Tbh that’s not a fair ranking. I work in Aspen and Snowmass does a really good job with crowd flow, especially compared to most other Colorado resorts. It also heavily depends on the time of year, the time of day, and where you are on the mountain (never make the mistake of going all the way down to base after 11 bc it will be a 5-10+ minute wait most times… but if you stay up top then you’ll rarely have problems with crowded lifts!)
@@Jakuboooooooooo hear your point, and agreed that Snowmass does a very solid job crowd-flow wise (it outranks many Colorado competitors in this category). Ultimately, the score hits we aligned on were due to the chokepoint-inducing base setup, the unforgiving nature of mistakes in lower-mountain areas, and the extremely frustrating Sky Cab gondola lines at the end of the day. Let us know if this rationale makes sense, or if you still disagree!
@@PeakRankings To suggest Snowmass is better Vail, or even Telluride, brings your ranking analysis into serious question. Snowmass ''expert'' areas are ''forced'' developments after years of being know as a big intermediate mountain. The areas are difficult(dangerous) to get into and lack vertical and challenge falls off quickly. And you conveniently didn't cover night life which for the good stuff you need to go into Aspen to experience. Better than Vail...not hardly.
@@PeakRankings I think from your description and lacking any first hand experience with the area, that Aspen should model a well over capacity attractive redesign of the bottlenecks you've listed. I'd think there'd be people with engineering and capacity sense engaged with the area, maybe there were, but they've moved on, that can come up with a well honed solution that makes these old bottlenecks not only better, but maybe even fun to experience. That would be the type of implemeantation one would expect from a premium ski resort.
@PeakRankings I overall agree with your rankings...though I don't think it's in any way fair to give Snowmass the same crowd-flow control (6) as Vail. If Snowmass is a 6 then Vail should be a maximum of a 3... The worst case scenario at Snowmass is a ten minute wait just at the base during holiday weekends a few times a year...whereas Vail's lines make it debatably unskiable some weekends (and can be seen from space).
My home mountain. One comment I will make after 4 seasons skiing Aspen Snowmass is that the crowd flow is top notch. You might stand in a 5 min lift line on a Friday/Saturday or a holiday, but there are NO lines about 90% of the time.
This is one of the best mountains. My dad has been skiing in places all over the US since the 80s and has been coming back here consistently because of how much variety there is and how good the runs are. It isn't mentioned in this video but there are tons of kid glade trails and secret areas you can get to such as the halfpipe in alpine springs and the toilet bowl at the elk camp chair. Another plus of going to snowmass is that the people there are very nice and are always willing to answer any questions you have. Its a great mountain for beginners and experts alike!
I've been riding at Snowmass all of my life. I started visiting other out of state resorts(Jackson, Big Sky, Snowbird) about 4 years ago. One thing I notched is that Snowmass lacks steep runs with a long vertical drop. Most of our steep runs only have about 300-500 ft vertical to them then the terrain mellows out. Still an amazing place. I just noticed that I wasn't prepared for the unrelenting steeps that a place like Jackson Hole has to offer.
@@Jakuboooooooooo I've been riding both more alot more in recent years. Highlands is definitely up there in terms of a steep consistent fall line. I only ride there when it's been snowing consistently though. Those steeps on Deep Temerity are exhausting to navigate once you have 1800 vertical feet of volkswagen size moguls.
It’s funny you say that. I have brought two of my friends from Colorado to Jackson Hole and they both said they had never skied or ridden anything like JH. The terrain never lets up, which is what we love. Take care
This is the comment I’ve been looking for 🙌🏼 I’m from nh me and a bunch of friends do a ski trip each year last year snowbird Brighton year before big ski Bridger their talking about aspen im looking for advanced terrain and pow seems like I could be slightly let down compared to years past
Good review. Spot on. Snowmass is an exceptional ski/ ride mountain. I do try to hit Highlands once every Snowmass trip for the breathtaking views and nice runs - although the runs are limited for me they are great fast cruisers.
