This time of year, scores of Americans are hitting the slopes for skiing, snowboarding and other snowsports. How do you choose which ski resort you’ll be heading to next weekend? Besides snow conditions, many responsible travelers are also starting to turn their attention to the environmental practices of the ski resorts they frequent.
The Ski Area Citizens Coalition has created a fantastic resource with their annual Ski Area Environmental Scorecard to help you choose the most environmentally friendly areas to hit the slopes. The resorts are scored based on a range of things, including: impact on local natural resources and wildlife, operation environmental policies, recycling programs, use of alternative fuels and energy efficiency.
From the scorecard comes SACC’s Top 10 recommendations, based on a 100 point system. Here’s their current top 10 for this season:
1. Aspen Mountain Ski Resort – Colorado
2. Buttermilk Mountain Ski Resort – Colorado
3. Sundance Resort – Utah
4. Park City Mountain Resort – Utah
5. Squaw Valley USA – California
6. Alpine Meadows Ski Area – California
7. Aspen Highlands Ski Resort – Colorado
8. Bogus Basin Mountain Resort – Idaho
9. Mount Bachelor Ski Area – Oregon
10. Telluride Ski Resort – Colorado
And be sure to make your ski weekend even greener by carpooling or taking the ski shuttle to the mountain!
photo courtesy of fd at Creative Commons