 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all
Was in Colorado a few weeks ago (just into Autumn). Was quite taken with it and thought it might be interesting to do some North American skiing.
What's the closest North American resort, door to door from London?
I don't have much annual leave available so would probably do a 10-day trip - obviously want to squeeze as much in as possible. There's plenty of North American resorts but not many seem to have direct flights particularly nearby (e.g. Colorado)
Any tips?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Pointless going strictly travel time as it might point you somewhere like Boston and NH. Denver has a direct BA flight and is probably less than 2 hrs transfer in good traffic to Winter Park or Summit County. Seattle, Vancouver and Calgary also have direct flights and short transfers to good skiing.
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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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Thanks Dave
Sure - I'm aware travel time isn't the only thing (otherwise I'd just stay in Hemel Hempstead for a week) but it's one factor.
Those sound like good tips.
I guess what I'm trying to emulate is the skitrain - leave work on a Friday - wake up and ski on Saturday - no muss no fuss....
Interesting that there's a direct Denver flight - looks like it doesn't go every day.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I went to Killington 10 yrs ago. Heathrow to Boston and about 3 hrs transfer. Bloody cold though 
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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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Simplest answer is Mount Snow in Vermont, driven from Boston.
But As DotM Says... not really what you're looking for.
Easiest is probably Whistler. Direct flights LHR-YVR, short limo trip from airport.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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As stated, it depends how you count.
Winter Park I like for the reason stated.
For Vancouver you can get in on one of the major direct flights and ride Grouse or Cypress the same day as they do night stuff.
If you have a 10 hour flight you're going to find the "same day" thing a bit of a stretch. Personally I settle for one day travelling in and out, you can't really avoid it. It's easy to drive/fly/drive most places that way - you can easily get (say) to Whistler in the evening so you can ride the next day. Harder to reach places like Revelstoke or Taos you can also make the same way.
There are other places (eg Wyoming) which don't have direct flights and which I've not found connections which allow that. You could fly to SLC (can't remember if that's direct), then drive several hours, but that's hard to do with jet lag.
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driving after a long flight + jet lag is best to be avoided.
indirect flight has a higher risk of missing connection and results in delay.
that left Denver, Vancouver and Calgary.
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Closest.......Hunter Mountain, 2.5 hours drive from JFK or various others a similar distance from New York.
You wouldn't cross the Atlantic to go there though. Think something a bit like the Lecht. Have been when working in NY, was quite fun.
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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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My guess the closest North American resort to London is Le Massif Mountain near Quebec
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@dogwatch, ah yes, you're right. It's an experience.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| dogwatch wrote: |
Closest.......Hunter Mountain, 2.5 hours drive from JFK or various others a similar distance from New York.
You wouldn't cross the Atlantic to go there though. Think something a bit like the Lecht. Have been when working in NY, was quite fun. |
You could, however, take an indirect flight with a stop over at JFK. Ski Hunter (or other small area near New York) for a couple of days, hop on a flight to Salt Lake City and ski the rest of the week in Alta/Snowbird/Park City etc...
Finding ground transfer from airport to the mountain in the east coast can be problematic though.
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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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I rented a car. Not expensive. Well, actually free for me because my employer was providing anyway for the duration I was working.
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Remember great circle routes and look at a globe not a map! A plane from UK to West Coast flies up over Greenland, that means flying down the length of the rockies so I would guess Vancouver is the first direct flight stop. Not far to Whistler etc or you could start in the city, ski Grouse Mountain (local bus from the city) for a day or so then drive up when the jetlag dies down. It takes you the best part of 20hrs clock time to get there (but no time at all to get home  )
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You know it makes sense.
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It's still faster to go to NYC as already pointed out. The clock thing works the other way, actually: getting there is "quicker", coming back burns a day.
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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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We've skied killington and Stowe in Vermont and Sunday River in Maine. All three trips were great flight time wise but getting out of Boston on the i95 is an experience and expect at least 3hr drive, from memory Sunday river was nearer 4.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Calgary is a pretty easy flight, and less jet lag than Vancouver. So that's an option.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@dogwatch, aahh, Hunter Mountain was my very first experience on skis. One afternoon, when I was about 16. I'm not sure I learned much, and it was another ten years before I started skiing really. But technically I have skied in North America! I don't think it counts, though. And I certainly don't think it's worth travelling across the Atlantic for!
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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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Very few direct flights leave late evening so getting somewhere decent on a Friday night won't be easy, if not impossible. As others have said you could get to the east coast but you'd probably be better going to Europe.
You should allow for a day there and back.
The BA flight to Denver is daily and departs at 12:20, arriving at 15:10. The return leaves at 17:40 getting in at 09:30 the next day. You could squeeze a few runs in on the last day but it would be very tight and I would not take the chance.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Gaza wrote: |
| The return leaves at 17:40 getting in at 09:30 the next day. You could squeeze a few runs in on the last day but it would be very tight and I would not take the chance. |
More than enough time to put in a good half day of skiing!
