Bicycle Hill Climbing Tips

Most commutes have at least one. No matter how hard you try, they’re nearly impossible to avoid. Hills have the power to inflict pain on cyclists of all levels. Want to reduce your commute time and learn to embrace the discomfort of bicycle hill climbing?

Remember to breathe. It’s a natural reaction to hold your breath or to breathe shallowly when you’re in a stressful or physically challenging situation. But your body needs all the oxygen it can get to power up a climb. Practice filling your belly with air and taking long, deep breaths instead of short, shallow ones. Keep your hands at a wide stance on the handlebars in order to open up the chest.

Get in gear. Unless you’re commuting on a fixie or singlespeed, you should have gearing options to help ease the uphill grind. Consider a triple crankset if you live in a hilly area and check with your local bike shop to be sure your gearing is low enough to tackle the terrain.

Take a seat. It’s easier to sustain a lower heart rate when you’re hill climbing in a seated position. While standing increases the power you’re able to generate, it does so at the cost of an elevated heart rate, which can mean a more painful climb, and expending more energy. Stand when you must, but otherwise stay seated and slide all the way back on your saddle. This position recruits the large and powerful gluteal muscles. Staying seated also allows you to save energy by recruiting your core muscles. To engage your core, resist the urge to sit upright during a climb. Instead lean forward, bending your elbows slightly while keeping a flat back.  This lowers your center of gravity and gives your primary leg muscles a break.

Spin it. Many riders fall into the trap of spinning too low a gear, which quickly fatigues the legs and strains the knees. Instead, try to maintain a cadence of at least 85rpm. As you approach a hill, gradually shift down and work on maintaining a smooth, high cadence. If you drop into your lowest gear too early, you’ll risk spinning out and losing momentum. As you concentrate on cadence, keep taking deep breaths and focus on maintaining this rhythm as you climb.

Give yourself an advantage. It’s difficult for commuter bikes to reduce the weight of their bikes, which can be a big benefit on hills. But you can make small changes like using thinner tires or switching out knobbies for slicks if you’re primarily riding on pavement. Be sure to check your tires before every ride and keep them pumped up to the recommended PSI. And every rider can benefit from the power of mind over matter. Reinforce positive thoughts and visualize yourself pedaling confidently to the top.

Shin Splints

Nothing threatens to derail a new training program faster than shin splints. If you’re increasing mileage, switching from trails to road or adding more high-intensity track workouts, you could be at risk. Women are also more likely to get shin splints than men. About three million people per year in the U.S. are afflicted with painful, burning shins. Many of those affected are runners, although the condition is also common among new military recruits and dancers. The good news is that shin splints generally clear up in few days to weeks with treatment.

Pain occurs along the inner edge of the tibia, where muscles attach to the bone. Illustration: Oliver Baker

Symptoms of Shin Splints

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons defines shin splints—officially called medial tibial stress syndrome—as “pain along the inner edge of the shinbone (tibia).”
Shins hurt during and after a run due to inflammation of tendons, muscles and bone tissue around your tibia. Pain occurs along the inner edge of the tibia, where muscles attach to the bone. Mild swelling may be present. The pain may be sharp, dull or throbbing. Shins may also be sore to the touch.

Causes of Shin Splints

Shin splints are caused by repeated stress and trauma to the muscle and bone tissue around the tibia. Recent studies indicate the trauma isn’t caused by the direct contact. Instead it happens from the slight bend that occurs during activity in a stress-loaded bone. As your tibia and muscles strengthen with repeated high-impact activity, the chance of shin splints lessens. This is why shin splints are more common in those just starting a running or training program. Other possible causes could include having flat feet or rigid arches, while others get this ailment from running in worn out or improper shoes.

