I received some really helpful recommendations a while back on choosing a city in Europe for a season ( Innsbruck was incredible thank you ) I'm hoping to have the same success again.
My situation
I'm a 34 year old male Aussie web developer that surfs, snowboarsa and travels as often as I can with a boss that's happy for me to work in the US, I'm looking for a ski town that's
- going to be easy to work remotely, co working spaces etc
- will be best for someone travelling alone, would really like to live somewhere that I'll have a better chance of meeting people and having a social life while I'm there.
- ideally be part of my epic pass I have from the Australian ski season this year.
I'm looking at January / February for 2-3 months, the three I've been looking at so far are Breckridge, Park City and Heavenly.
Breckenridge and Park city sound badass but I really know nothing about how close the mountains are to reasonable accomation, what the town and crowds are like etc.
Tahoes looking pretty good because I can surf, I've actually been to South Lake Tahoe in April once before but only for a day and it was very chill, worried it might be hard to meet people there if everyone's in a bit of a local bubble.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
- meant to say surf nearby ( well closer than the other two ) not surf the lake !
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?
No idea if it’s on your pass but take a look at Jackson Hole
If you're looking at Breckenridge then you may find cheaper accommodation in the nearby town of Frisco. It has a brewpub and although I expect you'll have a car while you're there there is a free ski shuttle bus from Frisco to Breckenridge and other ski areas.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I can only talk about Utah so for you look at staying in sandy in SLC. It's not in resort but is where the skibums hang and with access to 7 resorts (5 if snowboarding) it's perfect place to stay. I wanted to do a season there but because of change in circumstances couldn't in the end. It's easier if you're driving and I was recommended to buy a car for the season and sell when finished. For 2 or 3 months rental may work better but the prices have rocketed. Accommodation is also cheaper in sandy.
The main resorts park city, canyons, Brighton, Snowbird, solitude, are excellent each with its own vibe. Access is reasonable. Your epic pass covers only certain resorts now so you would need ikon or daily passes for the others. Dailies are expensive though. You can make friends easy and probably bum rides depends how liberal you are with the beers!
I never stayed in sandy myself so someone with more knowledge should help out further. I stayed at park city peaks for a 2 week holiday so it suited us better. Always wanted to go back and its a dream to do a season there. Good luck.
Stay in salt lake, buy a car and get a powder mountain season pass!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thanks for the feedback so far ! I'll probably buy a truck or land cruiser while I'm there so I can get around, Salt Lake sounds pretty rad !
After all it is free
After all it is free
For all your boxes ticked, Tahoe area
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.
MaxiD wrote:
Stay in salt lake, buy a car and get a powder mountain season pass!
When I went s few years ago - this is what I did ie. Hire a car at Denver Airport and stay in Salt Lake City. IIRC most resorts are about 50 mins drive.
If given a choice, I’d always pick Utah due to quality and quantity of snowfall. Alta and Snowbird are fantastic.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Do you plan to stay put in one spot for the entire season? Or break up the season and sample different region?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
In your comments you emphasized the social aspect. To me, this would seem to point to a ski town (e.g. Park City) rather than a city near the mountains (e.g. SLC).
BTW SLC is a very nice city, and there are a lot of folks in your line of work there. If you wanted to sample a bunch of great hills conveniently, go there. But it is definitely not rad!
Of the places you mentioned, Tahoe's season typically goes later, and spring skiing in the Sierras is fab.
I would not let your Epic pass make this decision for you. You'll be able to make any pass "pay" with the approach you're taking, so go where you want to while you can.
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.
Yeah Breck and Park City you're probably gonna struggle for accomodation especially starting Jan. SL Tahoe too probably although there is a bit more there cos some of the summer motels turn over to season worker rooms in winter.
Really accomodation will dictate all sorts of things about your season.
You can surf the lake in Tahoe sometimes if a real storm whips up.
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
Old Fartbag wrote:
... When I went s few years ago - this is what I did ie. Hire a car [...] and stay in Salt Lake City. IIRC most resorts are about 50 mins drive. If given a choice, I’d always pick Utah due to quality and quantity of snowfall. Alta and Snowbird are fantastic.
