Rocky Mountain High

I have always wanted to ski the Rockies, but never made it either when I lived in the USA or flew somewhere for my annual ski pilgrimage. Rather spoilt since by living in mainland Europe and getting to visit dozens of excellent winter sports resorts, it is an omission I nonetheless wanted to address.

Nic in Vail

Which is better? US skiing or European. Perhaps only Vail or Whistler sound like they compete with the best European resorts in terms of size, but many smaller resorts in Europe offer unique experiences. The same is true of the USA. Additionally the USA has a reputation for great powder, although my trip is too early in the season to take advantage of the best off-piste.

Ski Resorts visited on trip Starting from Houston, I drove up to Taos in New Mexico - from Dallas following the route of Captain America and Billy in "Easy Rider" except in reverse. Taos is a small resort with a big reputation and a new lift that opens up a lot of terrain you previously had to walk to get to. Next up is Colorado, and Vail was my chosen destination. After that I drove up to Jackson Hole in Wyoming, across to Utah to try Snowbird and my final ski destination was Mammoth in California.

I would have liked to visit more resorts, but time and cost focused my mind on a few representative destinations. The weather got colder and if I was to do the trip again I would have ensured I had winter tyres and chains. A couple of the passes were pretty hairy and I must have seen at least half a dozen vehicles that had spun off the road along the way.

The route back to Houston from Southern California was a no-brainer. I skipped Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, which I have visited before (see here), and stuck as far as possible to the old Route 66 in Santa Monica heading East, once again largely following the route of the protagonists in Easy Rider. I cover this part of the trip in my C2C pages.

First up, however, were the ski states. Including Colorado for whom, appropriately, one of the official state songs is John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High".

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Wind power Texas Big Texan Route 66 Free 32oz Steak Big Texan Amarillo Big Texan Steak Ranch Amarillo Tx Moving Home USA Cowboy Church Ennis Tx Car at Route66 midpointJPG National Old Trails Sign Route 66 Midpoint Midpoint Cafe Adrian Tx Speed enforced by aircraft Welcome to New Mexico Flying C Ranch 105milesJPG Tucumcari Historical Markers Blue Swallow Historic Motel Hudson outside Blue Swallow Old Hudson TucumcariJPG Pontiac Swallow Motel Tucumcari Paradise Motel Tucumcari Paradise Cafe Tucumcari Rio Peco Truck Terminal Santa Rosa Blue Hole Santa Rosa Scuba Divers Blue Hole Santa Rosa Rte66 Santa Fe Spur Fantasy Superstore 130miles Rte66 Iced Windshield Taos Carson National Forest Taos Top of lift Taos Chairlift Taos Skier Taos Unattended Children Taos Taos Inn NM Goulash at Bavarian Taos There is hope Rio Grande BridgeJPG US64 Bridge Ices NM Rio Grande Bridge US64 NM Rio Grande Gorge State Park NM Rio Grande Gorge NM Earthship Biotecture Landscape NM Land of Enchantment NM Earthship Biotecture Building Earthship Biotecture NM Waiting New Mexico Elk Crossing San Antonio Mtn NM Licence Plate CO Welcome Colorful Colorado Colorado Desert Four Corners Monument UT CO NM AZ Navajo Burial Traditions Retail Cannabis Antonito Cheeba Chews Cheeba Chews CO Marijuana products Colorado Train Colorado Deer in streets Alamosa Co Retail Cannabis Center Salida Colorado Price list Natures Medicine Salida Road Ahead ColoradoJPG Dispensary Natures Medicine Salida Co Car beneath Mt Antero Colorado Scenic Byway Colorado Open Road Colorado Poncha Pass CO Tpaz Lodge Buena Vista Co Sawatch Range Rockies CO Mountains in Mojave CA Leadville Markers Leadville Main St Colorado Leadville Great Living Buena Vista CO Topaz Lodge Buena Vista CoJPG Freemont Pass Summit Colorado Copper Mountain truck Leadville Co backstreet Copper Mountain Breckenridge vista Breckenridge High Country Healing Reception High Country Healing Dispensary High chair Colorado Nic in Colorado Silverthorne shopping Alpenglow cannabis Silverthorne Liquor marijuana and ski rental Colorado panorama Silverthorne Nic Vail Born Free2 Vail village Nic Vail base station Vail from above Vail village and gondola Nic in Vail Boy racers Vail skier in Vail Vail groomed run Vail vista Lionshead Village Vail Colorado Ski Museum Vail Vail Ski Museum Nic Born Free Vail Licence Plate Wyoming Truck Nodding Donkey Wyoming Settlement Wyoming Dog in vehicle WY Ski Jackson WY Miller Park Lodge Jackson Downtown Jackson WY Wort Hotel Jackson WY Jackson Hole Museum WY Instruction above Jackson Hole Rendez vous Jackson Hole Kitting up Jackson Hole View over Jackson Hole Slopes above Jackson Hole Skiers Jackson Hole Skier Jackson Hole Boarder Jackson Hole Valley Station Jackson Hole Teewinot Chair Jackon Hole Jackson Hole WY Road to Idaho Licence Plate UT Life Elevation I15 Utah Grand Teton Downtown Salt Lake City Snowbird bottom chairlift Snowbird Utah Slopes Snowbird UT Tram Snowbird UT Mormon Art Visitor Centre SLC Sunset Temple Square SLC Missionaries Temple Square SLC Illuminations Temple Square SLC Utah State Capitol Building Nic at Snowbird UT Red Iguana SLC UT Moose on the loose WY Salt Lake City North Temple Salt Lake UT Utah Salt Flats Bonneville Salt Flats UT Pet Area Salt Lake Nevada Licence Plate Next Gas Nevada Wild horses Nevada Slots Motel Shellbourne Station Nevada Slots Motel price Slots Motel wreck Slots Motel Signage Slots Motel Nevada Pony Express NevadaJPG VIP spa Nevada Abandonned cars Ely NV Cadillac Ely Ely Nevada Downtown Ely Nevada Nodding Donkey NevadaJPG Warm Springs Nevada Toiyabe National ForestJPG West 6 Nevada Joshua Tree Nevada Next gas 100 miles Nevada Freedom Nevada Nevada desert California Licence Plate Welcome to California Waterson Divide towards Mammoth Mammoth Mountain CA Sierra Nevada CA Do not feed bears Nic with Mammoth Mammoth panorama Snowboarders Mammoth Ski slopes Mammoth Stump Alley Express Mammoth Skis Mammoth Mammoth CA Road conditions CA More road kill CA Road kill CA Saturday is the Sabbath Manzanar nr Lone Pine Manzanar war relocation center Kendo Dojo Manzanar Guard tower Manzanar Trails Motel Lone Pine Film History Museum Lone Pine Hills near Lone Pine Cactus near Lone Pine CA Speed enforced by aircraft CA