This book would not have been possible without the generous assistance of the expert skiers and snowboarders who shared their time and experience to help bring these fifty great alpine venues to life. To these men and women, I offer the most heartfelt thanks. I especially want to thank Matt Hansen, a fine tarpon angler and ski writer who helped me polish off my figurative skies after a few years off the boards and made many fine introductions on my behalf. I also wish to acknowledge the fine efforts of my agent, Stephanie Kip Rostan; my editors, Jennifer Levesque, Samantha Weiner, and David Blatty; designer Anna Christian; and copyeditor Rob Sternitsky, who helped bring the book into being. Finally, I want to extend a special thanks to my wife, Deidre, and my daughters, Cassidy and Annabel, who’ve humored my absence during seemingly endless deadlines … and to my parents, Tina and Andy Santella, who are not skiers, but always encouraged me to pursue my passions.