Winter Trip Out West

[Angus]

A variation of this question has been covered many times but I'm now turning my thoughts to ski trip out west this winter. I've never skiied there and would like to solicit advice and opinions. Here are the criteria...

1) will be skiing with my 10 year old son who is an intermediate skier. i.e. extreme skiing out.
2) given 1) night life is not important.
3) ability to ski multiple mountains is preferable.
4) relative proximity to transportation hub.
5) have no desire to pay thru the nose for accommondations (i.e. mountainside villa out)
6) dependable snow
7) I'm an economy traveler in general!

thank you.

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

I would recommend SUmmit County in Colorado, Dillon area.. You can hit Copper, Keystone, Breck, all within 15miles of the town, WInter park is about an hour from there as well. A-basin would be the only one out of the mix, ive never skied there but i dont think theres too much in the way of Intermediate terrain for your son. Other further out day trips only about 30miles are Vail, and Beaver Creek.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

A variation of this question has been covered many times but I'm now turning my thoughts to ski trip out west this winter. I've never skiied there and would like to solicit advice and opinions. Here are the criteria...

1) will be skiing with my 10 year old son who is an intermediate skier. i.e. extreme skiing out.
2) given 1) night life is not important.
3) ability to ski multiple mountains is preferable.
4) relative proximity to transportation hub.
5) have no desire to pay thru the nose for accommondations (i.e. mountainside villa out)
6) dependable snow
7) I'm an economy traveler in general!

thank you.

Utah, you can stay right in SLC on the cheap and be 1/2 hour to an hour away from a dozen first rate mountains.

 

[SkiDog]

I would recommend SUmmit County in Colorado, Dillon area.. You can hit Copper, Keystone, Breck, all within 15miles of the town, WInter park is about an hour from there as well. A-basin would be the only one out of the mix, ive never skied there but i dont think theres too much in the way of Intermediate terrain for your son. Other further out day trips only about 30miles are Vail, and Beaver Creek.

I second this recommendation..while I like HPD's idea of Utah as well, I think Summit County offers more variety in a shorter distance..I think the famliy might have a good time at Brek..hardcore skiers, maybe not soo much.

Utah seemed more "expert" to me...not Park City....some of the others.

M

 

[awf170]

I second this recommendation..while I like HPD's idea of Utah as well, I think Summit County offers more variety in a shorter distance..I think the famliy might have a good time at Brek..hardcore skiers, maybe not soo much.

Utah seemed more "expert" to me...not Park City....some of the others.

M

Alta has awesome beginner and intermidiate terrian. Snowbird, not so much.

 

[SkiDog]

Alta has awesome beginner and intermidiate terrian. Snowbird, not so much.

Grrrr...didnt get to alta due to the fact that I was with 2 snowboarders when I was there, and didnt feel like exploring a new mtn ALONE...next time its with SKIERS...

snowbird was GREAT though....

M

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

For some reason i always forget that the Resorts in Utah are soooo close to downtown... True that staying in SLC will be much cheaper for lodging, the comfort suites and holiday inn in dillon go for an avg including weekends for about 125 a night in mid Jan for reference.. I just figured you would want to stay in the mountains for the whole experience rather than drive from a city to the mountains everyday, granted it only takes 45min in Utah.

 

[SkiDog]

For some reason i always forget that the Resorts in Utah are soooo close to downtown... True that staying in SLC will be much cheaper for lodging, the comfort suites and holiday inn in dillon go for an avg including weekends for about 125 a night in mid Jan for reference.. I just figured you would want to stay in the mountains for the whole experience rather than drive from a city to the mountains everyday, granted it only takes 45min in Utah.

Utah has a GREAT public transportation system too....I remember staying in a condo called Edelweiss right across from Park City.. it was reasonable..and obviously close to PC...DV...and then getting into town was easy..

M

 

[ski_resort_observer]

There are several possibilities given your preferences. Jackson Hole would work except maybe the transportation part. JH has a busy little airport but flying into SLC or Denver would probably be cheaper.

There is economical lodging in town, you can ski JH, Grand Targhee and Snow King with plenty of intermediate terrain to ski. The unique angle on JH is that there is some incredible non-skiing activites other areas do not have like snowmobiling into Yellowstone or taking a sleigh ride into a elk herd(usually around 10,000 elk are there) which are once in a lifetime experiences.

 

[SkiDog]

There are several possibilities given your preferences. Jackson Hole would work except maybe the transportation part. JH has a busy little airport but flying into SLC or Denver would probably be cheaper.

