 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Cathy Coins, This is a one off with the kids in tow and with our friends, a real spoil compared to our budget holidays so can't wait! 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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gregh, did you not find Jackson a bit tricky to get to? I visited November 2003 and had to drive from Salt Lake City as I couldn't get reasonable connection into Jackson itself. All very serendipitous though and the whole trip excellent. Didn't ski Jackson pistes as they weren't open and Targhee just had a couple of runs. But got to see the Tetons, which was the point of the whole trip.
I got the impression that its cult destination status was well deserved though and briefly toyed with jacking in career and applying for an advertised cub reporter job on the Jackson Mail. No I'm not a reporter, but hey, I can type with a quaint Anglo-Scottish accent.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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erica2004, Park City to Alta (beyond Snowbird but not by very much) is about 40 miles and 1 hour's easy drive. Friend of mine lives in Park City and works in Alta. I'm certainly aiming for Park City as a base in March, although nothing is booked yet!
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Erica,
My wife and I really enjoyed Park City as a base. We actually stayed in a little condo out by The Canyons. Lots of restaraunts, shops, and bars in Park City and you can find restaurants ranging from pretty inexpensive (we really liked the "No Name Saloon" great buffalo burgers, and the Wasach Brew Pub). On the inexpensive side we also ate at a good Mexican place. We splurged one night. Don't recall the name of the place but thought it was pretty good but not worth the price. Park City is sort of the sin city of Utah. Snowbird and Alta are right next to one another (you can get a shared lift pass for skiers only) it took us about 45 minutes to drive from Park City. Some things to keep in mind. There is very little other than a few lodges up at Alta and Snowbird. It's really not like a resort village at all. Folks that stay up there pretty much eat and drink at their lodge. So it's very quiet. The road up to Alta and Snowbird is subject to closure from avalanche. It sometimes happens that folks are confined to their lodges because of avalanche risk. So, if you drive up you can get stuck up there and if you're planning to drive up to ski you might not be able to make it in the morning. You're supposed to have either chaines or 4wd. There are buses that run from the base of the big and little cottonwood canyons up to the resorts. They are cheap and reasonably convenient. An alternative is to find motel in either Sandy or Midvale (suburbs of SLC) near the entrence to the cottonwood canyons -- probably the least expensive way to do a trip to ski in the U.S. west. But I find Salt Lake City to kind of be one big suburb with little charm. My wife and I might do that for a cheap trip but Park City has much more charm and interest. When we go again, and we likely will go again cause we really enjoyed it I'd probably stay in Park City but plan on doing day trips to different resorts. Drive to Alta, Snowbird, Solitude on days when the weather/roads were good, I'd really like to try Snowbasin based on everything I've heard and read. I think if we had stayed at the Park City resorts we'd have had a great trip, but Alta really blew us away and I think anyone who goes to UT is cheating themselves by not at least trying it. A nice thing about UT is that there are 8 or 9 substantial areas within about an hour of the Salt Lake City airport but I think some of the Colorado and California resorts may offer better ski in/ski out convenience. FWIW, we're trying to plan a trip to Saalbach this year.
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| David Murdoch wrote: |
| gregh, did you not find Jackson a bit tricky to get to? |
Nope, flew Heathrow to Chicago, Chicago direct to Jackson, job done, arrived in time for a pint!
cheers,
greg
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I'm a full time ski instructor from Colorado, a level III (full) cert, resident of Grand County (Winter Park) and new member here. If I can answer any questions I will.
Someone recently stated there is no "perfect" resort and I tend to agree. I teach/live in the Winter Park area simply because I love the mountain/area.
If you want to be centrally located and ski a variety of mountains Summit County is the answer. More specificall hire a vehicle and stay in the Dillon/Silverthorne/Frisco area near Interstate 70.
If you want the most terrain go to Aspen or Vail.
Intermediate terrain is available everywhere.
"Real" western town or ambiance I'd chose Steamboat or Winter Park.
Best powder.....Steamboat.
Most reliable snow......Winter Park
Crowds........Breck
Reliable snow can be found from November 15 thru May 15.
Best ski school......Aspen, Vail, Breck, Copper, or Winter Park in no particular order (DEMAND A LEVEL III CERT!!!!) I will be more than happy to recommend peers at ANY resort in Colorado and provide particulars as to why I chose an individual name! In terms of ethics, I'll be the first to say that if you ask me for a name at Winter Park mine will be fairly far down the list.
