Best mtn. to go for a fist trip out west?
- Thread starter Murphology
- Start date
snowfinder
Active member
go out west to ski park......why?
go there to ski the huge mountains, every resort has a park ski them at home , go out west to look down a line and shit your pants.
go there to ski the huge mountains, every resort has a park ski them at home , go out west to look down a line and shit your pants.
snowfinder
Active member
that being said, snowbird or mt baker.
NW_Rider
Active member
SLC for sure.
I live in the PNW, and have traveled pretty well around the west to ride, but nothing comes close to SLC as far as value, access and conditions.
You can rent a car cheap and stay near the entrances of little/big cottonwood canyon and you are 30 minutes drive away from Snowbird / Alta / Brighton / Solitude. If you want to drive a little further, I remember it being about an hour, you have Park City / Canyons / Deer Valley. There are so many options, so close and since you are 16, the lower abv means nothing to you.
Other than the fact I can drive to BC, OR, ID or MT and have my own car with me, if I am flying into somewhere, SLC is by far the easiest.
I live in the PNW, and have traveled pretty well around the west to ride, but nothing comes close to SLC as far as value, access and conditions.
You can rent a car cheap and stay near the entrances of little/big cottonwood canyon and you are 30 minutes drive away from Snowbird / Alta / Brighton / Solitude. If you want to drive a little further, I remember it being about an hour, you have Park City / Canyons / Deer Valley. There are so many options, so close and since you are 16, the lower abv means nothing to you.
Other than the fact I can drive to BC, OR, ID or MT and have my own car with me, if I am flying into somewhere, SLC is by far the easiest.
.RYAN66
Active member
please tell me this is a joke, baker!?!? really dude?
and for everyone saying that you could ski park at home, do you realize that an east coast park doesnt compare to a west coast park, especially one at breck, pc, and whistler. The best place for a vacation is somewhere that has everything.
Aspen, is really great I missed that in my first post. there are 4 mountains there and you get a great variety of terrain, that is usually never crowded. although skiing during the week shouldnt be that bad anywhere given you arent going over a holiday week.
and for everyone saying that you could ski park at home, do you realize that an east coast park doesnt compare to a west coast park, especially one at breck, pc, and whistler. The best place for a vacation is somewhere that has everything.
Aspen, is really great I missed that in my first post. there are 4 mountains there and you get a great variety of terrain, that is usually never crowded. although skiing during the week shouldnt be that bad anywhere given you arent going over a holiday week.
snowfinder
Active member
Murphology
Member
no its definently to ski big mountains but the park at perfect north is like 1000 feet ling and thats it
snowfinder
Active member
Best bet then I would say would be Vail it is a huge place, the back bowls are sick they are a decent park and it is easy to get fly in and find hotels plus public transportation to the resort from the hotel.
Baker sucks, avoid the one if you're on vacation.
cwphoto
Active member
Im from ohio, and ski mad river. I took my first trip out west this spring break. We stayed in breck, and got a great deal on a cottage. The town is so much fun to walk around in, since theres more ski shops there than there is in all of ohio. We skiied at breck and keystone. Im not the best park skiier in the world, and had no problem. I would definitly do that again, and its a fun vacation for the people who arent skiing. Well worth it
EmperorKuzco
Active member
caus you own tahoe right? all hail owner of tahoe! ok sir may I please come to tahoe? no fuck you I'll go wherever the hell I want I don't need your jaded ass permission. jump off a building.
.ZT.
Active member
Meh, compared to New England most places are pretty empty. On the most crowded weekend of the year(President's Day) this year at Key it was not too crowded. Less than 10 minutes always on all lifts, the park lift line was like less than 2 minutes. Breck and Vail can get decently packed on big weekends if you don't know where to ski. You can avoid most crowds by skiing certain parts of the mountains because they are very big mountains. (Breck and Vail)
also inb4 RYAN66 tries to prove me wrong.
also inb4 RYAN66 tries to prove me wrong.
.RYAN66
Active member
your are righter (is that even a word?) then the other kid,
say you have 5000 people on both mountains, 5000 people at breck is going to be like nothing compared to the same amount at some shitty hill in new york.
to the other fool:
what do you define as crowded? weekends usually arent that bad, now a powder day at breck on a weekend can be a zoo after 10:00 but you can usually get some runs in. on a normal weekend especially before MLK day it wont be that bad at all.
say you have 5000 people on both mountains, 5000 people at breck is going to be like nothing compared to the same amount at some shitty hill in new york.
to the other fool:
what do you define as crowded? weekends usually arent that bad, now a powder day at breck on a weekend can be a zoo after 10:00 but you can usually get some runs in. on a normal weekend especially before MLK day it wont be that bad at all.
J_Christoph
Active member
Utah for sure bro. Snowbird, Snowbasin, Alta, Park City are all right near each other, everything you need.
manutdsaol
Member
Out west is a whole different game if that makes sense. My first trip out west was a road trip through Washington and Oregon and I was amazed. Just go to Tahoe, I went to Squaw Valley this year and it was great. You will be happy no matter where you go.
derekstreesv2
Member
Whistler Blackcomb is where you should go. The two mountains are so big and offer you a ton of different terrain. Plus they get a lot of snow. Every time I've gone they have had fresh snow plus some deep days.
