Sun, check. Mission Ridge enjoys eastside weather.” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:4800,”y2″:3200,”width”:4800,”height”:3200}”>
These days, American skiing boils down to the Big Two. Like, say, Coke and Pepsi, or Marvel and DC—a pair of major brands that define an industry. Vail Resorts operates Stevens Pass, Whistler Blackcomb, Park City, and, of course, Vail, among dozens of others. Alterra Mountain Company, controlled by the family who owns Aspen, holds Crystal Mountain, Steamboat, and Mammoth Mountain.
But in between all those heated chairlifts and resort villages, independents still thrive. Locally owned slopes hold on across the country, with Crock-Pots bubbling on cafeteria tables in aging lodges. Kids coast in jeans and up fraying
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