Best Resort for a season in the West?

buckbeaumont

buckbeaumont

Member
A few mates and I are interested in doing a season somewhere in either Canada or the US for the winter of 2015/16, but are unsure of where to do it!

We are all experienced skiers but are not familiar with working in the snow. We want a good mix between the crew vibe of the town and awesome pillow lines ;)

What can you guys suggest?

Cheers in advance.
 
Banff, Canada

One of the most amazing places in the world in my opinion, not too big, pretty small town but theres three resorts within 30 mins of the town, Sunshine Village, Lake Louise and Norquay.

Great place to have a season, great community, great snow, great mountains, whats not to love, would definitely check this place out if i were you!
 
Silverton or Telluride both in Colorado sound good for what youre looking for. Theyre very small towns but the culture is awesome and vibes are sick. If youre looking for something bigger maybe breckenridge in Colorado or squaw valley in California.
 
Of all the places mentioned in this thread, only Whistler has decent pillow zones. Based on your "crew vibe of the town and awesome pillow lines" I'd have to say Whistler might be the only place that actually meets that criteria. Revy might suffice.

Really it's a difference of continental vs maritime snowpack. The warmer it is, the more moisture in the snow, the better chance of pillows forming. If you end up in Colorado, Alberta, Utah, etc... you're going to end up skiing more chutes and cliffs than pillows (and please, please don't listen to anyone who tells you do go to Summit County, CO if you want to ski outside of the park.)
 
13277365:Drail said:
Of all the places mentioned in this thread, only Whistler has decent pillow zones. Based on your "crew vibe of the town and awesome pillow lines" I'd have to say Whistler might be the only place that actually meets that criteria. Revy might suffice.

Really it's a difference of continental vs maritime snowpack. The warmer it is, the more moisture in the snow, the better chance of pillows forming. If you end up in Colorado, Alberta, Utah, etc... you're going to end up skiing more chutes and cliffs than pillows (and please, please don't listen to anyone who tells you do go to Summit County, CO if you want to ski outside of the park.)
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Im sorry you must not know where silverton and telluride are or what theyre about. Probably dont know shit about squaw either. Also failed to recognize that the smallest resorts are the ones with the best vibes
 
13277375:Mattskis303 said:
Im sorry you must not know where silverton and telluride are or what theyre about. Probably dont know shit about squaw either. Also failed to recognize that the smallest resorts are the ones with the best vibes
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Not talking vibes, I'm talking pillows. Buddy specifically said he's looking for pillow lines. Good luck finding pillow lines in the San Juans. Coast Mountains and Columbia Mountains in BC on the other hand. Now, combining pillow zones AND 'crew vibe', you seriously limit yourself. The best pillow zones I know of aren't anywhere close to a ski resort, they're in the backwoods by hick towns with no cell service. awesome pillow lines + 'crew vibe of the town' = Whistler and the West Kootenays.

The San Juans are a sick range and Silverton is 100% on my bucket list, but I don't expect to find any pillow lines in one of the coldest, driest snowpacks on the continent. And as for Squaw - do they even get snow anymore? A few years ago I was looking into the logistics of moving to Tahoe, now I can't recommend anywhere go there.
 
Like someone said above, Banff is awesome. This is my third season here and I dont want to leave. Not really much in the way of pillows but theres some sick terrain nonetheless and also you're not too far from interior BC for doing trips.

The town is sick, awesome vibe, awesome people, awesome night life. Also, if you want to work here, visas are easier to get hold of than the U.S.
 
13277448:Mr.Penguin said:
Jackson or Revelstoke
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Fun Fact. The Teton Range experiences more of a maritime than continental snowpack because the break between the Cascades and Sierra Nevada line up with the Snake Valley so storms can come in off the ocean and don't have a real obstacle to go over until it hits the Tetons.

Maritime style storms + continental style temps (cold) = lots of snow that actually sticks to shit. A bit of an anomaly for how far inland the range is.
 
13277285:LamieJ said:
All the big names probably, pc, whistler, breck and key, you name it
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I'm a fucking idiot and didn't read any of your OP, just the title. So these are definitely not the best bc resorts in the west, oops
 
13277495:LamieJ said:
I'm a fucking idiot and didn't read any of your OP, just the title. So these are definitely not the best bc resorts in the west, oops
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I couldn't believe what I was reading. Lol.
 
If only Whistler wasn't full of so many Australian fuckwits. I'm Australian and I hate them and the attitude they bring with themselves.
 
Whitewater in BC is a sick small hill near Nelson with the most insane pillow lines imaginable both in and out of bounds, with all kinds of other alpine terrain accessible just beyond the resort and in the same area if you are into touring. Lots of rad people to meet, just be aware of the hippy culture in Nelson - if that's not really your thing, you probably won't find lots of enjoyment in partying etc. in town, but to be real you likely won't care about much except skiing. Also there are few jobs in Nelson during the winter if that is part of your plan.
 
Jackson Hole. Great terrain and backcountry, dumps of good snow, and (it's been a few years) but I liked their park at the end of the day too when I used to go there for spring break. Good locals too. That's definitely where I'd spend a year ski bumming if I were to ever do that
 
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