 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi Folks,
My fiance and I are thinking of treating ourselves to a North American trip this year...
We normally manage a week in the Alps about this time of year but we're wondering about making the leap to the US/Canada... Neither of us have skied in North America before, however, so I thought I'd seek out some expert advice.
We only have a week, however, so are wondering about the relatively lengthy flights and time on the piste... Is it worth the trip? Are the NA resorts having a good season?
We're both good skiers, and we like to pack a lot of skiing in, so it's really a choice between North America and one of the larger, high-altitude alpine ski areas...
Any thoughts/recommendations etc would be gratefully received!
Cheers.
G
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Could you stretch it out to 10days, gives you a day or 2 to do other things besides skiing if going all that way and to adjust to the time change, though for a snowsports holiday it's not so much of a problem in that if you want to maximise the ski day getting up at the crack of dawn is useful and easy when going East to West - the jetlag can be more of a factor coming back home, but different people are affected differently.
It's along way to go for a week, could you manage 2 weeks if you waited till next year? I'll also put out a shout for the Lake Tahoe area, a variety of fantastic resorted dotted around the lake in a relatively small area so it's possible to go there and ski several areas in a week, indeed staying in South Lake Tahoe you have Heavenly on the doorstep, and shuttles run to a variety of other Tahoe resorts from South Lake Tahoe including to Kirkwood and Squaw Valley, two must do's for good skiers. While having a car will give you greater flexibility, it's well possible to do a Tahoe ski holiday without hiring a car.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Gav1857, I wouldn't bother, for that timescale. I've skied in Washington State, Utah, Colorado and Vermont and none of the skiing was a patch on what you can experience in the Alps at its best. Off-piste is generally regulated and restricted in America (most runs are cut through forests), and the chance of powder skiing tends to be exaggerated.
Ski in America to see a great city, or something else, with the skiing as a great component of the trip, but I wouldn't endure all the travel and jetlag for a week of what you get.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Canadian resorts not having a fab year...............on the whole
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
I'm here for the usual 6 days' skiing, midweek to midweek, with the extra travel time tacked on - so 6 days' leave rather than the usual 5.
I learnt to ski at Mount Hood (Oregon), I've skied quite a bit around Lake Tahoe, and this is my first time skiing in Colorado. I've skied much more in the Alps (mainly France with a bit of Switzerland and Italy).
The jetlag is no problem - I just tend to turn in early. I'm lucky enough to travel business class, which I'm sure helps though.
Tahoe is good for steeps. The snow quality tends to be similar to the Alps.
There's not much that's truly steep here (I apologise to locals who might point me to places that I just haven't found. What I like about here (and it's true with the Tahoe resorts, to a lesser extent) is that hardly anything is bashed flat. So, the run-of-the-mill trail is a much better test of balance and skill than the run-of-the-mill European piste. It also has the benefit of excluding out-of-control straightliners.
In conclusion, N. America isn't better but it is different (in other ways than those I've mentioned too). So, if you like new experiences, do it!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Utah's going off. Best bet right now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
Are the NA resorts having a good season?
|
This is not the best year for the Rockeis. Both Colorado and Utah had below average base depth, a more seirous problem for those who likes steep off-piste. I've never skied over so many rocks, ever!
Tahoe, on the other hand, is having monster dump one after another. It also boast more STEEP off-piste terrain. But the flight is even longer...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Gav1857 wrote: |
| We only have a week, however, so are wondering about the relatively lengthy flights and time on the piste... Is it worth the trip? |
IMO, going out west, No. Ten/Eleven days minimum. There's a day travelling each end, effectively, though the lag seems to get most people (me included) on returning, fortunately.
If you found somewhere in the east that rang your bell, then maybe.
| Quote: |
| Are the NA resorts having a good season? |
In general, not the best, with some (noted) exceptions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Ernst Goldsmith wrote: |
| Gav1857, I wouldn't bother, for that timescale. I've skied in Washington State, Utah, Colorado and Vermont and none of the skiing was a patch on what you can experience in the Alps at its best. |
I've skied France, Italy, Austria and, er, Switzerland and none of it was a patch on what you can experience in the Rockies at its best. And if you pay any attention to ridiculous generalities like that, you deserve everything you get.
Laundryman summed much of it up pretty well. It's definitely worth a trip to North America, but choose your resort carefully because snow has been in short supply in some places this year. But some places don't know what bad snow is - I arrived in Jackson this year straight after a 48" dump of light, fluffy powder - and the locals were still moaning about the lack of snow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
I forgot to mention, the east coast is currently in very good shape due to several "historical" snow storms lately.
