Season 21/22 in the USA, Tips and tricks?

Satans_anus

Satans_anus

Member
Hey boys and girls! I've come to realize it's about damn time I spend a season up in the mountains. At first I was thinking the Alps, mainly Austria (I'm from Sweden). But since I have a American citizenship I thought I should make some use of it!

So, do any of you have any tips on resorts that I should avoid? Or what areas are the go to? (I ski everything but mostly looking for pow and some park).

How about getting help with jobs/housing?

What kind of budget do I need for a trip like this? Do I need to get a car while I'm there?

Or any other generall tip that could help me out would be greatly appreciated!

Much love!
 
We don’t have nearly the extent of public transit as Europe but Ik it’s decently cheap to take a train from NYC to Chicago and then from Chicago you should be able to find one to Denver or SLC. But yeah unless ur living right in the heart of a ski town which can be pricy, you’ll need a car. Also where in Sweden are you from? Just curious I’ve got family in Stockholm
 
14314216:WoFlowz said:
We don’t have nearly the extent of public transit as Europe but Ik it’s decently cheap to take a train from NYC to Chicago and then from Chicago you should be able to find one to Denver or SLC. But yeah unless ur living right in the heart of a ski town which can be pricy, you’ll need a car. Also where in Sweden are you from? Just curious I’ve got family in Stockholm
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That's what I was kinda worried about, I guess I have to get a beater for the season lol.

Oh cool! I've lived in Stockholm basically my whole life. It's an amazing city but it sucks if you want to ski alot :/
 
14314221:Satans_anus said:
That's what I was kinda worried about, I guess I have to get a beater for the season lol.

Oh cool! I've lived in Stockholm basically my whole life. It's an amazing city but it sucks if you want to ski alot :/
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I really wanna visit them once I graduate then buy the euro pass and take a train all over Europe to backpack and ski. Stockholm looks like a Beautiful place to live besides the lack of skiing :/
 
14314222:WoFlowz said:
I really wanna visit them once I graduate then buy the euro pass and take a train all over Europe to backpack and ski. Stockholm looks like a Beautiful place to live besides the lack of skiing :/
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Go for it! you will have an amazing time, not many things beat summer in Stockholm!
 
I had friends way back in the day spend winter break in Colorado. Not sure if you can still find cheap temporary housing there or not, but the breckenridge area has a decent bus system to get around.
 
We don’t have the same train/bus infrastructure like you do so don’t expect to go from mountain to mountain without a car. You’ll probably have to pick a coast as going to from one to the other is costly and a pain in the ass. Pretty easy choice to go out west. It’s not going to be cheap. If I were you, I’d just ski bum it in a beater between Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming or Utah. Im

guessing Ikon (right?) would cover the most mountains in that area
 
Nordic summers are fucking amazing. I just spent a good chunk of the summer in Finland.

Maybe I can help you out. I’ve done a season here and there. Do you have any idea where you want to go?

Places like keystone/Dillon area are pretty accessible by bus. North Tahoe isn’t too bad with the TART. But a beater will always make life easier. Another option is living with roommates who have a car. If you work at a big resort, usually it’s not so hard to link up with people who have cars and will shuttle you. I knew tons of people in Tahoe who didn’t have cars that I worked with.

Anyways, what do you value? Big mountain? More snow? Less crowd? Great park? More work or more riding?

14314232:Satans_anus said:
Go for it! you will have an amazing time, not many things beat summer in Stockholm!
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14314257:DesertStix said:
We don’t have the same train/bus infrastructure like you do so don’t expect to go from mountain to mountain without a car. You’ll probably have to pick a coast as going to from one to the other is costly and a pain in the ass. Pretty easy choice to go out west. It’s not going to be cheap. If I were you, I’d just ski bum it in a beater between Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming or Utah. Im

guessing Ikon (right?) would cover the most mountains in that area
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I’ve been looking into aspen, they have a lot of jobs listed on their website and I’ve read that they offer good housing as well. Not sure how the ikon pass works but I will look into it!
 
