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ski club/package trips west

SkiingInABlueDream

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Anyone here have experience with ski club or package trips to Western areas? I've gone with BSSC (Boston Ski Sports Club) a bunch of times over the years and have been generally satisfied. They're not the cheapest, but the point (for me at least) is one-stop convenience of the package, given that I'm probably going solo, or possibly with one friend.

Wondering if anyone here has experience, good or bad, with something else? BSSC's trips this season aren't particularly interesting to me so I'm looking for other options.
 

dlague

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I have done the trip to Banff through The Ride and Ski Card (RSNE). The trip went with out a hitch and was a really good time. Most of the time we were on our own so it did not feel like we were part of a group. You stay in Banff and take the Shuttles to the ski areas. Sunshine 20-25 minute, 45 minutes to Lake Louise, Norquay in town (more or less) Then if you want to take a trip it is 2 hours to Kicking Horse which we did.
 

crank

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I am closer to NYC and our ski club's western and European trips didn't interest us this year. We are going to Big Sky with another club on a trip run by theMetro Ski Council. I think they have 3 clubs going so I am expecting there to be over 100 people. Hoping it turns out OK.
 

abc

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I went once with the Diamond Dogs which is a NYC based club.

The thing is, unless you get to know the people from previous trips, it takes a bit to find out the level and style of the other people so to find compatible companion to ski with. For me, that took a few days. So I was skiing with different people for half of the trip sometimes to terrains other than what I would prefer to go.

As a way to save money, it could work out. On my trip, it didn't. First, our flights got cancelled by storm. And instead of being free to re-schedule, we were assigned options that would have missed 2 days of skiing (out of 6). Some of us pay out of our own pocket to get there early. I was lucky I had miles I could use, even sold 2 set of my miles to get two others there as well. But my roommate was out quite a bit of extra money.

In the end, I just didn't feel I mesh with the group of people that went. So I never went with them again. Nothing negative about the club nor the trip they ran. Just not a club that fits my need.
 

dlague

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I have done the trip to Banff through The Ride and Ski Card (RSNE). The trip went with out a hitch and was a really good time. Most of the time we were on our own so it did not feel like we were part of a group. You stay in Banff and take the Shuttles to the ski areas. Sunshine 20-25 minute, 45 minutes to Lake Louise, Norquay in town (more or less) Then if you want to take a trip it is 2 hours to Kicking Horse which we did.

Have to add a foot note to this. The trip to Banff as like $1500 per adult and $900 for our son. So easily over $4000 when you consider food in the mix. When we created our own trip to Colorado we did it all for about $2400 including food, rental SUV, condo (Airbnb), flights, lift tickets and nightly entertainment (when we did). We stayed in Dillon which was central to the places we skied and it had all the services we needed. So .... there are two different approaches.
 

SkiingInABlueDream

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Appreciate the replies, thanks.
I've done west trips both as a self organized group and package trip. No doubt if you have the right size group and know how to shop around a bit you spend less money organizing it yourself. The canned package is just about convenience and/or the group environment.
 

crank

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I get emails from a tour package company called Tours De Sport. Just out of curiosity I prices out a Big Sky package for the same week I am going with Metro Ski Council. Their price was almost identical to the ski club's. The only difference was the ski club is flying out of LGA (super convenient for us) and the Tours De Sport only offered flight out of EWR (Newark, NJ, twice as far, but cheap and easy parking)

Both were staying on mountain at the Huntley Lodge and included transfers from and to the airport and 5 out of 6 days lift tix. Price was about $1800 per person double occupancy. Not terrible for staying on mountain and if you ever go to Big Sky I highly recommend The Huntley.

Anyway, they seem like a decent 1 stop shopping option and have a variety resorts offered.
 

abc

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For solo skiers, the biggest benefit of club trip is the chance to ski with others.

And if you're not fussy, room share (with stranger) can produce huge benefit to the wallet.
 

crank

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I wonder if these group trips offer a discounted rate if you don't need lift tickets?

Yes they will give you a price minus the cost of lift tix. We did that last year on a ski club trip to jackson Hole. We had MCP passes.

