Advice for my year off ski bummin' and working: Japan, Alps, Montana, Jackson, Tahoe

[Moonshine]

hey everyone,

so I've been playing for a while with the idea of taking a year off after I graduate in May to move a new, fucking cool place to explore, work, adventure and most importantly ski. One of my buddies is on board and we've been throwing around a lot of ideas and possibilities recently, but it's time to start nailing down details. The overall idea is to move sometime between August-December and get a job that allows us to ski all season but also save a bit (for some traveling later). So a resort job that includes room and board and a pass would be ideal probably.

We're currently considering Japan, the Alps (France or Switzerland maybe), Big Sky Montana, Jackson Hole, Tahoe, as well as some others. We're definitely flexible and are not committed to anywhere, just want to find somewhere that fits what we're looking for best.

I was hoping to get some input from people who have had similar experiences in some of these places. We want to have a damn good time, meet lots of new people, try lots of new things, do some partying. We're trying to find somewhere with a lot of other like-minded individuals.

So whatchu got NS? Would love to hear good stories, bad stories, your 2 cents, connections -- anything ya got. It's all much appreciated. Thanks homies!

 

[Moonshine]

tl;dr - going to ski bum for a year, where should/shouldn't i move?

 

[J.D.]

Japan. When are you ever going to have the chance otherwise?

 

[cydwhit]

If I had the money I would probably go full Euro with a second choice of Japan

 

[50Kal]

If you have the option of working overseas go there. Yeah US has some good skiing but Europe is steeper and Japan has more/better snow.

 

[dan4060]

I can only comment on north Tahoe. I spent several winters there during and after college and before grad school.

I loved it. I worked at Squaw as a part-time ski instructor, working pretty much every other weekend and holidays. I also worked at night in a restaurant as a waiter. It was ideal, as I was able to ski almost all day pretty much every day. If you can I would try to work at night, as you don't want your work to cut into your ski time. I love Squaw, and we had terrific seasons while I was there. The last few years have not been good, but that should change if the drought ends. Anyone who tells you Squaw does not get snow is wrong, they need to look at the last 50 years instead of the last three.

There are lots of places to live in Tahoe City, Tahoe Donner, and Truckee. There are also some places to live in Olympic Valley, which is basically Squaw Valley. I lived in Olympic Valley my first year. I got really lucky, some friends got a place and had room for me. The next couple of years I lived in Tahoe City. Tahoe City is slightly cheaper, and has a better party scene. Be careful though, you don't want to party too much, as you are there for the skiing. Be aware that there are very few women in ski towns, so as far as partying and hooking up it will not be as good as it was in college. I did party in Tahoe, but I concentrated more on skiing.

I can't speak about foreign places. It would probably be difficult to pull that off. The U.S. has some great mountains, so I would probably ski here.

Definitely do it though. You are only young once, and you don't want to be 40 wishing you had done a ski bum year when you were young.

 

[ghosthop]

good luck getting a work visa in Japan if you're American

I would look into Europe, getting housing, even as a resort employee, in BS or Jackson is the kind of bullshit I would not want to go through if I was trying to have a "fun" winter. And who knows if it will ever snow in Tahoe again.

 

[Squirrel_Murphy]

I can only comment on north Tahoe. I spent several winters there during and after college and before grad school.

I loved it. I worked at Squaw as a part-time ski instructor, working pretty much every other weekend and holidays. I also worked at night in a restaurant as a waiter. It was ideal, as I was able to ski almost all day pretty much every day. If you can I would try to work at night, as you don't want your work to cut into your ski time. I love Squaw, and we had terrific seasons while I was there. The last few years have not been good, but that should change if the drought ends. Anyone who tells you Squaw does not get snow is wrong, they need to look at the last 50 years instead of the last three.

There are lots of places to live in Tahoe City, Tahoe Donner, and Truckee. There are also some places to live in Olympic Valley, which is basically Squaw Valley. I lived in Olympic Valley my first year. I got really lucky, some friends got a place and had room for me. The next couple of years I lived in Tahoe City. Tahoe City is slightly cheaper, and has a better party scene. Be careful though, you don't want to party too much, as you are there for the skiing. Be aware that there are very few women in ski towns, so as far as partying and hooking up it will not be as good as it was in college. I did party in Tahoe, but I concentrated more on skiing.

Word. I ski bummed in North Lake Tahoe as well but only for one winter. It was pretty rad. I worked at a local ski shop since I already had a decent background with boot fitting. I was able to get killer deals on gear and passes. I had a mid week pass at Alpine and had a friend that worked special tickets at Squaw (before they were owned by one company) that gladly excepted greenery in exchange for day tickets but yeah I sort of wished I had worked at night to be able to ski a little more and make some good tip money. Luckily I worked for an awesome shop that allowed me to be late from time to time to get first tracks. I would push to work at an upscale resort restaurant and try to get there in August or September to establish yourself in hopes to be a busser or server to get more tips. But yeah the guy to girl ratio is like 10/1 and that 1 is usually taken or looks like a dude. So grab some tourist tail when it's in abundance on the weekends, I wish we had Tinder when I was there. I lived Tahoe City and rent wasn't all too bad. Watch out for the South American women if they're there this winter, hot chicks but stage 5 clingers fa sho.

