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Northwest Most photogenic backcountry terrain

Just out the gates of Mt. Baker Ski Area is the Shuksan Arm. This cliffy, above-treeline ridge has been in more ski photos and movies than just

about anyplace else. Why? Immensely deep snow, unrivaled views of towering Mt. Baker, and supreme lappability from Chair 8. Respect this

zone. It’s pure backcountry. And under certain conditions it’s notoriously avalanche-prone.

Most relaxing brewpubSo you’re not a spa person. The 10 Barrel Brewing Co. in Bend, Oregon, offers heady malt beverages and an atmosphere that’s well suited to winding down a day at Mt. Bachelor: a heated dog-friendly patio complete with a blazing fire pit.

Most thrilling in-bounds adventureJust 45 minutes from Seattle, Alpental is an off-pister’s paradise. The back bowls have no designated trails and are strewn with crags, glades, and natural features. To learn the terrain, you must explore it.

Steepest place to have a good cryIt’s no surprise to find, in the wilds of Alaska, a resort as gnarly as Alyeska. For lift-served steeps it rivals any resort in the Lower 48, but the hike-to terrain on the Headwall, Max’s, and the North Face will make you weep, first from pain and then irrepressible joy.

Campiest ski lodgesThe Mountaineers, a

Seattle-based outdoor-education organization,

operates ski lodges at two of the region’s

snowiest resorts: Stevens Pass and Mt. Baker.

Accommodations are dorm-style, and you’ll have to help with the chores. But beds are

scarce near these pow-der meccas, and none

are closer to the lifts on storm days than the Mountaineers’. It’s like summer camp but for grownups…in winter.

Purest slice of ski-bar Bavariana Tucked in the basement of Crystal Mountain’s Alpine Inn and styled in the fashion of a Bavarian rathskeller, the Snorting Elk Cellar, with its house beer (brewed by Elysian Brewing Company) and drink specials, is the après bar all other après bars should aspire to be.

Purdiest views and tastiest brewsThe Vertical Restaurant and Sports Bar is upstairs in Mt. Hood Meadows’ main lodge. With potent Northwest microbrews on tap and a fine selection of local wines, it’s a great place to take in a game or just marvel at Mt. Hood’s majesty out the restau-rant’s huge windows.

Most satisfying sausageThe Munchen Haus serves

up fantastic, quasi-tradi-tional-German tube steaks

like the Big “Bob” Brat-wurst and Curt’s Curry-

wurst, which is appropri-ate since it’s the heart of

the quasi-Bavarian-styled village of Leavenworth, Washington, just down the road from Stevens

Pass Ski Area. Prost!

Most appropriately named sandwich

With your choice of pulled pork, tofu, or smoked

brisket (or all three if you like) piled under a heap of mashed potatoes, cheese sauce, and cubes of ched-dar, The Ludicrous at the

Skyway Bar and Grill in Zig Zag, Oregon (near

Mt. Hood) is as indulgent as it sounds.

bucket list5 Best Glades in the PNW

1. WildKatzStevensPass,Washington

2. SNake DaNCe Alpental, Washington

3. Private reServe Mt. Hood Meadows, Oregon

4. PiPeliNe 49 Degrees North, Washington

5. left aNGle Crystal Mountain, Washington

It can snow hard in the PNW, and days of whiteout misery are not uncommon. When skies clear, the hearty find steep, chute-striped peaks,

endless glades, and some of the country’s most rabid skiers.

Most paradoxically delicious dinner

Don’t return home from Girdwood, Alaska, without

patronizing the Double Musky Inn. This place specializes in meat slabs and local AK seafood done

up—of all ways—Cajun style. Judging by options like crab-

stuffed halibut in a Creole beurre blanc, the pairing works.

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Best resurrection of a defunct parochial-school buildingEach location of Oregon-based pub, brewery, music venue, and hotel company McMenamins is a breath of new life into a different historic building. In Bend, McMenamins Old St. Francis School, a former Catholic school and parish house dating to the 1920s, enjoys its new existence as a funky hotel—with classrooms converted to bedrooms—brewery, bakery, and movie theater.

» Skier: Adam Ü.