My all-time favorite mountain to ski Nothing compares to Big Burn. End of day run from some of the tops can take about an hour, ending near dark at the bottom. Tip #1, ski the top two lifts to big burn for no lines.
it’s my home mountain and although i’m biased it is for sure the best mountain in colorado. but i agree with your rating it was very fair and unbiased:)
(Snowmass employees) I’m about to accept a job at Snowmass for the season, I just wanted to ask a few questions. Are the employee housing conditions good? Are the employees friendly and easy to get along with? Should I bring my car or is public transportation reliable? Is Snowmass a good ski resort to work for?
While I do love the channel, if there’s one piece of criticism it’s that the rankings are skewed towards experts. For example, the three resorts tied for second place are Jackson Hole, Alta, and Snowbird, all of which lack significantly in that category. While I myself am an advanced/expert skier and most fans of the channel fall into that category, I think as your rankings become more popular that could be something to focus on with a new category (would be hard to fit in as an old one would have to be removed) or a modified terrain diversity category.
Thank you for the feedback Michael! We try to conduct a holistic review of our rankings a few times a year and will take your advice into consideration. In case you are curious, we actually made a small tweak to our terrain diversity category earlier this year: www.peakrankings.com/content/fall-2021-terrain-diversity-adjustment
I've made turns on all major (and almost all minor)ski resorts in Colorado..I really don't know how to pick a true #1 for me...Crested Butte has big mountain/small town flair..Vail..don't need explain. Breckenridge is different than both... Snowmass is right down the street from Aspen mountain....2 totally different vibes...great skiing on both....It's all personal preference...
Which parts of the trail map are wildly not to scale? I was looking on Google maps and trying to figure out which part of the mountain you were referring to.
This is the case in a few places, but the chief issues are that the Elk Camp chair and Cirque platter are considerably longer than they look, while the Campground chairlift is shorter. We really like a site called Mapsynergy that specializes in geographically accurate maps. Here's a better figure for scale from them: skimap.org/data/1033/1923/1599491782.jpg
Yes! We have the footage for the video review and just have to edit it together, which will likely take a few months (think summer or fall '22 for release). In the meantime, written review is already up: www.peakrankings.com/content/breckenridge
Vail’s back bowls look amazing. The first problem is they get skied off before noon on any powder day. The biggest problem, however, is that they face south, and all that snow turns to slush in the afternoon, then freezes into crusty ice overnight. Unless there’s enough fresh snow, those bowls are often unskiable.
That's a good video, I'm surprised you don't have more views and likes. The graphics when you display the scores could be less intrusive though, maybe move them down into a corner.
Nice vid! I have started a small TH-cam channel for mob and ski reviews and was wondering if you had any tips to gaining subscribers or what you think viewers want the most? Also if you think there is any gear you think I should have than let me know!
![[ENGSUB] UNPRODUCTIVE DAY ใช้ชีวิต (เปื่อยๆ) ด้วยกัน 1 วัน! | OUROAD CLOSEFRiEND SS2 EP.9](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pyYKZ3kra9w/mqdefault.jpg)
CORRECTION: Snowmass's crowd flow and navigation scores are both supposed to be 6, not 7. Apologies for the mixup!
Tbh that’s not a fair ranking. I work in Aspen and Snowmass does a really good job with crowd flow, especially compared to most other Colorado resorts. It also heavily depends on the time of year, the time of day, and where you are on the mountain (never make the mistake of going all the way down to base after 11 bc it will be a 5-10+ minute wait most times… but if you stay up top then you’ll rarely have problems with crowded lifts!)
@@Jakuboooooooooo hear your point, and agreed that Snowmass does a very solid job crowd-flow wise (it outranks many Colorado competitors in this category). Ultimately, the score hits we aligned on were due to the chokepoint-inducing base setup, the unforgiving nature of mistakes in lower-mountain areas, and the extremely frustrating Sky Cab gondola lines at the end of the day.
Let us know if this rationale makes sense, or if you still disagree!
@@PeakRankings To suggest Snowmass is better Vail, or even Telluride, brings your ranking analysis into serious question. Snowmass ''expert'' areas are ''forced'' developments after years of being know as a big intermediate mountain. The areas are difficult(dangerous) to get into and lack vertical and challenge falls off quickly. And you conveniently didn't cover night life which for the good stuff you need to go into Aspen to experience. Better than Vail...not hardly.
