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Best West Coast conditions (February 2016)?

BenedictGomez

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Throwing in the towel on EC conditions and thinking about planning a week-long trip out west next month.

Location decision would be based 90% on conditions and 10% on ease of flight availability/airfare cost.

So the choice is primarily on current snow quality, but I don't follow West Coast ski conditions (AT ALL), anybody know which area(s) have received the best goods this season (USA or Canada)? Or has the entire west of North America been so good this year it doesn't really matter?
 

KustyTheKlown

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Everything seems to have calmed down after an epic early season. Pacific Northwest and Tahoe are solid bets. Utah and Colorado seem to have quieted down a bit. Jackson looking good. My best days were easily my two Utah trips in December and January.
 

4aprice

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It's about time you went out there. Knowing how you feel about the Pocono's you better be careful, you may never want to ski the east coast again. March and April are usually the best months out in Utah and Colorado, lots of snow most years. Summit County, Salt Lake, Tahoe, shop around and find the best deal. Jackson Hole has been advertising quite a bit (they shut down pretty early though so watch your dates). Careful with the altitude, effects some, not others. Now maybe you'll see why I use the Pocono's as a gym and how it prepares me for trips like this. Happy shopping.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

PS the cost is worth it.
 

KustyTheKlown

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lol skiing from the top of rendezvous to the bottom of the hobacks is would be quite a bitch for someone used to 700 vertical foot runs


Edit - phone autocorrected hobacks to "jobs"
 
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jimk

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UT has been sort of dry last couple weeks. Perhaps CO too. But they were in great shape when I visited both states in early Feb. I will be back in UT in about a week. May visit around Apr 1 too. Need to use up 8 more days on a Snowbird 10 pack I got in the preseason for ~$420.
 

Cannonball

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Alaska is looking good.

Seriously! A lot of people rule it out because of the distance. But unless your doing UT you end up dedicating a whole day to travel anyway. Plus there is no altitude issues. So you can be skiing at 100% on your first day there. 4hr time change sucks on the way home, but on the way out there it's great. And Aleyska is <1hr from the airport. You can be drinking a beer at Alyeska by late-afternoon on the day you arrive. Day length kinda sucks right now. March is better in that respect.
 

BenedictGomez

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Are you firm on West Coast? CO and UT have been having great seasons.

Well, I'd like to given how bad it is out here. If not West Coast, Mont Tremblant appears to be the only place in the east with decent conditions where it's almost a certainty legitimate non-dangerous woods will be in play. So MT is likely where I'll go if not out west, but I'm shooting for WC at the moment.

It's about time you went out there. Knowing how you feel about the Pocono's you better be careful, you may never want to ski the east coast again.

I have skied out west once before, Lake Louise. Ironically, I did not hit it during a good time or even year, but even still the back bowls were amazing.

Seriously! A lot of people rule it out because of the distance...... And Aleyska is <1hr from the airport. You can be drinking a beer at Alyeska by late-afternoon on the day you arrive. Day length kinda sucks right now. March is better in that respect.

Honestly, I've never known someone who's skied Alaska, so it's not even a concept that's dawned on me. I guess I could look at that too, though I imagine the flight cost might be painful. IIRC, earlier this winter I think they got pounded with snow.
 

Smellytele

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Well, I'd like to given how bad it is out here. If not West Coast, Mont Tremblant appears to be the only place in the east with decent conditions where it's almost a certainty legitimate non-dangerous woods will be in play. So MT is likely where I'll go if not out west, but I'm shooting for WC at the moment.

I thinking he is saying CO/UT are not West coast
 

Jcb890

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Just for the hell of it I just looked up flights from Boston to Anchorage 3/26 - 4/2 and prices seem pretty reasonable. $445.50 round-trip.

Rates with same dates to other locations (not shopping for best flight times, only looking at cheapest):

Denver, CO - $342.72
SLC, UT - $440.70
Jackson, WY - $385 / $518 (depends on flight home)
Sacramento, CA - $482 / $532

So, not sure about lift tickets and lodging, but Alaska is pretty reasonable as far as flights go.
 

BenedictGomez

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I've noticed that flights from Boston are WAY cheaper than elsewhere. No idea why that is, but from Philly, NJ, or NYC most flights are $200 more. Grrrr....
 

Cannonball

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Well, I'd like to given how bad it is out here. If not West Coast, Mont Tremblant appears to be the only place in the east with decent conditions....

Gotcha. My point was really: do you need the coast (CA, OR, WA, AK) or are the Rockies an option. But I get it from your response. You meant the West in general not necessarily the coast. Can't go wrong. EVERYONE has been doing well compared to here. Aleyeska has the most snowfall this year, Baker is in second, but there are all kinds of good Rocky Mtn trip reports lately.

Honestly, I've never known someone who's skied Alaska, so it's not even a concept that's dawned on me. I guess I could look at that too, though I imagine the flight cost might be painful. IIRC, earlier this winter I think they got pounded with snow.

Unfortunately, yes. Flights to AK are about 2x what they are to the rest of the lower 48. But they have been getting pummeled!
 

Jcb890

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I've noticed that flights from Boston are WAY cheaper than elsewhere. No idea why that is, but from Philly, NJ, or NYC most flights are $200 more. Grrrr....

Oh okay, sorry about that. Often times they're pretty comparable. I do know that when we went to Brazil over the summer it was cheaper to fly from NYC rather than Boston.

Gotcha. My point was really: do you need the coast (CA, OR, WA, AK) or are the Rockies an option. But I get it from your response. You meant the West in general not necessarily the coast. Can't go wrong. EVERYONE has been doing well compared to here. Aleyeska has the most snowfall this year, Baker is in second, but there are all kinds of good Rocky Mtn trip reports lately.

Unfortunately, yes. Flights to AK are about 2x what they are to the rest of the lower 48. But they have been getting pummeled!

Depends where. From Boston, flights to AK are pretty comparable with the other 48, see my previous post. But, maybe that's just because Boston is an international airport and major hub.
 

ScottySkis

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Alta snowbird. Less then 30 minutes from Mountain to airport. Lots of snow light. Even if cold out no humidity there makes a 40 windy NYC ree like 5 degree day in Utah. If sun comes out then feel like skiing while your on a beach. Cheap hotels in midvalle and on the line.Solutitute and Brighon also get snow are nice but not like Alta or and snowbird. Your skiier going out west Alta should be the place you need to try. It like stowe for easy coasters.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
 

Jcb890

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Alta snowbird. Less then 30 minutes from Mountain to airport. Lots of snow light. Even if cold out no humidity there makes a 40 windy NYC ree like 5 degree day in Utah. If sun comes out then feel like skiing while your on a beach. Cheap hotels in midvalle and on the line.Solutitute and Brighon also get snow are nice but not like Alta or and snowbird. Your skiier going out west Alta should be the place you need to try. It like stowe for easy coasters.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

I always look forward to deciphering your posts. :lol:
 

KustyTheKlown

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I have pretty much always found it cheaper to fly to ski country thru Philly as opposed to NYC and Newark.
 

jaybird

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lol skiing from the top of rendezvous to the bottom of the hobacks is would be quite a bitch for someone used to 700 vertical foot runs"

Just reading those words brings life to great memories of moose and natural half pipes.
Pocono people wet their pants just riding the tram.
Not all Tetons are Grand :thumbup:
 
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