 

[theabortionator]

I would do Japan. Never been and not sure I could get a job and work visa but if you can figure it out do it.

Europe would be rad as well.

Also look into the southern hem. NZ/Aus and South America. You could rage winter in your summer, and travel after or come back to the states and do other.

Both NZ and Aus have working holiday visas that are pretty easy to get. For Aus it's 6 months, and might be a small fee, for NZ it's 1 year and free. You can work and stay within the countries for those entire visas.

 

[marrows]

I would do Japan. Never been and not sure I could get a job and work visa but if you can figure it out do it.

Europe would be rad as well.

Also look into the southern hem. NZ/Aus and South America. You could rage winter in your summer, and travel after or come back to the states and do other.

Both NZ and Aus have working holiday visas that are pretty easy to get. For Aus it's 6 months, and might be a small fee, for NZ it's 1 year and free. You can work and stay within the countries for those entire visas.

yeah, this

 

[Moonshine]

thanks for all the feedback guys! much appreciated. you reminded me of one thing i forgot to mention: work visas.

sounds like it's difficult to get one for Japan. any have any experience? we were also very curious about this for working in the Alps; a lot of the stuff we read said you needed an EU passport.

just spent 5 months in NZ which was amazing. unfortunately i left before the snow started to fall so my only skiing experience was indoors haha, that was a fucking experience. but yeah i think trying to go somewhere new! although not opposed to going back if they have another season like this past one

 

[theabortionator]

thanks for all the feedback guys! much appreciated. you reminded me of one thing i forgot to mention: work visas.

sounds like it's difficult to get one for Japan. any have any experience? we were also very curious about this for working in the Alps; a lot of the stuff we read said you needed an EU passport.

just spent 5 months in NZ which was amazing. unfortunately i left before the snow started to fall so my only skiing experience was indoors haha, that was a fucking experience. but yeah i think trying to go somewhere new! although not opposed to going back if they have another season like this past one

Jesus, you skipped the northern hem winter to go there? You done goofed. But sounds like a good time. I never made it to snow planet. I tried to work there at the end of the winter but they didn't have a spot for me to do anything.

There are a few guys living in japan on here. I'm trying to think of names though.

 

[cozzey]

Japan, if you have the opportunity to live in japan and can get a visa, it would be an amazing place to live for a while. Just make sure that you have a solid job on the other side of the world, or youve saved up a good amount of money. The last thing you want is to be stuck homeless in a foreign country.

 

[Moonshine]

Jesus, you skipped the northern hem winter to go there? You done goofed. But sounds like a good time. I never made it to snow planet. I tried to work there at the end of the winter but they didn't have a spot for me to do anything.

There are a few guys living in japan on here. I'm trying to think of names though.

luckily i got to enjoy winter on the east coast until mid february, but i was gutted to miss the rest of the season here, not gonna lie. plus, i left nz before their winter hit, which was the best in like 20 or 30 years. needless to say, i'll be making up for it over the next couple seasons for sure.

 

[Hackster]

@OP

So you're looking for the Jack of all trades job wise. Highly unlikely to happen when hunting abroad. The usual resort jobs are paid so low you can consider lucky to just to make a living, leaving aside saving. Just saying.

Also when main emphasis is on park skiing you won't find any better than where you are now - NA that is.

For the Alps not being a EU citizen is a major draw back for a work permit, particulary in France, Italy and Switzerland (latter's no EU country though). Austria usually is the most liberal of all here but also far from easy to score. Depending on where and for what type of job you apply for some basic knowledge in French, Italian or German boost your chances since you mostly compete with such applicants.

Furthermore when compared to NA standards most parks suck, also snow conditions are often much more inconsistant. That's why following the snow is key in the Alps but hard to accomplish besides work and without own transportation. Terrain is what's prime but again the Alps got nothing over the Canadian Rockies or British Columbia in that respect. If you go do it for the cultural experience first, elso don't waste your time.

Anyway some links to start research with
http://www.ski-jobs.co.uk/
https://www.seasonworkers.com/skijobs/
https://www.seasonworkers.com/skijobs/resorts/ski-jobs-france.aspx
http://resortwork.co.uk/job-search_Winter-Resort-Jobs______.aspx

For Japan there's a guy over on the TGR bord who posts as 'Mike Pow'. He regulary worked as a ski instructor in Hokkaido and appears to be a very helpful bloke. Contact him for profound first hand knowledge on how to get a foot print over in the land of the rising sun. He seemed to have skied a lot of places in other parts of the world too.

Can't provide insight on the southern hemisphere here. Good luck.

 

[steeze4days]

If you have the option of working overseas go there. Yeah US has some good skiing but Europe is steeper and Japan has more/better snow.

Disagree, Europe in my opinion is a poor choice to bum for a year, snow is dodgy/can be terrible and season can be delayed until January then end in early March not to mention the out of control prices of absolutely everything, terrain isn't even that steep if you want steep technical terrain head to the rockies, Jackson Hole has some of the most technical terrain. Only thing Europe is good for in my opinion is its party scene, so if your just looking for a party pick somewhere in the alps such as Val Thorens or even Austria.

My choice would be (and is as i plan on bumming there in 2017 season) The Rockies.