We have had people do their own air travel as well.


Agree with abc as well. It can be a lot more fun to have a group of folks at an area...always people to party with, go out to dinner with, and, yes, ski with.
 

benski

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Yes they will give you a price minus the cost of lift tix. We did that last year on a ski club trip to jackson Hole. We had MCP passes.

We have had people do their own air travel as well.


Agree with abc as well. It can be a lot more fun to have a group of folks at an area...always people to party with, go out to dinner with, and, yes, ski with.

I have seen that option on trips to Killington and MT Snow. Those ski areas apparently allow clubs to only pay for the people who actually show up.
 

Jully

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One thing I think is funny about Banff - as the Canadian Dollar gets weaker the cost of the trips have gone up.

That absolutely sucks for any Canadians that want to go there. Though I suppose the number of foreigners might already outnumber them handily anyway.
 

yeggous

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That absolutely sucks for any Canadians that want to go there. Though I suppose the number of foreigners might already outnumber them handily anyway.

Canadian ski areas have another problem: Canadian immigration. Group trips avoid Canada because nobody with a criminal record can get in. And on the order of a third of American adults have a criminal record.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone mobile app
 

dlague

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Canadian ski areas have another problem: Canadian immigration. Group trips avoid Canada because nobody with a criminal record can get in. And on the order of a third of American adults have a criminal record.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone mobile app

That seems a little high, more like 25% albeit the same number as those holding bachelor's degrees. I never really thought that was an issue. Is there a significant cross over between criminals and skiers and snowboarders? According to NSAA there were only about 8.4 million people who skied or/and snowboarded last year.

Is the average the same as the nation as it is for the sport, I doubt it.
 
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Smellytele

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That seems a little high, more like 25% albeit the same number as those holding bachelor's degrees. I never really thought that was an issue. Is there a significant cross over between criminals and skiers and snowboarders? According to NSAA there were only about 8.4 million people who skied or/and snowboarded last year.

DUI's are criminal in Canada...
 

yeggous

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DUI's are criminal in Canada...

Here is the Wall Street Journal's take on the percentage:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/how-man...ecord-probably-more-than-you-think-1438939802
They say 30% and note the number may be low. And that's including men and women of all races. Specific demographics fare better or worse.

This is a big issue. I tried to organize a trip for 30 people to Banff this year. Several people spoke up and said they couldn't go to Canada. You might be surprised what percentage of your friends have an arrest record for a DUI, marijuana / drug possession, youthful indiscretion, or being black. I'm being a bit inflammatory on that last one, but it doesn't mean I am wrong.

A recent study found that 49% of black men and 38% of white men are arrested by age 23:
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-01/uosc-sho010314.php
 

Whitey

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That seems a little high, more like 25% albeit the same number as those holding bachelor's degrees. I never really thought that was an issue. Is there a significant cross over between criminals and skiers and snowboarders? According to NSAA there were only about 8.4 million people who skied or/and snowboarded last year.

That 25-33% # is skewed. It is a combined skier and snowboarder #. The skiers with a criminal record percentage is about 2%. The snowboarders with a record is about 95%. When you combine them and average it out, it comes out to 25-33%.

PS - What do you say to a snowboarder who is wearing a jacket and tie?

"Will the defendant please rise".
 

dlague

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That 25-33% # is skewed. It is a combined skier and snowboarder #. The skiers with a criminal record percentage is about 2%. The snowboarders with a record is about 95%. When you combine them and average it out, it comes out to 25-33%.

PS - What do you say to a snowboarder who is wearing a jacket and tie?

"Will the defendant please rise".

Stats that I have read report that there are 100 million criminal records equal to about 1/3 f the population. However, the 100 million records are spread across 70 million people - repeat offenders.

That being said, I have a brother in law that got busted in Florida with MJ back in the 70's and to this day still cannot get into Canada easily which is pathetic. About ten years ago he did get into Canada but had to file paperwork to do so - my father worked for immigration and helped him out but that was a one time entry.
 
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