Forget Whistler, Revy and Vail. Here is where many of us go for our holidays, and if you are game for a fun road trip you could do worse than this one. It is an unusual itinerary and I had reasons for it that you won’t have; I write this so that someone may discover a great place that flies under the radar, in the way that I discovered places like Serfaus and Kronplatz.
A reminder that blue runs in US = red in EU.
Mt.Bachelor (Ikon affiliate)
Current conditions: Old, hard snow in surprisingly good shape on piste, and awful off piste. Some rocks in high traffic areas. Basically no snow anywhere since December.
+: Reliably long season, usually until late May. Some of the best spring skiing in the world, with WC fishing or golf in the afternoon. Good tree skiing and many nice long groomers of all colors. Great town. By far the easiest big ski area to navigate.
-: Very little steep scary stuff. Lodging is 30 minutes away from the hill. Lots of heavy weather in winter keeps Summit lift closed a lot.
Sun Valley (Epic affiliate)
Current conditions: same as above, only note that SV has the biggest snowmaking system in the Western US, so they can make it happen similar to Italy.
+: No crowds, virtually guaranteed sunny weather, one of the best towns for non-skiers, excellent terrain and lift system. Separate mountain for beginners.
-: Fresh snow falls infrequently so leave your snorkel at home. Hard to get to. Often very cold.
Snowbasin (Epic affiliate)
Current conditions: same as above
+: Long runs with a lot of vertical; best cruisers in Utah but plenty of off-piste as well. Less crowded than other Utah resorts. More of a local vibe. Affordable lodging nearby, although…
-: …no lodging at area, no nightlife, no ski town really (sorry Ogden!).
Grand Targhee (Mountain Collective)
Current conditions: same as above
+: Long runs with a lot of vert. Excellent terrain. Not crowded. Gets more snow than other resorts in this area. Expanding next season. Terrific small area. Authentic towns nearby.
-: Hard to get to, not huge, lodging at area is tired.
Big Sky (Ikon)
Current conditions: same as above but more rocks and they are not well marked
+: Huge area with wide easy runs and lots of gnarly steeps. Some nice, fancy chairlifts (e.g. 6m/s heated bubble 6). One of the better-looking mountains which is saying something.
-: Has the most expensive lodging I’ve encountered anywhere in the world (even before the pandemic); very cold; remote yet crowded; $70 avg upcharge required to access those steeps via the Lone Peak Tram. Many blue runs are light blue (significant gentle sections).
Trip Metrics:
twelve days
nine ski days
five ski areas
five states
seven beds
2,908 miles
many opportunities to misplace stuff
wish I had a buck for every time I put the mask on and off but so be it
Why I chose these resorts:
I have a place near Mt Bachelor which serves as a great forward base of operations for trips like this. I went to Sun Valley to ski with a bud who is there (and he came to Snowbasin and Targhee as well) which was fun but I’ve been there a ton and I like other places better. Snowbasin is fab with its long, high-vert lifts and I’ll be back soon; its my favorite Utah area when pow is not on the menu. After trying for a few decades I finally got to Big Sky which was good not great and as such a mild disappointment that may or may not get another chance. No need to go that far to pay that much to be with so many. But Grand Targhee crushed it with numerous long, dark blue runs with character and no lift lines or congestion on the slopes. Its only going to get better with a big expansion and high speed six going in this summer. I’ll be back next year at the latest even though it isn’t on either of my passes.
The Itinerary:
(estimated drive time) (pass)
Tue 1 Feb Drive to Sunriver (6:20)
Wed 2 Feb Ski Mt. Bachelor (Ikon)
Thu 3 Feb Drive to Bellevue (8:00)
Fri 4 Feb Ski Sun Valley (Epic)
Sat 5 Feb Ski Sun Valley (Epic), drive to Huntsville (4:40)
Sun 6 Feb Ski Snowbasin (Epic)
Mon 7 Feb Ski Snowbasin (Epic), drive to Victor (4:00)
Tue 8 Feb Ski Grand Targhee (purchase 2 day in advance)
Wed 9 Feb Ski Grand Targhee, drive to Idaho Falls (1:20) and to Rexburg (0:30)
Thu 10 Feb Drive to Big Sky (2:30), Ski Big Sky (Ikon),
drive to Bozeman (1:10)
Fri 11 Feb Ski Big Sky (Ikon), drive to Missoula (4:00)
Sat 12 Feb Drive to Seattle (7:30)
Already planning my next trip; hope you are too.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Scooter in Seattle, Sounds like you had a good trip
Been to all except Mt. Bachelor and can tend to agree with your comments, road trips are fun
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?
Scooter in Seattle wrote:
[Big Sky]
-: Has the most expensive lodging I’ve encountered anywhere in the world (even before the pandemic)...
What sort of rates?
Hotels seem kind of expensive north of the border at the moment, but I like their Covid rules better, but this is on my list for a future trip...