Reliable snow, long season, good party scene, great friendly people and loads of steep technical terrain along with great parks, even get a fair amount of powder (obviously nothing compared to japan).

Good luck choosing your destination and update us when you've made your choice!

 

[nutz.]

tl;dr - going to ski bum for a year, where should/shouldn't i move?

almost wanna take a year off before I graduate and go with you, this sounds fun as fuck.

Have you asked JN about the Japanese Visa thing?

Tahoe's really fun but the snow's not super consistent/guaranteed. Are you considering Colorado and Utah as well?

 

[dan4060]

almost wanna take a year off before I graduate and go with you, this sounds fun as fuck.

Have you asked JN about the Japanese Visa thing?

Tahoe's really fun but the snow's not super consistent/guaranteed. Are you considering Colorado and Utah as well?

Historically Tahoe has been better than Colorado, it is just the last few years that have been bad. Utah would probably be the best bet for snow, although I don't think even there has been good in the last few years. Things will turn around eventually, just know that while Tahoe has had some bad years the snow overall is not hit or miss there, but very consistent if you look over the last 50 years.

 

[nutz.]

Historically Tahoe has been better than Colorado, it is just the last few years that have been bad. Utah would probably be the best bet for snow, although I don't think even there has been good in the last few years. Things will turn around eventually, just know that while Tahoe has had some bad years the snow overall is not hit or miss there, but very consistent if you look over the last 50 years.

over time maybe, but he's talking about within the next two years so I'm using recent years to base that on.

2008/2009 was probably my best snow season in tahoe and after that it's been consistently bad.

all depends on how you look at it I guess, but In my opinion for a short term decision, tahoe might be a coin toss on if the bad streak keeps going or not..

I will say that a bad season in tahoe's still pretty dang fun though (although last year around christmas and a while after, heavenly had only two lifts running because of the terrible amount of snow. That's whack)

 

[Jibberino]

Disagree, Europe in my opinion is a poor choice to bum for a year, snow is dodgy/can be terrible and season can be delayed until January then end in early March not to mention the out of control prices of absolutely everything, terrain isn't even that steep if you want steep technical terrain head to the rockies, Jackson Hole has some of the most technical terrain. Only thing Europe is good for in my opinion is its party scene, so if your just looking for a party pick somewhere in the alps such as Val Thorens or even Austria.

My choice would be (and is as i plan on bumming there in 2017 season) The Rockies.

Reliable snow, long season, good party scene, great friendly people and loads of steep technical terrain along with great parks, even get a fair amount of powder (obviously nothing compared to japan).

Good luck choosing your destination and update us when you've made your choice!

Are you fucking kidding? Pretty much everything you just said is literally untrue. Have you ever been to the Alps?

Let's take Austria, and i'll break it down for you.

Season started early october at Hintertux, and Kaunertal, Stubai and Kitzsteinhorn were quick to follow, all have awesome parks. The season will most likely continue until july, maybe even longer if it's a good snowyear. I wouldn't call a 10 month season short. Most of the bigger resorts will open early december and close late april/early may. Again, that's a pretty long season.

If you're lookign for steep and technical terrain, Austria has some of the best in the world. St Anton, which is iconic, Ischgl, Sölden, Fieberbrünn, Kitzbühel, Obertauern, Gasteinertal, Zillertal, there are so many good places.

Don't even get me started on the rest of the Alps, but just so you know, places like Chamonix, Engelberg, Verbier, Les 3 Valles and Espace Killy are all in the Alps, and all offer some of the best skiing in the world.

So basically, you were talking out of your ass. I'm not saying the Rockies are bad, but Europe most definitely has more variety to offer than the Rockies. Also, the Rockies is a vast area, where do you plan to go?

 

[Rosbif]

Japan is a sick place to work, but for Americans the visa is hard, you need 36 months of experience in whatever field you would be working in. The best option might be to volunteer snow shovelling or driving in exchange for room and board, no visa needed as you don't get paid. It is generally a pretty shitty deal cash wise though.

 

[erica]

I can speak to Jackson- I spent my summer there and am going back for the winter.

Finding a job will be pretty easy- you can work 3+ days at the resort a week for a free pass. Everyone in town is always looking for more help during peak season as well- hotels, restaurants, etc.

Finding housing is the tough part- you could find something that will open up for a decent price, but a lot of what's available will be expensive. HOWEVER, during the winter you can rent a hotel room weekly/monthly for decent rates until/if you find a place. With hotels, get a hot plate for cooking and you have unlimited utilities, cable, wifi, and sometimes even free breakfast.

The park doesn't switch up very much, isn't very big, but it's something and park city isn't too far away at the end of the day. Tons of backcountry, powder days do not suck, and staring at the Tetons everyday never gets old.

There's almost always something going on, so you'll probably have the problem of partying too much (if that's a thing as a ski bum), rather than not getting out.

Let me know if you have any other Q's!

 

[steeze4days]

Are you fucking kidding? Pretty much everything you just said is literally untrue. Have you ever been to the Alps?

Let's take Austria, and i'll break it down for you.

Season started early october at Hintertux, and Kaunertal, Stubai and Kitzsteinhorn were quick to follow, all have awesome parks. The season will most likely continue until july, maybe even longer if it's a good snowyear. I wouldn't call a 10 month season short. Most of the bigger resorts will open early december and close late april/early may. Again, that's a pretty long season.

