Moving where there is no skiing.

ANDR01D

ANDR01D

Active member
I've been offered a great job at an amazing company in Chicago making all kinds of $$$$, but as we all know, there isn't much in the way of skiing. Would you ever consider moving somewhere that doesn't have legitimate skiing?
 
Yeah, I'm just worried because where I ski now, I go every weekend and two or three nights during the week. And even with a generous amount of vacation time, that is still only like 20 days of skiing a season.
 
Consider the company and their PTO allowances and flexibility. If your job is intense and you won't get a whole lot of time off, then you'll feel the impact of no local resorts much more. Great pay is a big part of a job, but not many people consider their time-off situation.
 
Look into raging buffalo. It may be the closest skiing to Chicago, my family lives in a northern suburb and takes trips to chestnut mountain in summer and winter, there is skiing, you just have to be willing to travel a bit. Lots of really good skateparks too
 
Raging buffalo blows, and so does all of the skiing in the midwest. I only ski at 2 places in the midwest. Granite peak in wisconsin for the park, and Mt.Bohemia in the U.P for actual real skiing and powder.

 
When i've visited IL in past winters i'd go to Tyrol Basin or Chestnut.. Both a bit of a drive but more enjoyable than Raging buffalo
 
Where do you ski now? Like others have said if you are making serious money then you can go ski where you want. You may not to ski as often but if for exams you ski on the east coast now, you could spend all your vacation out west or even in Europe or Japan.

I recently moved from whistler to London for work. It's not that bad man, the money makes up for it and so long a you enjoy what you do it's fine.

Also try taking up a new hobby like biking, skating ect and you can fill your time that way.
 
You can have a lot of fun doing things other than skiing... You're going to Chicago man, that is a sick city, there is a whole lot of things you can do there. I would be more focus on the positives of what this new environment has to offer you as opposed to how you won't be able to ski anymore.

I think we all agree that skiing is on of the most fun activities in the world, but honestly it isn't the most sustainable and sometimes you just gotta look at the next big thing. Doesn't mean you won't be able to ski anymore, even you said you have 20 days of vacation where you can go ski somewhere sick. Change can be good.
 
Gif-Queen-Elizabeth-II-Giving-Finger.gif


While you certainly won't find any good big mountain skiing in the Midwest, (other than maybe bohemia, I haven't been there so I wouldn't know) there are some good parks. Granite Peak, Afton Alps, Hyland Hills, and Spirit Mountain in Minnesota all have banger parks. I've heard good things about some of the places in lower Michigan as well
 
Yeah. Chestnuts park is normally pretty good, as is tyrols. Granite peak is one if the best parks I've been too. You just have too look a bit in the Midwest.
 
Big mountain and midwest don't go together. I'm not hating its just the truth. I have been to pretty much all the "hills" in wisconsin and michigan. Back in the day Cascade's terrain park was the best in the midwest, for many many years. Tyrol is decent, but granite peak blows away all of them as far as park is concerned. They actually have a multiple bad ass jump lines, and plenty of features. Mt.Bohemia is the best there is. They don't make any snow, so they rely on mother nature lake effect. When the snow machine AKA the lake effect is turned on, Mt.Bohemia is a gem....However with low snow seasons bring your rock skis cause there are plenty of them. It's pretty much the only place in the midwest that you can actually ski a real mountain, and powder. Unfortunately its 7 hours from Chicago.

Chicago is great city. However the winters do really suck, because of the bitter cold and wind. The city can be very dangerous, traffic blows donkey balls, its completely flat, Illinois in general sucks, Chicago is the most corrupt city in the country, the cops blow, highest gas prices in the country, terrible taxes, terrible gun laws, high living costs, and very very high property and sales taxes.

I am doing the exact opposite of you. Around December time I will be taking a new position in Denver. I am looking forward to getting out of Chicago.

 
I moved away from the mountains and ski bum lifestyle to Toronto where the skiing is kind of shitty compared to what I was used to. Skiing isn't everything in life, you'll find that things will be OK. I did make sure I could travel to go ski as much as possible and always tried to get out to ski some of the better parks in the area even though they were a 2+ hour drive.

That all being said, I really do miss skiing in Toronto and am looking forward to potentially moving to Switzerland again for a job opportunity. Fingers crossed.
 
It's your life man, weigh out all the pros 'n cons of each and decide. I myself couldn't move somewhere for an extended period of time if there was no skiing. Shit I passed up a school in Florida because it was a 2year-no summer break school and I wouldn't have been able to ski #yolo
 
I appreciate all the great advice guys, it's helped me a lot. I'm currently mapping out a pros/cons list, but I think I'm going to take it. Worst comes to worst, I hate it and I can use all that money I make to go be a ski bum out west for an entire winter and look for a job.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top