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I'll be booking a trip with the wife and I to a US mountain from the Ikon Base skis pass but having trouble narrowing it down. For those with experience, what do you recommend for great snow/terrain but also a good village/town so the wife can enjoy restaurants and what not? I think I'm narrowing it down to Utah or Colorado ski resorts but open to others as long as it's a direct flight from Toronto and not crazy far from the airport.
Thanks all.
Great suggestion. We've actually been there already and loved it. I had to update my posting to indicate a US destination. We only have 4-5 days for the trip.Quote:
Originally Posted by ::: :::
If purely skiing Salt Lake can't be beat. If you want the ski town, Jackson, Sun Valley, or Aspen/Snowmass.
Only SLC is on the Base pass from that list.Quote:
Originally Posted by easyrdr
The Banff resorts, but LL and SV are a little farther from the town.
Steamboat?
When is this trip?
How does steamboat compare to snowbird?Quote:
Originally Posted by phatty
This is for next season. It's early but I'm trying to plan a few trips so getting a head start so I can start eyeballing accommodations and flights.Quote:
Originally Posted by Danno
Rutland VT. The epicenter of NA skiing.
bullshit. upstate > rutland any day… is McCauley Mountain on that there ikon pass?
It doesn't. Not at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by fencejack
Steamboat = mostly beginner terrain, family-oriented resort, highly overpriced, and flat. Any steep runs are short and you will feel underwhelmed as you don't/won't know where you're going. All the shops and neat restaurants are 3 miles down the road, not anywhere near the resort. Bussing or shuttle easiest way to get back and forth. Parking is a pain in the ass.
Snowbird will give you max value for your turns. Better steeps, better terrain overall. Not nearly as expensive. Typically less crowds.
I live in Steamboat, fwiw. Not to diss my hometown, but it's not really the destination Ikon makes it out to be. The whole 'family' vibe of this place is getting to be too much. And timing is everything. Great if you hit deep pow in Jan/Feb, but Dec (and more so March) can be iffy/transitional snow, like it is right now. We sit at much lower elevation, so once springtime hits, it can be variable.
I appreciate the honest answer. I was getting the same sense about the terrain not too challenging as well. How is snowbird with respect to restaurants and shops? I figure SLC isn't too far and can also go there but would be convenient if at the base.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jax
PM Rontele, he used to work for Alterra as a resort coordinator. He’s hooked many TGR members up with detailed travel plans and can sometimes get you discounts on lodging and meals.
Not Jackson.
Nothing to do but ski.
Everything is super expensive, from parking to sleeping and everything in between.
Locals are abrasive and terrain is not for the weak.
Far from everywhere and cold as fuckall.
Bet.
I mentioned Steamboat because you mentioned shops/village and the town is much more accessible from the mountain than SLC and Snowbird. On the Base Ikon, there really isn't much, but I don't know the Colorado resorts well.Quote:
Originally Posted by fencejack
Sun Peaks in BC has a village, but it's pretty small compared to a Whistler type place and it's in the boonies.
Revelstoke has the town right there, but small and logging town vibe versus resort town.
Schweitzer has Sandpoint close which is a resort town, though geared more towards the summer season.
With the Base pass there's not a ton of options for what you seem to be looking for.
Thanks for the contact. I'll reach out to him.Quote:
Originally Posted by BobMc
I've been to Jackson before and I liked it. Hoping to try something new but worst case I can always go back.Quote:
Originally Posted by Djongo Unchained
Mammoth
I'm starting to realize your last point. You see a huge list of resorts and figure one of them would be a clear winner. I was hoping I could find something on the base without have to spend more to upgrade.Quote:
Originally Posted by phatty
The pass cost difference is likely to be a drop in the bucket compared to all the other costs you're going to incur on a trip like you're talking about...Quote:
Originally Posted by fencejack
A condo at the Copper base would be a decent vacation.
There isn't much at the base of Snowbird. If you stay in SLC then restaurants and shops won't be a problem. Any places in SLC will take about 35-45 minutes drive to Snowbird.Quote:
Originally Posted by fencejack
If you upgrade and want to spend das moola, then deer Valley could be a viable option. Certainly not as strong terrain as Jackson or the bird, but good food, customer service, and shops for the missus.