Treatment for Shin Splints

Luckily, shin splints are one of the easier injuries to heal. Rest, ice and stretching are your best bets.
If overuse is the cause, resting is the first step towards recovery. Switch to lower impact activities such as swimming, pool running and cycling. If your case is on the mild side, you may continue to run, but with less mileage and intensity. Take it easy and make sure the pain is gone before returning to a normal training schedule.
If you can tolerate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, taking ibuprofen and aspirin may help to reduce pain and swelling.
When icing, use cold packs for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day, until pain subsides. This usually takes two to three days.
Wearing an elastic compression bandage, compression socks or calf sleeves may help to alleviate discomfort and prevent additional swelling.
As long as it does not cause additional pain, adding flexibility and mobility exercises for your lower leg muscles may make your shins feel better. Strength training will help prevent re-injury as you return to running.
Finally, if you have flat feet or if shin splints are a recurring issue, visit a podiatrist, who may fit you for orthotics. These inserts could help to align and stabilize your foot, taking stress off your lower leg.

Preventing Shin Splints

Wearing the right shoes is crucial to preventing most injuries, especially shin splints. Make sure your running shoes fit properly and are the right type for your foot shape and running style. If you start logging long miles in old gym shoes or hiking boots, chances are your shins won’t be pleased. Get fitted at a specialty running store.
Work towards having good mobility and stability, not just throughout your legs, but in your entire body. Strong mobility means the entire kinetic chain can work together for maximum running efficiently. Warm up before a run with a few dynamic stretches. Be sure to roll out and stretch your legs once your workout is over.
Build miles and intensity gradually so that your body can adapt to the increased exercise load. Incorporating cross-training (swimming, cycling, pool running) is another way to increase endurance without overtaxing your body. Running on soft surfaces such as trails or grass will help reduce the impact on your lower legs as well.
Work on increasing leg turnover in your stride. The less time feet spend in contact with the ground, the less impact there is with every step. Studies show a lower incidence of injury in runners with around 180 steps per minute.
Finally, be smart about your training. If shin splints do not improve or worsen, schedule a visit with your doctor to investigate other possible causes or injuries. Left untreated, shin splints can turn into a stress fracture.

Mountain Hiking

What is High Altitude?

• High Altitude is from 8,000 to 13,000 feet. This is common hiking elevation in western U.S.
• Very High Altitude is 13,000 to 18,000 feet. Some hiking, mostly in high Rocky Mountains.
• Extremely High Altitude is over 18,000 feet. Special breathing gear required.

Air is made up of nitrogen, oxygen, and argon with traces of other stuff in it. Nitrogen is about 78%, oxygen is 21%, and argon is 1% - those percentages stay constant no matter what the elevation.
Air pressure becomes less as you climb up a mountain, and less air pressure means less oxygen to breath. High altitude hiking is when you trek at an elevation that may affect your body. Some people are affected as low as 7000 feet. Let's take a minute to explain a bit about air pressure and available oxygen.
If you put your arms out and turn around, you've made a circle that is about 5 feet wide. Imagine that circle being a column of air going from the ground up, up, up to the edge of the atmosphere. From where you're standing, there are thousands and thousands of feet of air above you in your column. All the nitrogen, oxygen, and argon above you is pushing down on the air around you. The height of that column of air determines the air pressure where you are and that air pressure determines how densely the gas particles are packed together.

The higher you climb, the less air there is above you in the column, so the lower the air pressure and the less dense the gas. Every 1000 feet you climb, you lose about 3% of the available oxygen because there is less gas packed into your column of air. At 12,000 feet, every breath you take brings in only 2/3 the amount of oxygen that you would suck in at sea level.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that air temperature drops about 3.5 degrees for every 1000 feet of elevation gain. A nice 75 degree day at 5,000 feet will be more like 60 degrees at 10,000 feet.

Hiking at High Altitudes

As you expand your hiking adventures, you'll probably be driven to hike up higher and higher mountains. At some point, it becomes mountaineering, but there are many peaks over 14,000 feet that have trails all the way to the top. Colorado has many 14,000+ peaks that people make a goal of summiting. As you climb ever higher, you need to understand the added risks and problems with higher altitudes. You will find yourself needing to breathe deeper and more often to keep enough oxygen circulating to your muscles. Every breath has less oxygen, so you need more breaths. There are more special preparations for higher altitude hiking:

• Slower Pace - If you are not expecting the lack of oxygen, you will find yourself needing frequent rest stops to recover. But, by slowing your pace as you gain elevation, you will keep your body working without overexerting.
• Even Rhythm - Maintaining a breathing/stepping rhythm is even more important at higher elevations than lower down. It will help keep you from overexerting yourself.
• Deep Breathing - when you first notice any breathlessness, start thinking about your breathing. Take deeper breaths and smaller steps until you have a sustainable pace again. On steeper sections, deliberately placing each foot and taking a breath may be the way to go.
• Sunscreen is critical because the sun is more powerful higher up. Snow, light-colored rocks, cool temperature, and no shade above treeline also contribute to easy sun burns.
• Sunglasses will help prevent squinting and headaches. Snowblindness and sunburned eyelids are real problems. Use side guards on your glasses for more protection.
• Extra Clothes - long sleeves, long pants, hats, and gloves to protect from the sun, wind, and cold. Weather can change in a heartbeat, easily dropping more than 30 degrees in 1/2 hour or less.

Ignoring the risks of hiking at higher elevations will ruin your day. If you're lucky, you'll just be wiped out, but there's a good chance you can get yourself in deep trouble.

Altitude Sickness

Everyone needs to breathe more when they are at altitude. But, some people become sick when they hike too high. It just happens.
The biggest problem with hikers is that they want to reach their goal and may not accept that they need to stop when problems occur. Being honest enough to stop and possibly turn back can be a very difficult step to take.
There are many factors that come into play when altitude sickness hits, but taking some steps will help minimize your risk:

• Acclimatize - The biggest contributor to altitude sickness is climbing too fast. That means the person in good shape has a good chance of getting sick since he tends to push harder and hike faster. People that reside at lower elevations will experience a greater change at lower heights. To acclimatize:
  • Rest and relax for 2 hours for every 1000 feet the trailhead is above your normal elevation. For example, if you live in Iowa at 1,000 feet and plan to hike in Wyoming at 9,000 feet, you should arrive in the afternoon and start your hike in the morning after sleeping a night to acclimatize.
  • Climb slowly and steadily.
  • Check how you are feeling every hour. Nausea, lack of hunger or thirst, headache, dizziness, difficult breathing, lack of coordination are all warning signs.
  • On multi-day hikes, sleep no more than 1500 feet higher than the previous night. You can climb higher during the day, but come down to sleep.
• Expect It - just because you went to 14,000 feet last summer does not mean your hike to 12,000 feet will not affect you next weekend. Any height over 8,000 feet should make you be on the alert. Every hike is a new experience and by being on the lookout for symptoms, you will catch problems early on.
• Hydrate - drinking more water helps reduce the symptoms. Drink even if you do not feel thirsty.
• Reduce Exertion - the harder you push your body, the greater your risk of getting symptoms.
• Eat Well - eat a high carbohydrate menu, and don't forget to drink water.

AMS - Acute Mountain Sickness

About 75% of people that hike over 10,000 feet will experience some mild AMS symptoms. Hikers can continue on with mild symptoms, but if they do not subside or they get worse, then corrective action is required. The problem with AMS is that its symptoms are similar to other common hiking problems such as dehydration, fatigue, and eating bad food.
Ignoring these symptoms can result in extreme situations, possibly death. Ordered from most severe to least:

• Disorientation - confusion, hallucinations, irrational behavior can all be caused by edema, which is swelling of tissue and can be caused by higher elevation.
• Loss of Coordination - someone stumbling or dropping their water bottle should be signals. If you suspect someone may be experiencing this, test them:
  • Have him walk heel-to-toe in a straight line.
  • Have him stand straight with feet together and arms at sides and then close his eyes. He should be able to balance for at least 15 seconds.
• Lassitude - similar to exhaustion, just being tired out. After eating and drinking water and resting, exhaustion should go away. If it does not get better, do not go on and keep resting. There will be no energy to eat, talk, or do anything as the situation worsens.
• Headache - there are many causes for a headache, from bright sun to altitude sickness. If a headache does not go away after food, water, and rest, then suspect altitude sickness.
• Nausea - upset stomach and loss of appetite.

