First chair and the lunch window
Get to the lifts at opening, then keep skiing through the lunch hour when lines thin as everyone heads to the lodge.
Choose terrain off the main lifts
Base-area lifts and trams are the worst bottlenecks. Ride less obvious chairs and the back side of the mountain to spread out from the crowd.
Read the flow
Small moves add up:
- Ski opposite the morning sun, where crowds lag.
- Avoid the single most famous lift at peak hours.
- Use a midweek or storm-clearing weekday when possible.
- Take lunch early or late, not at noon.