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Everski

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Hello,

I'm from Belgium, with a lot of skiing experience in the Alps.

Now I'm planning on going across the ocean next winter, but what would be the best to visit?

I ski 70% on piste and 30% powder, depending on the conditions of course.
 

thebigo

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Looks like you can fly direct from Amsterdam to slc for shockingly short money. If looking for the best ski experience stay at the Peruvian in alta. If looking for variety stay in sandy and do one day each at brighton, solitude, alta, snowbird, park city, deer valley. If looking to booze and ski stay in park city. I have never skied powmow or snowbasin - many say they are worth the drive.
 

Tonyr

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I would consider Vail. It's one of the largest well known ski resorts in the US with lots of nice hotel and restaurant options within their village. Plus your within an hour of another 5 or 6 ski resorts if you want to try other places. I guess you could say the same with Park City as well so there is really no wrong choice between those two ski areas.

Are you planning on buying an Epic or Ikon pass for the trip? Day passes at a lot of the resorts out west are 150 to 200 dollars per day so buying one of those passes can more than pay for themselves if you skied at least 5 to 7 days. If you bought an Epic pass I would recommend Colorado as you can ski Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, and Breckenridge all on that pass. Those 4 resorts are within 45 minutes of each other, Beaver Creek is 15 minutes from Vail.

Alta/Snowbird in Utah are under the Ikon pass and have more challenging terrain than you'll see in Colorado but if you stayed in Park City, which is recommended if you want a village to enjoy, you would have to drive 45 minutes to an hour everyday to ski those mountains. Deer Valley is right near by though which is Utah's fanciest resort. Either way if your coming to the US for the first time to ski, the Vail or Park City areas are two of the best options to consider. I hope that advice is helpful and you enjoy your trip!

Tony
 
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BenedictGomez

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I have never skied powmow or snowbasin - many say they are worth the drive.

I've skied both & they definitely are.

Everyone forgets Sundance though, and I'd suggest that's also worth a day, especially if you've never skied it before.
 

BenedictGomez

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If booze is a remotely important consideration, avoid Utah for the rest of your life.

That's really a misconception. While yes, Utah's alcohol laws are annoying & idiotic, you will still be able to drink on your vacation, pretty much everywhere.

And if this really impacts your "consideration" of ski destination, you've got a problem.

https://www.aa.org/
 

abc

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I would consider Vail. It's one of the largest well known ski resorts in the US with lots of nice hotel and restaurant options within their village. Plus your within an hour of another 5 or 6 ski resorts if you want to try other places. I guess you could say the same with Park City as well so there is really no wrong choice between those two ski areas.
Vail is a good choice. But Park City is NOT.

For people coming from Europe, the size of Park City is a joke! There’s really nothing special about PC, even though the village is nice.

Vail is a much more appropriate change for a European skier. The back bowls has to be seen to believe!

For more challenging terrain, Snowbird/Alta, Jackson Hole, Big Sky are all good candidates. I’m partial to Big Sky for its extensive terrain variety. Relative low crowd doesn’t hurt.
 

BenedictGomez

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Vail is a good choice. But Park City is NOT.

For people coming from Europe, the size of Park City is a joke! There’s really nothing special about PC, even though the village is nice.

Vail is a much more appropriate change for a European skier.
The back bowls has to be seen to believe!


If you add up all of Park City / Canyons, I have to imagine it's bigger than all of Vail / BSB.

But even if I'm wrong about that, I'm confident the statement that "the size of Park City is a joke" compared to Vail is incorrect. They're both huge.
 

fbrissette

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I will vouch for my home country. The canadian dollar is currently cheap compared to its US counterpart. With the money you save you may want to go to Revelstoke and splurge on a one day heli or catski trip. Revy has the best snow in North-America. Be warned, Revy is all about skiing. Not much else to do. If you like a more international setting, Whistler/Blackcomb is the largest ski resort in North-America. Stay in the Village and you have walking access to skiing, entertainment and a ton of restaurants. Direct shuttle access from Vancouver International Airport. Does not get any easier than this.

I havent skied as much in the Western US, but I'm partial to Jackson Hole and Big Sky, and especially if you are an expert skier.
 

abc

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If you add up all of Park City / Canyons, I have to imagine it's bigger than all of Vail / BSB.

But even if I'm wrong about that, I'm confident the statement that "the size of Park City is a joke" compared to Vail is incorrect. They're both huge.
You completely missed the point. The “big” resort of US is peanut size compare to European resorts where the OP is coming from!

Comparing the size of Vail vs Park City is just arguing which is the biggest fish in a tiny pond.
 
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Bayside

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If I could do just one? It would be from this list:

Big Sky
Park City (including Deer Valley)
Vail

I almost hesitate to say Vail because it can be pretty busy and crowded, but the terrain is great. Colorado, in general, is busier than Montana, Wyoming, or Utah. Very generally speaking.
 
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