For those who don't/haven't skied out west.

[steamboat1]

Yes I lived large. Stayed at the Cliff. They had a $99 a night special when I went in April including lift tickets but that was pp. double occupancy so it cost me $150 a night for myself with only 1 ticket needed (not bad if you think about it). It's not cheap eating dinner at the Bird either unless you want to eat Mexican every night. Breakfast downstairs wasn't expensive but if you wanted a real good breakfast it cost a few sheckles to eat upstairs. Forget what I paid for lunch ( they made some real nice sandwiches in the deli downstairs, regulator johnson was my favorite) & I bought a few beers everyday hanging out on the plaza. Kept my beer costs down as I had the shuttle driver stop at the 7-11 at the base of the canyon road & picked up a case. That's living large but not that large.

 

[steamboat1]

Oh & as for skiing conditions. The 1st day I was there the whole mountain was hard as a rock after freezing overnight after a warm day the previous day. This despite the fact they received close to 5ft. of snow the week before I got there. Skiing wasn't very good that 1st day. The reason I came was that there was more snow in the forecast that week. It started snowing about the time the lifts closed that 1st day & we received close to 2ft over the next day. Skiing was very good for the rest of my stay.

 

[kingslug]

Never heard of these Lodging places but I'll have to check them out..$30.00 per night sounds awesome as I do not need much, a bed will do. gas is killer for me as my Jeep is not very efficient, about 18 mpg but the damn thing just won't die! Lift tix are another story, unless I got a pass they are pretty damn expensive, liftopia helps when you can score. For me it comes down to the terrain out west. You can't compare it to what we have here. I guess it boils down to what really floats your boat, the vast expanses, high altitude and super challenging terrain do it for me. Oh, and the 500 inches plus they get...

 

[steamboat1]

http://www.turnofriverlodge.com/rates.html

http://hosteltevere.com/stay/rooms-and-rates

Terrain out west is good but it's also good here if you ski the right places.

Conditions; I've experienced so called eastern conditions many times out west.

I've also experienced so called western conditions in the east many times as well (see my avatar? That pic was taken at K).

I love both but it's less expensive for me to ski here (that's the discussion ain't it).

 

[kingslug]

Interesting..never stayed at a hostel..wonder if 47 is a bit old for it...an option though...

 

[steamboat1]

Interesting..never stayed at a hostel..wonder if 47 is a bit old for it...an option though...

I was hanging/conversing with an older dude (late 60's) this week in the Bear parking lot at K for awhile (not a heck of a lot older than me). Asked me where I stay & I told him. He said he comes up & has been staying for years at Turn of River Lodge. They charge him (alone) $150 for a private room with bath for 5 nights (Sun.-Thurs.). Said he gets a nice breakfast too.

Hostel Tevere I've heard good things about over the internet. Never spoke with anyone in person who's actually stayed there. Supposed to have a nice little bar & restaurant also.

C'mon dude 47 is not old. Wish I were that age again.

As for passes for VT. you have to buy well ahead of time. I posted the info back in Oct. about purchasing them in the "skiing on the cheap" thread on this site. 3 coupons for a buck 25 or 5 for 2 hunch. I think my season weekday only pass for K cost $454 with tax (early purchase price). The difference in price for me to go by myself or with someone else to split gas for a week is maybe 50 bucks. What the hell is 50 bucks?

 

[kingslug]

$50.00..about what I spent on lunch today.well for 3 of us...at a friggin diner! $150.00 for the week..man..think I'll find myself in VT this spring.I stayed at Sugarbush a few years ago for more than that a night..and from the reports coming in here conditions are better...

 

[rocojerry]

I can't say that a trip out west was cheap, but I did manage to get jetblue tix for about $110 each way (Denver/Boston).

Lift tix I managed to do some craigslist/deal finding breaking the daily cost of a lift ticket to around 60$....

Lodging was 100+ per night, but a few free nights staying with my brother...

Car rental was a killer in years past, this year with AAA got a week rental for about 500$ w/gas.

