The sun was just coming up bright orange over Yakima, Washington, when my friends and I packed up the car and headed out for a day of skiing at one of the region’s most beautiful and lesser-known destinations—the White Pass Ski Area. And while prestige ski meccas such as Aspen, Park City, and Vail offer heated, high-speed gondolas and slope-side elegant dining, White Pass is a place where skiing is the way it used to be—for the pure fun of it.
Skiing here is economical, too. While a walk-up all-day lift ticket at Vail will set you back $225, White Pass, with its twin mountains and multitude of runs, only costs $80, $5 for kids (8 and under) and seniors (73 and over).
