 Poster: A snowHead
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last minute Christmas trip. 2 teens, me and mom. all been skiing 8-10 times but not expert. solid Blue skiers and good with that
mom isn’t skiing this year due to injury so need to find a north american location with a close-by town that she can still “feel” the mountains even if not with us. want to ski but we ALL want to be near a real town….I’m not rich but i don’t want to rule anything out because of costs right now. ideals:
1) reliable late December snow. man made is ok. at least 8-10 different “Blues” or real long green runs would be awesome
2) within about 15-20 minutes of a nice town where mom can shop. special interest in art. local goods. don’t mean big chain stores or outlets. it’s not about “fancy” but moreso unique. we like plenty of chains too, don’t get me wrong. but want her to find some special unique things while shopping if she can’t be out on slopes right now
3) ideally this would be a walkable town with good range of food options. coffee shops, bars. used to cook for a living so quality options. we like “fancy” from time to time and willing to pay for that. but i truly just mean quality choices. low key bars good too. we are more beer and wine types than cocktails
4) just to be clear i mean like a main street actual “town.” ideally with some cute architecture and feel. I do not mean a resort ski village. not against them…had many great resort experiences when we want it all outside the doorstep. but want a real ski town here. with a range of accommodations. we like private rentals but do hotels, inns, whatever. it’s “best available” I operate under. we MAY even stay on a resort. but we just don’t want the resort to be all there is for food and other fun
5) other non ski options a bonus…dog sled…snow mobile…easy hikes…national parks/sites
6) access to airport is always a plus but can rent car. ideally within about an hour maybe 90 minutes drive. we could do puddle jumper from a major airport to a local one if it’s not gonna crush the budget.
i know that SOUNDS picky but we are actually real low key.
Breckinridge sounds like a fit with proximity and other things. But is there much shopping/arts scene?
Aspen is supposedly top notch on many fronts. but could cost twice the amount to fly there from Denver than it costs to fly to Denver from NC
Banff gets lots of love. i have no intel.
Whistler i have heard is nice but i only ever see pictures of like a ski “village” like a resort. is there a town?
Park City?
any eastern US options?
what ya got??
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Aspen if you can make it work from a travel standpoint. It’s hard to get to and pricey but the most real mountain town in the us imo.
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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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Santa Fe is a real town with real culture and great cuisine. Arts scene second to none. Good local hill outside town, and Taos is nearby. Not sure about there being good early snow there, or anywhere. But they do do well snow-wise in El Nino seasons, which this is.
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Banff sort of, kind of fits your bill providing you acknowledge that you won't see mum for lunch as the actual ski hills aren't in Banff.
There's probably more accommodation options in Canmore but that adds to the drive time to / from the hills.
As I look through your requirements these could all apply to Canmore or Banff.
1) Yeah probably although it's been a slow start so far for snow.
2) Again yeah probably although it's also pretty touristy in places. You might need to hunt a bit off main street to find better stuff.
3) Absolutely
4) Yes although as above Canmore has more options due to being outside national park.
5) Yes - sled dogs. Frozen waterfalls. Excellent scenery. Hiking - bring microspikes and think avy even at the valley floor.
6)90 minutes from YYC on main highway. Transfer services available.
Whistler is $$$$ and is definitely a bit less "authentic" but it's also probably got a bit more culture and restaurants than Banff. It's also closer to 2 hours from YVR on a notorious road. You could however meet mum for lunch... My main issue over Christmas would be crowds... A busy day in the Rockies is like a quiet day at Whistler (having done both and a busy day at Whistler which was nuts)
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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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both those are on my list. Aspen….because well it’s legendary. but like you said…cost. i don’t mind the prices when THERE. but i can fly to Denver for 100 bucks. then it’s 425 to fly on. that is tough to swallow. especially when a flight to Europe is only 50 bucks more. but Aspen looks sweet!
wife has long mentioned Santa Fe. so it’s a possibility. like you said…will there be snow by Xmas? tough to tell
thanks all!
