If you’ve already stowed your skis, helmet and goggles in the attic for the season, go take ’em back out.
Winter might be over, but there are still snow-covered slopes to be found out there that’ll have you thinking otherwise into June, July and beyond. (OK, a couple are south of the equator, which is kind of cheating, but we’re allowing it.)
Bottom line: ski season never ends if you don’t want it to.
Mammoth Mountain
Mammoth Lakes, Ca
With a base elevation of almost 8,000 feet (higher than those of Jackson Hole, Aspen, Beaver Creek and most ski resorts in America), Mammoth’s snow tends to stick around. This year, that’ll be until July 4th. Yes, that means you’ll be able to play a round of golf, barbecue in a bathing suit and then go skiing, all in one day. God bless America.
Tordrillo Mountain Lodge
Tordrillo Mountains, AK
75 degrees and wearing a T-shirt. Not what you picture when skiing Alaska. Unless it’s June and you’re staying at Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, where the Kings and Corn package will have you heli-skiing corn snow (pebble-sized kernels of softening ice) in the morning and fly-in fishing for Alaska king salmon in the evening.
Timberline
Timberline Lodge, OR
For Olympians, terrain park junkies and leisure skiers looking to hone their skills in the off season, there’s the Palmer Snowfield at Timberline. Located on the south side of Mt. Hood, this expanse of mountain remains snow-covered and open year-round — making it the only ski area in North America to remain open all 12 months a year.
The Remarkables
Queenstown, New Zealand
While you can find winter remnants in the Northern Hemisphere this summer, remember, our summer is the Southern Hemisphere’s full-blown winter. That means ski resorts like Queenstown’s The Remarkables are just about to open for the season. And since New Zealand’s Alps aren’t short on ski hills, you’ll have plenty of other options (like Treble Cone, which opens at the end of June).
Portillo
Andes Mountains, Chile
Two hours north of Santiago, cradled high in the Andes, you’ll find South America’s oldest ski resort, Portillo. Its heritage, terrain and powder make it a storied retreat that’s been called one of the top 10 ski areas in the world by Ski Magazine. And with very limited lodging options and no village or nearby town, Portillo remains exclusive, crowd free and all about the slopes.
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