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World Class Skiing

skiking4

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I've only gone skiing here on good snow days, and I've been fairly impressed so far. I know several people who've skied in Europe, and I don't think we have a hill in the US that would consistently hold up to comparison.

IMHO.

And IMHO, I think US easily holds a hand to the European resorts. Sure, it might not have the terrain, but I find the snow to be drier and in much, much larger quantities. The conditions are generally much, much better at US resorts.
 

fbrissette

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And IMHO, I think US easily holds a hand to the European resorts. Sure, it might not have the terrain, but I find the snow to be drier and in much, much larger quantities. The conditions are generally much, much better at US resorts.

Give me the name of the US resort that compares to this. I'd love to go there. You may include snow quantities and snow density as criteria.

piste-map-les-trois-vallees-a53.jpg
 

goldsbar

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^^^That map is fairly amazing. I understand you can connect many of the Utah resorts (Alta/SB is obvious), but it takes work.
 

skiking4

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Give me the name of the US resort that compares to this. I'd love to go there. You may include snow quantities and snow density as criteria.

View attachment 8330

Honestly, the snow really only compares to US resorts at the top 1 to 2 thousand vertical ft at the highest resorts. The snow is denser and in lesser quantities. Also, it's way less consistent, and more like comes in huge, massive, dumps.

The alps easily have the hand at vertical and size and terrain. But, IMHO, the snow is heavier and less consistent and overall, worse. With the exception of the top 1000 vertical or so, where snow stays dry and always cold :)

Sources: I have skied in Verbier, Swiss; Kitzbuhel, Austria; Val D'Isere/Tignes, France.
 

New Daddy

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Come on. Let's get serious. As much as i like skiing out east, we are not even in the same league as real world-class skiing resorts. We can have world class days, but if you really think we have world-class skiing out east, you really ought to go try Whistler-Blackcomb or les Trois-Vallées in France. Les trois vallées alone have nearly 200 lifts. You can ski there a week and never take the same lift twice (let alone the same run). Chamonix has nearly 10000' vertical in good snow conditions.

I pretty much share the same sentiment. If skiing in the east was truly world-class, we should be seeing a lot more people travelling from around the world to ski here. We don't. Isn't that the definition of world class?

Do I feel blessed that I have so many skiing options within 4 hours of driving? Absolutely. Do I wish 4 hours of driving got me to Vail and Aspen instead of Killington or Stowe? You bet.
 

Morwax

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Title of thread is World Class Skiing.. Just the skiing part.. yes we have world class skiing.
 

fbrissette

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Title of thread is World Class Skiing.. Just the skiing part.. yes we have world class skiing.

Definition of world class:

>> Ranking among the foremost in the world; of an international standard of excellence; of the highest order: a world-class figure skater

There is always some subjectivity involved in a topic like this. If you think that this definition applies to eastern ski resorts that's fine. My definition is simply a little bit more exclusive.




 

riverc0il

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But if I'm not living in the east, I wouldn't travel half way around the world to ski Killington! World class my a**s
This is what it all comes down to, IMO. The East does get some international visits and I don't quite understand that. But I'll be damned the last time I rode a lift from someone that lived in the west and was skiing the east just to try a new world class mountain. Maybe visiting relatives or traveling for business. International, I guess I can get that since they are traveling internationally, they are probably doing more than just skiing and the east is closer than the west. But I don't think there are nearly enough visitors coming here to truly be considered world class.
 

hippiechick

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I think for international visits East Coast gets a lot of traffic because of all the tourists that pour into that canker sore at the bottom of my state. I would say the foreign travel that hits up EC ski hills are going there in addition to other northeast US stops ("we're here, lets go up and ski too..."), whereas if a traveler were coming to the US "just to ski" they would head out west. I'm with abc on that, if I'm flying halfway around the world to ski, I'm going to SLC or Denver.
 

ScottySkis

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I think for international visits East Coast gets a lot of traffic because of all the tourists that pour into that canker sore at the bottom of my state. I would say the foreign travel that hits up EC ski hills are going there in addition to other northeast US stops ("we're here, lets go up and ski too..."), whereas if a traveler were coming to the US "just to ski" they would head out west. I'm with abc on that, if I'm flying halfway around the world to ski, I'm going to SLC or Denver.

I agree that if I lived out west or from somewhere else I only want to ski in the great west. I probably want to try Mad River and Stowe( I traveled a lot to SLC mountains a few years ago, and people always asked about these places!
I think what we get with grooming, snow making, patrolling, high speed lifts is all world class, the rain here happens, but it does snow here a lot, and I been to west during drought, sun does damages more then we think about.:thumbup:
 
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