 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi - We went to Breckenridge over New Year this year and loved it. Thinking about doing something similar next year, any ideas on where to go. Had a look at Aspen but it's 4.5 hours from Denver airport so quite a trek from the UK. Heard Vail is busy at new year.... Any thoughts welcomed!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@mcboz, There are at least seven resorts within an hour of Salt Lake City airport. You could stay in Park City which would give you access to Park City itself and (a short, free bus ride away) The Canyons (on the same lift pass as PC these days) and Deer Valley. The four Cottonwood Canyons resorts are about an hour away from PC by car (closer to SLC: you could stay in the City and access any of the above for cheaper accommodation; but Park City is much livelier in the evening).
The only problem is SCL is not served direct from UK. You can go BA/AA via Dallas or Chicago or Air France from Paris (and I thing Lufthansa from Frankfurt, but not absolutely sure).
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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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@mcboz, what in particular did you love about Breck?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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laundryman, SLC will be direct from Amsterdam from April, so no doubt they will put on direct from the UK also.
mcboz, If considering Aspen, you can fly into Eagle airport which is only about an hour to an hour and half drive, or you could chance Aspen airport  good if you get in, we had an overnight delay but landed at 8.30 am so still skied that day.
There are many other options, just depends where you fancy and what you really want.
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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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MCBOZ..................
First, in terms of conditions, traditionally come Christmas and New Years, it's the Central Western States such as Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana which can be counted on to have adequate snow for skiing be same natural or man made with temperatures that assist both. The US West Coast skiing is many times iffy with their weather typically arriving after New Years and the West Coast states need more snow to ski as per the terrain. That said, Colorado is attractive to the British vacationeer as per BA's current daily nonstop from LHR. Arrive in Denver and choose to either hire a car and get on the road for two plus to eight plus hours within the state or hop on a connecting flight (if available that day) to any number of either Colorado destinations or regional surrounding state locations. The tough call is where should one go and then, of course, what will the conditions be? Who wouldn't love to know to the millimeter the snow-skiing conditions at any given location this year, above all any number of years in the future........................? So, one rolls the dice.
If matters change in terms of flights and additional convenience is offered to say Salt Lake City, that somewhat changes the equation. Time will tell. In spite of having a place in Snowmass for now over 30 years, I still hold there is no one best place in the states and I've skied so many places within my country. A Breckenridge has the benefit of not just being a ski station as you well know, it is a small town with at least a number of places and facilities to go to. Many places within the American West are effectively the opposite......., lonely ski stations that never got around to being based at a town. One is forced to have to drive at least ten to twenty miles from some funky little town to go skiing. If you liked the overall Breckenridge experience you should also find places such as Snowmass (sorry....., laughs) and the greater Aspen circus to your liking. Here in Snowmass accomodations are nearly 100% ski-in, ski-out which if you've never experienced same is simply wonderful. Down the road at Buttermilk (great place) and Aspen you'd love the skiing and the aforementioned circus might delight you with Snowmass being the low key savior to Aspen's high wire act. I avoid mentioning Highlands as the skiing is nearly 100% off camber which drives me nutz and so a good 90% of our time is understandably right out the back door...........
Vail is alright, but personally I find it over-rated and I've put over 500 hours on my skiing legs alone there so I have a pretty good feel for the place. If I had to be anywhere near that highway act where one constantly hears the roar of commercial trucks going back and forth on main thoroughfare I-70, I'd stuff Vail and go to Beaver Creek instead. Beaver Creek is nowhere the zoo that Vail is. Really nice skiing but honestly overpriced. That's Vail Ski Corp..........
Crested Butte - a solid 4 plus hour drive from Denver is a better place than most realize and while not offering so much, might be of interest to you. It's a funky hippie - hipster town but the skiing when on is great. Telluride, however fantastic is WAY out there, so far out that the only non-masochistic way to get there is to fly in and I'll leave the average Joe to consider that........... It's definitely not a zoo. Go north to a Jackson Hole which has taken a new turn in terms of no longer being the heretofore quiet hamlet it used to be and experience that part of Wyoming and other nearby skiing facilities, or head further up to Montana which offers some exceptional skiing at about five different locations such as Red Lodge, Bridger Bowl and Big Sky, with the latter taking on the highest status, or if Sun Valley in Idaho is in good shape that is one gorgeous place to experience. Utah has so much. Not one single facility is more than one hour from Salt Lake. What more in terms of convenience could anyone ask for? One couldn't. So there.
In spite of my California and Oregon prejudice as I adore facility in both states so v. much and cannot say enough for either......., wow, but know that come Christmas time neither state historically are as reliable as their aforementioned cousins in the Central Western states....., I'll throw you a curve........, Mt. Tremblant. When Quebec Provence is experiencing a good skiing year that can come early in December if luck comes its way, one of the nicest places especially come Christmas time - New Years is in the company of those darling latter day Canadian Gauls.............. I know the French, as well French Canadians v. well and love them dearly and they do a magnificent job especially come Christmas time. And Montreal is in my mind quite possibly the best North American city. I love that town, the region and its people. Just an hour plus north is one of the nicest skiing and general vacation spots on the continent, Mt. Tremblant. Look into it. Hell........, the food alone speaks for itself!
