 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello chaps/chappesses,
Considering heading to the States for ~1 month in mid Jan to mid Feb. Looking to get an epic pass*, heading in and out of LA. Will have car. Flexible on destination and time spent in each place. If you had a month, and access to all on the pass, how would you plan your roady? Where would you spend your time? What would you want to do on the way?
Thanks, y'all are legends.
*Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, Wilmot, Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton, Perisher and Arapahoe Basin
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome to snowheads, @bigtobz,  . Can't advise, but that does sound like fun.
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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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@bigtobz, Just a few then 
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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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@bigtobz, You can't drive to Perisher from LA and I wouldn't bother with Wilmot, Afton Alps or Mt. Brighton.
That leaves you with three areas: Tahoe, Colorado and Utah. I would want to fly to any of them from LA then pick up a car, not drive all the way.
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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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Your real answer depends on where the snow falls. You can get really good deals booking Hotwire or Priceline for hotel/motels in towns say 30 mins drive from resort & I'd recommend that unless money no option. Drive LA to Tahoe - checkout Death Valley & maybe spring for a day at Mammoth en route (or buy a Mtn Collective to really enhance your trip)
Stay South Lake Tahoe or Carson City and ski Kirkwood, Heave and Northstar. Nstar for storm days as it doesn't get shut down. Kirkwood for big pow days and weekends. Heave for midweek and bump laps down the face when you've got good.
8 hour drive across I80 or 50 to SLC - stay SLC and ski Park City. Not really worth a week IMV unless really get lucky with snow or you are prepared to pay for other resorts.
Drive to Colorado via Moab to check out the awesome Nat parks.
Stay Glenwood or Eagle/Avon to ski Vail & the Beav, Stay Frisco/Dillon to ski Breck/Kstone/Abay.
If you do get a mtn collective the world becomes your lobster - Mammy, Squalpine, side trip to Jackson Hole from SLC, Alta Bird and Aspen all become on the agenda on your routemap. Consider a one way drop fee and a Southwest Airlines flight back to LA if they run that route from DEN.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Well I think you should start with a few geography classes before you fly to LA to ride in Australia. If I was going to LA I'd probably go surfing - there are other places to fly to which will land you closer to the good snow.
A-basin is kind of ok, but otherwise that's a list of places which I would probably make a point of not riding should I be driving around there.
Try Snowbird, Brian Head, Brighton (not Mt Brighton), Winter Park etc... you don't have to visit the tourist places if you're there for a month.
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the point of the epic pass is cost efficiency - you can get an Epic local for $600 something and cover the whole month rather than up to $150 per day for day passes. Plus touristy places have one advantage - they are full of tourists who think like tourists so think like someone who thinks like a tourist but then goes opposite and that frees up plenty of terrain at the right time of day. Places where everyone is hardcore loc are kinda a bro out at times too.
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Aaah you're all so good to me! Thanks peeps. Your pointers are on the money. Noted about the Australia point.... Feb is probably the wrong month anyway 
Any particular must so's? IE SLC has x on Jan 18, you wanna be in Tahoe for this festival etc
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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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Consider Frisco as a base for a reasonable length stay - not a resort but within 30 mins of Copper, Breck, A Basin and Keystone. A reasonable sized town with lots of cheaper accom - there used to be a bus service between the resorts -not sure now.
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As @philwig mentioned, the Mountain Collective Pass is an alternative to the Epic Pass. So too the Powder Alliance.
The Mountain Collective costs US$409 and entitles you to
2 days at AltaSnowbird
2 days at Aspen Snowmass
2 days at Jackson Hole
2 days at Mammoth
2 days at Revelstoke
2 days at Ski Banff/Lake Louise/Sunshine
2 days at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows
2 days at Stowe
2 days at Sun Valley
2 days at Taos
2 days at Telluride
2 days at Whistler Blackcomb
50% off all additional days at The Collective destinations (*applies only to specific single day lift tickets for pass holder, see FAQs for more information/or contact our support team)
Special Mountain Collective lodging deals
NO BLACKOUT DATES
Tremendous value at some of the best skiing in North America, but does require a lot of travelling to hit them all. But you could easily regionalise it and still save a bucket load.
https://mountaincollective.com/
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The Powder Alliance allows season pass holders at any of the member resorts to ski at the other member resorts for free.
Trick is to do the research and find the cheapest season pass.
The member resorts are not as well known as those on the Epic and Mountain Collective passes, but there is great skiing on offer. And a number which have a 'deep powder' reputation - Bridger Bowl, Montana; Schweitzer, Idaho; Snowbasin, Utah; Stevens Pass, Washington; Whitewater, BC, Canada.
Still quite a bit of travel, but if you find yourself at one of the resorts and you like it and it's dumping you can stay and ski without having to shell out more money.
http://www.powderalliance.com/
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Presonally I'd buy them both. Would work out at approx US$1000 - 1200
Fly the new Delta direct flight from London to Salt Lake City, Utah
MC = Mountain Collective
PA = Powder Alliance
Alta/Snowbird, Utah (MC) - Snowbasin, Utah (PA) - Sun Valley, Idaho (MC) - Jackson Hole, Wyoming (MC) - Big Sky, Montana (Optional) - Bridger Bowl, Montana (PA) - Whitefish, Montana (Optional) - Fernie, BC (Optional) - Castle Mountain, Alberta (Optional) - Lake Louise & Sunshine, Alberta (MC) - Kicking Horse, BC (Optional) - Revelstoke, BC (MC) - Whitewater, BC (PA) - Red Mountain, BC (Optional) - Schweitzer, Idaho (PA) - Discovery, Montana (Optional), Bridger Bowl, Montana (PA), Snowbasin, Utah (PA)
Even with all the driving you could easily get 20-25 days skiing in over the month which would work out at approx US$50 a day to ski (significantly less than the walk up day rate)
Obviously you could make the loop smaller (just US resorts) and get to spend more days at some of the resorts (Powder Alliance ones).
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Or you could combine an Epic Pass with the Mountain Collective Pass and ski Colorado, Utah and Wyoming
Fly in and out of Denver
Arapahoe Basin, Colorado (EP) - Keystone, Colorado (EP) - Breckenridge, Colorado (EP) - Vail, Colorado (EP) - Bever Creek, Colorado (EP) - Aspen Snowmass, Colorado (MC) - Telluride, Colorado (MC) - Alta / Snowbird, Utah (MC) - Park City, Utah (EP) - Jackson Hole, Wyoming (MC) and then back to the Epic Pass Colorado resorts.
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Food for thought hopefully.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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That's perfect - @Mike Pow, @philwig, @Dave of the Marmottes, so much food for thought. Onwards flight likely to be out of LA but landing in CO sounds like a good option. Spent last xmas in Whistler so can give it a miss though loved every minute of it. (as an aside how good are Nachos at Merlins?!)
Definitely avoid Perisher @willy08, I've done enough NZ springtime crud to last a lifetime.
Again - you're all total legends. Thank you.
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Week in Aspen.
Week in Whistler.
Week in Telluride.
Week in Jackson Hole.
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You know it makes sense.
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OP didn't mention anything about winning the lottery
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FAQ