I do that routine every winter. Ski till about 2, jump in the car and be at the airport about 4. Change, pack, check bags... go get a drink and some food. Sleep like a baby till the plane lands in New York at local time 6 am. Cab to flat, shower and another short nap. Show up at work 9am sharp! (and hoping it'll be a busy day so I don't have any chance of falling to sleep at my desk)
Granted, I have no jet lag to deal with between Denver and New York. Quite different matter with the 9 hrs between Denver and London.
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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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| Gaza wrote: |
Very few direct flights leave late evening so getting somewhere decent on a Friday night won't be easy, if not impossible. As others have said you could get to the east coast but you'd probably be better going to Europe.
You should allow for a day there and back.
The BA flight to Denver is daily and departs at 12:20, arriving at 15:10. The return leaves at 17:40 getting in at 09:30 the next day. You could squeeze a few runs in on the last day but it would be very tight and I would not take the chance. |
BA Vancouver flights leave at 5.30pm ish so possible to work on the Friday morning if you are fairly close to Heathrow. You can get up to Whistler that evening assuming road conditions are OK.
Flight back leaves YVR at about 8.30pm so a full day skiing is possible, esp if you are at one of the local hills in Vancouver, although the flight doesn't get into LHR until early afternoon the following day
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Arno wrote: |
| Gaza wrote: |
Very few direct flights leave late evening so getting somewhere decent on a Friday night won't be easy, if not impossible. As others have said you could get to the east coast but you'd probably be better going to Europe.
You should allow for a day there and back.
The BA flight to Denver is daily and departs at 12:20, arriving at 15:10. The return leaves at 17:40 getting in at 09:30 the next day. You could squeeze a few runs in on the last day but it would be very tight and I would not take the chance. |
BA Vancouver flights leave at 5.30pm ish so possible to work on the Friday morning if you are fairly close to Heathrow. You can get up to Whistler that evening assuming road conditions are OK.
Flight back leaves YVR at about 8.30pm so a full day skiing is possible, esp if you are at one of the local hills in Vancouver, although the flight doesn't get into LHR until early afternoon the following day |
Swings and roundabouts. What you gain on the way out you lose on the way back. 
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Handling the jet lag can be the worst part. At the end of the British Lions Tour to NZ I left Auckland on the Sunday after the last test and flew to Hong Kong. After a few hours in HKG I took the BA flight to London. I arrived at around 6:00 and was picked up and taken back to Poole (where we lived at the time). After a quick shower I was in the car and heading to the office. I think I made it for 9:30. Felt crap all day but avoided taking another days holiday. 
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another vote for Winter Park here. Stayed in winter park mountain lodge a few yesrs back, great people, great slopes and great conditions = best hol ive had!
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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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New England whilst not the most testosterone filled place in the world is actually a really nice ski safari.
Fly to Boston and you are an hour or so from the resorts, they range from tiny (Sunappee) to reasonable sized (Killington). The skiing is never to too challenging, think Sella Ronda rather than Chamonix. The weather can be very hostile and oppressive- neoprene face masks can be obligatory.
There are a nice couple of low key resorts Loon and Okemo as well as a number of others, but you will need a car and it wouldn't be a destination trip with skiing on your doorstep. I did it over Christmas too long ago to remember and it was really enjoyable, just not your usual package trip.
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Might it be better to try Scotland instead?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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So in reverse, I don't think I would go to Scotland to ski (sorry) nor would I/could I suggest coming all this way to ski the east coast. Yes hunter, wind ham and what used to be called Vernon valley, now mountain creek are close to jfk. Equally close to boston are blue hills, nashoba and wachusetts. But heck, I don't go to those places.
Minimum decent skiing is in central to northern Vermont. Jay peak, sugarbush, Stowe etc. New hamshure is also "ok" and Maine is decent. But to fly 5+ hours here, no way.
Stay on the plane, get to Denver, Salt Lake City, Reno/tahoe etc. Better snow, less cold (usually) and most important, much better terrain.
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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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Try Tremblant. 5hr flight from LHR to YUL and only an hour's drive up the road from Montréal. Varied enough terrain for a long weekend, good food, somewhere a bit different and (in my opinion) Canada is always nicer than the US. It's not that expensive either. As others have said, there're other good mountains in Québec too - so if you're on a ski safari you could easily do half a dozen resorts. Just be warned: it can be jolly cold.
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Looks like we may have thoroughly confused you, as we have suggestions spanning from all over New England to the laurentians, to Rockies, into the Sierra Nevada range, the cascades into whistler.
I guess u need to answer what u want the most and how far you are willing to travel. U mentioned Colorado, what was it that you most liked? The big mountain feel? How hard do you want the skking to be? Nightlife, etc. a lot of differences between all the suggestions mentioned, all of them very accurate, but very different.
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