Many SLC places are easily accessed by bus too. Well that's what I did initially.
But staying in a city, then driving to the slopes each day, would not achieve what the OP seems to want. At best you'd meet religious people in suits, not ski bums.
My view is that both Park City and Breckenridge are destination resorts. Nothing wrong with that, but they're more for tourists to spend a week in partying than anything else. They're not real places, just resorts. Smaller places like Wolf Creek in Co, would be more locals oriented. Powder Mountain's near Ogden - it's about the opposite of funky. Cracker Barrel restaurants aren't really "badass", more "bigass". I'd look for somewhere which is the equivalent to Golden, Revelstoke, Fernie, or Nelson, because those places have both locals and season-long "ski bum" type people kicking around. There's a culture separate from the "resort" bits. You can stay in the town of Revelstoke for example and expect to see the same people week on week, which isn't going to happen (aside from staff) at a destination resort where everyone's flown in for their week in the snow to experience stuff synthesized for people like them, not people like you.
--
Yeah my mates live in Sandy, but I never met anyone other than them there: Revelstoke or Golden are much more "sociable" in that sense. The city's ski shops are sociable, but they're spread around and you need a car; it's not the same as being in (say) Revelstoke where you're pretty much all going to be in the one bar run by the local Burton rep who also rips. Plus you probably don't get folk dancing in Utah at all (in joke).
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Is Canada an option? Whistler is a Vail hill. Party vibe. Great early season snow record. Superb terrain. Better exchange rate.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
philwig wrote:
Cracker Barrel restaurants aren't really "badass", more "bigass".
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Rather than Heavenly ...
I'd look closer at Truckee its near the North End of the Lake.
I've been told its a great place for a Donner Kebab.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
sbooker wrote:
Is Canada an option? Whistler is a Vail hill. Party vibe. Great early season snow record. Superb terrain. Better exchange rate.
WB isn’t unlimited. His Epic pass won’t go vey far.
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?
@doped_y0uth, You left out one of the “Unlimited” mountains on your Australian Epic pass:
Sorry @Alastair Pink, That was really in bad taste I should not have said anything about the Donner incedent.
But Its a great little town with lots of skiing around it and not from from Lake Tahoe, so its in reach of lots great resorts.
I like the town, apart form a railway they have a shop which sells model railway stuff.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
DrLawn wrote:
That was really in bad taste
Agree. The first time someone made that joke on snowheads, I found it amusing despite the poor taste. But after reading it for about the 5th time in snowheads again, I now found it rather irritating. Sadly, variation of it seems to come up every time Tahoe was mentioned.
Good jokes can be re-tell many times. At worst, those who had seen it before just shrug and move on. Bad taste jokes gets irritating when it’s retold again, borderline revolting after that.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Aw, its ok about the Donners. Nobody takes offense, its just an eye roll, and I know this from having asked one Mark Donner, a client briefly in the 70's. Similar to polygamy and Utah, it is almost reflexive, and certainly understandable.
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.
Cracker Barrel restaurants were mentioned above, which apart from being funny (uh oh) was also timely, as they are currently taking major heat from their customers who think CB selling "impossible" (plant-based) sausage in addition to the usual leaded is grounds for boycott!
At least in the US, no good deed goes unpunished!
Besides, as always, the answer is bacon.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
It’s not good deed that Cracker Barrel includes Impossible sausage. It’s business decision to attract the younger/affluent veggie eating only crowd.
Whether they come out better (growing customer base in the younger generation) or worse (losing their traditional customer base) remains to be seen. (I suspect it’ll prove to be the former) But I wouldn’t assign any “deed” to that decision.
To the OP, sorry for derailing the thread. But this is a UK/Europe oriented site. I suspect the original information regarding US resorts had pretty close to running out of steam.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Wed 10-08-22 16:23; edited 1 time in total
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I think the "Greggs" company in UK, which sells pies and pasties and sausage rolls, did something similar with a "vegetarian sausage roll" the other year. I expect they did well from the marketing, although as a mostly veggie person I can't say I've been remotely attracted to them.
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.
What’s the kebab joke?
