Top Three Ski In, Ski Out Resorts to Explore this Winter

With the weather outside turning chilly, you might think it's time to store your Road Trip Planner in the closet next to your hiking shoes till next year. Perhaps you're enjoying the vision of relaxing in your recliner with woolly slippers adorning your feet all winter long. Nice image, sure, but hibernation's for bears, not for active people. Soon, whilst reclining, other images emerge... blue-white slopes, roaring lodge fires, rosy cheeks...that's when you remember...

There's a whole WINTER WONDERLAND waiting to be explored! So fire up that Road Trip Planner and head towards the nearest Ski In, Ski Out Resort. Now imagine how delicious it will feel when you slip your tootsies into a pair of mukluks after spending the day out in the snow.

The following three top the "short" list of FAVORITE SKI IN, SKI OUT RESORTS for ardent backcountry skiers. All are already known for their grand summer offerings but skiers know these areas stand out during the winter as well. Choose one that's closest to your home base for your road trip planning or, if you've got the time (and money) plan one trip per month and hit all three this Winter!

CALIFORNIA - TIOGA PASS RESORT - During the summer, you can take the Tioga Road all the way from Yosemite National Park's west entrance out through the park's east entrance (a wonderful road trip, by the way). But from November - May, this upper road is closed and the only way to reach the rustic lodge (9,641 feet elevation) is to ski in, ski out from the east entrance. This is not a cushy resort like you could find at Aspen or Vail, Colorado, but it's a favorite among die-hards who appreciate the extreme couloirs found here. You'll find rustic cabins, a roaring fire in the store/lodge and a restaurant that probably seats no more than 25 folks at a time. Ingrid McCleary, a long-time Californian, stayed there a few summers ago and can attest that their food is particularly hearty, freshly made, and generously portioned. Their winter rates are charged per person and include 3 meals per day. Guests must ski in to the Resort, usually between two and six miles, over moderate uphill and flat terrain. The surrounding terrain varies from gently rolling open meadows to sheltered, north-facing powder glades to 50-degree, 800-foot icy couloirs for the vertical extremists. Expert-only runs have names like Cocaine Chutes, Dana Couloir, Ellery Chutes and Powerhouse, a 4,000-vertical-foot descent that has skiers coming back every winter.

WYOMING - JACKSON HOLE - Some visitors use their road trip planner to come here during the summer for the pristine mountain landscape and abundant wildlife but it also offers world-class skiing. There's a power to this place that seems to make a fundamental connection with nature. A big reason why this place attracts so many visitors each year is that it offers many choices for your lodging, from luxurious indulgence to true affordability. The gorgeous outdoors surrounding you stays the same; it's only the "after hours" experience that differs according to your preferences and budget. If you prefer the extreme terrain, then runs like Corbett's Couloir can test your last steely nerve. BONUS: In the Grand Teton Village a few miles away, you'll find another luxury ski in, ski out resort, the Snake River Lodge and Spa. It offers 88 guest rooms and 46 luxury condominiums...and a 17,000-square-foot Avanyu Spa!

CANADA - WHISTLER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Picturesque, expansive, and has its own village...that's the quaint part of your Whistler Road Trip. For "weak-kneed" parts, try the runs like the Couloir Extreme and Spanky's Ladder. The scenic village is very lively and offers varied after-skiing activities. The skiing is superbly varied and the new Peak-2-Peak gondola, linking Blackcomb and Whistler Mountains, will be the world's longest continuous lift system when it opens in December, 2008. I was here last winter and it's an amazing resort. It tops my list of favorites. You can choose among drive-up or ski in ski out accommodations like the Residence Inn By Marriott Whistler Blackcomb. Of the three resorts noted here, this one is probably the best suited for families with guest suites that sleep up to 6 comfortably. Bonus Activity: Make this a Train Road Trip by taking the Whistler Star Express. This is Vancouver's only door-to-door shuttle service from Vancouver International Airport to the world-famous Whistler Village and Resort.

Whichever one you add to your road trip planner, you're guaranteed rosy cheeks, so grab your parkas, snow boots, and yes, those mukluks and get thee to a mountain slope!