If you're lookign for steep and technical terrain, Austria has some of the best in the world. St Anton, which is iconic, Ischgl, Sölden, Fieberbrünn, Kitzbühel, Obertauern, Gasteinertal, Zillertal, there are so many good places.

Don't even get me started on the rest of the Alps, but just so you know, places like Chamonix, Engelberg, Verbier, Les 3 Valles and Espace Killy are all in the Alps, and all offer some of the best skiing in the world.

So basically, you were talking out of your ass. I'm not saying the Rockies are bad, but Europe most definitely has more variety to offer than the Rockies. Also, the Rockies is a vast area, where do you plan to go?

1. Yes about 7 times.

2. I said Austria was a good option for Europe.

3. Ischgl averages a 55cm snow depth from December to April. They're season rarely continues to July and I've never heard of it continuing past their regular closing concert which was 2nd of may last year, far from your July proposition.

4. Many a times i've been skiing in places like Meribel in easter the snow has been pure shit. One time i went there was barely any left not to mention the fact they had no snow until January last year

4. Didn't say Austria didn't have steep tech terrain, i simply implied that alot of the places in the rockies have steeper more tech terrain, which they do.

5. Alot of the places your naming to have the best skiing in the world just so happen to be where all the really rich people go and also alot of first time skiers or one week warriors. Nothing wrong with that they keep our sport alive however if i was "BUMMING" i wouldn't exactly want to go to some of the most expensive places on the planet. Lots of the alps tech terrain is actually roped off in side or backcountry, not that many people have the right skills to access these places.

6. Im not saying Europe is all bad, but i think other places have more to offer for what OP is planning on doing.

7. Almost any resort in the rockies, Whistler, Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, Alta, Snowbird and last but not least obviously Norquay.. jk Norquay sucks dick.

Wasn't talking out of my ass the only places i've had the pleasure of skiing in are the alps and the rockies, its why i didn't mention any other places as then i would be talking out of my ass.

We clearly see these parts of the world differently and thats fine. Have a good one.

 

[Rosbif]

1. Yes about 7 times.

2. I said Austria was a good option for Europe.

3. Ischgl averages a 55cm snow depth from December to April. They're season rarely continues to July and I've never heard of it continuing past their regular closing concert which was 2nd of may last year, far from your July proposition.

4. Many a times i've been skiing in places like Meribel in easter the snow has been pure shit. One time i went there was barely any left not to mention the fact they had no snow until January last year

4. Didn't say Austria didn't have steep tech terrain, i simply implied that alot of the places in the rockies have steeper more tech terrain, which they do.

5. Alot of the places your naming to have the best skiing in the world just so happen to be where all the really rich people go and also alot of first time skiers or one week warriors. Nothing wrong with that they keep our sport alive however if i was "BUMMING" i wouldn't exactly want to go to some of the most expensive places on the planet. Lots of the alps tech terrain is actually roped off in side or backcountry, not that many people have the right skills to access these places.

6. Im not saying Europe is all bad, but i think other places have more to offer for what OP is planning on doing.

7. Almost any resort in the rockies, Whistler, Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, Alta, Snowbird and last but not least obviously Norquay.. jk Norquay sucks dick.

Wasn't talking out of my ass the only places i've had the pleasure of skiing in are the alps and the rockies, its why i didn't mention any other places as then i would be talking out of my ass.

We clearly see these parts of the world differently and thats fine. Have a good one.

The only thing you were right about is the snow, North America gets a lot more than Europe in general. However the amount of glaciers in Europe mean you can ski the whole year, have you seen all the pros who are in Stubai at the moment? The park is unreal. Also the mountains in Europe are gigantic compared to NA, the amount of 'technical terrain' is far more, yes it's uncontrolled backcountry, but that doesn't mean it's not there.

 

[Jibberino]

1. Yes about 7 times.

2. I said Austria was a good option for Europe.

3. Ischgl averages a 55cm snow depth from December to April. They're season rarely continues to July and I've never heard of it continuing past their regular closing concert which was 2nd of may last year, far from your July proposition.

4. Many a times i've been skiing in places like Meribel in easter the snow has been pure shit. One time i went there was barely any left not to mention the fact they had no snow until January last year

4. Didn't say Austria didn't have steep tech terrain, i simply implied that alot of the places in the rockies have steeper more tech terrain, which they do.

5. Alot of the places your naming to have the best skiing in the world just so happen to be where all the really rich people go and also alot of first time skiers or one week warriors. Nothing wrong with that they keep our sport alive however if i was "BUMMING" i wouldn't exactly want to go to some of the most expensive places on the planet. Lots of the alps tech terrain is actually roped off in side or backcountry, not that many people have the right skills to access these places.

6. Im not saying Europe is all bad, but i think other places have more to offer for what OP is planning on doing.

7. Almost any resort in the rockies, Whistler, Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, Alta, Snowbird and last but not least obviously Norquay.. jk Norquay sucks dick.

Wasn't talking out of my ass the only places i've had the pleasure of skiing in are the alps and the rockies, its why i didn't mention any other places as then i would be talking out of my ass.

We clearly see these parts of the world differently and thats fine. Have a good one.

