Washington, United States

Capital City: Olympia
Closest Airport: Seattle - Tacoma International
Population: 5,894,121
Resort Areas Include: Cascade Mountains - Blue Mountains - Colville National Forrest
Snow Season: November/December - March/April
Main Language: English
Currency: United States Dollar

Washington's Cascade Mountains are sometimes referred to as the "Alps of America". Most years, the ski areas in this region enjoy a base of more than 40 feet of snow. These mountains are an awesome destination for a heli ski/board adventure, providing over 300,000 acres of rugged terrain, dry powder and some thrilling inclines.

Snowmobiling is a very popular winter sport in Washington - the state offers over 3,000 miles of snowmobiling trails on a diverse range of types of terrain. You'll also find some prime locations for backcountry skiing and boarding there and they are mostly very accessible. The Winter Recreation Program provides Sno-Parks, cleared parking areas for vehicles in close proximity to groomed and/ or backcountry trails. Snow Cat tours of the Cascade Mountains backcountry are also available.

Washington offers 15 alpine resorts, many of which boast impressive vertical drops (the steepest incline of 3,100 ft can be found at Crystal Mountain). Naturally, it's a particularly appealing ski-destination for those who are up for a challenge - most of its resorts have a much higher percentage of intermediate and advanced trails than runs designed for novices.