To me, the best friends to hang out with are those that, despite our commonality, are opposites of me in some ways as well. It’s a Yin and Yang thing; you bounce off and balance one another, and joined as two, you really are twice as much fun.

I don’t need to name names here – you know who you are. And when we are out in the world together, I like to think our fun pairing up brings fun to all (am I right Natalie? Anne? Michelle? Petra? And more?)

The same goes for ski resorts. In my view, pairing up ski days with two similar but unique (and close enough to easily ski both resorts) peaks makes for a fantastic experience. Consider planning what I like to call a “Perfect Pair” ski escape and find out for yourself. Here are just a few suggestions.

The Posh and the Unpretentious: There are skiers and riders who believe the only place a true ski experience can be found is at a more kicked back hill. Don’t get me wrong: I love unpretentious spots and make a point of skiing them regularly (I grew up a pass holder at such a place). But I love a posh spot equally. Beaver Creek might have escalators and free warm cookies, but it also has incredible terrain and plenty of challenges (Birds of Prey, anyone?).

In the Northeast, I love to match up visits to Stowe Mountain Resort (https://www.stowe.com/) and with nearby Bolton Valley Ski Resort (https://www.boltonvalley.com/).

At Stowe, I can ski some of the most iconic runs in the nation and then soak up perfection in the adorable town or at the beautiful The Lodge at Spruce Peak base area. Comfortable gondola cabins whisk you back and forth and you can find all kinds of incredible meals on mountain and in town. You’ll find art galleries, upscale food and more.

Bretton Woods in New Hampshire offers something for skiers of all abilities. (Courtesy photo)

Up the road a half an hour or so you’ll find Bolton, where the buildings are not quite as shiny, but the hill, the trees and the local vibe is just as worthy. Bolton’s arrival comes after a long, quiet uphill road climb. It is its own little universe with tree skiing, a classic base lodge and lots and lots of locals. In my view, a trip to Stowe without a day at Bolton is a loss. Pair them up and see how well they match up – unique and yet compatible.

The Bold and the Beautiful: I am not sure there’s a better “Perfect Pair” anywhere than those two distinctly unique neighbors, Bretton Woods (https://www.brettonwoods.com/) and Cannon Mountain (https://www.cannonmt.com/). Both tucked into the White Mountains on the Ski 93 side (you’ll always call it that if you are of a certain age), they are pretty much polar opposites in experience but for one common trait: Both are absolutely sparkling in their own way.

Bretton Woods is the calmer friend. There you’ll find incredibly maintained surfaces, modern and comfortable lifts (even a gondola for cooler days), and all those special touches like the ski-up mountaintop candy store, the breathtaking Rosebrook Lodge and, for the most part, trails that are non-stressful for even lower intermediates. Yes, they have tree skiing and some steeper terrain, but at BW, there’s nearly always a comfortable way down for nearly every level. I love that, you know, even we advanced skiers love a day of quality cruising with little angst. I always find that at BW.

The Mountain Top Candy Store is an institution at Bretton Woods. (Courtesy photo)

Add to that the ability to stay, visit or dine at the famed Mount Washington Hotel as well as the incredible view of that hotel and Mount Washington itself and you’ve got yourself a lovely ski day jackpot.

Just down the road is Cannon, known for being gnarly in a good way, challenging as all get out when you want it to be old-school fantastic.

You’ll find bumps to push you to your limits on trails like Zoomer, plenty of steeps that demand you command your edges, and of course, narrow, winding old school trails where you’ll feel enveloped in nature.

Cannon has the views, too – I would argue the late-ski day look at Lafayette Peak at that alpenglow time of day is a top scene, and the view of the Presidentials, including Mount Washington, are intoxicating. Pack a tuna sandwich and ski all day the old school way; it’s the perfect match to Bretton Woods.

There are so many more: Waterville and McIntyre, Sunday River and Sugarloaf, Wachusett and Nashoba in Massachusetts. Find your perfect mountain pair. Just like we humans, mountain opposites attract.

Finding heaven at Purgatory

When it comes to perfect pairs at long-distance ski trips, there are many spots where you can find your big mountain glory and tap into that townie/local scene as well. While it may be hard for you to imagine that leaving the big resort you’ve come to for a half-day, day or for night skiing seems odd, doing so can totally up your vacation satisfaction.

Take Purgatory Resort (https://www.purgatory.ski/), a less known but fantastic resort for all levels located in Durango, Colo. Purgatory has enough to keep you happy, satisfied and discovering more for days upon days. There are countless well-designed cruisers with views so magnificent you’ll kill your phone battery taking shots, a family ski section that’s fun, has variety and is bigger than some areas, a super fun base area with outdoor and indoor dining and tons of sunny day chairs and more.

And yet, you’ll want to leave and head down to the local spot, Chapman Hill (https://www.durangoco.gov/544/Ski-Area). Operated by the city of Durango, Chapman Hill is modest: its vertical drop is just 500 feet. But the experience is big. Two lifts, a Poma lift and a rope tow give you access to a wide slope with different pitch across it, from beginner easy to race training fast.

The base vibe at big mountain Purgatory on a sunny day. (Moira McCarthy photo)

The vibe is a true core memory experience: While up at Purgatory you recline in red adirondack chairs in front of modern lifts and a big mountain, here you blend in with the local parents, who come with their folding chairs and hot drinks to set up, just like watching a youth soccer game. As you ski, you’ll watch students learning, teams training and folks out to just have fun.

No need to worry about purchasing a wildly-priced day ticket: Chapman’s top ticket price (adults, daytime) comes in at just $18. Juniors (6-17) are $14 and if you are over 62 or under 6, it’s $5.

You can tack it on as a night skiing adventure and not take away from your big mountain time, or here’s a fantastic idea: taking Chapman Hill lessons when you arrive or during your stay is a super affordable way to better your entire vacation experience. At Chapman, a one-hour private is $60. A semi-private for three is just $80; add $10 for each additional person. That means the whole family can take a group lesson for a song of a price.

You can find other setups across the west, like Steamboat Resort and nearby Howelson Hill (https://steamboatsprings.net/131/Howelsen-Hill-Ski-Area) where, if you visit at the right time, you can see the local skiers schuss through a ring of fire. True story.