Not that I'm a big fan of skiing the east coast, but if you fancy a change of scenary, the flights are considerably shorter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Cheers everyone... Will be ringing around the travel agents tomorrow to see what they can offer, and we'll take it from there...
I've just noticed that lots of the attractive prices are based on four sharing and, as we're a two, this might put the cost up quite considerably.
Anyway, thanks for the pointers. I may be back with more questions in due course!
G
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you can extend your trip, you should DEFINITELY hit up Mammoth Mountain, CA.
Most lodging is at the base of the mountain, some of the best spring skiing on the continent, some of the best expert skiing off the top, and having a great season-- especially compared to a little farther east in Utah and Colorado.
Though you'd definitely need to extend your stay if you want to go there IMO, as it's pretty much "out there" too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| gryphea wrote: |
| Canadian resorts not having a fab year...............on the whole |
Although I agree with that on raw statistics, we've had fantastic snow conditions in Big White both early season (pre-Christmas) and more recently in mid Feb. Okay less big powder days than in previous years, but far more blue sky days too. No rain, no ice, 2m base and a reasonable amount of fresh snow. Not epic, but consistently very good. Having said that I wouldn't make the trip for just a week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
uktrailmonster,
Interesting it was OK in mid Feb- maybe I'll put it on our spring break list. We were hoping to go soewhere nearer but w will chase the snow.
Sounds much better than the more local resorts, Panormaa, KH, Revelstoke, Fernie, Lousie. It has been a sparse warm year. Like ridiculously warm...........
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
gryphea, It's been warmer than usual in BW too, especially over the last couple of weeks. Just not warm enough to rain or cause too many freeze / thaw conditions. Forecast this week looks quite good too. Mix of sun and snow, temps around -2C peak. We were there a couple of weeks ago and conditions on-piste were among the best I can remember. Off piste was okay too, just needed more fresh snow. We still had one fantastic powder day at the end of our trip. The Okanagan resorts seem to get the most consistent weather year after year, but the locals have been whinging about lack of snowfall for the last couple of seasons. They are seriously spoilt I tell you!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I was looking at the best ski resorts in the world recently and Stowe, Vermont came up a few times.
Anyone experience of there?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| dave_m wrote: |
I was looking at the best ski resorts in the world recently and Stowe, Vermont came up a few times.
Anyone experience of there? |
Biggest fish in a shallow pond syndrom.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
I am skiing in Colorado in a 18-day DIY arrangement.
There is nothing wrong with the snow here. The resorts tend to be smaller than the mega French and Italian resorts so with a hired car would be the key.
So far I have sampled Vail, Beaver Creek, Copper Mountain, Aspen's four mountains, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin and Breckenridge. I am left with 3 more days but with only Loveland to do.
It take a day to get from Denver to any of the resorts and another day back so a 10-day trip is more reasonable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
saikee, 2.5 hrs from western outskirts of Denver to Steamboat at crack of dawn (i.e. when we woke up after flight day before). Had pretty well a full day skiing on the day, after checking into hotel here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
laundryman,
That is why I went to the Summit County. The nearest resort is Loveland which is 53 miles from Denver.
After finishng one of the skiing days we drove to Winter Park from Silverthorne and it was 56 miles each way. The pass isn't anywhere as twisty or steep as those in Europe but pace was slow.
Summit County is the one if you hate driving long distance. After Loveland, Keystone and Breckenridge the two next consecutive exits from i-70. Copper Mountain, Vail and Beaver Creek are just exits of the same i-70 which has no mountain pass all the way to Aspen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
saikee, from Denver to Vail, pretty much a day is wasted unless you get up really early. On the other hand, there're those areas that can be squeezed into the same day as the transfer day...
I usually plan for A-basin and Loveland as my first day and/or last day (depenidng on whether it's a weekday or weekend: A-basin is busy on weekend while Loveland is never busy). As you've noticed, it's only a little over an hour to get from Denver airport to A-basin or Loveland.
Some people find driving 2-3 hours in the morning and skiing from 10am to 4pm perfectly acceptable. I prefer to ski till 3 (or even 4), drive for an hour (or half), have dinner, then finish the last hour of the drive (in the dark, unfortunately). Either way, it's "almost" a full day of skiing + transfer to a new resort on the same day. Granted, I wouldn't want to do that EVERYDAY. But as long as I get to settle down in one place for 2-3 days before moving, I can do it again the same fashion.
On weekend days, I-70 can get maddenly slow. I found it to be benefitial to either quit quite early (like 2:30, definitely before 3), or just have a leasurely dinner near the resort. That way, I miss most of the bumper to bumper traffic on I-70.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