All in all, worth seeing my brother and getting on some new terrain and riding pow/packed pow.

 

[jlboyell]

i think the second you get on a plane the price is more expensive. the other side is that you get more for your money, even though the the price is higher. local hill here is 48 a day, and is bigger than most eastern resorts, killington and sugarloaf being the exceptions. big sky is 85ish, and is huge. its about value, not cost. of course thats only if you have the money.

 

[riverc0il]

i think the second you get on a plane the price is more expensive.

Yup! You can buy a season pass for the same price as round trip airfare. Add in total costs for one week trip out west and that is more than I spend all season counting all lift tickets and gas (and I usually get 40+ days).

Folks driving up to VT from NYC definitely can argue costs a little more... that is a lot of driving, more gas, and you're likely going to want lodging since you can't get any of the best mountains without an overnight or one helluva day trip.

So there are different costs from different people with different circumstances.

For myself, if I am going to pay for five days of skiing and the price is going to be more than my average entire season costs including fuel, then conditions need to be excellent and I need to be able to grab a deal late. Also, that precludes a full week vacation which I need to request in advanced. At best, I could grab a long weekend on the short if the prices were right. Eh, you go when it snows in the east and you get great powder (most seasons, but even this season my powder day rate is still a solid 50% or so). I'll get out there eventually to explore. But I am in no rush.

 

[abc]

Skiing is already paid for since I have a pass but if you want to add that cost in I get the daily price under $20 a day by the end of the season.

That only works if you want to ski in one place for the whole season!

And it isn't a big place by any the standard of any western mountain.

Heck, I can ski for pennies in my local hill! It has 200' vertical and about 20 short trails you can bomb down in 20 seconds! But hey it a whole lot cheaper than going west. It's even a whole lot cheaper than going up to VT too.

I've been toying with the idea of getting a pass at Alpine Meadow/Squaw. With Heavenly/Northstar being only $399, I suspect the A/S would ~be in the same ball park. Stay at Reno for $25/night during the week. The flight to Reno is usually around $400 and rental car about $200 (or take the ski shuttle which is a toss up in cost vs convineince). If I do 1 weeks twice (or better yet, 2 weeks in one shot), it'll work out to be as cheap as driving north to VT on a bunch of weekends. And a whole lot more terrain!

 

[BenedictGomez]

That being said, I still dont see how someone can swing a trip out West for similar cost to a trip up North.

Given the math he's used, I dont doubt he could buy a 2010 Ferrari for less than a 1984 Dodge Aries. He's basically posted best case scenarios for his Western data, but base case or (worst case) scenarios for his Eastern data. In essence, I would argue that there are flea bag motels, cheap eats, and lift vouchers in Vermont too.

At any rate, as other have mentioned, his entire scenario demands cheap airfare, especially given the *&$*&#@ fees that they charge you for baggage now.

This whole argument is built on the assumption that everyone stays in hotels when they ski in the Northeast. I would argue that is overwhelmingly not true to begin with.

Stayed with family this weekend in Vermont.

And I skied for free at Jay, and for $18 at Smuggs....during PRESIDENTS WEEKEND. That's a $9 average holiday weekend lift ticket!! Based on this data alone, I have concluded that the east is clearly cheaper!

 

[steamboat1]

That only works if you want to ski in one place for the whole season!

And it isn't a big place by any the standard of any western mountain.

Heck, I can ski for pennies in my local hill! It has 200' vertical and about 20 short trails you can bomb down in 20 seconds! But hey it a whole lot cheaper than going west. It's even a whole lot cheaper than going up to VT too.

I've been toying with the idea of getting a pass at Alpine Meadow/Squaw. With Heavenly/Northstar being only $399, I suspect the A/S would ~be in the same ball park. Stay at Reno for $25/night during the week. The flight to Reno is usually around $400 and rental car about $200 (or take the ski shuttle which is a toss up in cost vs convineince). If I do 1 weeks twice (or better yet, 2 weeks in one shot), it'll work out to be as cheap as driving north to VT on a bunch of weekends. And a whole lot more terrain!