@@PeakRankings I think from your description and lacking any first hand experience with the area, that Aspen should model a well over capacity attractive redesign of the bottlenecks you've listed. I'd think there'd be people with engineering and capacity sense engaged with the area, maybe there were, but they've moved on, that can come up with a well honed solution that makes these old bottlenecks not only better, but maybe even fun to experience. That would be the type of implemeantation one would expect from a premium ski resort.
@PeakRankings I overall agree with your rankings...though I don't think it's in any way fair to give Snowmass the same crowd-flow control (6) as Vail. If Snowmass is a 6 then Vail should be a maximum of a 3... The worst case scenario at Snowmass is a ten minute wait just at the base during holiday weekends a few times a year...whereas Vail's lines make it debatably unskiable some weekends (and can be seen from space).
My home mountain. One comment I will make after 4 seasons skiing Aspen Snowmass is that the crowd flow is top notch. You might stand in a 5 min lift line on a Friday/Saturday or a holiday, but there are NO lines about 90% of the time.
This is our home mountain as well and with the 8 person Village Express, you rarely have to wait long even if there is a long line.
@@StripperMonkey I believe it’s a six person not an eight
@@grahamkingston1679 Yea it is. He might be talking about the 8 person Elk Camp Gondola
This is one of the best mountains. My dad has been skiing in places all over the US since the 80s and has been coming back here consistently because of how much variety there is and how good the runs are. It isn't mentioned in this video but there are tons of kid glade trails and secret areas you can get to such as the halfpipe in alpine springs and the toilet bowl at the elk camp chair. Another plus of going to snowmass is that the people there are very nice and are always willing to answer any questions you have. Its a great mountain for beginners and experts alike!
Awesome review. You covered everything. #1 in Colorado is a high honor!!!
Thank you! It sure is, and it's one we don't take lightly.
Thanks for the review! Surely much time was invested in providing it to us! Always wanted to ski in Aspen to get an idea of NA ski resorts
Your reviews are truly amazing and very accurate!! I will be going other resorts based on your review!!! Love it!! Thank you!!!!
I've been riding at Snowmass all of my life. I started visiting other out of state resorts(Jackson, Big Sky, Snowbird) about 4 years ago. One thing I notched is that Snowmass lacks steep runs with a long vertical drop. Most of our steep runs only have about 300-500 ft vertical to them then the terrain mellows out. Still an amazing place. I just noticed that I wasn't prepared for the unrelenting steeps that a place like Jackson Hole has to offer.
Great callout- we found Snowmass's challenges to be more in technicality than required endurance. The really long steeps are at Highlands!
Do you ride highlands or aspen?
@@Jakuboooooooooo I've been riding both more alot more in recent years. Highlands is definitely up there in terms of a steep consistent fall line. I only ride there when it's been snowing consistently though. Those steeps on Deep Temerity are exhausting to navigate once you have 1800 vertical feet of volkswagen size moguls.
It’s funny you say that. I have brought two of my friends from Colorado to Jackson Hole and they both said they had never skied or ridden anything like JH. The terrain never lets up, which is what we love. Take care
This is the comment I’ve been looking for 🙌🏼 I’m from nh me and a bunch of friends do a ski trip each year last year snowbird Brighton year before big ski Bridger their talking about aspen im looking for advanced terrain and pow seems like I could be slightly let down compared to years past
I really want to get out here some time! That whole Cirque Headwall area of Snowmass looks sooooo fun!
I went there when I was 6 and the headwall was great it was my first double black ever
Easily my favorite ikon mountain
This is such a contender for my #1 bucket list resort. Great review!
Totally agree! A truly fun experience 😀
Good review. Spot on. Snowmass is an exceptional ski/ ride mountain. I do try to hit Highlands once every Snowmass trip for the breathtaking views and nice runs - although the runs are limited for me they are great fast cruisers.
I went to snowmass when I was 6 and rode my first double black the hanging valley wall its was so cool
Also if you go to the taylor chesnik youtube channel you can see my grandpa fall over on the T-bar
These reviews are fantastic! Thank you and best of luck!
As a person that always goes to snowmass during January I suggest you get a ski guide since you can skip most of the waiting time
Love this mountain, seems underrated
My all-time favorite mountain to ski
Nothing compares to Big Burn.
End of day run from some of the tops can take about an hour, ending near dark at the bottom.