Rusty Guy
Winter Park Ski Resort
guyrb@msn.com
Last edited by After all it is free  on Tue 9-08-05 19:56; edited 1 time in total
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Rusty Guy, welcome to snowHeads 
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Hi Rusty!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks for the welcome.....and before someone asks, yes this is my real name. My folks had quite the sense of humor.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Rusty Guy, Welcome to 's most informative, short and sweet too!
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Howdy Rusty Guy, I feel a want to come to Winter Park already.
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You know it makes sense.
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Frosty the Snowman, it's well worth a trip or two. 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Rusty Guy, Hi there - nothing like inside information  But isn't Winter Park a purpose built resort?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Wear The Fox Hat, Just looked at the pics. How do they make any money if nobody ever goes there  . Oops no, Ive spotted a skier
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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erica2004, Winter Park is a town and a seperate resort - there is a bit of seperation - well, at least until Intrawest build the new lift from the centre of the town up to the slopes...
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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
| Wear The Fox Hat, Just looked at the pics. How do they make any money if nobody ever goes there . Oops no, Ive spotted a skier |
Those were taken in the middle of February!
Mid-week the place is generally quieter. At weekends it gets busy, as it is the nearest resort to Denver, and you can get there by train, direct from Denver to the main ticket office.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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erica2004, I went to Winter Park in April 2004 and was quite disappointed.
It is a small mountain and the pistes are either easy long greens or steep bumps, with only a few pistes intermediate pistes in between. There were no bowls as such as the Vasquez Ridge area was shut, due to poor snow. If your husband thinks Courcheval is small then he will be bored after half a day.
Because I went late season, the snow was basicaly slush that did not freeze overnight. The groomed snow got chopped up almost immediately and vast swathes of the mountain were left ungroomed into slushy bumps. Not much fun.
The town itself was completely dead.
I might go back if I was doing tour of the Rockies' resorts, but wouldn't spend more than a day or at the max a weekend ski-ing there.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Essex Alp, welcome! Although I think my photos may disagree with your comments.
I went to WP for a couple of two week trips, and found there was more than enough terrain to keep me happy - particularly skiing around the trees off Timberline, or heading down Derailler, or, on the more daring occasions, going into the Cirque.
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If your going that way you ought to check out Berthoud Pass Ski Area. Im not sure of its still open but theres some great steeps. When I went (years ago) the area was closed but you could ski back country down to the main highway & thumb a lift back up the Pass. Maybe Rusty Guy can fill us in with the latest news on Berthoud Pass Ski Area ??
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Last I was there, it was by Cat only. (again, thumbing a lift to get back up)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Let me start with Essex Alps comments. I think if you examine either our vertical or acreage you will find we are average in size in terms of Colorado resorts. We have 2600 acres vs 2200 for Breck or 2400 for Copper. April 2004 was an unusual year in terms of weather. April is at best a hit or miss time to visit Colorado. I will say WP is higher than many Colorado resorts and our snowfall average is at or near the top of the list. I know this may be akin to pouring salt in a wound, however, April 05 was the polar extreme. We got snow every day. I'll put forth a little ski instructor slang for a heavy snowfall and apologize in advance. The term is "it's puking" a la is it snowing hard? Yes, it's puking.
Winter Park resort and Winter Park proper are four miles apart. As far as the town being "dead"., I guess that can be a dual edged sword. I only need one watering hole at a time. I'm not familiar with the term "purpose built resort". As stated, the resort base area is a short distance from town. Back to whether it's alive or dead, I live outside a small town "downvalley" called Tabernash. It is eight or so miles from the town of Winter Park. It is near Fraser which is merely a small village. I love these small Colorado towns and quite frankly cannot stand spots such as Breck or Vail due to the crowds, t-shirt shops, etc. These are real Colorado towns that have not changed much in decades. If you want crowds.....it's not the place. I'd also state there is plenty of varied terrain and again, April 04 was unusual.
Berthoud Pass Ski Area is gone. In fact the base area was recently demolished. The state is attempting to return the area to a natural state. The cat skiing operation has been shut down. Plenty of folks still utilize the area for back country skiing. I will say that if you are interested it is a very dangerous endeavor. There are a multitude of folks claiming to have considerable back country/mountaineering/avalanche expertise who are frauds. I have been skiing for 40 years and will state I know enough to get myself killed. I rarely ski backcountry and only with a few select guides.
As stated, with a level III cert I could teach anywhere in the west. The things that make me love WP may well be things that make it undesireable to others. I will say by US standards it's not small and the snow is typically great.