14314258:BradFiAusNzCoCa said:
Nordic summers are fucking amazing. I just spent a good chunk of the summer in Finland.

Maybe I can help you out. I’ve done a season here and there. Do you have any idea where you want to go?

Places like keystone/Dillon area are pretty accessible by bus. North Tahoe isn’t too bad with the TART. But a beater will always make life easier. Another option is living with roommates who have a car. If you work at a big resort, usually it’s not so hard to link up with people who have cars and will shuttle you. I knew tons of people in Tahoe who didn’t have cars that I worked with.

Anyways, what do you value? Big mountain? More snow? Less crowd? Great park? More work or more riding?
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I’m probably going to look for jobs at resorts to get help with housing and, as you said, find roommates to carpool and such with.

I’ve been looking into aspen, I read they have nice housing and lots of jobs. And from what I’ve seen through videos it looks like the skiing is good too.

I’m mostly looking for some nice pow days but also a great park, I’m no pro level rider so it doesn’t have to be too crazy
 
Aspen is good in that they have the 4 resorts nearby and they have Basalt-El Jebel-Glenwood etc. relatively close in that little corridor so you will have a few more options. Aspen will def have employment opportunities but keep in mind that Aspen is like the $$$$ ski resort in USA so you get a certain type of clientele that comes with it too. It’s a cool place though. Good terrain, good park. Snow is nice and dry too usually.

If you’re digging the aspen vibe, maybe look into telluride too.

14314452:Satans_anus said:
I’m probably going to look for jobs at resorts to get help with housing and, as you said, find roommates to carpool and such with.

I’ve been looking into aspen, I read they have nice housing and lots of jobs. And from what I’ve seen through videos it looks like the skiing is good too.

I’m mostly looking for some nice pow days but also a great park, I’m no pro level rider so it doesn’t have to be too crazy
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Im looking to ski in Europe this coming season as I am living in Scotland at the moment. Looking at doing a 1 week gig but might be able to swing 2 weeks. Where would you recommend to ski in Europe if you only had that time frame to ski there?

Looks like you are on a decent track if you are looking at Colorado. Northern Utah is good but lots of people are flooding into this area at the moment so housing is difficult. Jackson Hole, Wyoming is a good place and you could possibly maybe score a house sitting job for the winter. Lots of homes in that area that the owners are only at a few weeks a year but need someone to live in while they are not there. I worked in Jackson for a few years and met many people that did this. Best of luck!
 
14314748:BradFiAusNzCoCa said:
Aspen is good in that they have the 4 resorts nearby and they have Basalt-El Jebel-Glenwood etc. relatively close in that little corridor so you will have a few more options. Aspen will def have employment opportunities but keep in mind that Aspen is like the $$$$ ski resort in USA so you get a certain type of clientele that comes with it too. It’s a cool place though. Good terrain, good park. Snow is nice and dry too usually.

If you’re digging the aspen vibe, maybe look into telluride too.
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Hhmmm, not really feeling the rich people vibe tbh. What other resorts in Colorado would you recommend? Or is there other states I should look into as well?

Gonna check out telluride too!
 
14314751:oldmanski said:
Im looking to ski in Europe this coming season as I am living in Scotland at the moment. Looking at doing a 1 week gig but might be able to swing 2 weeks. Where would you recommend to ski in Europe if you only had that time frame to ski there?

Looks like you are on a decent track if you are looking at Colorado. Northern Utah is good but lots of people are flooding into this area at the moment so housing is difficult. Jackson Hole, Wyoming is a good place and you could possibly maybe score a house sitting job for the winter. Lots of homes in that area that the owners are only at a few weeks a year but need someone to live in while they are not there. I worked in Jackson for a few years and met many people that did this. Best of luck!
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My favorite so far has been the Dolomites in Italy! Amazing skiing, pretty cheap compared to France and Switzerland, the food is great! Cervinia is on the top of my list but Arabba is sick too, small village tho so not as much of a nightlife as other places.