You are indeed talking out of your ass, because most of what you are saying is just plain wrong.

Lets go through your points.

3. Ischgl averages about 500 cm or 200 inches a year.http://ski-resorts.wanderbat.com/q/171/9119/What-is-the-average-snowfall-at-Ischgl

Also if you cared to read a little closer, you would have noticed that I was talking about the Clacier resorts having 10 month seasons. Hell some of them are open all year. And as you mention, Ischgl stays open until early may, which is a pretty late season for a non glacier resort.

4. No, they don't. Whistler is the largest ski resort in NA, and with a vertical offering of 1600 m or 5300 feet, it's a fairly average size resort by european standards. In terms of steepness it's hard to measure, but judging by what every good skier that have skied both NA and Europe have EVER said, I'd say that Europe takes the prize in terms of technicality and steepness. Go watch a ski movie and hear what they have to say.

You had two 4's, so here's my answer to the other one. I'm sorry to say, but if you were in Les 3 Valles at easter time, and you couldn't find at least decent snow, you're a fuckin tourist. End of story.

5. For Switzerland, and to a certain extent France, it is true that they are somewhat expensive. But in terms of lift tickets, it's about the same as NA. In Austria however, a lift ticket in ST. Anton, which is probably the most expensive place in Austria, a day ticket is 50 euros. At the current exchange rate the average lift licket for the places you mention is about 75 euros. So again, you are just plain wrong.

On a side note, living costs in Austria are VERY low compared to NA, and France is probably also cheaper than NA. Also there are tourists everywhere, the places you have mentioned are no exception.

About the roping off, are you actually serious? You seem to have got it the wrong way around. NA is where they operate with the concept of out of bounds. You literally cannot go there, if you do, you risk heavy fines, or at the very least they'll take your pass. In Europe you can go anywhere you want. Whether you should or not is a whole different matter.

6. Based on what we've established so far, you're probably wrong about this too, however that is more of a subjective thing.

So I just cannot stress enough how factually wrong you are. Which makes for really shitty advice.

 

[DFJ]

Anyone have any advice/experience about ski bumming in Mammoth Lakes? Thinking about bumming for a while and Mammoth seems like a really cool place

 

[PeppermillReno]

You can shit out and hit a bad season if you plan far in advance and want to sort of settle into a regular apartment.

But hotels and stuff can get pricey.

The place to go is wherever has the best snow. If you can wait until this time of the year and then go where there is snow and December looks good do that. You can find employment. Book a week hotel early while they are still cheap before the holidays and find a room.

Tahoe is cheap and great terrain.

 

[dan4060]

over time maybe, but he's talking about within the next two years so I'm using recent years to base that on.

2008/2009 was probably my best snow season in tahoe and after that it's been consistently bad.

all depends on how you look at it I guess, but In my opinion for a short term decision, tahoe might be a coin toss on if the bad streak keeps going or not..

I will say that a bad season in tahoe's still pretty dang fun though (although last year around christmas and a while after, heavenly had only two lifts running because of the terrible amount of snow. That's whack)

09/10 was all-time at Squaw. They got 561 inches, when they usually get 400. In 10/11 they got 810 which is among the best seasons ever. If you want to say that it has sucked since 11/12 I would agree with you, but they had a couple of insane years after 08/09.

I do agree it is a crapshoot though. Having said that, this year has started out great, and El Nino tends to be awesome in Tahoe. This year would be a good year to bet on Tahoe based on the El Nino pattern. I probably should not jinx California that way, but historically El Nino brings the snow.

 

[dan4060]

Anyone have any advice/experience about ski bumming in Mammoth Lakes? Thinking about bumming for a while and Mammoth seems like a really cool place

I ski bummed in Tahoe for several years, so I might not be the best person to ask, but I am somewhat familiar with Mammoth, as I ski there two to three weekends a month.

Mammoth is a great mountain. It is not as steep as Squaw, which is where I did my ski bum time, and it does not have as much variety in terms of steep terrain as Squaw does, but it is still one of the best and most underrated mountains in the country. Mammoth is better than Squaw in a bad season, and better early and late season, although I would take Squaw in a good year and midseason. For park, however, Mammoth destroys Squaw. I don't ski park, so I don't care, but Mammoth has one of the best parks anywhere, so if you ski park do take that into account. Mammoth has a very long season. It usually opens in early November and ends after Memorial Day, sometimes lasting until July 4th. It gets great windbuff which can keep the mountain from getting too moguled up and make for great skiing weeks after a storm.

I skied Mammoth 2-3 weekends a month in college and I ski there 2-3 weekends a month now, so obviously I love the place. With that out of the way I am going to say something that may upset the Mammoth folks: I miss Squaw. As much as I love Mammoth, I prefer the variety of steep terrain that Squaw has. I love Mammoth too, and both have there advantages, but if I had the choice of which to make my weekend destination I would choose Squaw. I am not telling you to do that, and I will admit that Squaw is more of a roll of the dice weather wise, but I do miss that mountain. I live in Southern California so Mammoth is my option for my weekends, and a great option it is, but I would prefer Squaw if I had my choice. The last few years have been bad, and in a bad year I will take Mammoth, but in an average year I would choose the steeps of Squaw.

