Zao is groomer's paradise... until a base of 2 meters has arrived.

Once base is here, it is a tree mecca. There are less than a dozen locals who ride the trees each week... on 4 gondolas of terrain. To be honest, Samurai is the only skier. The snowboarders are missing out on other exclusive patches ridden only by him. Yet, they're not competing for snow by any means. Everybody knows each other. It's really quite private in the end. Patrol are not a problem and tracks never get crossed.

However, it's hit or miss. If it's mid season, and you know where to go, you'll feel like a God. Outside that- you'll wonder what all the groomers are for. Tree season lasts about 8-10 weeks. The rest of the season is arcing cord. There is 'a' terrain park, but it does not have a pipe, nor would one go to Zao for their park. The park at Zao is something the kids of vacationers escape to go play on. It's quite gay.

Backcountry is possible... but why? If it's snow season, then just ride the inbounds trees. If it's not snow season, the BC is not going to provide anything not availabe in bounds... unless you just want to hike for the sake of hiking. It's not like you have to go chase pow if pow is meteorlogically possible. Like I said, there is four gondolas accessing free snow that nobody rides. Come during snow season, know where to go, and you'll have untracked for your entire trip. Maybe 7-12 runs a day in the prime of the season... with the occasional rabbit running like hell thrown in for good laughs.

Zao is like snorkeling in your own non-polluted ocean a few ridiculous weeks a year. The other weeks just don't have the weather to provide the visibility to see those beautiful fish. But when you see them, you swim with them.

*edit Fall 2011 by Samurai. Last season some university kids with fat skis found my traverses. It was welcomed to see some other riders in there, but I'd thought I'd tone down the exclusivity of this wiki. It's still just a handful of people though.