From these woven elements, I fashioned immense shapes that filled valleys, meadows, gorges, any space that provided earth or water to anchor low points... and trees, promontories, or vertical walls where I could anchor high points.
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows reported its astounding 300-inch February snow tally Wednesday morning.
Descend a few hundred feet into a small valley where meadows stretch for about a mile on either side.
Each day brought new delights: a golden wood that could have graced Middle Earth, a plunging river valley, undulating meadows grazed by ponies.
The marquee destinations include Mammoth Mountain Resort and Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows in California and Deer Valley Resort in Utah.
While Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows (Ikon) is the dominant resort, the combination of Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood (Epic) offers more variety.
There is unlimited skiing at Steamboat, Winter Park, Copper Mountain and Eldora in Colorado; Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain and Big Bear Mountain in California; Solitude in Utah, Stratton in Vermont; Snowshoe in West Virginia; Crystal Mountain in Washington; Tremblant in Quebec, Canada; and Blue Mountain in Ontario, Canada.
But through last weekend, the major resorts -- Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Heavenly and Northstar -- were open top to bottom.
Thredbo also participates in the Mountain Collective program that includes North American partner resorts: Alta, Snowbird, Aspen/Snowmass, Jackson Hole, Mammoth, Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows and Whistler/Blackcomb.
Ramsey Qubein writes in Afar about special deals you can get with the pass (which many people destroy out of an abundance of caution), including deals on lift tickets at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows in Lake Tahoe and in Snowbasin, Utah.