HAPE - High Altitude Pulmonary Edema

High Altitude Pulmonary Edema is excess fluid in the lungs which further reduces oxygen exchange from air to your body. The level of oxygen diminishes which can lead to impaired thinking and ultimately death. HAPE symptoms include shortness of breath while at rest, feeling of tightness in the chest, weakness, feeling of suffocating, persistent cough, and fatigue. The person may also cough up watery fluid.

HACE - High Altitude Cerebral Edema

High Altitude Cerebral Edema is excess fluid in the brain which puts pressure on the brain. This usually develops over a few days but is a life-threatening situation. Disorientation and weird behavior will lead to unconsciousness most likely followed by death if nothing is done.

Treating Altitude Sickness

The important thing to do is stay alert and catch early symptoms fast. The longer symptoms develop, the more drastic the response will need to be. Assuming you catch the symptoms early, follow these steps - but if the symptoms are advanced, decide between the last couple steps:

• Rest - take a break and take in some fluids and food. Take aspirin for headache. Do not be in a hurry and plan to break for an hour to give the symptoms a chance to recede.
• Medicate - Diamox is an altitude medication that may help.
• Descend - Drop at least 1,500 feet down the mountain and rest.
• Halt - Stop the hike and descend completely off the mountain.
• 9-1-1 - Call for medical services. If the victim can hike, start descending immediately, not in the morning or after supper, now! Otherwise, wait for evacuation.

Love snowboarders?

We’re here to set the record straight once and for all. Our name may indicate that we cater to skiers, but that’s simply not the case. We have plenty of Mountain Travel Experts and staffers who are snowboarders, who can provide snowboarders with unique and important perspectives on ski resorts with the best terrain (and terrain parks) and off-mountain activities and attractions to suit their interests and budget.
Since the sport’s inception, more than 35 years ago, snowboarders have often been a downtrodden people. In the 90s only seven percent of ski resorts allowed snowboarders, and there was segregated  “snowboarders only” runs.  They’ve been snubbed by skier “friends” who tell them that “you probably don’t want  to come with us because there’s a lot of traversing,” or told by the random skier guy at the bar “you snowboarders ruin the moguls.” It’s no wonder that there’s been a history of tension between the two groups of snowsports enthusiasts. While some skiers, like all people, will never accept change or new ideas, we, at Ski.com, would personally like to thank snowboarding, and its culture, for all the innovative and inspirational things that the sport has contributed to the modern mountain experience.
Here’s why we love snowboarders:

They invented ski resort terrain parks.

Did you know in the early 90s terrain parks were called “snowboard parks?” The concept was derived from skate parks, but snowboarders added their own take with jumps and boxes. While the 2014 Sochi Olympic freeskiers may have just showcased their gravity- and logic-defying skills for the first time, their style and sport is entirely born out of freestyle snowboarding. Check out the ski resorts with the best terrain parks.

They have a good sense of humor.

Snowboarders know best that sometimes having a board strapped to your feet and no poles can be inefficient in certain terrain. Check out the video below to learn about what “backside scootching” is.

They surf powder.

Think about it for a second. Imagine how that would feel. If you’re a skier who dabbles in snowboarding or has mastered both sports you know what we’re talking about. Snowboarding in powder is likened to the feeling a surfer experiences when riding a big wave. Sounds pretty awesome, right?

They are leading the charge in climate change activism.

What would happen to skiing and snowboarding if there was no snow? That’s what snowboarder Jeremy Jones, of Jones Snowboards and TGR’s Deeper, Further, Higher film series, is addressing with his non-profit Protect our Winters (POW). POW  has united 50-plus professional snowboarders and skiers to form the organizations’ Riders Alliance to “actively engage the global snow sports community to lead the fight against climate change.” In October 2013 17 athletes traveled to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to meet with 11 U.S. Congressmen to discuss climate change and how it affects both alpine environment and mountain economy and lifestyle.

Hiking Dangerous Trails

When you hike out of the woods and there are no longer rooted trees and plants, it is because you are on ground that can not support life - either sand or rock. And, since sand is just rock that has been pulverized, its all rock and hiking on it safely requires special concerns to keep in mind.

