Few things generate as much excitement as catching a glimpse of the logo of a favorite mountain. It immediately conjures up memories of moments spent flying down trails or enjoying the local après scene.

A great resort logo does all this, while capturing the sprit of the town and the people that reside in it. While they may evolve or be tweaked over the years, they remain instantly recognizable symbols. Below we take a look at a few of our favorites and how they express themselves in the classic ski poster.

It's only fitting that the world's premier luxury winter resort has a script word mark that has stood the test of time and barely changed. The designation of "Top of the World" was trademarked and added by the town in the 1980s.

The bucking horse and rider silhouette is pretty synonymous with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, but it's actually a registered trademark of the state of Wyoming, appearing on license plates and the state quarter, serving as the logo for sports teams at the University of Wyoming and adorning the uniforms of Wyoming National Guard soldiers during World War I.

Legend has it that the rider is Clayton Danks, a Nebraska native who rode a horse named Steamboat at the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo in 1909.

Kitzbühel is the legendary Austrian resort famous for hosting the Hahnenkamm race, known as the most demanding downhill course on the FIS circuit. The playful, fun branding that adorns racer's bibs creates an interesting contrast with the difficulty of the course.

When early settlers of the area heard loud chugging and hissing sounds, they thought a steamboat was traveling down the river. Upon realizing they were simply hot springs, the town of Steamboat Springs was named.

One of the classic Western US ski towns, Steamboat's logo pays homage to that boat that nearly came down the river.

The Black Bear has long been the official mascot of Stratton Mountain and has a strong presence around the mountain. Numerous trails are named after bears and the area has about 1500 acres of land preserved for the local black bear habitat.

Stratton has always had a strong Austrian connection, as a trio of instructors who became known as the Stratton Mountain Boys helped usher in Austrian-style après at the base area in the early 60s.

The classic eagle crest has lived on since it was chosen as the official image for the resort by Charles Diebot, who set up the first ski school at Val d'Isere in 1932.

Thanks to its immediately recognizable shape, the lone Aspen leaf remains the unmistakable symbol of the iconic Colorado resort despite a few changes over the years.

The glitzy French resort town of Megève was established as a French alternative to St. Moritz by the Rothschilds in the 1920s. The current logo is a stylized variation of the coat of arms, which features the image of a goat's head. The most distinctive element is the word mark, which has traditionally appeared entirely in lower case letters.

Just seeing Stowe's famous logo creates the urge to make a few sweeping Giant Slalom turns. Virtually unchanged since it was introduced, we love seeing it fly by on the bright red gondolas while making long arcing turns down Gondolier.

Home to the world's first chairlift, Sun Valley has always used bright sunshine (and a few other tactics) to convey ideal ski conditions. The man who came up with the Sun Valley name, Steve Hannigan, had outdoor pools built at the base of the resort so that they would be photographed and people wouldn't "think skiing is too cold."