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Big fan of Banff, so much that I haven’t been to other places. The town is genuine but some complain that many shops in the main street are a bit touristy; gotta be way cheaper than Aspen though. However, main concern for you could be that it can get seriously cold periods in the depths of winter, like -20C cold. I’m not sure if that is already in December or more in Jan-Feb. My daughter spent her 13th birthday at end of March going hiking in -15C. She loved it 
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I'm not exactly sure how you differentiate between a big ski resort and a small town. Whistler (ski resort) has a bigger permanent population than Banff (town) for example. Whistler has way more of interest for non skiers than the average Canadian ski town (fernie, golden, revelstoke etc.).
I can't think of too many better places than whistler for a mixed group of skiers and non skiers. Banff can work, but the resorts are some distance from the town.
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| Quote: |
| i can fly to Denver for 100 bucks. then it’s 425 to fly on to Aspen |
Why fly onward? The 220 mile/4hr drive from Denver Airport to Aspen is very do-able. Or break the journey with a 3hr drive and an overnight stay in Glenwood Springs. Plenty of accommodation there (inc. cheap motels), not to mention the relaxing hot springs, which are worth a visit.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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It’s expensive as they all use Lears.
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Telluride or Park City? In the East, Warren, VT. Close to Sugarbush, Mad River Glen, Stowe.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Steamboat ($$)
Jackson Hole ($$$)
Breckenridge ($$$$)
Telluride ($$$$$)
Aspen ($$$$$)
For me, Steamboat every time for early season. But, you’d better hurry. After this weekend, all the reasonable places will be booked up!
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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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Jackson probably more of a town and less of a ski theme park than most plus other cool stuff there. It's still touristy as hell but summer is peak season there. Biggish jets fly right into the airport.
Banff is lovely but yeah I've been there around New Year when it was too cold to go outside for more than 30 seconds at a time (ski hills close when it gets that extreme).
Otherwise everywhere seems to be getting a slow start this year. Turkey Day is when the season really starts and most seem to be opening on WRODs.
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| mountainaddict wrote: |
| Quote: |
| i can fly to Denver for 100 bucks. then it’s 425 to fly on to Aspen |
Why fly onward? The 220 mile/4hr drive from Denver Airport to Aspen is very do-able. Or break the journey with a 3hr drive and an overnight stay in Glenwood Springs. Plenty of accommodation there (inc. cheap motels), not to mention the relaxing hot springs, which are worth a visit. |
Agree this is a good option. I've done a couple of trips driving from Denver, with a break in Frisco/Silverthorne allowing a ski day at Copper or A-Basin (which are, like Aspen, on the Ikon pass) then drive onwards in the evening to arrive in Aspen and ski the next day.
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You know it makes sense.
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1. Aspen
2. Banff
3. Breckenridge
4. Jackson Hole
5. Killington
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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 are lucky enough to have done Aspen, Banff and Whistler, with a non skier I would go Aspen, the ski bus is excellent as it would be say to meet if you re skiing in teh other areas Snomass etc. it does'y have to be expensive our accommodation was mid range , we found some reasonable restaurants to eat at, pity the meatball factory is no more .
We took the shuttle bus from Denver airport as you don't need a car to cover all the ski areas, we took the ski bus which runs pretty late as well.
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Poster: A snowHead
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You described Whitefish Montana. A real town with plenty of shopping and authentic pubs/restaurants. Only 15 mins from the base of Big Mountain. Kalispell airport less than 20 minutes away.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| tarheelblue wrote: |
1) reliable late December snow. man made is ok. at least 8-10 different “Blues” or real long green runs would be awesome
...
any eastern US options?
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Not with reliable snow, no. The Eastern resorts are fairly low altitude, so they rely on winds coming from the right direction to get snow. If the wind comes from the wrong direction they can get rain at any time of year. There will be snow, but be prepared for ice and runs closed due to poor cover at any time of the season. If you're booking it late enough though, then you can check the forecast & recent weather and have a good idea what they snow will be like.