Sand Hiking

If you've ever walked on the beach, you've felt the sand give way with every step you take. When you walk on wet sand that is packed, the going is much easier than on dry, soft sand. When the sand is piled and you are hiking up or across it, every step sinks or slips back making the going slow and more dangerous. Risks of stumbling, twisting your ankle, or causing a sandslide increase as the slope gets steeper and you get more tired. So, go slow, carefully place each step, and look for more stable ground.

Scree Hiking

Scree is bits of broken rock piled up at the base of a cliff. In the mountains, daily heating and freezing of moisture on the solid rock causes it to slowly break the rock apart and tumble down. A scree slope will pile up to its steepest possible angle. Depending on the size and shape of the rock chunks, that angle may be shallow or steep. Any additional rock that falls on the slope will roll down until it finds a resting place or hits the bottom. The same is true for your foot! When you step onto a slope of loose rock, just like sand, it will give way under the weight until the material under it settles with the new weight. This may be 1/32 of an inch or it may be a few inches. In some cases, you may be sliding down the slope along with a couple tons of rock, all looking for stable places to rest.
Established trails across scree tend to be packed indentations where many people have helped push the rock down a bit until there is a slightly wider path across the face of the slope. Scree trails can't have very steep inclines so they typically run straight across or a slight rise. It is very important to remain on the trail and watch your step. I'm not kidding when I say that you can find yourself 100 yards downhill with 1 to 5 pound rocks bouncing all around you from just one mis-step.
Screeing is a fun, very dangerous tactic of quickly descending a scree slope. If the scree is small enough and deep enough, you can kind of ski down it in your boots. You are actually creating a mini-rockslide and riding it down. Make sure there are no larger rocks to trip you up and no one below you. And, there's a good chance you will take a tumble, so doing it only on grape or orange sized scree rather than cantelope and watermelon sized scree is a good idea.

Talus Hiking

 Talus is really what scree is. People just tend to call smaller bits of rock Scree and bigger stuff Talus. Really big Talus is called Boulders. It's all the stuff that has broken off of mountains and piled up. Depending on the composition of the original rock, the pieces of talus will be tiny, huge, or somewhere in between. Don't tell anyone, but this is really my very favorite kind of hiking. It can be very dangerous and takes a lot of effort, but when things are just right, you feel just like a wild mountain goat scampering wherever you want to go. Boulder hopping is when you step or hop from one boulder to the next in a large field of talus. In good hiking boots with grippy rubber soles, on dry rocks this is fun. Instead of working your way between big rocks, you are stepping on the tops of them. Besides, I get scared when I'm standing between two big rocks - I feel like an ant between the finger and thumb of my son. :-()
After practice and you are sure of your strength, balance, and ability, you can practically dance down a boulder field. Know where you are landing and have the next couple of steps already planned ahead. I usually hop back and forth when descending a steeper field because the change in direction helps slow me down - its kind of like turning on skis to slow down.

Cautions on Rock of All Sizes

• It's easy to miss a step. Twisted ankles, scraped shins, broken bones are all things to consider. If you are going to boulder hop, think ahead about how you will get out with a broken leg. If you don't think you can, then you should find a different trail or go slowly and carefully.
• Don't even try rock hopping if it is raining, or your boots are wet, or its cold enough for ice. Any slippery surface will be disastrous.
• It will take a long, long time to cover a mile. Reduce your distance expectations if part of your trail is on loose scree or talus.
• Chances of slips and failing rock are greater on the descent than the ascent. You are hitting with much more force coming downhill.
• Don't hike up a slope at a steep angle. Go across in a switchback style. This gives the rock a better chance to accept your extra weight and keeps the person behind you out of your 'rock schadow' - that danger area where you will kick loose rocks.
• If you kick loose some rocks, yell "Rock!". If you hear someone above you yell "Rock!", crouch down and cover your head. It's not cool to yell "Rock!" as a joke - kind of like yelling "Fire!" in a theatre.
• Stay completely focused on where you are putting your feet. Checking out the scenery should only be done when you stop to rest.
• Use hiking poles for more support on loose rock. If yours have metal tips, they may be more dangerous if you are stepping from rock to rock.