I'm not limited to one area. 23 days on my pass comes out to under $20 per day.

I ski just as much at other areas in the east & it doesn't cost a heck of a lot more, $41 for a ticket at most, usually somewhere in between the 2 figures.

I'll spend a week somewhere out west to. Have been for years & have visited most of the famed resorts so you don't have to explain terrain to me. I'll spent a heck of a lot more for that one week out west than any week in the north east. Even if I could sleep on mommy's couch out west. And you know what? Skiing sucks out there quite often to.

 

[abc]

Skiing sucks out there quite often to.

Compare to what? To last week or next week around VT?

Even though this is probably one of the worst in the Rockies, the western hard pack didn't come close to the eastern ice pack!

While last year saw a lot of snow in the east, the Rockies got a lot of POWDER! Not just anything white, but dry, fluffy blower stuff.

The more I go west, the more deals I found. Maybe I didn't know all the best deals in the northeast. But I suspect the same for many of you when it comes to scoring deals out west. The numbers you guys give for going out west, I never pay that kind of money for air, lodging or lift. Add them up altogether, I get to go out west 2-3 times a season without breaking the bank!

 

[JimmyPete]

There is no question that a bad day out West is usually decent conditions for the East. However when you live on the East Coast, you don't have as much invested in your day or weekend so if conditions crap out, so be it, live to fight another day. If your out West a mediocre day is bad with a capital B. War story- Was out at Tahoe few years ago in March warmed up to 60 ok spring skiing till temp started to drop, we had driven out to Squaw and it was more treacherous than anything I've ever seen in the East. Generally you got about a 50/50 shot at decent conditions in the East , 80/10 West, but that Ten Percent can be quite depressing.

 

[St. Bear]

Add them up altogether, I get to go out west 2-3 times a season without breaking the bank!

This is the same kind of logic that I read on the ski quiver threads, recommending a dedicated carver and powder ski for "only" a few hundred more dollars.

 

[JimmyPete]

Look , this thread is getting ridiculous, I have skied East and West for the past 15 years, Yes the West is incredible, but you need time and unless you are single and in your twenties bucks. Eastern Skiing is Eastern Skiing. This winter is particularly bad but one thing we all forget is most of our Eastern Skiing is weekend skiing. West usually has a few weekdays no matter what and the size out there spreads people out, though I've waited in horrendous lift lines on many Saturdays and Sundays in Colorado. I've been in Vermont and even Hunter during the week and had a great with good conditions. If your lucky enough to have the time go West young man, but if you give up the East, you are really hurting yourself. Play hookey from work a few days even this winter and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Tooth]

Look , this thread is getting ridiculous, I have skied East and West for the past 15 years, Yes the West is incredible, but you need time and unless you are single and in your twenties bucks. Eastern Skiing is Eastern Skiing. This winter is particularly bad but one thing we all forget is most of our Eastern Skiing is weekend skiing. West usually has a few weekdays no matter what and the size out there spreads people out, though I've waited in horrendous lift lines on many Saturdays and Sundays in Colorado. I've been in Vermont and even Hunter during the week and had a great with good conditions. If your lucky enough to have the time go West young man, but if you give up the East, you are really hurting yourself. Play hookey from work a few days even this winter and you'll see what I mean.

I hear you.

 

[steamboat1]

Snowbird, UT Jan. 2011.

Nah they never get ice..

That hardpack stayed underneath for months, just as it does here.

It wasn't till later in the season when they got dumped on regularly that conditions improved.

 

[abc]

Snowbird, UT Jan. 2011.

Nah they never get ice..

That hardpack stayed underneath for months, just as it does here.

It wasn't till later in the season when they got dumped on regularly that conditions improved.

The point is they do get dump on REGULARLY! Even in a drought year like this one, they almost got more inches of snows than we got rain!

If you want to justify NOT going west, you can dig up a couple of bad examples out west. And if you try hard enough, you can also name some good days in the east. Though the more you do that, the lower your standard of "good" becomes...