There is economical lodging in town, you can ski JH, Grand Targhee and Snow King with plenty of intermediate terrain to ski. The unique angle on JH is that there is some incredible non-skiing activites other areas do not have like snowmobiling into Yellowstone or taking a sleigh ride into a elk herd(usually around 10,000 elk are there) which are once in a lifetime experiences.

I do agree here 100% but thats only because JH is like one of my most favorite places on this great earth...soo much to do..such beautiful scenery...lots of wildlife.. (the elk thing rocks) and the snowmobiling into yellowstone would be great for a family ( i did a tour but not yellowstone as there were speed restrictions in park didnt want that ). I stayed right in Teton Village...the entire time..there was a moose mom and her cow..right in the gap between the hotels and the Mangy Moose bar..soo cool....Targhee is truly a great experience and was cheap with transport included...Snow king is nice as well and is neat as it seems you're going to ski right into town, basically you are...I didnt ski too much intermediate terrain so I cannot speak of that, but it is a BEAUTIFUL PLACE..

M

 

[andyzee]

Utah, Brighton, Solitude, and Alta. Snowbird is aimed more at experts. I stayed in Sandy which was a good deal and equal distance to each of those resorts, about 30 min.

 

[ChileMass]

SLC pros/cons:
-Closer to the resorts
-Lodging options are cheaper than Summit Cty (check out Sandy or Ogden)
-Flights are longer, fewer direct flights from east coast and possibly more expensive
-UT snow possibly slightly more reliable than CO, esp the past few years
-Park City (esp the town) is great but can be expensive
-Alta is incredible, even for intermediates

Summit County pros/cons:
-Lots of cheap direct flights into DIA
-90 min drive or shuttle to Summit County from DIA
-Lodging is more expensive than SLC area
-Breckenridge is almost Park City's equal for fun, food, skiing and sightseeing
-A-Basin is almost Alta's equal for hard-core skiing fun, even for intermediates


All that said - I am still a much bigger fan of Summit County than Utah. It's simply more fun. The snow is almost always terrific either place, so that's a wash. The more expensive lodging in CO is offset by a cheaper flight, and even if you take the DIA shuttle, they run regularly from all the towns and resorts. I recommend staying in Dillon or Silverthorne which will be somewhat cheaper than Breck, but if you want to be in a fun atmosphere, stay in Breck. The thing is, once you get to Summit Cty, you are even closer to all the resorts than if you stay in Sandy or Ogden or SLC itself. Either way, have fun, and if you do go to UT, don't miss Snow Basin........:beer:

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

SLC pros/cons:
-Closer to the resorts
-Lodging options are cheaper than Summit Cty (check out Sandy or Ogden)
-Flights are longer, fewer direct flights from east coast and possibly more expensive
-UT snow possibly slightly more reliable than CO, esp the past few years
-Park City (esp the town) is great but can be expensive
-Alta is incredible, even for intermediates

Summit County pros/cons:
-Lots of cheap direct flights into DIA
-90 min drive or shuttle to Summit County from DIA
-Lodging is more expensive than SLC area
-Breckenridge is almost Park City's equal for fun, food, skiing and sightseeing
-A-Basin is almost Alta's equal for hard-core skiing fun, even for intermediates


All that said - I am still a much bigger fan of Summit County than Utah. It's simply more fun. The snow is almost always terrific either place, so that's a wash. The more expensive lodging in CO is offset by a cheaper flight, and even if you take the DIA shuttle, they run regularly from all the towns and resorts. I recommend staying in Dillon or Silverthorne which will be somewhat cheaper than Breck, but if you want to be in a fun atmosphere, stay in Breck. The thing is, once you get to Summit Cty, you are even closer to all the resorts than if you stay in Sandy or Ogden or SLC itself. Either way, have fun, and if you do go to UT, don't miss Snow Basin........:beer:

Good list.

Another thing that affects me is the altitude. The mountains in Utah are not as high as the ones in Colorado. Utah was a faster and easier adjustment for me.

