If you plan to ski in Washington state, you have many ski resort options, including resorts that offer beginner ski lessons, extreme ski lessons and group lessons if you wish to enhance your skiing skills. When selecting a ski resort in Washington, you may want to consider costs, resort access, types of skiing offered, skiing conditions at the resort, and safety of the mountains around the resort.
Costs
Ski resort costs may not only include lodging and meals, but they may also include lift tickets, equipment rentals, and lessons. Costs vary widely from resort to resort, so you should be able to find a resort that suits your budgets. If you live in the state of Washington, you may choose to buy a season's pass to your favorite ski resort---or to the ski resort located closest to you. Your season's pass may cover the ski lift, ski rental, or for a combination of lift and rental. If you are not buying season's pass, you may rent skis, lift tickets, poles, and safety equipment, including helmets and avalanche transmitter beacons, by the day.
Access
Ski resorts are located throughout Washington, including in the Cascade and Olympic Mountain ranges. If you are traveling to Washington, you may wish to travel to a ski resort that is easily and quickly accessible to a major airport. Ski areas located closest to Seattle include The Summit at Snoqualmie, Hurricane Ridge, and Steven's Pass. Ski areas located closes to Spokane include Mount Spokane and 49 Degrees North. These ski areas may have several resorts each.
Types of skiing
You may partake in all types of skiing throughout Washington, including Alpine skiing and Nordic skiing. There are at least 15 dedicated Alpine skiing areas and at least 17 dedicated Nordic skiing areas throughout the state, including in ski resorts and state parks. If you are an advanced skier, you may also enjoy heli-skiing, backcountry skiing, and beginner skiing. Many ski resorts offer ski lessons, including lessons for beginners, lessons for seasoned skiers, private lessons, group lessons and specialty lessons.
Conditions
When skiing in Washington, bear in mind that the conditions of the snow may differ from snow conditions in other parts of the country. While the ideal type of snow for many skiers is powder snow, slopes in Washington may also have wet snow and ice. For that reason, contact your ski resort for a condition report before traveling long distances to ski. Ski resorts track current and upcoming weather conditions and generally publish weather condition information on their websites. Many resorts, such as Crystal Mountain, also offer webcams so visitors can check out the conditions before venturing to the resort.
Safety
As a result of snow conditions, weather, and geography, you must be especially mindful of avalanches when skiing in Washington. Ski resorts often offer a combination of maintained ski slopes as well as back-country access. Many avalanches occur in the back country, where skiers may be making fresh tracks. There was one avalanche-related death in Washington in the 2009-2010 avalanche season. Review avalanche forecasts before setting out on excursions in Washington, especially if they plan to ski in the back country. Also, always wear a transmitter and helmet, which you may be able to rent from your ski resort.
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