10 of North America's Best Ski Resorts

North America is home to many ski resorts all over the country. Some are good and some are bad which can be expected. Since the winter months are nearly upon on, I have taken the time to make a list of ten of the top ski resorts in North America:

1. Jackson Hole Ski Resort (Wyoming) - Jackson's tenlifts and eight-person gondola service 2,500 acres of skiing on two neighboring mountains. An additional 3,000 acres of unpatrolled backcountry terrain in the Bridger Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park were opened recently. Excluding the backcountry, 10% of Jackson's terrain is beginner, 40% intermediate and 50% expert. There are 22 miles of groomed trails, the longest of which is a 7.2-mile traverse of mixed terrain from the 10,450-foot summit of Rendezvous Mountain.

2. Killington Ski Resort (Vermont) - This beast of the East is the region's largest resort, and offers something for everyone. With the recent addition of neighboring Pico, there are now seven distinct peaks to explore. Not only can you find what you want, you can find it separated from other terrain.

3. Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort (California) - . A summit elevation of 11,053 feet and hefty 3,100-foot vertical drop are just some Mammoth stats that don't need any embroidering by Bay Area marketing whiz kids. The mountain is served by 28 lifts.

4. Snowbird Ski Resort (Utah) - Just 29 miles from Salt Lake City airport and its hundreds of daily domestic and international flights, the big selling point here is you can fly and ski on the same day to max out long-weekend slope time. Eighty-nine runs lace a monumental 2,500 acres, with the mountain's front face brimming with double-black chutes and long black-diamond runs that will appeal to intermediate skiers and hucksters alike.

5. Snowmass Ski Resort (Colorado) - 4,406-foot vertical drop, 90 trails, 3,100 acres, six high-speed quads, one triples, four doubles, eight surface lifts, three snowboard parks, speed skiing, and race arenas.

6. Squaw Valley Resort (California) - Squaw is the American birthplace of extreme skiing. About twenty years ago, Squaw locals began skiing impossible lines from the Palisades, essentially a cliff with snow stuck to it. In the early 1980s, Scot Schmidt, arguably the father of extreme skiing, arrived in Squaw to pull 100-foot cliff jumps. Thus was a reputation born, and it still lives today.

7. Sun Valley Ski Resort (Idaho) - Fantastic snow-making gear, five-star base facilities, and runs so fast and long you can attempt to break the sound barrier-after stuffing your face with beignets, of course.

8. Taos Ski Resort (New Mexico) - Taos, of course, is the stuff of legends. In skiers' lore, it ranks with Aspen, Sun Valley, and Squaw Valley among North America's must ski places.

9. Vail Ski Resort (Colorado) - Vail is the 800-pound gorilla of American skiing. This massive mountain is all things to all skiers and riders-a soothing beginner environment, a nurturing place for small fry to make their first turns, a mountain full of electrifying challenges, and most of all, a huge ski area with abundant groomed cruising terrain for intermediates (in fact, Vail has more groomed terrain than any other resort on the planet).

10. Whistler-Blackcomb Ski Resort (British Columbia) - Lift riders may pass through three separate weather systems on their way to the 7,500-foot summits. Whistler Village (at a mere 2,140 feet) can be soaked with rain, with the peaks bathed in sunshine and a soupy fog sandwiched in-between.