 

[SkiDog]

SLC pros/cons:
-Closer to the resorts
-Lodging options are cheaper than Summit Cty (check out Sandy or Ogden)
-Flights are longer, fewer direct flights from east coast and possibly more expensive
-UT snow possibly slightly more reliable than CO, esp the past few years
-Park City (esp the town) is great but can be expensive
-Alta is incredible, even for intermediates

Summit County pros/cons:
-Lots of cheap direct flights into DIA
-90 min drive or shuttle to Summit County from DIA
-Lodging is more expensive than SLC area
-Breckenridge is almost Park City's equal for fun, food, skiing and sightseeing
-A-Basin is almost Alta's equal for hard-core skiing fun, even for intermediates


All that said - I am still a much bigger fan of Summit County than Utah. It's simply more fun. The snow is almost always terrific either place, so that's a wash. The more expensive lodging in CO is offset by a cheaper flight, and even if you take the DIA shuttle, they run regularly from all the towns and resorts. I recommend staying in Dillon or Silverthorne which will be somewhat cheaper than Breck, but if you want to be in a fun atmosphere, stay in Breck. The thing is, once you get to Summit Cty, you are even closer to all the resorts than if you stay in Sandy or Ogden or SLC itself. Either way, have fun, and if you do go to UT, don't miss Snow Basin........:beer:

Dillons great but I cant speak for accomodations as my buddy lives in Dillon so I stay for free... man its soo nice.. I try to get there once a year.

I second that A-Basin rocks...love that place too...I see a trend in the ski locations I love...they are all STEEP..

M

 

[SkiDog]

Good list.

Another thing that affects me is the altitude. The mountains in Utah are not as high as the ones in Colorado. Utah was a faster and easier adjustment for me.

this is true. I feel the effects of altitude in CO. MUCH MUCH MORE......I get it sorta bad...starts with the headaches, then stomach...if I only go for 4 days or so...I feel it the whole time, but I still ski...just dont eat as much or sleep as well...I dont take it easy either...when you only go for four or five days, you dont have a choice... ;-)

M

 

[ChileMass]

Good list.

Another thing that affects me is the altitude. The mountains in Utah are not as high as the ones in Colorado. Utah was a faster and easier adjustment for me.

This is a VERY good point which I forgot - the altitude in Silverthorne and Dillon is over 8000', the base of Copper is 9600' and the summit is 12,600'. That's a LOT different than hanging out at 4000' in SLC. It's typically no more than 10,000' max on top of the major UT resorts, although that can still take some getting used to.

Altitude sickness or shortness of breath is no joke. Staying at Copper, I remember brushing my teeth one morning and practically having a panic attack when I held my breath just as a regular part of doing it. And rolling over in the middle of the night can wake you up gasping for air. Not to mention hiking up the last section of Union Peak before they put in the Union Flyer chair. THAT was the day I thought my lungs were going to come out through my throat......

It's somewhat easier in UT.............but I still strongly prefer CO..........

 

[ChileMass]

Funny altitude story -

1st time I went to Copper, my brother-in-law took us to this great club (O'Shea's - now long gone) at the base which had kicking live music every night. The first time we went, this great blues band from Chicago (J.D & the Love Bandits) were playing their first gig at Copper. And let me tell you, these non-skiing, kinda out of shape, flatland musicians were suffering, especially the horn section. This one guy was playng a baritone sax that was almost as big as he was, and he was turning purple every solo he did. I thought the guy was going to fall over a couple of times, but he got through it and we had a great time............


Watch the alcohol consumption at altitude as well - it dehydrates you much faster than at sea level.......:beer:

 

[RISkier]

I was going to overwhelmingly recommend SLC until I read ChileMass's post on the merits of Summit County.

The airport at SLC is very convenient to the Mountains and you'll have access to lots of world class skiing. As noted, Alta has very good beginner and intermediate terrain and I've heard Solitude is a pretty good intermediate mountain as well. You can get ski and stay packages for the Midvale and Sandy areas (suburbs of SLC near the entrance to the Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons) that are about as economical as anything I've looked at. We were tentatively planning a UT trip this year but I think we need to take a serious look at Dillon/Silverthorne/Frisco in Summit County. I think you'd be hard pressed to get more bang for the buck than one of those two areas.

 

[tirolerpeter]

West Trip?

I love Summit County, and the areas that are available there. Colorado snow is wonderful, and the mountains are BIG! But, did all of you look at his list? Numbers 1 - 7 are best accomplished by going to UT. Don't rag on me about the fact that I want to move there. Look at what the man needs for himself and his kid. Andyzee and RIskier have done it and know what a good deal it is if you just want to ski. Take the kid there, get him hooked on great snow and mountains, and then expand your horizons and go to the other places. Angus, PM me and I can give you a lot of info on how to have a great experience at an amazing low cost.

 

[RISkier]

tirolerpeter graciously sent me a whole bunch of very useful information about traveling to and staying in the SLC area. He's a terrific resource. Thanks Peter!