I really like Mammoth because along with a great park it is a huge mountain and if it's your first time there it could be really fun shredding around exploring.
Also i think the huge open bowls kind of differentiate the west from the east.
The town is small but fun and it's always a blast in the spring.
mammoth gets my vote!
Also i think the huge open bowls kind of differentiate the west from the east.
The town is small but fun and it's always a blast in the spring.
mammoth gets my vote!
EricaMN.
Active member
in all seriousness, RED mountain takes my vote, the lodging is dirt cheap and there are absolutely no lift lines, regardless of the conditions. Although it is not ideal when you have all of red and granite mountain to ski, the park is great for someone with an intermediate skill set, and the t-bar makes for ridiculously fast laps.
http://www.redresort.com/
http://www.redresort.com/
Utard
Active member
I think you're going to be most satisfied going with Salt Lake bud. If you stay for like a week you can ski a different resort every day and get a taste of all Utah has to offer. You can find any type of lodging you want from dirt ass cheap to super plush because you'll be staying in a metropolitan area. Also you'll have the chance to visit a couple really good colleges (U of U, Westminster) and there's shitloads of other stuff to do besides skiing. We have some of the best big mountain, park, and definitely powder skiing in the west. You'll get the most bang for your buck and have the most fun here I promise.
selkirks
Active member
Here's my advice:
Only visit one of the Colorado/Utah/Tahoe megaresorts if you are planning on going during a non-peak travel/vacation time. Because liftlines can get insane. When I was at Mammoth on a Spring Break midweek, the place still managed to have incredibly difficult-to-navigate liftlines. When you can't beat the crowds, it's no fun.
For your first trip, I'd advise looking into some lesser-known resorts. Everyone on NS knows that I'm a huge booster of PNW resorts, but the reality is that many of them have everything that makes a great vacation:
-diverse, varied terrain
-sizable, but not overwhelming park
-blower pow
-lower cost...more time...better value
-zero liftlines, even during peak times
-cool, genuine towns
-excellent nightlife
-all the amenities you'd expect from a Breck or Heavenly
So here's my $0.02...go somewhere new.
Whitefish, MT
Big Sky/Moonlight Basin, MT
Schweitzer, ID
Revelstoke, B.C.
Grand Targhee, ID/WY
There are more. But I'd certainly advise going beyond the obvious.
Only visit one of the Colorado/Utah/Tahoe megaresorts if you are planning on going during a non-peak travel/vacation time. Because liftlines can get insane. When I was at Mammoth on a Spring Break midweek, the place still managed to have incredibly difficult-to-navigate liftlines. When you can't beat the crowds, it's no fun.
For your first trip, I'd advise looking into some lesser-known resorts. Everyone on NS knows that I'm a huge booster of PNW resorts, but the reality is that many of them have everything that makes a great vacation:
-diverse, varied terrain
-sizable, but not overwhelming park
-blower pow
-lower cost...more time...better value
-zero liftlines, even during peak times
-cool, genuine towns
-excellent nightlife
-all the amenities you'd expect from a Breck or Heavenly
So here's my $0.02...go somewhere new.
Whitefish, MT
Big Sky/Moonlight Basin, MT
Schweitzer, ID
Revelstoke, B.C.
Grand Targhee, ID/WY
There are more. But I'd certainly advise going beyond the obvious.
deathcookie
Active member
/images/flash_video_placeholder.pngRed sucks yo
ikindalikeskiing
Active member
aspen highlands or alta probably if you're not looking for a good park
shocker611
Active member
all utah resorts dont get high pressure, not even during peak season. If you go to snowbird over a holiday, yes it will be crowded, but i've seen longer lift lines in ohio than I ever have at brighton. And that includes peak days
Karma_Police
Active member
No, I'm just the best skier in Tahoe.
Sure you can come to Tahoe. Just make sure you stay at heavenly or n*. And yes, you are 14 so my assumption was correct.
Sure you can come to Tahoe. Just make sure you stay at heavenly or n*. And yes, you are 14 so my assumption was correct.
I skied Squaw everyday for 5 years, so I will second that. Everything he says is true, and there really is a whole lot of terrain. You can also ski Alpine, which is a great mountain and highly underrated.
I am now a yuppie, and ski Mammoth 3 weekends a month. I absolutely love it, great mountain, great terrain, and they do have good parks, although I would not let park be a big component of your decision. You can ski park at home. Mammoth also has a long season, it was open until Memorial Day this year, in a terrible snow year.
The Mammoth guys will hate me for this, but I would choose Squaw over Mammoth. The terrain at Squaw is better, although Mammoth rocks too. Having said that, Mammoth has a higher elevation, so there are times when Squaw is rain while Mammoth is snow. You can't go wrong with either place.
I would also look at Utah, specifically Snowbird/Alta. Consistent snow, and great terrain. I might acually make that choice, as you are less likely to get skunked/rained on than at Squaw.
Squaw, Mammoth, Snowbird, those are what I would pick from. I have not been to Whistler, but it is well known to be the goods.
