I would like to go skiing in the middle of november. Where is the best snow in either US or Canada.

Thank you

I can only speak for Colorado. Vail is my favorite - but conditions vary from year to year based on snowfall amounts. Here are the season dates for some of the resorts in CO.

Vail: November 19, 2004 - April 17, 2005
Beaver Creek: November 20, 2004 - April 10, 2005
Breckenridge: November 12, 2004 - April 17, 2005
Keystone: November 12, 2004 - April 10, 2005
Arapahoe Basin: Late-October, 2004 - Mid-June, 2005

Check into Wolf Creek and Copper in Colorado. The best advice would be to wait until the last possible moment and then go where the snow is. It may cost you more in terms of transaportation, but you won't be sitting at one resort wishing you were at another.

Can't help with Canada, but my report on Colorado: Wolf Creek isn't as accessible as some of the resorts near Denver but it usually has great snow... but it is completely dependant upon nature as they have no snowmaking equipment. Loveland is always in the running for opening first but I'm not sure how good their early conditions are. I'm of the impression they're just seeking the publicity of being first... but if that is wrong, someone please correct me. Arapahoe Basin is also quite early because of the high altitude--much of their terrain is above timberline.

Based solely on last year, Loveland was bragging about being one of the first to "open." Open meant a single thin intermediate trail.

I would agree with the "wait till last minute" line on this. I ski mostly at Lake Tahoe, and while I can remember one year of truly great snow in mid-november, more commonly there will be a little natural snow with a few runs opened by snowmaking.

I don't know of anywhere in US/Canada where you can really count on good conditions that early. I think of November skiing as a "sometimes you get lucky" season.

1

In Utah: Alta and Brighton are the first to open as soon as there is enough snow. All other areas are normally scheduled to open the weekend before Thanksgiving, but will open sooner if conditions allow.

Wait and see.....

.