@philwig, I was solo there and I typically have no difficulty finding something below $300/night and that will usually cover a 1BR condo. Nothing was remotely close to that for my (non-holiday) dates, so I stayed an hour away in Bozeman at a Home 2 Suites (similar to Hilton Garden Inn) for $250/nt, roughly $115/nt more than I typically pay at that type of property and hardly convenient. I whined about this on the chair and received nothing but affirmation. I've noticed this before about Big Sky, one of the reasons I've taken so long to get there.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:
Tue 1 Feb Drive to Sunriver (6:20)
Wed 2 Feb Ski Mt. Bachelor (Ikon)
Thu 3 Feb Drive to Bellevue (8:00)
Fri 4 Feb Ski Sun Valley (Epic)
Sat 5 Feb Ski Sun Valley (Epic), drive to Huntsville (4:40)
Sun 6 Feb Ski Snowbasin (Epic)
Mon 7 Feb Ski Snowbasin (Epic), drive to Victor (4:00)
Tue 8 Feb Ski Grand Targhee (purchase 2 day in advance)
Wed 9 Feb Ski Grand Targhee, drive to Idaho Falls (1:20) and to Rexburg (0:30)
Thu 10 Feb Drive to Big Sky (2:30), Ski Big Sky (Ikon),
drive to Bozeman (1:10)
Fri 11 Feb Ski Big Sky (Ikon), drive to Missoula (4:00)
Sat 12 Feb Drive to Seattle (7:30)
Glad you enjoyed it but that sounds like an absolute nightmare. Not my kind of holiday when you are sitting in a car nearly as much as skiing.
Have a few friends from Bozeman who rave about bridger bowl, might be worth checking out if your back out that way again.
Broke my L1 vertebrae on my first run at Snowbasin. Strangely enough I’ve never been back but they were nice enough to send me a get well soon card all the way to the Uk.
Grand Targhee always looked like somewhere I’d like to go. Locals in Fernie when I was there used to call it Grand Foghee though, not sure if that’s a fair criticism or not.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
boarder2020, Yep , Bridger is a fun place, cheaper tickets too
After all it is free
After all it is free
@Scooter in Seattle,
Nice trip
Was just looking at Big Sky accommodation as a possibility of going there later this year for for IFSA (Freeride) NorAm Junior championships. Even in April it seems really expensive (and even more so when converted to our lowly CA$!) - is Bozeman too far away to stay and/or any cheaper?
Last edited by After all it is free on Wed 16-02-22 8:37; edited 1 time in total
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.
I skied Big Sky in Feb 2020 just on the cusp of the pandemic. Yep it was busy and I too had to stay in Bozeman for something affordable. Easy drive in though as long as you didn't get backed up behind a logging or construction truck.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@stuarth, Bozeman was fine, and @Dave of the Marmottes, is correct about the drive on both counts. Its an orderly, pretty drive along the river.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Boy, that's a lot of driving!
Well, I'm about the embark in a similarly long road trip. But at least I won't be skiing full days then add 4+ hrs of driving on top!
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.
Scooter in Seattle wrote:
@philwig, I was solo there and I typically have no difficulty finding something below $300/night and that will usually cover a 1BR condo. Nothing was remotely close to that for my (non-holiday) dates, so I stayed an hour away in Bozeman at a Home 2 Suites (similar to Hilton Garden Inn) for $250/nt, roughly $115/nt more than I typically pay at that type of property and hardly convenient. I whined about this on the chair and received nothing but affirmation. I've noticed this before about Big Sky, one of the reasons I've taken so long to get there.
Lodging is starting to become a problem all over the world as more people telework. $250 a night for a suite (am assuming kitchenette) doesn't sound hugely outrageous to me if it's modern and clean.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Been doing a big more looking at Big Sky...
It seems kind of in the middle of nowhere and doesn't seem all that exciting for $300+ a day - am I missing something?
Would quite like to visit Yellowstone in summer though sometime.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
The lack of snow in all the areas ties in with reports of the worst drought in 1200 years.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@stuarth, I reached essentially the same conclusion and when you add crowding it just nails the coffin shut. Between the rocks and the crowds I left two days early, not my usual m.o.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
stuarth wrote:
Been doing a big more looking at Big Sky...
It seems kind of in the middle of nowhere and doesn't seem all that exciting for $300+ a day - am I missing something?
Would quite like to visit Yellowstone in summer though sometime.
Not for Canadians. You're not missing much. Skiing-wise, it's "just" a bigger Whistler, albeit minus the crowd.
But for Americans, the middle of nowhere and lack of lodging is what makes it appealing...
It has some of the most aggressive terrain in the lower 48. But without the crowds of say, Jackson Hole.
"Prime" (or "ski base safe") season for Big Sky is March and onward, due to lack of snow early season.
The Lone Peak upcharge is a bit of a new monkey wrench. I went before that was a thing. Love the many different routes off Lone Peak. But I honestly don't know if I would go up the tram again at that price.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
abc,
Quote:
The Lone Peak upcharge is a bit of a new monkey wrench. I went before that was a thing. Love the many different routes off Lone Peak. But I honestly don't know if I would go up the tram again at that price
We went there too before they started charging - still long lines mid week to get up there.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
a day - am I missing something?
