Unpacking Our Rankings Methodology: The PeakRankings Mountain Score
We dive deep into how the Mountain Score is calculated to give you an inside look into our methodology—and to help you compare resorts for your next ski trip.
We’ve Refined the Way We Measure Skiable Acres. Some Resorts See Size Score Changes.
Some resorts measure their acreage by total footprint, which doesn’t always comprise entirely skiable terrain. Others measure their acreage by skiable terrain only, but don’t include parts of the resort that are technically in-bounds but not skiable. To remedy this issue, we employed an acreage calculator to determine the true skiable footprint within the bounds of each resort.
We’ve Slightly Adjusted Our Facilities Ratings Towards Practicality, Resulting In a Few Score Changes.
We’ve historically weighted some very small facilities with limited space and inconsistent openings as highly as more practical lodges. With today’s adjustment, we’re aiming to fix this discrepancy.
Ratings Adjustment: Sierra-at-Tahoe, Homewood, and Whiteface Lift Scores
We’ve updated the way we factor hike-to terrain into our lift score criteria. Three resorts see score changes as a result.
Ratings Adjustment: Alta, Snowbird, and Breckenridge Lift Scores
We’ve corrected Alta, Snowbird, and Breckenridge’s lift scores to factor in previously unaccounted for hike-to terrain. In addition, we’ve updated Alta’s size score to exclude acres that are essentially backcountry.