Forget Snow: Alta is for $$$$$

[LonghornSkier]

Yup, but Spokane to CDA is booming. That may eventually take a few off the "get away from it all" list.

Yeah, the Spokane CSA is still only 1/3 the size of the SLC CSA.

Even in that area, the best ski spots are a bit away from the I-90 corridor. You’re not looking down into Spokane from the top of Schweitzer like you are at Snowbird into SLC.

That said, if I were to buy land in that area of the country, I’d buy in Hamilton MT.

 

[jaytrem]

That is pretty much the opposite of a frill.

Do not argue with the Vail corporation! If they say it's a frill, it's a frill!!!

 

[jaytrem]

Yeah, the Spokane CSA is still only 1/3 the size of the SLC CSA.

Even in that area, the best ski spots are a bit away from the I-90 corridor. You’re not looking down into Spokane from the top of Schweitzer like you are at Snowbird into SLC.

That said, if I were to buy land in that area of the country, I’d buy in Hamilton MT.

What's a CSA? I think that's where I get me vegetables. CDA is for Coeur d'Alene, but nobody knows how to spell it, including me), so CDA it is. The amount of development that has occurred since I first visited 20 years ago it amazing. But you're right, it's still nothing compared to SLC.

Had to look up Hamilton, I guess I drove through there once. Lost Trail is quite nice, and fun stuff to the north. Not sure where I would buy, maybe near Discovery.

 

[jimk]

CSA: combined statistical area, a combination of multiple nearby cities/towns functioning as one big metro area. For example the greater Baltimore-Washington metro area can be categorized as a CSA and this CSA extends 50-75 miles or more in every direction including beyond the WV border.

 

[ThatGuy]

CSA: combined statistical area, a combination of multiple nearby cities/towns functioning as one big metro area. For example the greater Baltimore-Washington metro area can be categorized as a CSA and this CSA extends 50-75 miles or more in every direction including beyond the WV border.

Learn something new everyday.

 

[snoseek]

For me, Alta/Utah as a whole were still the best option from a financial standpoint. I was willing to sacrifice crowding (on what is still a minority of days) for cheaper cost of living and having 9 ski resorts within 90 minutes of my house (and pretty much every major ski region in the US within a 12 hour drive). Most major resort towns I was priced out of. Jackson, Colorado, the PNE, even Bozeman is getting crazy. I briefly looked at the Nevada side of Tahoe (Reno) which would've been reasonable. Taos would've been cool but the short season and lack of area mountains were negatives. Eventually I want to transition into a smaller, more rural mountain (Discovery or Bridger in MT, some places in Idaho, interior of Washington state). But it's not time for that. I want to experience "the big mountains" first, while I still can. I don't want to become the Utah Apologist...but for all the negatives it still appears to be the best option. Housing...I found a 2 bedroom apartment 25 minutes from Alta for $975 a month, it took me 2 weeks of searching and I think only 4 or 5 applications I sent in. Transportation...I can walk to the bus so weekends I plan on "enduring" the crapshow by sitting in the bus on my laptop or with a book. As I've said before...I'm not there yet...but ask me again in 90 days what my opinion is. I feel like I have a good understanding of what I'm getting into and if I don't like it, it's a one year lease and it snows in other places.

I did a couple rounds through lcc. First time back in the 90s started my western seasonal things and a few years ago to close it out before going back east. I needed 1 more big winter, got it and moved on. Needless to say I'm envious and post some pictures. Get excited!

 

[jaytrem]

CSA: combined statistical area, a combination of multiple nearby cities/towns functioning as one big metro area. For example the greater Baltimore-Washington metro area can be categorized as a CSA and this CSA extends 50-75 miles or more in every direction including beyond the WV border.

Ahhh, I see, thanks. So no vegetables.

 

[ss20]

I did a couple rounds through lcc. First time back in the 90s started my western seasonal things and a few years ago to close it out before going back east. I needed 1 more big winter, got it and moved on. Needless to say I'm envious and post some pictures. Get excited!

Leaving Sunday! I'll probably make my own season-long thread in the trip report forum rather than pollute the board up here, lol.

 

[deadheadskier]

Vrill?

 

[Zand]

Trailboss...I don't say this with offense intended, but theoretically you are part of the problem leading to why Alta is going the way it is. Fact is SLC has blown up in the past couple decades, mainly from skiers and outdoor enthusiasts like you who saw a city that is relatively cheap, way more convenient than Denver, and mere minutes from mountain activities. As more people moved there, so came the larger companies and now it's booming. But there are still only the same 8 or 9 ski areas that there were when the metro area was half the size it is now. You can blame Ikon all you want, and sure it is probably leading to SOME increase of vacationers that might not have gone there otherwise. But the vast majority of the crowding is the ever increasing amount of locals that were going to be skiing there anyway. A place like Jackson or Big Sky has a valid gripe with the Ikon because it's not like it's newfound local people flooding into those areas, it's all Ikon people vacationing there who otherwise wouldn't have, because it's on the pass.

