Chris Adair | Freelance Writer

There’s nothing like the feeling of making arching turns down a wide-open run, with only spruce trees and fresh powder to navigate through. And there’s nothing more frustrating than the other side of that coin — when you’re competing in a high-stakes slalom amongst snowplowing newbies and unfathomably large crews of snowboarders that’ve found a way to clog every trail. As the ski resort industry continues to consolidate, funneling skiers into a smaller and smaller selection of ski areas, long lift lines and packed slopes are often the norm, particularly at the highest-profile spots like Park City, Vail, or Stowe (heaven forbid you go during a holiday). Luckily, there are still resorts all over the United States that have managed to stay under the radar. Below, we’ve compiled a list of nine ski resorts where you can still access fantastic terrain and tons of fresh powder without sacrificing half of your day to buy lift tickets and wait in gondola queues — you won’t even have to wait an hour and a half to get an après drink. [more]