Canada of course has off-the-charts skiing between both British Columbia and Alberta. Too many locations to specifically name. Each is also worth investigating.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We have been going to SLC for christmas for 10 years
Hotels are cheap (hilton 4* for 700 quid for 14 nights )
You can rent a huge SUV for 300 for 2 weeks and then have a 30 min drive depending on where you stay to 10 resorts and 40 to 50 to 3 more
Treat it as arrive and day ski at each resort but the costs for not staying in resort saves fortunes (our cheapest trip a few years ago was 2k for 3 weeks for 2 of us and food prices were typically cheap american
With regard to non direct flights we agree it was a pain but we make it a 3 week trip and have 4 or 5 days in the stopover going out ,
A week on santa monica beach staying in the ritz carlton for 170 Quid ?
Or Vegas in The Venician for 80 quid a night premier inn money
Those are becase the week before the 20th of december is the cheapest in most american hotels
We highly recommend skiing utah , check out ski utah's website
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Great stuff equinoxranch 
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"SLC will be direct from Amsterdam from April, so no doubt they will put on direct from the UK also. "
Do Delta/Northwest have a "hub" in the UK? Amsterdam has been a Northwest "hub" for years. I don't think direct flights from the Uk is any sort of given.
But Schiphol's a pretty easy transfer.
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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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Ba used to fly direct in the summer but not in the winter too
Jjust extend your trip and enjoy somewhere new
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We've skied Utah three times now and love it. Not your traditional European holiday, in terms of Apres, ski buses etc. Both times we have twinned with Vegas. Direct UK flight to Vegas, then one straight road to Salt Lake City. About a 5 hour easy drive. Last time we flew to Vegas, drove just over an hour north to Mesquite. Straight to bed, up early doors for the drive to SLC. We went for about 8 days skiing before Xmas, slopes were in fantastic shape and really quiet as everyone is doing their last minute Xmas prep. Then drove to Vegas for Xmas for 4 nights. Locals say slopes are busy between Xmas and New Year. Utah has some of the best powder you'll ever see. You definitely need a car though. Base yourself in SLC, lots of good hotels, shops and restaurants then choose a different resort everyday, usually about 30mins drive away.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Been to Colo lots. Road trip from Denver was my fav. A-Basin, Loveland, Sunlight, Powderhorn are all fantastic for a day or two. And easy to reach. No crowds, well priced, cheap accomm...
No one think of them, but they are v good no matter what standard skier...
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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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@under a new name, You maybe right, but we dont mind the Schipol route, since our local airport is only about 20mins away, as you say Schipol is pretty easy.
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@johnDory we can confirm the locals have no idea what busy is for them 4 cars in a queue is a traffic jam , trust me. Its not sidnificantly busier over christmas and new year , as long as you avoid peak times in park city.
then again why even ski Park City as the slopes are better and less crowded everywhere else .
I remeber our first trip when the local tv news featured the christmas eve rush at the Gateway Mall , in the 2 minute news segemnt i think 3 people passed the camera , else it looked empty .
It has changed and got busier over the last 10 year ,and the prices have gone up , but its still a fantastic trip oh and to save the 10 hours driving to vegas and back its only a 50 minute hop , and costs about $40 a head on delta , or did last time we did it , do double that for a return .
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks Harvsurrey, we looked into internal flights last time but it didn't really work out. Long wait between landing in Vegas and next flight to SLC, figured we might as well be on our way rather than sat in an airport. Plus having 2 suitcases, 2 sets of skis, 2 boot bags.... extra for luggage started to add up! We don't mind the drive, we like taking in the scenery and food stops on the way. Makes sense to take internal flights though if the logistics work out.
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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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its one reason we stopover on the way out ...... arrive in vegas , stop over and have fun ......
our vegas trip was fly direct to vegas , stay 4 days , hop to slc , then home via chicargo as the flights back have minimal connection times normally.
same last trip , fly to LA , week in LA then onto SLC then home via a 40 min stop in chicago
also coming in you have to collect and recheck baggage but the way home its checked all the way through
planning helps , but so does taking a long enough break to fit it all in .
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Poster: A snowHead
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Is it really less crowded than skiing in Europe? Considering for myself this Christmas...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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i spent my first new year this year in espace Killy .............. i have never ever seen lift quues like it ....
queues in utah are so well managed they flow quick and my wife who lived in and around the alps was told off for moving forwards too quick
its beautifully quiet , utah has the tag line on their plates of "greatest snow on earth" for a very good reason !!
there are 13 resorts , our tip , if a major uk tour operator goes to this utah resort avoid it ,as so will all other nationalities
ski at solitude , snowbird , brighton , and our all time fave the skiers only (yes they really can afford to still ban snowboarders) Alta , it took me 10 years of skiing to first see ice , i learnt in Utah and didn't see ice till i first skied in europe 3 years ago !!
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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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Brian Head is close to Las Vegas... and is generally entirely quiet.
Less crowded than Europe - it all depends, but generally it is. As stated, even when it isn't, the queues are managed, so they don't have half empty chairs, smokers, or any of that nastiness
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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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Yep, totally agree with philwig - the USA / Canada vibe always beats Europe for me I'm afraid for loads of reasons but especially in terms of less crowds / more civility / often more terrain and the way lifts are organised / policed.
I just wish I was nearer there than Europe but hey ho..........very happy to "put up" with Europe as long as I'm skiing somewhere 
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