I am definitely checking out Utah! I’ve heard that the lift lines in Jackson can be pretty brutal but the skiing seems 10/10
 
Do you care about a village? Do you want like the “whole USA ski experience”? And does that mean quality of skiing of quality of overall experience to you?

There’s so many places that it’s kinda hard to narrow it down without this info. You can ski in every western US state besides Texas.

Sunlight mountain is kinda close to aspen and like mom and pop style.

Durango is worth a shot too. You’ve got purgatory right there. Purgatory can be fun. Best snow I’ve ever skiied was there. So dry and DEEP. Silverton mountain is up the road. That place is a trip (look it up). Then you have Hesperus as well for the most janky skiing under the lights you’ve ever done (but it’s fun). Plus Durango is a pretty cool town and Taos isn’t TOO far. Also, wolf creek is not far and that’s the most snow in Colorado.

There’s many many places and many states but if I could do it all over again though - I’d still go to the same place I started: North Lake Tahoe. So many resorts, beautiful views, lots of great parks, lots of gnarly terrain. Biggest thing about Tahoe though is that the snowfall is feast or famine. There is no in between. And it’s not as dry of snow as Colorado (which I don’t mind).

14314756:Satans_anus said:
Hhmmm, not really feeling the rich people vibe tbh. What other resorts in Colorado would you recommend? Or is there other states I should look into as well?

Gonna check out telluride too!
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It's pretty hard to argue against living in Utah. There are an insane amount of industry people and pro skiers here. We have Park City, Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, etc. There's a bunch of employment opportunities and you can live outside SLC for cheaper then in SLC. On top of that, I currently live 30-40 mins from all the resorts listed above and the cost of living is much more manageable than say Denver (never lived in Denver, but based on everything I've heard, it's wild). The other problem with CO is you're driving twice as far at least to get to the resorts. Utah is also pretty central between CO, WY, ID and you're within a roadtrip of Oregon as well for some Spring Pass action!
 
Aspen and Telluride are DUMB expensive just a heads up. But Telluride is probably the nicest and biggest resort I’ve ever been to. It’s also nice that Denver isn’t close so you don’t have the same crowd as all the other mountains and there is endless skiable terrain.

14314748:BradFiAusNzCoCa said:
Aspen is good in that they have the 4 resorts nearby and they have Basalt-El Jebel-Glenwood etc. relatively close in that little corridor so you will have a few more options. Aspen will def have employment opportunities but keep in mind that Aspen is like the $$$$ ski resort in USA so you get a certain type of clientele that comes with it too. It’s a cool place though. Good terrain, good park. Snow is nice and dry too usually.

If you’re digging the aspen vibe, maybe look into telluride too.
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14314762:BradFiAusNzCoCa said:
Do you care about a village? Do you want like the “whole USA ski experience”? And does that mean quality of skiing of quality of overall experience to you?

There’s so many places that it’s kinda hard to narrow it down without this info. You can ski in every western US state besides Texas.

Sunlight mountain is kinda close to aspen and like mom and pop style.

Durango is worth a shot too. You’ve got purgatory right there. Purgatory can be fun. Best snow I’ve ever skiied was there. So dry and DEEP. Silverton mountain is up the road. That place is a trip (look it up). Then you have Hesperus as well for the most janky skiing under the lights you’ve ever done (but it’s fun). Plus Durango is a pretty cool town and Taos isn’t TOO far. Also, wolf creek is not far and that’s the most snow in Colorado.

There’s many many places and many states but if I could do it all over again though - I’d still go to the same place I started: North Lake Tahoe. So many resorts, beautiful views, lots of great parks, lots of gnarly terrain. Biggest thing about Tahoe though is that the snowfall is feast or famine. There is no in between. And it’s not as dry of snow as Colorado (which I don’t mind).
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I would probably say I want the best overall experience, I want to meet new people, get connections to maybe stay through the summer until next winter as well. I do enjoy a night out and some partying so I don’t want to live too remote. And if I’m completely honest, I just want to get away from home and my crappy job so I could basically go anywhere ?
 