For 5 or 6 years after I graduated from college, all I wanted to do was move to Utah or Colorado. Now, after a few trips there, I find myself just wanting to stay close to Vermont. I know I'm sacrificing the consistently good conditions, but there's no way I could deal with that traffic and the parking clusterf*cks and the liftlines day in and day out. Call me crazy, but the more I ski out west, the more I appreciate the east.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I'd like to remind people... paid parking is a short-term thing (theoretically) till a more permanent solution is imposed

You should be a writer for SNL, they could use this kind of material! Our roads in Jersey have tolls on them that were supposed to be removed when I was in diapers.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Good point. Gore a bit more like 'Merica. A combination of capitalism and socialism.

There's very little capitalism at Gore (and none at Belleayre).

 

[BenedictGomez]

Alta is changing, no doubt. But look at it this way. They have a world class product in a changing world. Everything is going up in price and they..as a business have to change with the times. I started going there 22 years ago. Hit it after a 48 inch storm in 48 hours. I was able to get up there and ski all day..no prob..try that now. There were no gigantic housing areas being built all over the place. Utah is changing as a whole. Unfortunately when you are a place everyone wants to go to..move to..its going to get crowded. My plan of moving there changed because of this. I would rather visit now and live in a less crowded place..like Vermont.
Want to see change? Go to Moab...it was a mob scene and traffic was nuts. Bet that wasn't that way 20 years ago.

Uber top-secret information that you'd never know if you just listened to the media? America is getting crowded.

I'll used 2000 as a base year since most posters here are old enough to remember life in America in 2000 as it was only 20 years ago. There are TWENTY PERCENT more people in America in 2021 than there was in 2000. For every 10 people you saw in 2000, there are 12 there now.

One of the main reasons real estate is going bonkers in America isnt because of value-added asset appreciation, it's simply lack of supply because there were too few houses built in the last 20 years for all the additional people immigrating to America.

Old enough to remember 1990?
There's 34% more people in America now. For every 66 folks at Costco there are now about 100.

Old enough to remember 1980?
There's almost 50% more people in America now!!!!!!

 

[thebigo]

Uber top-secret information that you'd never know if you just listened to the media? America is getting crowded.

I'll used 2000 as a base year since most posters here are old enough to remember life in America in 2000 as it was only 20 years ago. There are TWENTY PERCENT more people in America in 2021 than there was in 2000. For every 10 people you saw in 2000, there are 12 there now.

One of the main reasons real estate is going bonkers in America isnt because of value-added asset appreciation, it's simply lack of supply because there were too few houses built in the last 20 years for all the additional people immigrating to America.

Old enough to remember 1990?
There's 34% more people in America now. For every 66 folks at Costco there are now about 100.

Old enough to remember 1980?
There's almost 50% more people in America now!!!!!!

Stop living in New Jersey.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Call me crazy, but the more I ski out west, the more I appreciate the east.

You're crazy.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Stop living in New Jersey.

What state should I live in? Pick one for me.

 

[thebigo]

What state should I live in? Pick one for me.

New hampshire is pretty cool.

Pick a lake town, you can live damn near tax free.

Edit: if the second ammendment is important to you, we are open carry and we hunt.

 

[bigbob]

Tax free? You should see my property tax bill!

 

[djd66]

Tax free? You should see my property tax bill!

You should see my income tax bill.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

Trailboss...I don't say this with offense intended, but theoretically you are part of the problem leading to why Alta is going the way it is. Fact is SLC has blown up in the past couple decades, mainly from skiers and outdoor enthusiasts like you who saw a city that is relatively cheap, way more convenient than Denver, and mere minutes from mountain activities. As more people moved there, so came the larger companies and now it's booming. But there are still only the same 8 or 9 ski areas that there were when the metro area was half the size it is now. You can blame Ikon all you want, and sure it is probably leading to SOME increase of vacationers that might not have gone there otherwise. But the vast majority of the crowding is the ever increasing amount of locals that were going to be skiing there anyway. A place like Jackson or Big Sky has a valid gripe with the Ikon because it's not like it's newfound local people flooding into those areas, it's all Ikon people vacationing there who otherwise wouldn't have, because it's on the pass.

For 5 or 6 years after I graduated from college, all I wanted to do was move to Utah or Colorado. Now, after a few trips there, I find myself just wanting to stay close to Vermont. I know I'm sacrificing the consistently good conditions, but there's no way I could deal with that traffic and the parking clusterf*cks and the liftlines day in and day out. Call me crazy, but the more I ski out west, the more I appreciate the east.

I agree completely. I longed for Denver for years and then visited enough times to realize I’d be miserable as a weekend warrior with a regular M-F job trying to fight i70 every weekend. Love northeastern living for so many reasons, and don’t mind the long drive north.I shoot for my 10-20 days per year out west as a visitor and have my cake and eat it too.