Wildsam’s Big List of Après-Ski Spots
Après-ski in Aspen, Colorado. Photo Credit: Toni Frissell, Sports Illustrated x, Aspen, Colorado Series, 1957. Sourced from Library of Congress.
This is après-ski, that special confluence of environmental factors—the place, the temperature, the tastes and the communal engagement—making a lovely stew of ahh.
Imagine this vibe: You’ve been carving up the slopes all day, breathing in the chilly mountain air. Now you’re by a fire pit, fatigued yet relaxed. A warm bowl of fondue hits the table as the crew swaps stories about wild runs and tumbles and new territory covered. And maybe, if you’re into a beer or spiked hot chocolate, you’re feeling a little buzzy from that too.
This, friends, is après-ski, that special confluence of environmental factors–the place, the temperature, the tastes and the communal engagement–making a lovely stew of ahh. The legacy of this tradition stretches back to the earliest days of skiing, but it entered the vernacular with gusto in the 1950s alongside the rise of commercial skiing in Europe. It refers to a vague time period, after lunch or after the lifts close to before dinner (though sometimes stretching into the night). Of course, there are many ways to partake, from dive bars along twinkling ski town streets to champagne-toasted alpine lodges partway down a mountain. We offer some options.
West
This Sun Valley staple since the 1980s has walls bedecked in ski memorabilia and a happy hour menu of pork carnitas and tuna tartare. You’ll meet all ages here from vacationers to professional ski bums. Base of Warm Springs, 215 Picabo Street, Ketchum, ID
Bart & Yeti’s
It’s a local’s pub named for two regulars of the four-legged variety. Look for Bart & Yeti’s inside the Lifthouse Lodge in Lionshead where log walls keep the vibe warm as do the bowls of pork green chili with flour tortillas. 553 E Lionshead Circle, Vail, CO
Located midway down Aspen Mountain off Tourtelotte Park, this post-and-beam lunch spot with two-tiered deck and igloos opened in 1966, when German ski racer Gretl Uhl moved to town with her husband, Sepp. The couple passed the torch to local friend Bonnie Rayburn in 1980 (now held by Brigitte Birrfelder), who gave the restaurant her name and added a beloved recipe for white bean chili. Regulars dig the homemade bread, strudel and oatmeal pancakes too. Aspen Mountain, Aspen, CO
Serving beers from a cozy brick storefront on Breckenridge’s Main Street for more than 30 years. Go for the Buddy Pass, a whiskey-barrel-aged imperial oatmeal stout made in partnership with Breckenridge Distillery. 600 S Main St, Breckenridge, CO
European-style cabin perched mid-mountain with a backdrop of Maroon Bells. Accessible by ski or snowcat, it’s Aspen to the max, with steak tartare, caviar, fondue, raclette, apple strudel. Reservations only, and the place most likely to be sprayed by Veuve. 76 Boomerang Rd, top of the Cloud Nine Lift, Aspen, CO
Touted as the world’s only ski-in/ski-out gastro-distillery, it’s located at the bottom of Quittin’ Time ski run by the Town Lift in Old Town Park City. Founder and distiller David Perkins turned his experience as a biochemist toward the craft in 2006. In addition to small-batch spirits, après-skiers can snack on burnt ends poutine, caramel-bacon-cashew popcorn, or fondue, as you do. 703 Park Avenue, Park City, UT
Pull up for an “Aspen Crud,” a Prohibition-era bourbon and vanilla ice cream milkshake, at this hotel bar where Hunter S. Thompson campaigned for his (unsuccessful) 1970 run for sheriff. An additional hotel space, Bad Harriet, brings the speakeasy vibes and a name for the wife of original, late-1800s proprietor, Jerome B. Wheeler. 330 E Main St, Aspen, CO
For a restorative après-ski, book a soak in the mineral waters at Iron Mountain Hot Springs. More than two dozen pools vary in size and temperature along a terraced slope overlooking the Colorado River. 281 Centennial Street, Glenwood Springs, CO
Locals call it “The Chammy,” and it’s a Lake Tahoe classic in Palisades’ base village. Open since 1969, it serves basic fare like pizzas and sandwiches, but with lots of ski history on the walls, from photographs, trail signs and bibbs to a KT-22 chairlift. 1960 Olympic Valley Rd, Olympic Valley, CA
The Bavarian sits at the bottom of Lift 4, Taos Ski Valley, and the menu brings all the warm alpine feels–goulash, brats and apple strudel. Southwest foodways pop in too with smears of green chile mayo for burgers and as dipping sauce for fries. 100 Kachina Rd, Taos Ski Valley, NM
The Mangy Moose Restaurant & Saloon
Originally named the Mangy Moose Saloon Spaghetti Emporium and Opera House, it’s more of a saloon and steakhouse–and icon–now, with a history going back to 1967. Snack on bison carpaccio with chili coffee rub or wild game meatloaf (a vegan version too). Music remains a big draw at the Moose, which has hosted legends like Taj Mahal, Arlo Guthrie and Kris Kristofferson. 3295 Village Dr, Teton Village, WY
For a lower-key experience in Park City, No Name Saloon is the move. The downtown bar has a heated rooftop patio, a selection of bison burgers and plenty of cold beer. 447 Main St, Park City, UT
RMU Outdoors (Rocky Mountain Underground)
While this Breckenridge crew used to “make skis for the cost of materials and a 30-pack of beer,” the operation grew into proper production with retail space. Extra square-footage led to the addition of a bar for fostering community around drinks, live music, trivia and charity events. RMU now has locations in three ski towns, but Breckenridge is home. 114 S Main St, Breckenridge, CO