I would choose one of those four places. I would not pick Breck or Vail, as the terrain at those places is only OK. Put it this way, I have a ski lease and a season pass at Mammoth, so almost all of my skiing is done there. I have traveled to Squaw in the last few years, and I have traveled to Snowbird, but I don't think I would pay to go to Breck/Vail, not when I have Mammoth.
A-basin is a sick mountain though.
I am now a yuppie, and ski Mammoth 3 weekends a month. I absolutely love it, great mountain, great terrain, and they do have good parks, although I would not let park be a big component of your decision. You can ski park at home. Mammoth also has a long season, it was open until Memorial Day this year, in a terrible snow year.
The Mammoth guys will hate me for this, but I would choose Squaw over Mammoth. The terrain at Squaw is better, although Mammoth rocks too. Having said that, Mammoth has a higher elevation, so there are times when Squaw is rain while Mammoth is snow. You can't go wrong with either place.
I would also look at Utah, specifically Snowbird/Alta. Consistent snow, and great terrain. I might acually make that choice, as you are less likely to get skunked/rained on than at Squaw.
Squaw, Mammoth, Snowbird, those are what I would pick from. I have not been to Whistler, but it is well known to be the goods.
I would choose one of those four places. I would not pick Breck or Vail, as the terrain at those places is only OK. Put it this way, I have a ski lease and a season pass at Mammoth, so almost all of my skiing is done there. I have traveled to Squaw in the last few years, and I have traveled to Snowbird, but I don't think I would pay to go to Breck/Vail, not when I have Mammoth.
A-basin is a sick mountain though.
I should probably add that there are risks associated with both Squaw and Mammoth.
As I said before, Squaw can be all rain, which can ruin a good snowpack.
Mammoth rarely rains up high, and it is very consistent all winter. The upper mountain gets good windbuff, which can mean good conditions weeks after a storm. The upper mountain really does tend to ski well all winter, and it rarely gets slushy until spring. Having said that, if the upper stuff does get slushy in January, you can be fucked for weeks. The conditions that keep the snow wintery up high can keep slushed up sections icy for weeks once the normal weather returns. It happens occasionally, although not too often. With Squaw, you have 360 degrees of exposure, so even in January you can make good slush turns on Broken Arrow, and good windbuff turns on the north facing KT alternates. If the whole mountain at Squaw get slushy, then freezes, Broken Arrow will almost always slush up. Mammoth is not that way, at least until spring. As I said before, if the top of Mammoth gets slushy in January you are usually fucked until there is another storm. Squaw's exposure makes that less of a problem, as there is both south and north facing quality terrain.
As long as the top stays wintery at Mammoth, which it usually does until spring, the wind will continue to smooth things up. If you follow the wind, Mammoth can give you great skiing weeks after a storm. Of course, that wind can also turn pow on the upper mountain into wind buff, which while nice to ski, is still a disappointment. Squaw also has more storm skiing options than Mammoth, where the top can be closed for a long time. I would rather ski blue bird big days at Squaw, although Mammoth rocks on big pow days too. Squaw has more sick terrain, although Mammoth also has some steeps. I think either place will give you access to some terrain that will test your steep skiing ability, so have fun.
Both places are among the most consistent out there for snow fall.
As I said before, Squaw, Mammoth, Snowbird.....Those places all give you a very good chance of having good conditions. They all are fun even if there is no fresh snow.
As I said before, Squaw can be all rain, which can ruin a good snowpack.
Mammoth rarely rains up high, and it is very consistent all winter. The upper mountain gets good windbuff, which can mean good conditions weeks after a storm. The upper mountain really does tend to ski well all winter, and it rarely gets slushy until spring. Having said that, if the upper stuff does get slushy in January, you can be fucked for weeks. The conditions that keep the snow wintery up high can keep slushed up sections icy for weeks once the normal weather returns. It happens occasionally, although not too often. With Squaw, you have 360 degrees of exposure, so even in January you can make good slush turns on Broken Arrow, and good windbuff turns on the north facing KT alternates. If the whole mountain at Squaw get slushy, then freezes, Broken Arrow will almost always slush up. Mammoth is not that way, at least until spring. As I said before, if the top of Mammoth gets slushy in January you are usually fucked until there is another storm. Squaw's exposure makes that less of a problem, as there is both south and north facing quality terrain.
As long as the top stays wintery at Mammoth, which it usually does until spring, the wind will continue to smooth things up. If you follow the wind, Mammoth can give you great skiing weeks after a storm. Of course, that wind can also turn pow on the upper mountain into wind buff, which while nice to ski, is still a disappointment. Squaw also has more storm skiing options than Mammoth, where the top can be closed for a long time. I would rather ski blue bird big days at Squaw, although Mammoth rocks on big pow days too. Squaw has more sick terrain, although Mammoth also has some steeps. I think either place will give you access to some terrain that will test your steep skiing ability, so have fun.
Both places are among the most consistent out there for snow fall.
As I said before, Squaw, Mammoth, Snowbird.....Those places all give you a very good chance of having good conditions. They all are fun even if there is no fresh snow.
