Where to Ski in the Summer Time
If your passion is skiing, summer can be a depressing season. The oppressive heat reminds you every day that snow won’t be falling at your favorite ski resorts for months yet. But if you have the time and the money, your skis don’t have to collect dust while you go to the beach. There are numerous summer skiing opportunities around the world, some of which may be closer than you think. Read on to learn about where to ski in the summer time.
Timberline Lodge, Oregon
The Timberline Lodge is the only ski resort in the United States open in the summertime. Just an hour drive from Portland, Timberline can be found on Mount Hood at an elevation of over 8,000 feet. Average annual snowfall is an astonishing 30 feet. With average summer temperatures in the 70s, the densely packed snow tends to stick around, at least until August.
Whistler-Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada
If you are itching to hit the slopes in summer, why not visit one of the world’s premiere ski resorts? Whistler-Blackcomb features 7,000 skiable acres and receives, like Timberline, 30 feet of snow annually. Summer temperatures hover anywhere between 50 and 80 degrees, so you won’t have to bundle up too tightly on the slopes. One of the highlights for summer skiers is Horstman Glacier. At over 7,600 feet and with an average slope of 17 degrees, there are many types of well-maintained terrain for the most discerning skiers.
The Alps
Some of the best summer skiing can be found in the European Alps, so if you have the money, a trip to Austria, Switzerland, or France may be in order. There are many glaciers throughout the Alps that attract skiers. Some of the most popular are the Kaprun Glacier in Salzburg area of Austria and the Grande Mott Glacier near Tignes, France. For skiers into the total experience, Zermatt in Switzerland is an out of the way place that is an adventure just getting there. You have to ride the Klein Matterhorn cable car up more than 12,000 feet to the eight lifts waiting at the top.
Australia and New Zealand
The Southern Hemisphere is the perfect place to go for summer skiing because their winter is our summer. June, July, and August are prime skiing months at the winter resorts of Australia and New Zealand, including Perisher Blue, located about six hours outside of Syndney, and Coronet Peak in New Zealand. Falls Creek is one of Australia’s largest ski resorts and receives an annual average snowfall of 15 feet, though the resort that is considered the country’s best is Thredbo. In New Zealand, Mount Hutt is said to have Alps-quality skiing conditions.
South America
Like Australia and New Zealand, South America experiences their winter during our summer months. Argentina and Chile have some of the best ski resorts on the continent. Las Lenas, Bariloche, and Cerro Catedral are popular destinations in Argentina. In Chile, one of the best resorts, only an hour and a half outside of Santiago, is La Parva. Boasting more than 24,000 acres of land and 30 feet of snowfall a year, it is a truly spectacular resort for summertime skiing.