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
Google it. They ate each other.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
... or follow the link in the post by Alastair Pink.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I always knew donners were pretty grim but I won’t be able to look at another in the same way again.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
See.. ski forums: not a complete waste of time, they actually contribute useful knowledge. Occasionally.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I've never been in a cracker barrel though I think I once parked in their car park to go to the hockey. They are a minor part of Jimmy's Elder Law targetting in Better Call Saul so perhaps I am aging toward their demographic.
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?
This thread has gone down a rabbit hole, even the op has lost interest!
I'm still here! Finally home from Perisher / Jindabyne took the last week off to ride spent the last couple days driving back home to Queensland.
I have spent a season in Banff back in 2013/ 14, Revy would be cool but I would rather give a US hill a go after spending a year in Canada in the past. I know all about the Tourist town / Tourist hill vortex, it's good fun but I'll be 34 in a couple months and I'll be a decade older than most of the season locals in that place haha, not a bad thing but after seeing the crowd send it every night in Jindabyne I don't think I can keep up anymore.
A buddy of mine trained for Ironman in Park City (Summer) a few years back and had only good things to say about the place.
Sounds like I can't really go wrong with any of them, I'll have to sit down and look into some accomodation options at the three this week over a beer and a Kebab.
Cheers everyone!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
abc wrote:
@doped_y0uth, You left out one of the “Unlimited” mountains on your Australian Epic pass:
Cretted Butte!
I’d go there.
Upon Googling Crusty Butt also sounds like an option or at least worth a visit if I end up in Breck !
I'm an Aussie who lives in the SF Bay Area, spent a month in Breckenridge last season, a few weeks here and there at Park City+SLC and weekends in Tahoe. Random thoughts:
Breckenridge
Town was OK - 'Semplice Cafe' had an Aussie working there and a did a decent flat white. Covid was kicking off again so we didn't eat out much. The skiing was underwhelming. Only the peak 6, 10 and Imperial lifts are worth the effort, 7, 8, 9 mostly easy and boring blue runs with pretty bad lift queues. I got unlucky with the timing as it was quite a dry January, but I wouldn't rush back. Super super cold, had to buy more layers - I was mostly skiing from 830 to 11 local time (ie before work PST) and it'd be -20C. Very 'bro'y tourist vibe in town with a lot of folks from Texas. Keystone nearby I liked better from a skiing POV, but there isn't really a town and there's less accommodation. I didn't end up trying Vail or Beaver Creek.
Park City (and SLC)
Made a couple of trips to SLC but haven't spent a lot of time in Park City itself - mostly staying in Sugar House area in SLC and driving up to park at Canyons. Lift queues were better than Breck, skiing similar with maybe slightly more steeper bits.
Another trip was spent at the hotels near the 'Holladay Park and Ride' where the ski bus goes with regular buses to LCC and BCC. This also worked for a bit of remote work over Christmas/NY one year, and crowds were good because a lot of the resorts were blacked out over this period. Once that ended, it became a bit of a shitshow. If you go to Alta, and you're taking the bus, and it snows, try to end up at Snowbird earlier because we sat on the bus home from Alta and in 2 hours only made it to Snowbird. Traffic bad :/
Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe has cheaper accommodation than the north side, and is more central for an Epic pass. As I understand it, there are now laws restricting short-term holiday lets meaning 30+ day stays are now quite affordable, relatively speaking. Heavenly is pretty good, but queues for the Gondola can be a pain on weekends. Kirkwood is definitely worth a visit for steeper/cliffier terrain with a slightly better snow record afaik. Northstar is sometimes referred to as 'Flatstar' but I think the backside and Martis areas are plenty steep enough, ymmv. My favourite resort in the Tahoe area is Alpine Meadows, but it's on the Ikon pass and is also north side.
What I'd do and what I'm doing
If I were to do another month-long-remote-work thing, I'd probably go to Steamboat Springs (and get an Ikon pass) - further from Denver so I am led to believe it is slightly less queue-tastic. It's also a bit lower, so perhaps not as bitterly cold in January. I've only driven through here on the way from CA to Breckenridge so I don't actually know too much about the town, though.
