The times they are a-changin', and while the ski industry is increasingly becoming the domain of a handful of corporations, there's a movement afoot to save the community ski hill. From California to Montana, homegrown resorts provide a respite from extortionist prices, Level-of-Hell-length lift lines, gaggles of gapers, and tracked-out pow. There are plenty of advantages to corporate-run resorts, but Curbed Ski is also all about the local areas that support communities and schoolkids, go green, and keep it real. Presenting the first-annual guide to the best local hills in the U.S. Psst. If you're into the idea of saving your local, check out Mountain Riders Alliance, an organization dedicated helping indie ski resorts survive and thrive.

Note that resorts are ranked West to East, not best to worst. Don't see your local here? Why not email us and let us know, hissy-fit-free?

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· Maine's Mt. Abram Ski Area Goes Green to Turn White [Curbed Ski]
· $500 Million Homewood Redevelopment to Bring Huge Changes [Curbed Ski]
· Why the Death of the Ski Bum Will Ruin Ski Towns Everywhere [Curbed Ski]
· Ten Tips to Have the Best Day of Your Life at Silverton Mountain [Curbed Ski]
· What it Means to Ski in a Vail-Dominated World [Curbed Ski]
· The Most Important Ski Area in America is in Your Backyard [Grind TV]