I have not lived in Tahoe for a decade so I don't know what rents are like, or how tough it is to find a place. I have a ski lease in Mammoth with friends as landlords so I am not on the pulse of the market there either, but I have heard in the gondola that Mammoth is less expensive than Tahoe City in terms of rents. I don't know if this is true or not, so do your own research, it is just what I have heard.

I love Mammoth and if you get it during a good year you should really have a blast.

 

[marcoconvo]

Anyone have any advice/experience about ski bumming in Mammoth Lakes? Thinking about bumming for a while and Mammoth seems like a really cool place

Might as well bum in Tahoe right? Probably more job opportunities, im guessing (I have no experience). If your focus it skiing, Its hard to beat Squaw and Alpine. Season pass for like 650, and you get to ski two all time mountains locating in the most beautiful place in the country, Lake Tahoe (going off a bias here). Squaw and Alpine have the best lift accessible terrain in California, not doubt. Truckee is like a cool 10 minutes from both so finding a job and place there would be ideal. Don't mean to deter you from Mammoth just sharing my opinion. Good Luck.

 

[pastysmasher]

So, probably wouldn't listen to the kid who's bashing Europe. Europe's great. Im guessing your from the states so it would be pretty sweet for you to leave N.A after you graduate and go and experience somewhere different. Granted, the snow in western N.A is probably a little more reliable and plentiful but if you go the right place in Europe you can pretty much guarantee snow and Europe can get some outrageuos storms which will dump tonnes of pow, they're just ususally not too frequent. On top of that the party scene in Europe is pretty much imcomparible to anywhere else.

I have an EU passport so I don't know too much about visas for working there, but maybe look into working for a UK based company who operate in the alpes. I think UK visas are fairly easy to get hold of plus there won't be a language barrier.

However, I'd say the best skiing in the world is in BC.

 

[Literature]

Really digging the variety of commentary and experience in this thread. Thanks for delivering again, NS.

A few things that I'd echo from previous posts:

Saving money might be hard to pull off. Not because you can't, and people do, but if your emphasis is on going skiing and taking a bum year, then you'll likely put the time into shredding (as you should) rather than grabbing extra hours. The suggestions of serving at a nice restaurant are the best option you could probably find for a seasonal job with a pass and good money while still allowing you time to ski.

Work visas can be a pain, and many other countries have it far easier than you will as an American.

Europe is rad. Haven't spent time in the Alps specifically, but I'd love to go, and wouldn't take it off the table.

A few things I'd add:

You're in the right for doing this. I've met so many people who look back on the bum job glory years of their youth with fondness. They made many friends and had a blast. There's something so cool about being part of a young community that's there to ski and party and work as much as they need to make that happen, and if you haven't been part of that then you're missing out.

Connections are everything. Try to sort out friends or friends of friends or people your family knows who can give you the skinny.

Big Sky wouldn't be the worst choice. I've got a few friends working there and could give you some more details. Pm me.

Don't live in shit housing. My first winter at Stevens Pass after graduation, I opted for cheap rent in the tiny town close to the resort (Skykomish) instead of living where everyone else did (Leavenworth). It was a mistake, and after I fixed it the next season, I was a happier camper.

 

[DFJ]

I'm also thinking about taking some time to bum it. I was considering working at one of the hotels at Alta like the Peruvian or Goldminer's Daughter and staying in the lodging they provide.

Anyone have experience or suggestions about this?

 

[DFJ]

I'm also thinking about taking some time to bum it. I was considering working at one of the hotels at Alta like the Peruvian or Goldminer's Daughter and staying in the lodging they provide.

Anyone have experience or suggestions about this?

sorry for double post.

Forgot that I had posted in this thread already saying I was thinking about taking time off haha

 

[Moonshine]

Really digging the variety of commentary and experience in this thread. Thanks for delivering again, NS.

A few things that I'd echo from previous posts:

Saving money might be hard to pull off. Not because you can't, and people do, but if your emphasis is on going skiing and taking a bum year, then you'll likely put the time into shredding (as you should) rather than grabbing extra hours. The suggestions of serving at a nice restaurant are the best option you could probably find for a seasonal job with a pass and good money while still allowing you time to ski.

Work visas can be a pain, and many other countries have it far easier than you will as an American.

Europe is rad. Haven't spent time in the Alps specifically, but I'd love to go, and wouldn't take it off the table.

A few things I'd add:

You're in the right for doing this. I've met so many people who look back on the bum job glory years of their youth with fondness. They made many friends and had a blast. There's something so cool about being part of a young community that's there to ski and party and work as much as they need to make that happen, and if you haven't been part of that then you're missing out.

Connections are everything. Try to sort out friends or friends of friends or people your family knows who can give you the skinny.

Big Sky wouldn't be the worst choice. I've got a few friends working there and could give you some more details. Pm me.

Don't live in shit housing. My first winter at Stevens Pass after graduation, I opted for cheap rent in the tiny town close to the resort (Skykomish) instead of living where everyone else did (Leavenworth). It was a mistake, and after I fixed it the next season, I was a happier camper.

thanks for the support and the info man! really appreciate it

 

[*honeybadger*]

FOR ANYONE LOOKING TO BUM AROUND IN NORTH LAKE TAHOE LISTEN UP!!!!!!

