carved gently through untracked powder, stopping only to marvel at the view from the long Ridge Run, a far cry from your typical Alpine panorama. On one side, the lake, flooding the valley floor with mercury blue; on the other, the arid, earthy plains of the Nevada desert. For more challenging runs and emptier pistes, we headed south to Kirkwood, before hotfooting it to Alpine Meadows after news came in that it had enjoyed some overnight snow. After a few days, we upped sticks and skirted Tahoe’s western shore to Squaw Valley, home of the 1960 Winter Olympics and the resort of choice for the West Coast gliterrati. Welcome to Squallywood. Here, steam rose from hot tubs into the night sky, couples with matching fur-lined collars browsed the boutiques before dining in refined restaurants serving Italian, French or Pan-Asian cuisine – a step up from the
FOR CHALLENGING RUNS AND EMPTIER PISTES, WE HEADED SOUTH usual. We stayed at the salubrious Resort at Squaw Creek, where the penthouse suites afford views of six alpine peaks. Yet Squaw Valley has substance as well as style, rivalling Val d’Isère for its connectivity and varied terrain, with the steep runs off KT-22 living long in the memory. But constant sunshine and rising temperatures were beginning to play havoc with the pistes. Early-morning ice gave way to lunchtime slush – a disaster avoided by going back on the road with barely a backward glance. Slicing through the Sierra Nevada mountains, we headed south on the old El Camino trail to Mammoth, stopping only to admire the vistas over lakes Mono and Topaz. Mammoth proved to be no hyperbole. It seems improbable, but here on the edge of the desolate plains of Nevada lies California’s highest ski resort. Winter storms sweep in from the Pacific, and any precipitation that reaches these last great peaks is deposited on the pistes below. The result is 10 metres of snowfall each winter, a season that can last until June and, on this occasion, broad smiles on the faces of four excited Englishmen. What the resort lacks in subtlety it makes up for in sheer skiing pleasure. For two days we swept down open bowls and snaked through forest glades, before toasting our efforts in the lively bars long after sundowner time. The temperature touched -10C as we raced down the Cornice run for the final time before setting the satnav for Las Vegas. Just over two hours later, we ground to a halt 200ft below sea level with the dashbard temperature gauge registering 40C: a cool day in Death Valley. I smiled inanely as the road stretched out through the vast empty plains devoid of life or character. We rolled on as the shadows lengthened across the Mojave Desert. Finally, Vegas appeared on the horizon – a circus of excess rising implausibly out of the desert. A table awaited us at the Marquee nightclub, but just as the neon lights of the Strip appeared tantalisingly close, it dawned on us that some bright spark had left the bag containing all our shoes back in Mammoth. Cue some sharp words, an even sharper turn off the Strip and an unscheduled stop at one of its monolithic shopping malls. Still clad in ski gear, we marched down the first aisle of a stack’em high, sell’em cheap shoe outlet, grabbing four pairs of faux crocodile-skin shoes. When in Vegas… The cashier smiled wearily at our wintry garb. “So y’all getting hitched?” she asked, in a matter-of-fact way. I looked at her quizzically, then back at the matching pairs of lurid loafers on the counter. “Only to the road, ma’am,” I replied. It was the kind of answer of which Ol’ Jack would have been proud. Ski Safari (01273 224060, skisafari.com) is offering a 14-night road trip through California and Nevada from £1,975 per person. The price includes seven nights in Squaw Valley Resort at Squaw Creek, five nights in Mammoth at Juniper Springs, two nights in a five-star hotel in Las Vegas, return economy flight and SUV car hire.
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Air time En route from Whistler to Banff, you can go heli-skiing from Revelstoke or Golden
BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA REASON Intrepid powder-hunting. ROUTE Whistler–Revelstoke–Golden–Kicking Horse–Banff. DISTANCE 580 miles. CAR Rent a 4x4 SUV, such as a Ford Explorer. You are very likely to encounter serious snowstorms – it’s not at all like Europe. TERRAIN Mile after mile of Canadian wilderness links the resorts of this powder-packed route. You pass through spectacular scenery, including the Monashees and the Canadian Rockies, frozen lakes and rivers and four national parks. The roads are good and deserted but be prepared for lots of snow, and beware of wildlife on the road. You’ll see elk and bighorn sheep galore. SKI Whistler is the biggest ski area in North America, with two linked mountains, high bowls and steep couloirs. Five years ago, a new gondola transformed Revelstoke from a small hill into a major resort; slopes are steep, long and usually powder-filled. You can go heli- and cat-skiing from the base there, too. Then stop at Great Canadian Heli-Skiing, based between Golden and Revelstoke, for a couple of days in a dedicated heli-ski lodge with eight to 12 runs a day in virgin powder. Just 40 miles along the road is Kicking Horse, and more powder on former heli-ski terrain now served by a gondola and chair lift. Finish up at Banff, with a choice of three different ski areas covered by the tri-area lift pass – Mount Norquay, Sunshine Village and Lake Louise. STAY Fairmont Chateau Whistler (001 604 938 8000, fairmont.com/whistler). Slopeside luxury, excellent service, great outdoor pool and hot tubs, sauna, steam, spa; from £160 a night for a double room. Vagabond Lodge (001 250 344 2622, vagabondlodge.ca), Kicking Horse. Luxurious 10-bedroom log cabin with a fabulous first-floor living room and comfortable bedrooms; from £210 a night for two, including breakfast and lunch. EAT RimRock Café (001 604 932 5565, rimrockwhistler.com) at Whistler Creekside. Popular, so book before your trip. Excellent seafood, several small, cosy dining areas. Mains £24. Eagle’s Eye (001 250 439 5413, kickinghorseresort.com), at the top of Kicking Horse gondola. Canada’s best mountain restaurant, open for lunch daily and dinner at weekends. Stylish log cabin decor, great views, good service, varied menu. Mains from £20. TIP Book your trip through a Canada specialist tour operator such as Frontier Ski (020 8776 8709, frontier-ski.co.uk), which knows all the resorts well. Dave Watts The author is co-editor of Where to Ski and Snowboard, Britain’s only ski resort guidebook to be updated annually. The new 17th edition is available to Telegraph readers at a special discount price. For details, see wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/telegraph.