Runner’s Knee

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is among the most common causes of knee pain. The injury impacts top runners and amateurs alike. In fact, there is evidence to suggest it may account for as much as 50 percent of lower extremity injuries in runners. PFPS is generally characterized by pain and discomfort behind or around the patella. It is often called runner’s knee because pain results from activities that require the knee to flex while bearing weight on the patellofemoral joint, such as running. If you’ve encountered this injury, you know how nagging it can be. Fortunately, there are a number of research-backed measures you can take to treat or prevent PFPS.

Symptoms of Runner’s Knee

• Tenderness around or behind your knee cap
• Pain that is aggravated by downhill running
• Dull pain when running on uneven terrain
• Pain when you push on the patella

Causes of Runner’s Knee

Runner’s knee occurs as a result of improper tracking of the knee cap in the femoral groove. When the patella doesn’t track correctly, the result is pain while flexing the leg and bending the knee. Poor strength and flexibility in areas like the hips, hamstrings and quadriceps have all been shown to contribute to this problem.
Training errors are another potential culprit. This can include an accelerated build-up of mileage, as well as too much high-intensity running or hill work. Worn out or inappropriate footwear is also cited as a possible cause.

Runner’s Knee Treatment

The first line of treatment for runner’s knee is rest, along with the use of ice and NSAIDs. This may help diminish pain and swelling in the short term.
Take a day or two to rest. Do not run on a knee that is painful, as you will only make things worse. If you are unable to bear weight on the injured leg or if you have swelling of the joint, these are signs that you may have more important structural damage to the ligaments or cartilage. In these cases, evaluation by a physician is strongly recommended.
For long term care, research suggests strengthening the top of your leg if you’re struggling with runner’s knee. Poor hip strength and stability have been repeatedly shown to create knee problems. For instance, when researchers focused on a group of runners with PFPS, they found that their biomechanics were hampered by hip instability as a result of weak hip abductor muscles. Other research identifies the importance of hamstring and quadriceps strength in addressing runner’s knee.
Research published in the Journal of Athletic Training demonstrates that six weeks of hip strengthening exercises can help improve the symptoms associated with runner’s knee. Squats, balance exercises and movements that incorporate the hip abductors and hip flexors are paramount.
What’s more, when physical therapy researchers from the University of Pittsburgh compared patients with and without PFPS, they discovered that those with runner’s knee tended to have less flexibility in their quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. Some runners will find relief by foam rolling. Rolling out the quads, hamstrings and calf muscles can help stretch those areas and take strain off the knee.
There is also new research out of the University of Calgary that suggests orthotic insoles may help runner’s ailing from PFPS. They discovered that orthotics could change biomechanics by reducing knee loading and thereby alleviating pain. The researchers suggest that custom-made insoles, which can be tailored to a runner’s individual gait pattern, are optimal.
Remember that cutting back on mileage—or even taking a complete break from running—remains important. If pain has subsided after a few days of rest, begin a strengthening program for your legs. Replace your shoes if necessary with new ones that are suited to your running style. After a week or so, continue the strengthening exercises and resume running on a soft surface but at a much reduced volume and intensity. If the pain does not return, slowly increase the frequency, duration and finally intensity of the runs over a period of at least a month. If at any time the pain returns, evaluation by a physician is probably a good idea.

Preventing Runner’s Knee

It is important to be proactive with prevention measures, especially if you’ve suffered from runner’s knee in the past. Implementing a regular strength and flexibility routine should be a main focus. Strengthening the hips, quads, hamstrings and every muscle in between improves overall stability and helps the kinetic chain function by design. In addition to improving patellar tracking, these exercises will reduce undue pressure and load on the knees.
Working to improve mobility also remains necessary. Leg swings before or after workouts are a great way to improve hip mobility in particular. Simply stand next to something that you can hold onto for balance and swing one leg at a time forward and backward. Then swing each leg sideways, sweeping it across the front of your body. Foam rolling the iliotibial band, hamstrings, calves and quads can also assist in keeping your biomechanics in good working order.
Listen to your body and respond at the first sign of discomfort. Runner’s knee is an injury that worsens if you continue to run on it. Building mileage slowly will help ensure you remain healthy. Do not increase your mileage by more than 10 percent from one week to the next. Avoiding excessive downhill running and stairs are also good measures to take if you’re hoping to skirt injury.
New research has found that addressing running form can help to prevent runner’s knee. Converting from a rear-foot to a forefoot or mid-foot strike pattern has been promoted as a means to reduce patellofemoral stress. Adopting a forward trunk posture, meaning a mild lean, while you run, while simultaneously engaging lower abdominals subtly, can also help.

