CRUSH THE CURVATURE AT THESE 12 IKON PASS DESTINATIONS
There’s surely something special about tree skiing, but dropping into a mountain’s natural bowl — and its wide-open expanse of majestic powder — is nothing short of sublime. Without further adieu, here’s a shortlist of the planet’s most beautiful skiing bowls, all at your ski tips, with an Ikon Pass.
Arai Snow Resort
Plan on heaps of dry, divine powder — affectionately known as JAPOW — filling the bowls at Arai Snow Resort, located on Japan’s main island of Honshu. For a really good time, hit up Arai’s iconic Zendana Bowl, which holds three stars certified by the Freeride World Tour. Usually only open during peak powder days, the Zendana Bowl is the perfect place to test your skills on some of the best terrain Arai has to offer.
Arapahoe Basin
High atop the Continental Divide in Colorado sits Arapahoe Basin and its legendary Montezuma Bowl, or “Zuma.” This south-facing backside bowl is home to 400 acres of wide-open intermediate groomers, well-spaced trees, and picturesque cliffs. Skiers and snowboarders can take the Zuma lift to the top for stunning scenery, including views of multiple 14,000-foot peaks, or find the hike-back zone below the lift for some great snow and solitude.
Aspen Snowmass
No trip to Aspen Snowmass is complete without a hike up to Aspen Highlands’ crown jewel, Highland Bowl — that is, if you’re an expert skier or rider. Earn your turns with a 45-minute, 782-vertical-foot hike up a narrow ridge to the top of the bowl for some of North America’s most iconic and impressive in-bounds terrain. Once you conquer the climb, you’ll be able to savor the 170 acres of double-black-diamond runs, including some of the Centennial State’s steepest descents.
Copper Mountain
When Copper Mountain offers you four iconic bowls to explore, even the most seasoned skiers and riders get a bit weak in the knees. On your next visit to Colorado’s Summit County, slide on in to the slopes at Copper to conquer the Copper Bowl, Union Bowl, Spaulding Bowl, and Resolution Bowl.
Crystal Mountain
Expert skiers and snowboarders will love taking Chair 6 to the top of Silver Queen peak at Crystal Mountain in Washington. From there, you’ll be sitting pretty at 7,002 feet before dropping into Crystal’s double-black-diamond Powder Bowl. And while you’re tackling that Pacific Northwest powder, make sure to snap a shot with the iconic Mt. Rainier, looming 14,000-plus-feet in the background.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
When the powder is plentiful at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, expect access to a dizzying number of beautiful bowls, including the Rendezvous Bowl, Laramie Bowl, Cheyenne Bowl, Headwall, Casper Bowl, Sheridan Bowl, and Saratoga Bowl. The steep-but-massive Rendezvous Bowl is perhaps the most popular, but you can hit all the uppermost advanced and expert bowl runs by way of the resort’s base-to-summit Aerial Tram.
Mt. Bachelor
The best thing about skiing or riding a dormant volcano: you’ve got bowls from every angle. Most above-tree line terrain at Mt. Bachelor consists of vast, open bowls with wind-loaded powder. For a legendary drop into 360-degrees of powder bowl skiing, take the Summit Chair to the very top. Cruise down the Cirque Bowl or or choose one of the double-black back bowls for fresh tracks days at this Bend, Oregon gem.
Palisades Tahoe
Powder bowl skiing and snowboarding can’t get much better — until you add shore-to-shore views of Lake Tahoe glittering from below. If you happen to hit up Palisades Tahoe on a powder day, be sure to spend some time on the Pacific Crest South Bowls, located on the backside of the mountain, for freshies and selfies. A short hike from Summit Express will bring you to breathtaking wide-open bowls that transform into steep chutes and cliffs.
Revelstoke
Find your perfect line at Revelstoke — with four distinct bowls boasting wide-open terrain, cliff-drops, chutes, and perfectly spaced glades, there’s something for almost everyone at this British Columbia behemoth. Separate Reality is a great place to dip your toes into bowl skiing, followed by a traverse, mellow boot pack hike on the Lemming Line, or steep boot pack hike up Sub Peak to North Bowl. And be sure to ride the mountain’s northernmost bowl, Greely Bowl; with its incredible terrain and Gracias Ridge hike option, it’s well worth the extra effort.
At SkiBig3 in Canada, you get access to three iconic resorts, each with their own beautiful bowl. Previously side-country and backcountry slopes only, West Bowl is now in-bounds and accessible at Lake Louise Ski Resort to enjoy. Drop in off the high-speed quad Summit Chair to rip an all-natural landscape and no machine grooming. At Banff Sunshine, the Bye-Bye Bowl is the place to score laps on a sunny powder day. And perched over the town of Banff on Mt Norquay’s rocky peaks, Memorial Bowl and its gnarly 34-degree slope is a mustn’t miss for adrenaline seekers.
Sun Peaks Resort
Shoot over to Sun Peaks Resort in Western Canada for a view from the Top of the World — the resort’s highest lift-accessed summit and your entry point for the gorgeous Crystal Bowl. Upon dropping in, select from a plethora of blue and black runs, carve between the hauntingly beautiful snow ghosts, and cement the incredible valley views into your memory forever.
Winter Park Resort
When skiing or riding at Winter Park Resort in Colorado, the Parsenn Bowl in Parsenn Bowl Territory is a fan-favorite for its intermediate-friendly yet high-alpine experience that begins with a wide-open bowl and ends with glorious glades more than 1,600 feet below. To get there, take North America’s highest six-passenger chairlift, the Panoramic Express. When it really starts dumping, you might be lucky enough to get a shot at The Cirque Territory, known for its extreme terrain.
Leave a Comment