Advanced Skier Itinerary

Start: Get to the Top Early

At Northstar, beating the crowds matters more than almost anything else. Head straight to the top of the mountain as fast as you can. If you’re early enough, you can squeeze in a warmup lap on Comstock — short, consistent pitch, predictable snow — or head to Rendezvous for something more interesting.

Rendezvous is where the mountain actually wakes up. The lines off that ridge can get a bit dense, but that’s part of the fun. The trees near the lift line almost always hold better snow than you’d expect, and it’s an easy way to find pockets before everything gets tracked.

Do a couple laps here while the traffic is still manageable.

Mid-Morning: Backside Time

Once Comstock and Rendezvous start filling up (it won’t take long), make your move to the Backside.

The runs out there are long and give you a ton of bang for your buck. Everything is roughly the same pitch, so it’s more about choosing your line based on traffic and conditions. As a rule of thumb:

• Further skier’s left = fewer people
• Trees = better snow
• Named groomers = more traffic + faster mogul formation

If you want something playful on the way back to the lift, Down Under is a fun little gully that usually surprises people — narrow, flowy, and a quick way to reset before another long lap.

Plan ahead, though. Backside lines can get very long mid-morning through early afternoon, and getting stuck there when you're trying to move around the mountain is a real possibility.

Optional Segment: Lookout Mountain (conditions dependent)

If you get bored — or just want a change in terrain — you can head over to Lookout Mountain via Martis / Camp Express. Honestly, it’s often a bit of a waste of time unless conditions justify it. But when there’s fresh snow, this zone becomes legitimately great.

The trees are dense, the pitches are steeper than most of Northstar, and the snow holds surprisingly well under the lift line and to either side. On the flip side, when conditions aren’t ideal, the snow down here crudds up quickly. Lower elevation = faster transitions into crust, chop, or both.

So: do it if conditions are right. Skip it if they’re not. This is where knowing the day’s snow quality actually matters.

Afternoon: Cruise or Play

As you wrap things up, you’ve got two good options depending on how your legs feel:

1. Zephyr + Northwest Territory

A straightforward way to end the day. Plenty of groomers, pockets of trees to duck into, and enough terrain variety to keep you moving without thinking too hard. Great “tired but still skiing” terrain.

2. Vista Terrain Park

If you’re in the mood to switch things up, Vista is home to Northstar’s terrain park, which the mountain is pretty well known for. Good flow, reasonable features, and an easy way to cap the day with something different.

Either way, you’ll coast into the base without much hassle.

Wrap it up there and call it a day.