Shames Mountain Ski Area

Shames is a double-chair-and-t-bar ski area unremarkable but for the fact that it receives staggering amounts of snow each year and sits at the end of a stupendously beautiful swath of British Columbia's backcountry. The ski area itself has modest vertical and a decent selection of trails, prices are low, staff are friendly, and the restaurant serves good food. But that's not the reason why Shames is world famous. No, the world's best skiers come here because Shames sells a one-way lift ticket that deposits you at the edge of some of North America's best backcountry ski terrain. The top of the t-bar leaves you at timberline, and from here you can continue up to Snow Dome and ski into spots like Super Bowl and Zymacord Bowl.