The Best Roads Trips for M.A.X. Pass Holders
As many single-resort season passes continue to rise to ridiculous prices (a season pass at Deer Valley will run you $2,685) and smaller resorts continue to struggle competing with multi-resort passes owned by the same company, like Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass, there has been a rising popularity in a new kind of pass. Introducing the M.A.X. Pass, which features five days each at 44 different resorts across North America for only $729. Already have a season pass to one of the nearly four dozen mountains? For $379, get five days at the remaining 43 resorts with the M.A.X. Season Pass Add-On.
For the skier looking for a little extra adventure this winter, whether it's exploring resorts across the country or spending more time in those right in their backyard, we've mapped out the best road trips for getting the most out of the M.A.X. Pass.
Canada: 4 Days, 430 Miles, 8 Hours Driving
Nakiska, Kicking Horse, Kimberley, Fernie
For M.A.X. Passers looking to ski outside the U.S., four resorts bordering the Alberta/British Columbia border offer the perfect escape to the Great White North.
Only an hour east of Calgary on the Trans-Canada Highway, Nakiska Ski Area, which hosted the 10 alpine events during the 1988 Winter Olympics, offers skiers with a need for speed the perfect first stop on their Canadian road trip.
Jumping back on the Trans-Canada for two and a half hours and crossing into British Columbia, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort may deserve more than a one-day stop. With the fourth highest vert in North America (only six feet shorter than Jackson Hole) as well as being selected as a new stop on the Freeride World Tour for 2018, Kicking Horse is a mountain playground with something for everyone.
Three hours to the south (with multiple must-stop hot springs on the way) sits Kimberley Alpine Resort, a small five-lift resort that still has nearly 2,500 feet of vertical to get your shred on. Finishing up the road trip is Fernie Alpine Resort with five enormous bowls and countless glades and chutes, the perfect end to a Canadian ski vacation.