Powderhorn Mountain Resort, Colorado
Travel writer, Evie Carrick, shares: "Powderhorn is a bit of an outlier on this list, but both my husband and Niernberg agree that this tiny, low-key mountain has something special. Niernberg says, “I arrive at the base of a ski area with virtually no snow on the road until the last few miles, park for free, walk 30 yards to the high-speed quad, know all of the staff by name, ride the six-minute chair, strap in, and go directly down the front through wide pine and aspen glades.”
Within an hour of leaving the resort, you can be in Grand Junction, home to Bin 707 and Tacoparty, two locally loved restaurants owned by Niernberg.