It’s often said that once the snow covered slopes get a hold of you, there’s no end to the passion with which you’ll spend the rest of your days in search of the next snow-hosted dissension. While most folks live year-round in areas that are never known to provide skiers and snowboarders with any form of lasting fun, the good news is that there are many spots within the continental U.S. that offer lovers of snow plowing a never ending adventure on the ideal surfaces. Some require a little more travel than others, but as any snow lover will agree–it’s all worth it, just as soon as you’re standing at the top of the slope, poised to begin the unknown decline that awaits.

Killington Vermont
Smack dab in the middle of Vermont is where you’ll find one of the most adventure-packed skiing opportunities within the U.S. Known to be possibly the most diverse areas for skiing, Killington is located within Vermont’s Green Mountains, and boasts one of the world’s largest snow-making operations to keep things moving on the two thousand acres and 92 miles of ski trails Killington offers. With a range for intermediate on up to the most advanced powder plowers, Killington features six peaks and 4,241 feet of elevation with three thousand feet of vertical dissension, and the season’s longest lasting on-snow time makes it even better.

The Adirondacks
With all the amenities offered by the most modernized snow fun destinations in the U.S., it might be understandable why so many of the foremost ski peaks in the wilderness have been mostly long abandoned by ski and cross country enthusiasts. Many of these high, New England and Adirondacks peaks were avidly trekked during the 30s and 40s, and a visit to experience them is surely worth the extra effort. While these peaks don’t reach skyward quite as high, they make up for height by offering adventure and excellent conditions that sustain their inclusion among the classics. They include Avalanche Pass, New York, where skiers traverse the Pass to Lake Golden in the Adirondack High Peaks to complete a 12-mile trip upon return. The landscape is absolutely breathtaking, and replete with narrow, cliffs that are ice-bound to either side of these intensely sloped, almost harrowing passageways. With vista upon vista offering the area’s grandeur, beholding such natural beauty as the black rock walls of Mount Golden, with its ice curtains that frozenly pour into Avalanche Lake. Plenty of convenient run-outs, where you might need them, too.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyoming
Despite its seemingly permanent location at the top of all superlative ski lists, Jackson Hole is still able to offer uncrowded lift lines for visiting skiers, even outside the tram on a powder day. The Jackson Hole ski lift is surely the paramount experience to be enjoyed, of all ski resorts possible. It manages to scale 4,139 feet in a smooth 9 min. with as much as one hundred riders. The tram’s high-quality ceiling speakers set the right mood, with selections performed by the tram operator, who must surely double as a DJ when not tramming. During your ascent, be prepared to hear the Stones, Led Zeppelin and AC/DC.