 7 best ski resort restaurants

What better way to end a long day of skiing and snowboarding than a moonlit gondola ride to an award-winning mountain-top dinner? Take in breathtaking, night-time scenery and enjoy delicious cuisine at these seven resort restaurants.

1. Game Creek Restaurant – Vail

Hop on the gondola from Lionshead Village and float up the moonlit, snow-covered slopes to this famous mountaintop restaurant. Enjoy the acclaimed, five-star American cuisine of executive chef Steven Topple and his staff while overlooking breathtaking views of Vail Mountain. With excellent service and an award-winning wine list, this European chalet-style restaurant is sure to be one for the books. Just be sure to make a reservation ahead of time—they’re required.

2. Hazie’s – Steamboat

A 2016 OpenTable Diner’s Choice Winner, Hazie’s is certainly not your average night out. Take a nighttime Steamboat Gondola ride to the top of Mt. Werner to enjoy wild game, seafood, steaks, new takes on classics, an extraordinary wine list and a delectable New American menu. In addition to delicious menu options, patrons can take in beautiful views of starlight Yampa Valley and Steamboat Springs. What better way to end a day of skiing and snowboarding? Keep in mind, dinner reservations are highly recommended, but not required.

3. Allred’s Restaurant – Telluride

Looking for spectacular views and an unforgettable dining experience? Take the Free Gondola up to Allred’s Restaurant, Telluride’s flagship restaurant. Take in the steep, snowy mountain scenery, sip on handcrafted cocktails or fine wines and choose from an innovative menu or wilderness-inspired dishes. You’ll be sure to remember your meal of sustainable-sourced elk paired with an award-winning Pinot Noir. Due to its popularity, reservations are recommended.

4. Elk Camp – Aspen Snowmass

Take the Elk Camp Gondola to the top of Snowmass every Friday night during peak winter season to honor the Norse God of Snow—Ullr. These family-friendly Ullr Nights are filled with fun outdoor winter activities like ice skating, tubing, snowbiking and hot chocolate and s’mores by the fire. With a delicious la carte dinner and live music, a night spent at Elk Camp is sure to be unforgettable. To enjoy the full experience, be sure to lock in your spot for the winter activities ahead of time.

5. Piste Mountain Bistro – Jackson Hole

Ride the Bridger Gondola to very top and visit Piste Mountain Bistro, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s newest restaurant. Enjoy moonlit views and a flavor-packed dinner menu of locally sourced seasonal dishes, served from Thursday to Saturday. With a welcoming bar scene and breathtaking mountain views, this restaurant has quickly become a Jackson Hole favorite. Reservations are highly recommended so make sure to book before your evening visit.

6. Alpenglow Stube – Keystone

Located at the top of Keystone’s North Peak in the Outpost Lodge at 11,444 feet, Alpenglow Stube is the highest AAA Four-Diamond dining experience in North America. Take the gondola up to this secluded spot for stunning views and award-winning, contemporary dishes with a Bavarian accent. If you’re looking for a nice wine to pair with your meal, be sure to check out their wine list that has won the Wine Spectators “Best of Award of Excellence” six years in a row. Reservations are recommended.

7. The Lodge at Sunspot – Winter Park Resort

Take a moonlit gondola ride to the top of Winter Park and enjoy dazzling nighttime views of Fraser Valley and the Continental Divide. Once you’ve reached the peak, step into the Lodge at Sunspot for a fine dining or Fondue experience by the crackling fire. Be sure to check out the panoramic views at 10,700 feet! Make sure to reserve your spot.