I am evaluating moving elsewhere in the US, considering Denver CO, Bend OR, and Seattle WA, and will probably move to Seattle for the best blend of skiing access/job opportunities. Getting sick of driving 3.5hours on a good day or 12 hours on a bad day between home and Tahoe.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
driz wrote:
I'm an Aussie who lives in the SF Bay Area, spent a month in Breckenridge last season, a few weeks here and there at Park City+SLC and weekends in Tahoe. Random thoughts:
Breckenridge
Town was OK - 'Semplice Cafe' had an Aussie working there and a did a decent flat white. Covid was kicking off again so we didn't eat out much. The skiing was underwhelming. Only the peak 6, 10 and Imperial lifts are worth the effort, 7, 8, 9 mostly easy and boring blue runs with pretty bad lift queues. I got unlucky with the timing as it was quite a dry January, but I wouldn't rush back. Super super cold, had to buy more layers - I was mostly skiing from 830 to 11 local time (ie before work PST) and it'd be -20C. Very 'bro'y tourist vibe in town with a lot of folks from Texas. Keystone nearby I liked better from a skiing POV, but there isn't really a town and there's less accommodation. I didn't end up trying Vail or Beaver Creek.
Park City (and SLC)
Made a couple of trips to SLC but haven't spent a lot of time in Park City itself - mostly staying in Sugar House area in SLC and driving up to park at Canyons. Lift queues were better than Breck, skiing similar with maybe slightly more steeper bits.
Another trip was spent at the hotels near the 'Holladay Park and Ride' where the ski bus goes with regular buses to LCC and BCC. This also worked for a bit of remote work over Christmas/NY one year, and crowds were good because a lot of the resorts were blacked out over this period. Once that ended, it became a bit of a shitshow. If you go to Alta, and you're taking the bus, and it snows, try to end up at Snowbird earlier because we sat on the bus home from Alta and in 2 hours only made it to Snowbird. Traffic bad :/
Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe has cheaper accommodation than the north side, and is more central for an Epic pass. As I understand it, there are now laws restricting short-term holiday lets meaning 30+ day stays are now quite affordable, relatively speaking. Heavenly is pretty good, but queues for the Gondola can be a pain on weekends. Kirkwood is definitely worth a visit for steeper/cliffier terrain with a slightly better snow record afaik. Northstar is sometimes referred to as 'Flatstar' but I think the backside and Martis areas are plenty steep enough, ymmv. My favourite resort in the Tahoe area is Alpine Meadows, but it's on the Ikon pass and is also north side.
What I'd do and what I'm doing
If I were to do another month-long-remote-work thing, I'd probably go to Steamboat Springs (and get an Ikon pass) - further from Denver so I am led to believe it is slightly less queue-tastic. It's also a bit lower, so perhaps not as bitterly cold in January. I've only driven through here on the way from CA to Breckenridge so I don't actually know too much about the town, though.
I am evaluating moving elsewhere in the US, considering Denver CO, Bend OR, and Seattle WA, and will probably move to Seattle for the best blend of skiing access/job opportunities. Getting sick of driving 3.5hours on a good day or 12 hours on a bad day between home and Tahoe.
Yeah I've done the grim January months in Banff, -39c days in town weren't fun. I will definitely look into Steamboat Springs as well!
I had looked into Bend a few years back after driving through one summer, it looks really nice I do remember it already being quite popular with remote workers and small tech companies back then, guessing it's even more popular now since Covid. Also a massive fan of the Pacific North West / Seattle area.
Thanks for the info!
After all it is free
After all it is free
I live in California and have never skied Colorado. SLC is ideal for snow and has a great selection of resorts, but the town is lacking. South Lake Tahoe is beautiful, but the snow can be thin in a drought year. That said, Truckee is a good town and Palisades Tahoe and Alpine will be opening their gondola this coming Winter. Northstar and Heavenly are solid resorts. There's a bit of a drive between the Truckee-Donner part of the lake and South Shore. I'd put a vote in for Mammoth Mountain as well. It's the best resort in California, has a solid snow record and a long season. There aren't as many nightlife establishments as the Tahoe area, but there are a lot of youngsters living the Life there. The other aspect to the CA Sierras is they are within driving distance of the SF Bay Area or Southern California, which are light years ahead of any urban area in Colorado or Utah.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
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