I'm doing the same thing OP is doing and moving out to North Lake Tahoe at the beginning of June after I graduate from college.

First: A good family friend of mine has skied all over the world, Japan and the Alps included, and he said that his favorite skiing is still out west in the states. Not discrediting how great the skiing in Europe and Japan is, just one mans opinion. But trust me, the family friend used to be a true ski bum. It's all he did for about 10 years into his early 30's. So personally, I'll take his word for it.

Second: I just landed a summer job on a golf course in Truckee so that will give me some good money going into the ski season. Best piece of advice I have for finding a job is to just email some places out there and shoot over a resume, etc. I heard back in 3 days and they're holding a full time position for me.

Third: Not sure what kind of resort job everyone on here is looking for but consider teaching lessons. I have my PSIA Level 1 certification so I will most likely be able to find a full time job teaching at a resort for the winter. It's actually decent money if you have any PSIA certification (skiing or snowboarding) and it is usually a full time position and not just part time seasonal so you will have some job stability and financial security. Look into getting your PSIA. I'm hopefully going to be teaching at Northstar. The only reason I chose Northstar is because I found an amazing deal on housing that is half a mile away from the base of the mountain (I will talk about the housing later). Also, there are perks of teaching. You'll meet a lot of awesome people who have been a "local" for years. They know everything about the mountain so you can learn a lot from them. You get a free pass obviously. And the way I look at it, you're literally getting paid to ski. It really has never felt like work to me before. Strongly consider that. Keep in mind, teaching is not for everyone. Some people love it and others hate it. But I think that everyone should try skiing or snowboarding at least once in their life and being able to help someone learn for the first time is super rewarding.

Fourth: I mentioned the housing above so here the low down on that is. I literally Googled "Northstar Employee Housing" and they have a website specifically dedicated to helping you find housing. It provides a bunch of different options and includes the type of transportation they offer to and from the mountain and they also give you the low down on each specific area that people usually like to live. The place I'm staying at, and will hopefully be signing a lease in the next couple months, is called Sawmill Heights. Here the link is:http://www.sawmillheights.com/?cmpid=SOC00282

When you're looking at the website click on the 1 bedroom apartments. They rent a 4 bedroom apartment out by the room so you get the best deal. It's $525-575 a month depending on utilities. I'm pretty utilities are all included (electric, gas, cable, wifi, etc.) And if you have multiple people all moving together, look at the other apartments and split the rent. It's pretty cheap. I've looked everywhere in the North Tahoe, Truckee, and Reno area and it's the best deal by hundreds of dollars. I'm sure you could find a cheaper place if you really looked but it would probably be a dump. The apartments are actually very nice. And for the proximity of the apartments to the mountain, you can't beat that kinda deal.

Fifth: I'm planning on spending at least 2 years teaching at Northstar and hopefully will be able to find a full time job working for them over the summer as well. Since Northstar is owned by Vail Resorts, all of the full time employees get benefits such as health care and 401k etc. Pretty much all the stuff that will take care of your "adult problems". I know for the 401k they will match up to 6% ( if I remember correctly) of whatever you put into the account. Never to early to plan for retirement haha. Here the link is that outlines the benefits depending on what type of employee you are:
http://www.vailresortscareers.com/What-To-Know/Benefits-and-Policies

Also, since it is owned by Vail Resorts, the pass you get is pretty much the Epic Pass which lets you ski anytime at any Vail Resorts owned mountain. Here the link to all that is:
https://order.epicpass.com/#passDetail-Epic-Pass

Also, I'm pretty sure you get discounts on lodging, food, etc. if you decide to go on a trip to one of their other resorts. And I'm also pretty sure that while you're at work you get hooked up with crazy discounts at all the on-mountain dining so you don't have to worry about going hungry.

Sixth: The entire Lake Tahoe area is probably my favorite place in the world. I've been out there during the winter to ski and it's absolutely amazing. It's my favorite skiing in the States. Like people have said before, the snow quality is kind of hit or miss but the atmosphere out there is second to none. I've been out there in the summer and there is more to do than you can ever imagine. Truckee is one of the coolest ski towns you'll ever go to. And there are over 300 days of sun a year which is awesome. Reno is about 30-45 minutes away and it's pretty much a smaller Las Vegas. Also, Kings Beach is just south of Northstar. If you're anything like me and don't want the college partying to end, you can easily find a place to have a good time. Just look up 4th of July at Tahoe. It's pretty fucking crazy haha.

I really hope this helps! I know that finding all this shit out for yourself can be stressful and overwhelming so I'm glad I could pass along what I've already found onto all of you!

 

[japanada]

Great advice right here^^^^ Well put together for sure!

I will say this:

As someone who has taught lessons for 5 years, if you want to ski as much as possible, it is DEFINITELY not the way to go! Even with a PSIA cert, you are gonna be low man on the totem pole, while you may get more private lessons than someone with no certs, most of your teaching will be beg/intermediate lessons. Nothing sucks more than when it is dumping out and your watching your buds go up the mtn and come down covered in powpow. All the while your stuck with 5 year old kids or someone that is just getting parallel on a blue run.

