Top 5 Places to Ski in the Summer

1. Les 2 Alpes, France - This popular mountain in France is open in the winter from the beginning of December, to the end of April. In the summer, Les 2 Alpes is open from mid-June, to the end of August. Although the lifts only run some of the time, the mountain is open year-round for anyone that wants to ski. The lifts run up to 11,811 ft high and has the largest skiable glacier in Europe. Les 2 Alpes is the 2nd oldest ski resort in France next to Chamonix, another populous ski resort. This resort has an amazing view of many mountain ranges in France.


2. Zermatt, Switzerland- Zermatt is a renowned ski resort for skiing, climbing, and other alpine activities. Much of it’s local economy is from the many tourists that visit the town. A very famous mountain in the Alpes is called the Matterhorn, which is next to the resort in Zermatt. The year round population is 5,770, but with so many tourists coming to ski, the population changes.




3. Ski Portillo, Chile - This resort is located in South America, in the Andes Mountain range. Ski Portillo has 35 runs and 14 lifts, reaching as high as 10,860 ft. This ski resort in Chile is most well known to hold world cup races for athletes all around the world. Athletes on the US Ski Team and other teams around the world ski here and race here for world cup points. Ski Portillo is between Chile and Argentina, but access is usually limited due to very heavy snow falls. Portillo is open from mid-June to early October, ranking as the 3rd best place to ski in the summer.





4. Mount Hood, Oregon- Mount Hood is located 50 miles east of Portland. Here, you can swim or canoe in one of the many lakes, hike to beautiful waterfalls, and best of all, ski! The mountain goes to about 11,240 feet high. The ski resort is one of the few in the world that is open all year round. It is a small ski resort, but an excellent glacier to ski on with a great snow pack. A lot of ski racers go to this resort to train for the upcoming winter season.




5. Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia - Located north of Vancouver, Canada, Whistler Blackcomb is one of the biggest resorts in the US. It has a peak-to-peak gondola, running from Whistler to Blackcomb and claiming the name of highest and longest unsupported cable car in the world. It is one of the most-visited resorts in the world, with over 2 millions visitors a year. This mountain held the 2010 Olympics with super g, downhill, giant slalom, slalom and super combined. Whistler Blackcomb has over 200 runs and their longest run is 6.8 miles long.

Spring Sports

The ski season is over, so it’s time to find a new sport for the spring. There are many options such as golf, and mountain biking. If you’re on a team, soccer, lacrosse, and football are other great options to chose from. Even if you’re really committed to that one winter sport, condition for it while you can’t do it. Don’t stay cooped up in your bedroom just because ski season is over, try a new spring sport! This will keep you active and give you something to do while you’re waiting for ski season to start again in the fall.

Since the weather is getting warmer and the snow is melting fast, the green grass of the golf course is being revealed. Not only are golf courses opening, bike trails/running trails are dry enough to use. Golfing and mountain biking are great things to do in your free time, especially when you live in Park City, Utah. Almost every trail or course you go to will have exquisite views of the mountains surrounding it. So, while the climate is perfect in the spring, not too hot, not too cold, get outside and try something new.

If you enjoy a team sport, many seasons begin right when the resorts close so try it out because most teams could use more players; experienced, or not. Soccer, lacrosse, and football are all sports that can be picked up in no time. All the teams have flexible practicing schedules and are a very fun way to stay active. An extra sport isn’t a huge commitment because you can go when you want and it is not super expensive. There are so many options when it comes to a spring sport, There's sure to be something you’ll like.

You might be super committed to your winter sport and you don’t want to join another team. One thing you can do is conditioning. Rather than trying to play and focus on another sport, you can continue to focus on the one you’ve already been doing. During the spring and summer there are lots of places you can go to train, like the park, any athletic fields, or the Center of Excellence. You can also sign up for classes to keep you fit, like a cycling class or boot camp. Additionally, there are many camps outside of town that will be in a place where there is still snow and you can train there.

So whether you want to make good use of the dry trails opening up, pick up a new sport to play, or just condition for the winter sport you’re really committed to, spring is a great time to do that. Any of those would keep you ready and fit for the new upcoming ski season. Stick with it, and your performance can greatly increase because of the athleticism you have that your teammates don’t. Find a trail, sign up for a sport, or go to a park this spring while you’re still mourning over the fact that ski season is over. Just because you can’t do your winter sport anymore, doesn’t mean you should just forget about it and stop training. You don’t always need snow to train.

By Mackenna Doilney and Caroline Haaijer