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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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I'd say Aspen, Breck or Banff - for Aspen you could fly into Eagle and drive, its only about 1.5 hrs
Banff you 'd have triouble meeting up for lunch.
All 3 are towns Breck is probably more resort than town, but it is authentic. For your criteria Aspen would be my 1st choice, its a great place and the skiing is good too 
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| thelem wrote: |
| tarheelblue wrote: |
1) reliable late December snow. man made is ok. at least 8-10 different “Blues” or real long green runs would be awesome
...
any eastern US options?
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Not with reliable snow, no. The Eastern resorts are fairly low altitude, so they rely on winds coming from the right direction to get snow. If the wind comes from the wrong direction they can get rain at any time of year. There will be snow, but be prepared for ice and runs closed due to poor cover at any time of the season. If you're booking it late enough though, then you can check the forecast & recent weather and have a good idea what they snow will be like. |
Generally speaking, you would not fly from Europe (I assume this is where you are coming from) to the east coast to ski. The mountains are just not high enough/big enough. There are a ton of them, and they are immensely popular, but that is because people can drive there from the major population centers of east coast US and Canada - and that is a lot of people.
Owing to conditions, these mountains do a good job of reporting daily updates on their conditions and trail openings on their website and as noted above if you can plan late, you can hit it when conditions are good.
If you were to consider east coast, Treblant in Quebec may work. A ton of ski in ski out accommodations exits at the base in a fake but very charming purpose built village that has a lot of shopping and restaurants. And Montreal, which is a great city, is an hour and half away. You can fly into Montreal, rent a car to drive to the village, and then have the car available for the non-skier to do a day trip back to Montreal if the weather cooperates. If conditions/forecast are good, and the entire mountain is open, it is a very good mountain to ski at and visit.
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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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I'm guessing from the name the OP is from North Carolina. So I guess it comes down to where can you fly direct from Raleigh Durham or via a major hub like Atlanta, Dallas or SLC?
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Good pick up. Another east coast place that has a real town (not the purpose built ski in ski out village at Treblant) with a lot of unique shops and restaurants (along with olympic museums and sites) is Lake Placid. Whiteface is about 15 minutes away, but that is not a great mountain for green/blue skiers. It's best for skiers who can handle blacks and hard blues. And Whiteface is not always ready to go at Christmas. Would need to check as we get closer.
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| pfreet wrote: |
| You described Whitefish Montana. A real town with plenty of shopping and authentic pubs/restaurants. Only 15 mins from the base of Big Mountain. Kalispell airport less than 20 minutes away. |
Except I'm not sure we are going to open on time. Snowpack in this region is way below normal.
Yes, the town is what you want. But maybe not this year.
However, we've opened before with extremely limited terrain and somehow there's always this huge dump right as Christmas week starts. It's uncanny.
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Leadville Co. Old school, and low key but good fun and sort of not modern US skiing.
But I'd also go for Steamboat for a more modern resort if a bit stretched out. Bit of a booger to get to if weather is harsh.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Left field suggestion... why not Europe? Yes I know the flights will be more expensive, but once in Europe things are likely to be quite a bit cheaper.
You're piste skiers and you'll definitely have enough pistes to ski on. I'd suggest for instance Briançon, which is a charming, proper town (with a castle, too), direct access to a great ski area (Serre Chevalier) plus half an hour to another great one (Montgenevre - Via Lattea, with the possibility of easily skiing into Italy and back). A very different experience.
And don't get me wrong, I loved skiing in the US and Canada every time I did, just throwing a different option that may be interesting to the entire family.
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| pfreet wrote: |
| You described Whitefish Montana. A real town with plenty of shopping and authentic pubs/restaurants. Only 15 mins from the base of Big Mountain. Kalispell airport less than 20 minutes away. |
Beat me to it
Another thumbs up for Whitefish
Can also do day trip to Glacier National Park
And dog sledding
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