That said, Ive been in the hospitality industry since I moved out west and quit teaching at JHMR. Hotels and restaurants FTW. Many afternoon and night shifts avail, pay is decent and its a job that you can take anywhere and know you can find work. Plus you can ski 120+ days a season easily! Plus the benefits of free food, free lodging hookups for yourself and firends/fam when they visit, plus free days at other properties all over the place.

 

[*honeybadger*]

Great advice right here^^^^ Well put together for sure!

I will say this:

As someone who has taught lessons for 5 years, if you want to ski as much as possible, it is DEFINITELY not the way to go! Even with a PSIA cert, you are gonna be low man on the totem pole, while you may get more private lessons than someone with no certs, most of your teaching will be beg/intermediate lessons. Nothing sucks more than when it is dumping out and your watching your buds go up the mtn and come down covered in powpow. All the while your stuck with 5 year old kids or someone that is just getting parallel on a blue run.

That said, Ive been in the hospitality industry since I moved out west and quit teaching at JHMR. Hotels and restaurants FTW. Many afternoon and night shifts avail, pay is decent and its a job that you can take anywhere and know you can find work. Plus you can ski 120+ days a season easily! Plus the benefits of free food, free lodging hookups for yourself and firends/fam when they visit, plus free days at other properties all over the place.

Yea I completely understand about the being stuck teaching 5 year olds skiing while all your friends are out shredding pow. That being said, I've been teaching for 6 winters now and I love working with the younger kids cause they're always stoked about the smallest things.

Also, I understand that I will be starting off at the bottom of the totem pole. I'm planning on teaching for a good time to come and hopefully I'll be able to work my way up but only time will tell. I'm trying to turn it into a career at some point! I can't sit behind a desk for more than a few hours at a time and don't wanna do that for the rest of my life haha.

And I'm glad that someone who has moved out there thinks my advice is good since I'm going off speculation and not experience here.

 

[japanada]

Yea I completely understand about the being stuck teaching 5 year olds skiing while all your friends are out shredding pow. That being said, I've been teaching for 6 winters now and I love working with the younger kids cause they're always stoked about the smallest things.

Also, I understand that I will be starting off at the bottom of the totem pole. I'm planning on teaching for a good time to come and hopefully I'll be able to work my way up but only time will tell. I'm trying to turn it into a career at some point! I can't sit behind a desk for more than a few hours at a time and don't wanna do that for the rest of my life haha.

And I'm glad that someone who has moved out there thinks my advice is good since I'm going off speculation and not experience here.

I feel ya, the little dudes are a blast for sure, and you cant deny their stoke factor! that said, when I moved out west I wanted to be a ski bum and not a babysitter lol, and you cant do that working a 8-4 job. Career wise you can def make some good money when you get into adult privates, and that can get you into bc guiding, easily making $30+ per hour, BEFORE tips! I guess some of my thoughts are that it is easy to get bummed on skiing sometimes when youre missing some of the biggest days.

A lot of things people ask can be solved by a simple google search and doing a little networking and checking out sites like here and TGR.

 

[*honeybadger*]

I feel ya, the little dudes are a blast for sure, and you cant deny their stoke factor! that said, when I moved out west I wanted to be a ski bum and not a babysitter lol, and you cant do that working a 8-4 job. Career wise you can def make some good money when you get into adult privates, and that can get you into bc guiding, easily making $30+ per hour, BEFORE tips! I guess some of my thoughts are that it is easy to get bummed on skiing sometimes when youre missing some of the biggest days.

A lot of things people ask can be solved by a simple google search and doing a little networking and checking out sites like here and TGR.

I would kill to be a BC guide haha. I guess that gives me something to shoot for!

 

[dan4060]

Great advice right here^^^^ Well put together for sure!

I will say this:

As someone who has taught lessons for 5 years, if you want to ski as much as possible, it is DEFINITELY not the way to go! Even with a PSIA cert, you are gonna be low man on the totem pole, while you may get more private lessons than someone with no certs, most of your teaching will be beg/intermediate lessons. Nothing sucks more than when it is dumping out and your watching your buds go up the mtn and come down covered in powpow. All the while your stuck with 5 year old kids or someone that is just getting parallel on a blue run.

That said, Ive been in the hospitality industry since I moved out west and quit teaching at JHMR. Hotels and restaurants FTW. Many afternoon and night shifts avail, pay is decent and its a job that you can take anywhere and know you can find work. Plus you can ski 120+ days a season easily! Plus the benefits of free food, free lodging hookups for yourself and firends/fam when they visit, plus free days at other properties all over the place.

I will second the advice about teaching. I worked nights in a restaurant and taught part time. At Squaw you only had to teach 25 days to get a pass, so that is what I did. Only teach full-time if you really love it. I enjoyed it, but I would rather work nights in order to ski for myself all day than teach five days a week with only two to ski for yourself. I met a lot of cool people teaching, so I am really glad I did it, but if you want to ski for yourself don't teach full-time. I would second going into the hospitality industry, restaurant or hotel, as the money is good and you can usually work nights allowing for maximum ski time.

I should stress that I am not advising against teaching, just be aware that if you want to spend your days skiing steeps and the best terrain you will only have two days to do that if you teach full-time. That said I did enjoy teaching, I just did not want to spend most of my week teaching instead of skiing steeps. Just go into it with your eyes open and understand what teaching entails.