When hobbits go skiing, they finish the day here, in a stone house a mile above Oregon’s iconic Timberline Lodge. It’s set up as a B&B, so it’s a full après commitment–very worth it. 27500 Timberline Hwy, Government Camp, OR
A welcoming family romper-room of a brewery sits just down the [long, winding] road from Missoula’s beloved Snowbowl. Get yourself a Devil’s Hump. 200 International Dr, Missoula, MT
There’s something especially great about the mid-ski après-ski, if you see what we’re saying. This handy open-air hang sits smack in the middle of Central Oregon’s most famed slopes. Mount Bachelor Ski Resort, 13000 SW Century Dr, Bend, OR
A very, very Montana feel after a big day at Big Sky: a rustic-luxe dinner at the Horn & Cantle–or, if you’re feeling a little more dressed-down, a cold one in the Saloon. Either way, you’re roaming a homestead that’s more than 100 years old. 750 Lone Mountain Ranch Rd, Big Sky, MT
You have to head back into “downtown” Jackson, but on the other hand, this main-drag saloon might have the single greatest neon sign in the West. 25 N Cache St, Jackson, WY
Every day at 5:30 p.m., the folks at Park City’s St. Regis saber a bottle of champagne on the Mountain Terrace and pour a round for guests. Stick around for sunset at Brasserie 7452–cozy mains like mussels frites to seafood platters, charcuterie boards. 2300 Deer Valley Dr E, Park City, UT
Mammoth Mountain’s Canyon Lodge hang is big, it’s beautiful, it’s got a glass-glimmering new modern look. It’s skiing in California, bay-bay! 1000 Canyon Blvd, Mammoth Lakes, CA
For a different sort of après-ski, skip the bars and let poet-astronomer Tony Berendsen lead you on a tour of the cosmos with his blend of science and art. A snowshoe walk and poetry reading culminates at the Cosmoarium with Celestron telescopes for taking in the skies. Booking at tahoestartours.com
At Ski Santa Fe, the après comes with tamales, green chile pork stew and margaritas. Located mid-mountain, Totemoff’s also has live music, a deck for those crisp bluebird days and an extensive list of hot toddies, like the Snowball: peppermint schnapps, hot chocolate with whipped cream and crushed candy cane garnish. 1477 NM-475, Santa Fe, NM
Something about an old-school A-frame ski lodge makes our spirits soar–you just know you earned it if you’re at one of those beauties. This classic, upstairs in the Old Milwaukee Lodge at Snoqualmie’s Summit East, has all the après vibes we’d ever want. 490 Hyak Dr E, Snoqualmie Pass, WA
East
The 5506 Pale Ale gets its name from elevation at Beech Mountain, the highest ski resort in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The onsite craft brewery also hosts the area’s annual Winter Music Series. 1007 Beech Mountain Parkway, Beech Mountain, NC
Skiers in the Adirondacks can duck inside this family-friendly hideaway near the base of Gore Mountain. Yurt and bonfire out front beckon to a menu of kielbasa, brats or beef sauerbraten over spätzle. 881 Peaceful Valley Road, North Creek, NY
This spot keeps a large and rotating list of interesting beers–and an even bigger collection of vinyl, with more than 1,000 records to flip. Stylish snacks too, like smoked peanuts or chevre on toast with pickled cranberries and maple drizzle, or larger portions like half a Vermont chicken with chimichurri and slaw. 294 Mountain Rd, Stowe, VT
Beloved chalet-shaped bar in Maine is papered with ski memorabilia and serves beers on a bartop made of vintage skis. A wood-burning oven turns out pizzas, like the Edelweiss, topped with garlic parmesan sauce and caramelized onions. 292 Sunday River Rd, Newry, ME
Really more of a live music club, this three-story space is a Killington institution. It began as a dancehall in the 1960s; a decade later an entrepreneur bought the place after he crashed his car into the building. The Pickle Barrel has hosted the likes of Snoop Dog, Matisyahu, Wu-Tang and The Wailers. 1741 Killington Rd, Killington, VT
A laid-back spot at Sugarloaf since 1969, with beer brewed onsite and the popular Bag Burger: charbroiled beef, cheese and fixings. You’ll probably want extra sauce. 21 Village West, Carrabassett Valley, ME
About half of New Hampshire learned to ski at Pat’s Peak, and a good percentage of that crew learned to aprés-ski at the on-mountain watering hole. 686 Flanders Rd, Henniker, NH
Ski in/ski out, snowshoe or take a sleigh to this slopeside yurt warmed by woodstove along the Northbrook Trail. A fixed menu of three courses at lunch or five courses at dinner might include quail, venison, beef alongside local produce. Reservations seasonal. Northbrook Trail, Killington Resort, Killington, VT
Cross-country skiers and snowshoers in Stowe can après onsite at this 2,500-acre, Austrian-inspired lodge. While the property has been a fixture since the late 1960s, the brewery came along in 2010, thanks to Johannes von Trapp’s aim to serve beers inspired by travels in his ancestral Austrian home. 700 Trapp Hill Road, Stowe, VT
The Wobbly Barn Steakhouse & Nightclub
Taking après-ski into the night, “The Wobbly,” as locals call it, can whisk skiers from post-run snacks to steak dinner to live music and dancing after 9 p.m. Open since 1963, it’s a patched-together collection of materials from 10 barns across New England, including the original Old Bates Homestead. The bar’s shuttle transports partiers home safely. 2229 Killington Rd, Killington, VT
New Hampshire ski folk tend to be a gritty, determined lot, but this long-standing example of pure New England country-cozy near Attitash provides a velvety landing from the day’s adventures. Go low (Irish nachos) or high (fresh haddock). Rte 16-A, Jackson Village, NH
