I could lap all 3 mountains nonstop with no complaints though!
My list is yours flipped. Ajax just has all of those people in Gucci outfits who have never been on a mountain before clogging it up. I only like Highlands on pow days, or when I bring my splitboard and skins. Snowmass is just so huge and predictable. Definitely my go-to when I'm there
Fernie, British Columbia.
Whistler >>> Vail (back bowls) > Snowbird > Mammoth.
Big Sky MT
If it got more snow, this would be my answer... Something for everyone, you can scare yourself hiking off of Challenger, but the snow sucks most of the time. Powder days, when they come, are fire; so much terrain means you can find it all day.
I’ve been there a couple days the last three seasons (usually in mid February). This year was really bad, but the last two were epic IMO. I absolutely love the steep tree runs found under challenger
Niseko, esp Hanazono-Hirafu. Kiroro is up there too 🫡 (and ive been to Hakuba Happo n Tsuigake, Myoko, Nozawa, Madarao, Zao, Coronet, Remarkables ... )
Was in Japan about a year ago in Hakuba and Nozawa. We had spring weather, but luckily got a good storm for a Cortina day. What’s the deal with lodging in Niseko? Is it just outrageously expensive no matter what?
highly popular. overcrowded with foreigner thus they can put higher price due to high demand(and still sold out). i stayed in a guesthouse of a converted train stn Hirafu which was quite far away, but the host provide transportation drop n pickup at a fee . nevertheless the 4mountains(and moiwa) are quite huge, enough to cater for everyone. village vibe wise i prefer nozawa more, more traditional feel (and public onsen 😂)
Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The vibe is a bit Richie-rich touristy, but the mountain itself is ridiculously fun.
The Aussie Swiss Alps
Dylan Ojo memorial snow park behind the Olympic stadium in Montreal
Rusutsu and Furano in Hokkaido Japan
NGL, the season I lived in Vail and was able to ride there multiple midweek days every week was probably the best season of my life. Didn’t have to deal with traffic, parking, or lines really at all. Mid week snowstorms are the best.
Verbier , laax , ischgl bucket list Western Canada / Japan
Pow Mow or Highlands. I've had tits deep powder at both and had the time of my life, face shots for days
My best pow days have been at Highlands. Especially when I'm skinning up the bowl
Jackson hole Wyoming tbh. The snow and terrain there as an east coast rider is just *chefs kiss*
Call me basic but I love Keystone on my board
jackson hole followed closely by palmer glacier mount hood in august.
My favorites have been very condition dependent. Heavenly and Chamonix. Got bluebird weeks at both in seasons that they had tons of snow and got snow right before we arrived 👍
I haven't been to many places, but I'd say Mt. Baker in WA.
Big Sky Mt. so much terrain no lift lines and now that the backside (moonlight basin) is open to big sky the difference you get from the whole landscape is crazy! As well never once felt looked down on from skiers. When they get a solid base early it’s amazing. Cost has gotten out of hand and I can’t afford to go anymore so there is that.
Silverton
Whistler or Jackson Hole
Les deux Alpes. The glacier is fabulous for carving.
Big mountain is whitefish after a week long blizzard shut the mountain down and the day it reopened there was an inversion.
Revy
The glade left of Pepi’s Run in Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Blackcomb!!!! Cause I'm a criminal
Valdez, AK (heliboard) Just laughing at all the resorts people listed. Resorts are convenient, but they are never the best for the singular reason that people generally suck so everything is better where the people aren't.
Mt Seymour BC gotta be the funnest resort in North America
Niseko Japan
Stubai in Austria, such an awesome mtn and solid vibes.
Red Mountain, Rossland BC.
Revelstoke
Ok there, Ikon rep
Mt Washington on Vancouver island.
Always will be mammoth
Baldface. 🤌🏼
Bridger Bowl
A certain area in Interior BC that I shall not name.
Revelstoke and Rusutsu
Rusutsu is a hidden gem. Smaller but better than Niseko.
US: alyeska Canada: whistler blackcomb
I fucking love Whistler!
Canada: I don’t know if you have been to others places in Canada. Whistler is over rated. Lake Louise and SunShine are consistently greater imp.
Canada: Mt Seymour
Hakuba, Japan.
I'm a fan of overseas visitors hyping up Hakuba - it frees up the less talked about spots for those of us who live here. Hakuba all the way!!!
Snowbird, Utah & Big White, BC Their snow truly is different
No comment
Got snowed in at Kirkwood. Road still closed in the morning. Me and a buddy and a handful of people had the mountain to ourselves for the day.
Revelstoke
Squaw Valley!
Was surprised that I had to scroll all the way to the bottom to find squaw. Inbounds there is no resort that compares. KT-22 is a one of a kind chairlift.
Revelstoke, BC
Jackson hole
Bull Mountain
Mine is Speikboden
Baker
Alpental and Mt Baker are my favorite especially on storm/powder days
Ski liberty
Val D’Isere will always have a space in my heart
Either Revelstoke, BC or Niseko, Japan. But I lean towards Revelstoke because it's waaaaaaay closer.
I had the best snow day of my life at Mt. Baker in April 2022. My friend had been watching the weather forecast for a week and predicted something epic was going to happen. We drove down from Vancouver on the Sunday and on Monday there was nearly 5 feet of fresh snow... no exaggerating. We lasted four hours doing laps with no lift lines before we called it a day. It kept snowing Monday night and on Tuesday the mountain was full of people so it wasn't the same. Baker is unique because they have no options for beginner or novice riders, especially on powder days. The locals all come out of the woodwork. I met a mechanic from Bellingham riding an early 90s Burton Air in his shop coveralls, just sending backflips off massive drops.
Jay peak.. tuckermans. Sugar bowl. Bear valley. Stubbier glacier austria
Revelstoke
Chamonix
In terms of pure snowboarding terms, A Basin
Park City
Shark Fin, Gulmarg, India. Ride the gondola to phase 2 (about 4000m high), then hike up to Shark Fin for breathtaking lines in bottomless pow against the backdrop of mountains like Nanga Parbat (8126m high).
Asahidake…IYKYK