Tip #1, ski the top two lifts to big burn for no lines.
it’s my home mountain and although i’m biased it is for sure the best mountain in colorado. but i agree with your rating it was very fair and unbiased:)
My favorite mountain by far.
(Snowmass employees) I’m about to accept a job at Snowmass for the season, I just wanted to ask a few questions. Are the employee housing conditions good? Are the employees friendly and easy to get along with? Should I bring my car or is public transportation reliable? Is Snowmass a good ski resort to work for?
Aesthetic should be a 10, period
ooh, I like the wide open packed powder stuff, maybe I should visit from Utah at some point. Do you have corduroy there?
While I do love the channel, if there’s one piece of criticism it’s that the rankings are skewed towards experts. For example, the three resorts tied for second place are Jackson Hole, Alta, and Snowbird, all of which lack significantly in that category. While I myself am an advanced/expert skier and most fans of the channel fall into that category, I think as your rankings become more popular that could be something to focus on with a new category (would be hard to fit in as an old one would have to be removed) or a modified terrain diversity category.
Thank you for the feedback Michael! We try to conduct a holistic review of our rankings a few times a year and will take your advice into consideration.
In case you are curious, we actually made a small tweak to our terrain diversity category earlier this year: www.peakrankings.com/content/fall-2021-terrain-diversity-adjustment
I've made turns on all major (and almost all minor)ski resorts in Colorado..I really don't know how to pick a true #1 for me...Crested Butte has big mountain/small town flair..Vail..don't need explain. Breckenridge is different than both... Snowmass is right down the street from Aspen mountain....2 totally different vibes...great skiing on both....It's all personal preference...
I love Snowmass, but where is your review for Ajax Mountain, aka Aspen Mountain?
I found your review of Ajax on your website, but no video.
Excellent review
2021 NASTAR NATIONAl CHAMPIONSHIPS Bronze medal Aspen Snowmass, CO. 2022 NASTAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Gold medalist. Snowmass is a beautiful place.
Which parts of the trail map are wildly not to scale? I was looking on Google maps and trying to figure out which part of the mountain you were referring to.
This is the case in a few places, but the chief issues are that the Elk Camp chair and Cirque platter are considerably longer than they look, while the Campground chairlift is shorter.
We really like a site called Mapsynergy that specializes in geographically accurate maps. Here's a better figure for scale from them: skimap.org/data/1033/1923/1599491782.jpg
@@PeakRankings This is an excellent resource. Thanks!
Can u review Breckinridge Colorado please I would love to see your rankings on that
Yes! We have the footage for the video review and just have to edit it together, which will likely take a few months (think summer or fall '22 for release).
In the meantime, written review is already up: www.peakrankings.com/content/breckenridge
@@PeakRankings ok great super hyped for that
How does Aspen Snowmass beat Vail's backbowls? Do any other Colorado resorts have them?
Vail’s back bowls look amazing. The first problem is they get skied off before noon on any powder day. The biggest problem, however, is that they face south, and all that snow turns to slush in the afternoon, then freezes into crusty ice overnight. Unless there’s enough fresh snow, those bowls are often unskiable.
That's a good video, I'm surprised you don't have more views and likes. The graphics when you display the scores could be less intrusive though, maybe move them down into a corner.
Thanks for the feedback!
Nice vid! I have started a small TH-cam channel for mob and ski reviews and was wondering if you had any tips to gaining subscribers or what you think viewers want the most? Also if you think there is any gear you think I should have than let me know!
Thanks! Would recommend consistent content and listening to your audience! This video was recorded with a GoPro Hero7 Black.
8:57 Why is a Pulse Gondola a sight to behold?
Cause it's cool 😎
What piste are you on at 2:15?
That's the upper part of Sheer Bliss!
I cut my teeth on Snowmass (mostly) '77-78 just out of High School. Aspen Highlands 2nd best. Aspen Mountain on good snow, uncrowded days.
highlands soon?
Vid is in the pipeline! But we're posting another CO resort first ;)
If you go to snowmass enough, you will learn that a popular name for the sky cab gondola is "the skittles". Ride the rainbow, taste the rainbow.
Should redo the video, audio feels outdated
👠
''intermediate adventure'' kind of an oxymoron.😉