Do you love to ski and snowboard, but you aren’t sure where to go? Well luckily for you Washington has some incredible spots not only great for intermediate learners but also great for beginners and pros.
First let’s take a look at two of the most exciting winter activities of the year. Skiing is an activity and a competitive sport where people glide and slide down snow filled hills on 2 runners also known as skis. Skiing has no set land of origin, but it seemed to grow into a more modern sport through Scandanavia and other parts of Europe.
The beloved sport and recreational activity known as snowboarding, although the origin is not clear it seemed to have developed around the 1960s in the United States. The first snowboarder was a man named Sherman Poppen who pieced together what seemed to have been a snowboard in 1965 and the sport has grown tremendously since then.
Washington State has lots of passes and resorts with a varying number of runs that are definitely worth the trip. Here is a further look at three very popular resorts.
Near Wenatchee Washington is a place known as Mission Ridge Ski and board resort. The slopes are located on the east side of the cascades and is at about 4570 ft, for the base elevation with a peak elevation of 6820 ft. Mission Ridge supplies over 70 runs across 2000 acres of land. With four main lifts and 2 tow ropes the mountain mostly caters to intermediate skiers for about 60%. If you are more advanced about 30% of the terrain is good for those who are more efficient and knowing about skiing or snowboarding. Only about 10% of the known terrain is good for beginner skiers but fast learners will be able to adjust as they learn.
Another resort in the Cascades is White Pass Ski Area. With a vertical rise of 2000 feet, the resort has around 1400 acres to ski on. The base elevation is 4500 ft, and the peak elevation is 6500 ft. White pass is a great place for beginners to advanced customers. There is a total of 45 runs with 6 main chairlifts as well as 2 surface lifts, 1 platter lift, and a magic carpet. The mountains terrain caters 30% for beginners, 50% intermediate, and 20% advanced. If you are looking for a good place to have fun and relax then white pass is definitely the resort for you. As the rest of the backside of the mountain closes for the night White Pass offers night skiing on the front of the mountain.
If you haven’t heard of Stevens Pass, then you should give it a look because they have a lot to offer. Stevns is located along the Cascade Range and is around 35 miles from a small town called Leavenworth. Stevens base elevation is 4061 ft, and the peak elevation is 5845 ft, the back of the mountain also drops to about 3821 ft. The yearly snowfall usually averages about 460 inches and has about 1125 acres of land. There is 52 runs/trails and 13 available lifts. If you aren’t into skiing or snowboarding then you can hike, mountain bike and even go rafting. Steven’s pass is a wonderful place to take family for vacation and to have some fun at. Stevens also includes night skiing/snowboarding on multiple runs on the front side of the mountain.
Here are a few other places to consider…
Each resort has varying prices for passes and rentals.
Make sure to give these places a look and to have fun on the slopes!
Mackenzie • Feb 23, 2024 at 11:59 am
I love this article and Crystal Mountain is amazing!