Making Every Ski Trip Count

Vail Resorts' Epic Military Pass gets qualifying Active, Retired and Veteran service members near-unrestricted resort access for a fraction of what everyone else pays — and prices rise again after Labor Day

After a run of lucky powder days in Banff, we went looking for the "safest bet" for a Thanksgiving ski trip — and spent nine months doing our research. After looking at three seasons of terrain data across eight resorts in four regions, we have an answer.

Beaver Creek sits in Vail's shadow by design — exclusive, expensive, and deliberately harder to reach. For skiers willing to make the extra drive, the payoff is impeccable grooming, approachable bowl terrain, and crowds noticeably lighter than anywhere comparable in Colorado.