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Essex Alp, Rusty Guy - welcome to snowHeads
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Rusty is "spot on".
Breckenridge, Vail, Telluride and Aspen are nice but its more of a yatcht club atmosphere than that of a ski resort- Overpriced and Overrated.
My vote for all-around experience would be Steamboat... but Jackson Hole and Taos NM are also on "my favorites" list. However, they are seperated from most of the other resorts and mainstream Air Transportation to and from.
A younger crowd frequents Copper (College) which has its good and bad points! Winterpark is nice, but its not Steamboat!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Rineer07, welcome to snowHeads
This thread is popular for new snowHeads!
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Rineer07,
I too love "the Boat". It is famous for it's "Champagne Powder" and the claim is not hype. It is north of Winter Park and seems to get a lighter snow with less moisture content. The town is larger than WP and has more to do. During an average winter......whatever that might be, it gets puked on.
The only warning I have concerning Steamboat is that the mountain has a lower base elevation and can be a little "iffy" in late March or early April.
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You know it makes sense.
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Hello all,
This is my first post as Ive only just found a decent ski forum:)
Me and the other half are looking at a two week skiing holiday late feb 2006, im an ok skier while she is just learning(but having lessons).
We have looked at going to the iron horse resort at winter park but keep getting mixed reviews its either really good or really crap!
Now this will be Debs first skiing holiday so I want it to be a great experience, we are in our late 20's and have done all the mad drinking type stuff and just want to enjoy a nice place with nice people and enjoy a good ski together.
A lot of the critisim about w/p stems from a boring town and poorly maintained slopes, is this justified, and would it make a good resort for a first time skier ??
Thanks
Paul 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Royal, welcome!
If by "poorly maintained slopes" you mean that they don't groom every slope every day after a powder dump, then you're right, but that's so that you get to ski on powder on the slopes, and to allow natural terrain shapes to develop - i.e. moguls on some of the runs.
If you want every run to be on perfectly groomed slopes, don't go there. It's not that sanitised.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Greetings - may I suggest Mammoth in California (if the travelling is not a problem...)
Awesome ski-ing, beautiful scenery, and loads to do in the area (assuming you have a car...). Great snow record, and a hugely long season through to June/July most years....have skied all over Europe, Canada and several places in US, but for a general all round holiday (not just on the hill...) this comes pretty much top of the pops for me
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Now, if you are going to start mentioning California, then I have to say ski in Tahoe - and more specifically at Squaw Valley!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I'll jump in re Winter Park. It is a small town. The nightlife is not as lavish as Vail, Aspen, or Breck. I have said this ad nauseum, however, how many bars does one need to visit? There are perhaps a dozen places to go at night in WP vs two dozen in Breck and three dozen in Aspen or Vail.
I don't know of any town in Colorado with big clubs/disco's a la major cities.
Statistics clearly show that for any given time frame we get the most snow in the state over an annual basis. My evidence is purely anecdotal, however, Steamboat seems to get early snows and bigger snows in January/February and then by mid-March they fade. April can be a little warm/soft at the Boat due to their lower elevation. Grooming? Little is groomed on the Mary Jane side. I have a bumper sticker on my car that reads;
DON"T GROOM MARY JANE----God
On the Winter Park side plenty is grommed on every type of terrain. I would have to say in order for any US resort to draw customers they have to do ample grooming and balance that with natural conditions.
In terms of a first time skier I think our beginner area/terrain is among the very, very best in the state. It is up on the mountain so you are not stuck at the base. I hazard to estimate the acreage/hectares, however, it is huge, treeless, fenced, safe.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I think we have made our minds up about where to go next year for a main holiday.....
Rusty
Is the altitude much of a problem fopr most people and how long does it take to get used to ??
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it can be an issue. i can't cite a percentage. those who are bothered adjust in a day or two. i often wonder whether it is jet lag or being at 11,000 feet. there are medications available and i suppose a la a cruise ship with seasickness it is best to have the medication available. other than shortness of breath, i think the main issue is sleeplessness. i honestly hear of very few folks who have issues.
our house is at 9100 feet. my daughter once had a bad cold, complained of feeling light headed while skiing. at 12,000 feet she got off a chairlift and just passed out. the physician stated any compromise to the respiratory system makes matters worse. when I get my once a winter cold i just slow everything down a bit.
i think the really smart thing is to arrive with a modicum of fitness. jump on a treadmill or spinning bike for thirty minutes a day x three or four times a week and due intervals. upon arrival, drink plenty of water. drink twice as much water as you think you can stand.
i won't give the avoid alchohol lecture. i don't think a pint or three ever hurt anyone.
