 Poster: A snowHead
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Sorry if this has been done before and if so could someone send the links to the relevant topics
We are a family of 5. 3 boys, 1 boarder, 4 skiers. All intermiadiate ("just off piste" off piste). Looking at USA for Christmas probably travelling on the 23rd. We prefer a larger village /town, have enjoyed Chamonix twice, where the boys are able to roam and lurk on street corners. Accommodation is flexible have always self catered but happy to consider hotel,chalet,hostel (stayed in Chamonix YH which was good but a slog into town). Boys are 19,17,14 and so able to cope with not being adjacent to lifts, would consider driving up to resort from town...........pretty much an open book. Know nothing about US so would appreciate any info
Thanks in advance
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Colorado - Breckenridge, Frisco, Steamboat, maye Aspen if you're wealthy, Telluride maybe
Utah - Park City or Salt Lake City suburb (Sandy)
Wyoming - save Jackson Hole till you're a bit more advanced maybe
California - Mammoth, South Lake Tahoe, Truckee or Tahoe City
Montana - Whitefish
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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No but it gives you at short list of places to google - note some of them are towns with a number of ski hills nearby rather than resorts per se.
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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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Whistler may be a good one to try no altitude problems. Fly to Vancouver bus to resort and book a condo.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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For snow record of early season:
- Steamboat has the best reputation. Nice, real historical village a short bus away from the lifts.
- Summit county of Colorado is high so good bet for snow. That's Breck, Vail and Aspen. None are cheap.
- Alta and Snowbird have excellent reputation for early season snow. But it's a bus ride away from Salt Lake City. You can also stay liftside but there's nothing to do after the lift closes.
- Mammoth also has good chance of early season snow. Has a base village, and a real village linked by bus.
Park City is nice. But Christmas can be crowded and snow is a bit of a gamble unless you get lucky with a bunch of early season snow. Same with Jackson Hole.
And I'll repeat what I just posted on the other thread over at Resort Review: "Christmas at Tahoe is more crowded than summer in a frig"
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If you'd consider Canada I'll add another vote for Whistler. Better than Utah or Aspen for your criteria.
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If your budget is restrictive - look at flight prices before you decide. My family will be in JH this Xmas. Done Xmas there 3 x before.
Steamboat might be good for you. Alta mentioned by Abc does not allow boarding.
I love skiing in the US but Xmas is not necessarily the best time.
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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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Did the OP mention some in his family board?
I may not have read carefully enough...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ABC- mostly good info but Summit County Colorado consists of Breck, Copper, Keystone and A-Basin. Their base elevations range from 9,300 to 10,600. A-Basin normally opens October, Keystone & Copper early November. Vail is in Eagle County about 30 miles away (from Frisco, which is in the center of Summit) and has a base of just over 8 K. Aspen is 2 hours away with a similar base elevation to Vail. Both Aspen and Vail open just before Thanksgiving (mid-late November). There is a map of all the CO ski resorts as well as additional information about Summit County here- http://www.skilodgingrental.com/Summit_County_Info.php Of all the Summit County resorts, Copper Mountain will likely be the least crowded Christmas Week, but expect more crowds than other weeks. The holidays fall a bit differently this year, but the past few seasons, it has not started getting really crowded until the 26th or 27th and things start getting back to normal the 1st.
Frisco, where I have lived the past 3 years, has direct free bus service to Copper, 6 miles up I-70 and Breckenridge (9 miles) with connecting service to Keystone and A-Basin. Easy driving (for the mountains) to all these resorts (with A-Basin being the only one that involves any semblance of a winding road). All have ample free parking except Vail.
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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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Right, I forgot about Copper. It's probably one of the least crowded and possibly less expensive of the Summit County, with excellent terrain.
However, it's not part of the Vail resort. So seperate lift pass than the rest of the Summit resorts. So you lost the multi-day discount. Not a big loss, but need to keep in mind.
I also forgot to mention Beaver Creek, which is also much less crowded than its sister Vail. But I understand lodging there is not cheap there.
A-basin had no base village. And the free bus doesn't go there. You need a car to get to it.
I purposely left out Keystone. Mostly a personal bias. It's the least ineresting terrain of the Summit resorts, IMO.
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| abc wrote: |
Right, I forgot about Copper. It's probably one of the least crowded and possibly less expensive of the Summit County, with excellent terrain.
However, it's not part of the Vail resort. So seperate lift pass than the rest of the Summit resorts. So you lost the multi-day discount. Not a big loss, but need to keep in mind.
I also forgot to mention Beaver Creek, which is also much less crowded than its sister Vail. But I understand lodging there is not cheap there.
A-basin had no base village. And the free bus doesn't go there. You need a car to get to it.
I purposely left out Keystone. Mostly a personal bias. It's the least ineresting terrain of the Summit resorts, IMO. |
Correct about Copper and Beaver Creek. Yes, A-Basin is a mountain, not a resort, but the Summit Stage bus DOES goes there most of the winter season.
I disagree with you about Keystone- if natural snow is not in abundance, Keystone and Copper do the best job of getting some good intermediate terrain open. Keystone does not have as steep a terrain as the top of Breck, A-Basin and parts of Copper, but they have great tree skiing and are the most protected on a storm day. The OP said they are intermediates and Keystone also has plenty of that with less crowds than Breck (but more than Copper).
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You know it makes sense.
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Actually, OP said they're intermediates that ski "just off piste".
Skiing between the trees are quite fashionable these days. A lot of resorts even show stands of trees as "glades". But it really isn't quite the kind of terrain for early intermediates who hasn't got a lot of skills to manuver around the tight spaces yet.
I think for the majority of "just off the piste" skiers from that side of the pond, open bowls are more logical (and much more enjoyable) next step than tight trees.
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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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Thanks all, good info, will explore more with this all in mind.
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Poster: A snowHead
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pembsflyer, Would recommend NA to anyone, been many times myself and had a great time, but as an aside, is your 19yo going to thank you that you're going somewhere he can't have a beer or glass of wine with his meal? Remind the boys that the US Police take a very dim view of underage drinking and drinking in a public place is likely to get them a ride in a patrol car.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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| Quote: |
is your 19yo going to thank you that you're going somewhere he can't have a beer or glass of wine with his meal?
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looking on the bright side, his two young brothers will be thilled that big bro isn't allowed a beer!!
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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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unless you come to Canada where the minimum drinking age is 19.
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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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stuarth, 18 in Alberta....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
is your 19yo going to thank you that you're going somewhere he can't have a beer or glass of wine with his meal?
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looking on the bright side, his two young brothers will be thilled that big bro isn't allowed a beer!! |
They'll be most annoyed of all - their proper ID'd brother can't go buy the White Lightning to go with the roaming and lurking 
Don't worry pembsflyer sure your boys aren't like that.
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FAQ
This would be a special holiday for us all. We find it difficult to go away during the summer. Budget is restrictive but it is the annual holiday 
. more info please 
less point scoring 
If he can't have a beer does that mean I need to show restriant and a good example 
.............It's beer swilling Cairngorms for us 