14314774:DesertStix said:
Aspen and Telluride are DUMB expensive just a heads up. But Telluride is probably the nicest and biggest resort I’ve ever been to. It’s also nice that Denver isn’t close so you don’t have the same crowd as all the other mountains and there is endless skiable terrain.
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In what way is it expensive? Do you need to pay for housing even if it’s given by a employer? Or is it the ski pass?
 
14314772:Schoess said:
It's pretty hard to argue against living in Utah. There are an insane amount of industry people and pro skiers here. We have Park City, Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, etc. There's a bunch of employment opportunities and you can live outside SLC for cheaper then in SLC. On top of that, I currently live 30-40 mins from all the resorts listed above and the cost of living is much more manageable than say Denver (never lived in Denver, but based on everything I've heard, it's wild). The other problem with CO is you're driving twice as far at least to get to the resorts. Utah is also pretty central between CO, WY, ID and you're within a roadtrip of Oregon as well for some Spring Pass action!
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Alright, Utah sounds like the way to go! Definitely going to check what’s available
 
14314785:Satans_anus said:
Alright, Utah sounds like the way to go! Definitely going to check what’s available
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I would recommend checking out Provo or around there if you can't find anything in SLC that you can afford. It def is expensive to live here compared to like Iowa, but especially with roommates, it's doable.
 
He said he likes to go out… Provo would be like the last place I would think to suggest lol maybe Ogden

14314819:Schoess said:
I would recommend checking out Provo or around there if you can't find anything in SLC that you can afford. It def is expensive to live here compared to like Iowa, but especially with roommates, it's doable.
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The cost of living is extremely expensive so even if you’re living rent-free, everything else around you is going to have heightened prices. Gas, food, etc obviously all that might be off set by not having to pay for a room but Utah is probably going to be a little cheaper. I know SLC is booming right now but you’re asking about a small ski town versus a major metropolitan area they aren’t really comparable.

14314784:Satans_anus said:
In what way is it expensive? Do you need to pay for housing even if it’s given by a employer? Or is it the ski pass?
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14314751:oldmanski said:
Im looking to ski in Europe this coming season as I am living in Scotland at the moment. Looking at doing a 1 week gig but might be able to swing 2 weeks. Where would you recommend to ski in Europe if you only had that time frame to ski there?

Looks like you are on a decent track if you are looking at Colorado. Northern Utah is good but lots of people are flooding into this area at the moment so housing is difficult. Jackson Hole, Wyoming is a good place and you could possibly maybe score a house sitting job for the winter. Lots of homes in that area that the owners are only at a few weeks a year but need someone to live in while they are not there. I worked in Jackson for a few years and met many people that did this. Best of luck!
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My uni varsity trip is in tignes this December. You can't go wrong with Espace Killy for sheer size of skiing area. Always untouched snow to be found. And op is correct about the dolomites but stay firmly away from the Italian alps because their snow is trash you'll be better off in France or Austria for resorts in the alps.
 
Do not tell this dude to fly all the way to America for Killington

14314844:gilbertressel said:
My uni varsity trip is in tignes this December. You can't go wrong with Espace Killy for sheer size of skiing area. Always untouched snow to be found. And op is correct about the dolomites but stay firmly away from the Italian alps because their snow is trash you'll be better off in France or Austria for resorts in the alps.
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don't listen to these weekend commuters talkin bout live in some suburb 40 minutes away as the crow flies

Go to a real ski town, the good ones have free buses running all over, get an afternoon or evening resort job with a pass and employee housing, everywhere is hiring for winter right now and the housing is getting snatched up so get on it.
 
14314848:Static said:
don't listen to these weekend commuters talkin bout live in some suburb 40 minutes away as the crow flies

Go to a real ski town, the good ones have free buses running all over, get an afternoon or evening resort job with a pass and employee housing, everywhere is hiring for winter right now and the housing is getting snatched up so get on it.
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Any examples on real ski towns?
 
14314757:Satans_anus said:
My favorite so far has been the Dolomites in Italy! Amazing skiing, pretty cheap compared to France and Switzerland, the food is great! Cervinia is on the top of my list but Arabba is sick too, small village tho so not as much of a nightlife as other places.

