But let’s be real: a powder day is a powder day — a gift from on high for those who love to slide down marvelous mountains in winter. After skiing all but a few of Utah’s 15 resorts, I’ve recently started skiing other Mountain West states, and I’m here to tell ya: the getting is good. On three separate visits to our good neighbors last month, here’s how the skiing compared.

Vail, Colorado

Utah has the snow, Colorado has the terrain. That’s the most objective way to distinguish the two iconic ski states. But the latter has twice as many resorts, steeper and longer runs, and decades more resort experience. No where else is that on better display than in number one ranked Vail, where people come from all over the world to enjoy probably the most beautiful, amenity rich, and adorable German-like ski villages in the western hemisphere.

While skiing there with my daughter, we ran into countless regulars who’ve been coming for over 40 years. Many of those smiled upon hearing I was from Utah and spoke fondly of our resorts. But not enough to pull them away from panoramic and bougie Vail.

For those with money, no one does it better. You simply will not find better winter service, staff, ski conditions, apres activities, and lodging than in this namesake resort. Standout memories include staying at the ski in/ski out Lodge at Vail, lunching at The 10th, the best on mountain restaurant I’ve ever visited, and downhilling the remarkable Riva Ridge, my new, all time favorite resort run.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

If there’s one place that rivals Utah’s “bouncy” snow, this is it. Bordering Grand Teton National Park, Jackson is steep (there is an abundance of black runs that are “blacker” than Utah’s blacks), wide open, tree covered, and wild. I love it. The views are stunning and the skiing is fantastic.

It’s also an amazing value. My boys and I stayed at the best bang for your buck hotel in town at The Lodge at Jackson Hole. For not a lot of money, there are free shuttles to the resort and downtown, thoughtful amenities such as hand warmers and lip balm, apres treats like hot cocoa, candies, cookies, and popcorn; a pool, hot tub, and sauna, and its sister hotel next door is home to one of the highest rated restaurants in town, The Whistling Grizzly. Just an amazing value and friendly staff all around in one of the most smile-inducing resorts I’ve ever visited.

Highlights include Gros Ventre, Sundance, and Moran runs, skiing the Tetons on a bluebird day, and realizing the Wild West is still very much alive in Wyoming.

Bogus Basin, Idaho

If there’s one thing yours truly doesn’t like about skiing, it’s the increasingly high cost of lift tickets. Even traditionally affordable Utah is pricing out the many families that call the state home. If you feel the same, head to Bogus Basin in Boise for $60 lift tickets, good snow, tons of terrain, several express lifts, and affordable comfort food that I haven’t seen on a mountain in over 10 years — $8 mac and cheese with fries anyone?

But a big, discounted ski resort doesn’t mean budget lodging if you stay at The Avery, which is the classiest downtown boutique hotel I’ve ever stayed anywhere in the world. Founded by a gourmet chef and his interior designer wife, this hotel and onsite brasserie are nothing short of “wow.” My daughter and I delighted in the little things like hand soap in the shape of Idaho and big things like the second story sitting room where we sat and chatted for hours after a blue bird day at Bogus.

Winning moments included realizing that there still are affordable resorts to ski, wolfing down the best burger in town at the Avery Restaurant, and devouring a gladiator sized lamb shank at Cottonwood Grille.

With neighbors this good, who would ever move?

Blake Snow contributes to fancy publications and Fortune 500 companies as a bodacious writer-for-hire and seasoned travel journalist to all seven continents. He lives in Provo, Utah with his wife, five children, and one ferocious chihuahua.