Looking for a great resort at a low elevation

[mckay]

I'm trying to plan a ski trip for late February out west and I'd really like to avoid altitude sickness. Can anyone recommend a great ski area in Colorado or Utah or elsewhere that isn't 10,000 feet above sea level? The lower the better. Thanks.

 

[pepperdawg]

Oootah or Tahoe - 8-9k ish if memory serves

CO - Wolf Creek? (around 10k?) Teluride?

 

[SkiFirst]

I'm trying to plan a ski trip for late February out west and I'd really like to avoid altitude sickness. Can anyone recommend a great ski area in Colorado or Utah or elsewhere that isn't 10,000 feet above sea level? The lower the better. Thanks.

I can tell you where NOT to go for a low altitude is Breckenridge. I went there last year and felt the sickness for the first day or so. And the breathing was hard most of the week. But the skiing was great!!!!!

 

[ski_resort_observer]

In general the resorts in CO are higher than Utah which are higher than Idaho which are higher than Montana. Big Mountain in Mt would be a safe bet, 7,000 summit, 4,500 base elevation. Many of the resorts in the PNW are similar.

 

[mckay]

Yeah, I went skiing out west for the first time last year to Mammoth mountain. The lodge was at 9000 feet and my friend and I both woke up at 3:00 am the first night gasping for breath. I struggled with it for the 2 days we skied there.

I did notice that the Deer Valley base is about 6500 feet.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Yeah, I went skiing out west for the first time last year to Mammoth mountain. The lodge was at 9000 feet and my friend and I both woke up at 3:00 am the first night gasping for breath. I struggled with it for the 2 days we skied there.

I did notice that the Deer Valley base is about 6500 feet.

AS effects diferent people at diferent intensities. Some are not effected at all while others alot. It sounds like you guys are one of the ones who are pretty sensitive. Going down 2500 in elevation should help and maybe you'll be fine but maybe not. Don't let the low elevations of Big Mtn fool you it's big mountain western skiing. Check it out.

 

[shwilly]

I'd take a look at Canadian resorts.

BC:
Whistler/Blackcomb: base elevation ~2000 feet, peaks 7000 feet, with incredible alpine bowls and glaciers at the top. This is the only one of these I've been to personally. Huge resort, touristy but it's worth it for this terrain, partying base village.

several "local" Vancouver hills with bases 1500-3000 ft and 1500 or so vertical gain

In eastern BC, Fernie: base 3500 peak 6300

Banff area:
Lake Louise: base 5400, peak 8650

Sunshine Village: base 5440, peak 8954

 

[sledhaulingmedic]

Utah is pretty much all under 10,000'. Stay in SLC (about 5000' IIRC) and give yourself some recovery.

New Mexico is a bad choice, as most of the Bases are around 10,000' with the tops mostly over 12,000'.

 

[RISkier]

Lots of choices, several were mentioned. Folks usually don't have problems till they start sleeping at 8,000+ ft. Summit County Coloarado have very high bases; Copper and Breck are in the 9600 ft. range. Any of the Montana or Canadian resorts shouldn't pose a problem. You most likely wouldn't have any trouble staying in Park City or Steamboat (around 7,000). Or stay in SLC.

 

[loafer89]

You might want to consider Mount Bachelor, the mountain tops out at 9,065' with a 3,365' vertical drop.

They have dependable snowfall and already have a 5-6' base.

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

Well u can start by crossing CO off the whole list, most are inbetween 9-10K , vail at 8100 is actually one of the lower base elevations in CO for a ski resort, I think Steamboat however is below 7K...

 

[mckay]

Anything within a few hours drive of Las Vegas? That's as far from my local airport as I can get nonstop and for a really low price.

 

[Bumpsis]

Different approach

As already mentioned, staying in Salt Lake is a good idea. As long as your body gets a chance to recover, skiing at most of the areas aroun SLC should leave you free of high altitude problems.

Here's another idea: get a prescription from a doctor for acetazolomide and start taking it for 2 days before you hit high altitude. It will REALLY make a big difference in getting your body used to the thin air.

Essentially, it's a diuretic, so you'll be pissing like a race horse and often. Of course, drinking a lot of water is part of the equation. I don't want to go into whole biochemistry of CO2/Oxygen uptake and release, but in nutshell, you'll be pissing the extra CO2 away, allowing your body to get more O2.

The lucky ones among us only experience a shortness of breath for a day or two, but quite a few people really suffer when they hit 6 - 7k ft and stay there.

I'm very prone to absolutely vicious headaches and a trip to any elevation above 7000 ft meant spending at least two days in agony until my body made more hemoglobin and I could function again. That's a real bitch if all you have is 6 -7 days of vacation time.

Taking acetazolomide made a huge difference. This way you're not limiting your destination choices.

 

[loafer89]

There really isn't much skiing period near Las Vegas and you cannot cross the Sierra in winter except for driving up to the Lake Tahoe area which is a good 8 hour drive through mind numbing desert on mostly single lane roads.

I drove to Mammoth in June and it took 6+ hours with good weather, but Westguard Pass is closed in the winter so that is not possible.

 

[Powdr]

There really isn't much skiing period near Las Vegas and you cannot cross the Sierra in winter except for driving up to the Lake Tahoe area which is a good 8 hour drive through mind numbing desert on mostly single lane roads.

I drove to Mammoth in June and it took 6+ hours with good weather, but Westguard Pass is closed in the winter so that is not possible.

Um....Las Vegas ski bowl is 45 minutes away. Then there's Brian Head (9K' base) about three hours away, and all of the Utah resorts six hours away. Isn't that about the same distance ECers travel on the weekends to go to VT? By my book, anything less than six hours away is close.

Powdr

 

[wintersyndrome]

BC:
Whistler/Blackcomb: base elevation ~2000 feet, peaks 7000 feet, with incredible alpine bowls and glaciers at the top. This is the only one of these I've been to personally. Huge resort, touristy but it's worth it for this terrain, partying base village.

was there two seasons ago, not an ounce of hard breathing...
Conversely I have spent time at Vail, and other CO resorts, and the altitude there can make breathing labored and my head all dizzy. When I lived in CO it took two weeks before I would go out and not be breathing hard at the summit...

 

[Brettski]

I had a blaster at whistler/blackcomb

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

wife and i go to Deer Valley, ususally fly in on a Sat, spend the day walking around town, drink a ton of water, getting used to the air, start skiing Sunday (the lower half) then head up top after lunch...no sense rushing it and getting altitude sickness......

 

[from_the_NEK]

Crystal Mtn, WA
Base: 4400 ft
Summit: 7012 ft

Lots of snow in the Pacific NW this year too

 

[mckay]

I'm thinking Deer Valley for a number of reasons. One, this is only my second year skiing and from what I've heard/read Deer Valley is loaded with intermediate terrain. Two, there are lodging options right there that are around 6500 feet. And three, the cost to fly to that particular destination is very good.