I am definitely checking out Utah! I’ve heard that the lift lines in Jackson can be pretty brutal but the skiing seems 10/10
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14314844:gilbertressel said:
My uni varsity trip is in tignes this December. You can't go wrong with Espace Killy for sheer size of skiing area. Always untouched snow to be found. And op is correct about the dolomites but stay firmly away from the Italian alps because their snow is trash you'll be better off in France or Austria for resorts in the alps.
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Sweet! Thanks for the advice!! I will let you know what gets planned.
 
14314736:Satans_anus said:
The thing is, I’ve been to the alps a bunch already. And going to the US feels more like an “adventure” you know?
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If I were spending a season in North America I'd probably rather go to Canada than the US. The closest thing you could get to a European resort in terms of size would be whistler, and there is definitely a lot of nightlife at the base. Downside would be lots of crowds. If you just wanted purely the best skiing with none of the bullshit there are a handful of resorts in interior BC that would be great.

If it needs to be America I personally wouldn't go to Colorado, rich people vibes at a lot of the resorts or mega crowds in summit county. Also they don't get as much snow and the avy risk is always bad. Utah offers better skiing combined with an actual city if that's what you're looking for, but I've heard that crowds and traffic are an absolute nightmare on pow days. You could also look at JH/Targhee in Wyoming or Big Sky in Montana for destination resorts with good skiing. I would stay away from California as the snow situation there seems to be going downhill, but you could get lucky. The PNW is fun but there's no real "destination" resorts
 
14314827:BradFiAusNzCoCa said:
He said he likes to go out… Provo would be like the last place I would think to suggest lol maybe Ogden
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Yeah I guess I forgot about the going out part. I was mainly thinking to be closer to LCC and BCC
 
The problem with this logic is he needs to get a working holiday visa via his Swedish passport (don’t think they’re giving them out right now) vs just entering into USA on his citizenship.

And don’t sleep on California. Skiing there is amazing when it’s good.

Yeah Colorado is pretty blown out. I just concentrated on there because he mentioned Aspen.

Honestly, OP - I think you’ll be good wherever you go. Sounds like you want a western state destination resort. It’ll be better skiing than Sweden - I can promise you that.

14314873:abar. said:
If I were spending a season in North America I'd probably rather go to Canada than the US. The closest thing you could get to a European resort in terms of size would be whistler, and there is definitely a lot of nightlife at the base. Downside would be lots of crowds. If you just wanted purely the best skiing with none of the bullshit there are a handful of resorts in interior BC that would be great.

If it needs to be America I personally wouldn't go to Colorado, rich people vibes at a lot of the resorts or mega crowds in summit county. Also they don't get as much snow and the avy risk is always bad. Utah offers better skiing combined with an actual city if that's what you're looking for, but I've heard that crowds and traffic are an absolute nightmare on pow days. You could also look at JH/Targhee in Wyoming or Big Sky in Montana for destination resorts with good skiing. I would stay away from California as the snow situation there seems to be going downhill, but you could get lucky. The PNW is fun but there's no real "destination" resorts
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14314923:BradFiAusNzCoCa said:
The problem with this logic is he needs to get a working holiday visa via his Swedish passport (don’t think they’re giving them out right now) vs just entering into USA on his citizenship.

And don’t sleep on California. Skiing there is amazing when it’s good.

Yeah Colorado is pretty blown out. I just concentrated on there because he mentioned Aspen.

Honestly, OP - I think you’ll be good wherever you go. Sounds like you want a western state destination resort. It’ll be better skiing than Sweden - I can promise you that.
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Yeah that’s what I was thinking too. I’ve heard about so many different places and resorts through NS and video segments so I was hoping for some help to narrow down the list. And y’all gave me just that, I appreciate everyone here so much for the help and info given!

I am going to put the last pieces down in my resume and start sending it out left and right!

Again, I reeaaally appreciate the help I’ve gotten on here! Much love

(If someone got any other tips though hmu! ;)
 
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