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Ive got a mate in new zealand who works for BodyO2 where you sit with a mask on for 30 minutes each day and breath air with a reduced o2 content the result is you either get better at sport at altitude or have a lower heart rate at sea level, maybe Ill have to get him to send some to me !
http://www.bodyo2.com/
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Royal, there used to be an O2 bar at the base in WP - not sure if it's still there.
I've never had problems with altitude sickness, but I would advise you to drink lots of water - more than usual. That will help.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Wear The Fox Hat, i never answered your question. no outhouse is still bumped. i don't think that will ever change. that was merely a rumor. intrawest groomed a little section of mary jane trail and folks went nuts. the change enables upper intermediates to get over to the Jane. it also is a great high speed, no make that warp speed, cruiser. i don't know which run is more legendary Outhouse of Drunken Frenchman.
I've made a $100.00 bet with my 12 year old daughter involving skiing Retta's without a stop. I tried to do it last years and am ashamed to say I could not do it. It took three stops. That is my fitness goal for the winter. I know I can't do Frenchmans or Outhouse. I'm so old I have to stop for a nap on Frenchmans.
I honestly think much of the altitude thing is is more fatigue related to jet lag. I honestly marvel at how tourists are able to cross the pond and jump on skis the next morn. Sleep in the first day, ski from 10-2, get a massage, and skip the nightlife on day one.
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Rusty Guy, sorry - have to disagree with you re the altitude thing, it is a genuine effect, although the jet lag does make it a lot worse though. Remember that we're moving from basically sea level to 10000' in a day. I've done this a couple of times in mountain huts in the Alps - where jet lag is clearly not a problem, and the nightlife is limited to say the least. Also remember that the time difference means our bodies want to wake up ridiculously early - even if you try to stay up late the first night all it means is that you spend most of the night looking at the bedside clock willing it to move on from 4:02, then 4:04...then after a bit more plumping the pillow and hey some sleep!!!... it's now..........4:32  . So you may as well give in and head for the first lift on the first day  .
Royal, while I'm open to correction from those who know this stuff properly, sleeping at 9-10000' will cause very few people genuine medical problems, but you will get very little sleep on your first night at that altitude. It may be worth trying a sleeping tablet (some of the herbal ones sort of work). It's also difficult to try pre-acclimatising - I found exactly the same problems one holiday sleeping at 12000' part way up Mt Whitney despite having been at about 5-9000' in Yosemite for about the previous 3 days. If you're anything like me, you'll also probably start finding unusual shortness of breath at about 11000', and maybe a bit of lightheadedness. BTW if you ever find yourself in Chamonix in summer it's well worth hanging around the exit from the Aiguille du Midi cablecar and watching the tourists (you of course being a hard man of the mountains - definitely not a tourist ) stumble/fall over/have an attack of the vapours as they try to walk out of the lift. (Rusty Guy - this cable car...sorry "tram"... takes you from about 3000' to 12600' in about 25 mins). You will also find your heart beating a lot faster and more heavily for a few days. The most irritating symptom though is that many will get a steady headache, aggravated of course by the jet lag and altitude-related sleep loss) for a day or two. It's also aggravated by dehydration so as RG and WTFH said, drink LOADS of water. You will probably get that, and maybe even feel slightly queasy, so just accept you're going to feel rough for those days, take panadol or whatever works for you and engage in some distraction activity to avoid concentrating on the head - could I suggest skiing hard so you have to concentrate . Only a small minority will suffer those problems much more severely and will need medical attention, and either get oxygen treatment or in the worst cases have to go down the mountain.
After a couple of days though your body will have adjusted and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about. I found I was fine by about mid-afternoon of the 2nd skiing day when I went to Breckenridge. I had a trip this year where we were sleeping at 3000m+ for 6 nights, skiing/walking hard and after the first night we ate like horses and were out like lights by 9pm every night. This is one reason why many people take longer trips if going to Colorado, so making the grotty day(s) (and also the time taken to get there) a lower proportion of the trip. I am reliably informed that your level of fitness will make virtually no difference to how badly you suffer these symptoms - some people are lucky and some are not - but it will make a difference to how much you get puffed when exerting yourself at 11-12000'. After you come back to sea level the air will feel ridiculously thick, but you'll be able to run for ages without getting in the slightest bit puffed .
That reduced O2 mask sounds a neat idea - certainly safer than rebreathing into a plastic bag (yes...I know there's a CO2 effect then as well)  .
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