If more weighted to terrain and greater snowfall, then go to the bird. Stay in SLC/ cottonwood heights for driving access to restaurants and shops, but realize SLC ain't quebec city or Montreal. Stay at the bird to avoid waiting in a line full of cars for hours on a powder day while udot controls the road.
I'm no Utah expert, though I lived there for a few years.
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I would seriously think about getting at least a Base+ pass. Easy math: Base+ is $220 more than the Base. 1 day of skiing at Jackson = $210-ish. That gives you 4 more for $10.
Danno's suggestion for Copper is a good one. We used to go there every year when my kids were around. Some very good (not great) terrain and ticks all your other boxes.
Taos and Santa Fe.
The Snowbird website shows a number of restaurant options but the map doesn't really seem to show a village at all.. I assume these are just restaurants in the hotels and on hill? Is there anything at all at the base one could call a village to just walk around in? I'm okay with it being small and then take a trip to SLC for other stuff.Quote:
Originally Posted by skinipenem
I took a look at Deer and the accommodations do seem pricey. Anyone have suggestions what area to stay there that's still walkable to chair lift? I can take another scan to see if anything is within our budget.
On the Colorado side Copper was up on my list as it seemed to tick all my boxes for the most part, like you said. It'll be on my short. Any thoughts on Winter Park? I see it get mentioned once in a while.Quote:
Originally Posted by MyNameIsAugustWest
I ski Winter Park all the time. The base area isn't as village-y as Copper, and there's not as much high alpine terrain, but the town's ok, some decent places to eat and walk around, there are trees to ski in for days, a good progression of beginner and intermediate terrain, lots of bumps. It's a little more isolated than Copper, there's just the resort and the town, whereas Copper allows you to easily check out the towns of Frisco, Breck, Vail, go outlet shopping, etc. But it's not a bad choice.
To be honest, though, all of the resorts within 3 hours of Denver get overrun on weekends.
BTW, the reason I asked when wasn't just about this season vs next season, it was related to the time of year. See Jax's comments re Steamboat. I wouldn't plan a big vacation to Steamboat in March, unless I was prepared for the fact that I might get iffy/spring conditions.Quote:
Originally Posted by fencejack
No real village but some of the places are in a central area, like the tram dock. There’s a few restaurants at the Cliff, can always scoot up to Alta as well on the bus for a change of scenery. Grab some food staples from the valley before you head up. Probably your best option that’s been listed so far.Quote:
Originally Posted by fencejack
He's not kidding on this. If you can totally avoid the weekend, Front Range vacation might be tolerable...Quote:
Originally Posted by Danno
And not to put too fine a point on it - both Copper's and Winter Park's "villages" suck - they are just fake shit put in to entertain the tourists. So actually, perhaps they will be good for your needs. :D
Seems like a dice roll for dependable snowpack anymore. YMMV.Quote:
Originally Posted by raisingarizona13
Well now, it kind of depends. For a ton of people Steamboat is an ideal resort. Tons of blue and approachable black terrain, very family and socialization friendly, etc etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jax
Everyone once in a while I'm reminded that those of us who like to ski steep technical terrain, eat lunch on the lifts, and go there for the turns and not the scene are in the very small minority. So for the vast majority, Steamboat is awesome.
And for what it's worth, I ski the Boat probably 10 days a year and am of the steel-loving skier type - and I very much enjoy Steamboat. Just got back from there last night.
And if you want to ski trees fast on terrain that gets technical with speed, it's one of the best places to ski in North America. Same for bumps. There is steep stuff, it's just short and takes a while to lap. And if you like east coast ice bump skiing, it's among the best in the country if you head over to Pony Express. Ha.
Neither EWG nor Jax are wrong about Steamboat.
yep. But Copper's fake village is bigger and a little more village-y than WP.Quote:
Originally Posted by skaredshtles
Winter Park has a village?
It does, or it tries to; built it up quite a bit in the last 15 yearsQuote:
Originally Posted by Viva
That 300 yard long strip with pizza, t-shirts and a Starbucks? Yes!Quote:
Originally Posted by Viva
Exactly
i laughedQuote:
Originally Posted by fencejack
copper or anywhere else in Colorado is what you are looking for.
^^ At this point you gotta come to Utah to use your ikon pass just to say a big kiss my ass to this guy! :biggrin: :biggrin:Quote:
Originally Posted by ikonfreewasatch