Planning a US trip, please help

[Mulletizer]

Thanks to all those that helped me get some ideas together in another thread. One of the things we (Mrs Mullet and I) have decided to do is a month-long NorAm trip. Local advice with fixing up a plan would be much appreciated.

Basic plan so far is to
- come in 1st March
- fly to Seattle, terrorise Maggots at PNW summit with my bad teeth and worse steeze
- trip around other resorts and ranges
- fly out of San Francisco or LA at the end of the month (this is flexible), hopefully without a permanent police record (should be easy with Roo not around)

Any advice on cool places to hit up (cool = gnar/fun terrain + usually good snow + vibe) would be much appreciated. We are looking for 3/4/5 other places to hit after the PNW where we can mix up the touring and lift skiing.

So far we thought PNW -> Canuckia (maybe, if there's time) or Jackson -> CO (maybe to the San Juans) -> UT (SLC for all the damn hot lapdance bars where pole dancers open beers with their pussies, obviously) -> CA (Tahoe or Sierras). Is this absurdly far for a month? Where should we cross off/add to that list to maximise cool spots and minimise wasted travel time? All these ideas are flexible so don't be afraid to tell me what sucks hardest...

We'll be looking to keep the costs down, winter camping is an option although I prefer toasty huts with wood stoves. Accommodation advice would be appreciated (I'll dig out that Powder hostel article). Any advice on how to get around cheaply?

Thanks in advance. I'm looking forward to hopefully meeting some more of you reprobates.

[backpack]

Any advice on how to get around cheaply?

The Greyhound of the Sky has a min-hub in SLC.

[Kellie]

PNW --> MT/Jackson --> SLC --> Tahoe . . . you could easily fit in some southern Canadian stuff as well, but may add to the driving time. I am not sure about places to stay particularly . . .

[Tri-Ungulate]

Yeah, you can do it in a month; you'll put in mega miles on the rental car, but you 'd probably only have a couple long-haul days of 8 or more hours behind the wheel. And the N.A. road trip is something you oughta experience for sure.

From Seattle (W/B, Baker, Alpental, etc.) long haul #1 would be to Montucky - Big Sky, Moonlight and mebbe Bridger. Then a shorter hop down to Jackson, the Pass and maybe Targhee. Another ~5H drive (weather permitting) to SLC.

My offer still stands, BTW, would be happy to put you up, take you to the internationally famous BYU co-ed/Donkey Show, and maybe even ski with you if I'm in town (I may be overseas end of March/beginning April).

Colorado may or may not be feasable, since it really does take you out of your way. Great skiing of coures, with a wide variety of terrain, at least 8 hours each way to/from SLC to the CO areas. You could also incorporate a swing through the desert (Moab) in the package, especially if you're in the San Juans area. I suggest you decide once you're here based on conditions, time and desire to become a Euro-adherent of the Summit Kounty Krew.

From SLC to Tahoe is only 8 hours, an easy straight shot. From Tahoe to SF Bay are a quick 4H.

Accomodations - doubtless plenty of couch surfing if the missus doesn't mind, plenty of mags should step up here.

[sculhane]

Be really careful about South facing ski areas since you will be here in the month of March. The sun can mess up 90% of a place like Jackson in no time if there is no new snow.

I would also tend to stay North and do: Seattle, Whistler, Kicking Horse/Banff areas, then down to the US, Big Mountain, Bridger, Big Sky, Targhee, Jackson, SLC areas, Tahoe areas and SF.

Have fun,

Steve

[Mulletizer]

Thanks for the info.

It seems a flight from Seattle to SLC would be worth the $120. Then I think I would look at hiring a to explore from there. And leads for cheap rental? Have found some deals but nowt spectacular

Cheers,

Mullet

[splat]

Do the Idris > hunt down a cheap car to drive and sell it for 5 times as much on the way out.
Even better, get a 1969 Ford Econoline sports utility van.

[yogachik]

Don't miss Mammoth and our famous spring skiing...

[natty dread]

Look forward to skiing alta with you monsieur mullet! And crystal perhaps. Hell I'll just join you and the mrs on your roadtrip, she won't mind will she?

[Big Tim]

WTF, I'm heading to Verbier the first week of March. ...... So I guess I'll trade you my place in Mammoth for yours in Verbier??

BT

[Schmear]

Glad to hear you're coming through Seattle. Let's definitely get some turns together while you're here.

[hop]

Assuming the P.F.W.T. gets going again this year, you should be arriving in Seatown the same time as I do. If you don't head up to Baker I will be very bummed out.

In any event, welcome and let me know if you need anything specific. I can probably help out with lodging for you crazy kids if need be as well.

[baseWeldr]

we're planning on being in bozeman roughly march10 - april10
happy to help if you blow through with the snow at that time-
lots of friends around with spare beds/ floorspace, hottubs etc...
good luck

[Buster Highmen]

A splendid plan.

If I may make a suggestion or two ( I expect it's expected) consider the following tour:

1) Puget Sound 3/1-3/8. Cover Crystal, Alpental, Stevens, Baker. Note that I am taking this time off from work and may be able to render some feeble guiding about here. As for lodgings, we have room au Chaqteau, but are far removed from the thundersome disco entertainment of the Seattle metroskisual.

2) W/BC 3/9-3/12. It's the summit, it's nearby, it's W/BC and you'd be wearing haggis if you didn't give it a stout thought or two. Can't help much on lodging there.

3) Trundle down towards SLC via the interstates and obscure tarmacs of the intermoontain west. I'd suggest hitting the Wallowas for a 3 day tour, then if the snow is good, go to Pebble, one of the really great unknowns around. But make sure ther'es good snow. Take about 5 days, so now you're up to 3/17. If you go to the Wallowas, look up Roger Averbeck for beta, snowpack and lodgings in some really nice huts and tents.

4) Do the SLC/Ogden lurk and ski. It's a tried and true maggot flyway. You can't miss with all the options. Consider a week. The maggotry can facilitate lodging there.

5) It's a bit of a long haul, but do the SLC-Tahoe drive. Lurk in Tahoe for a week, then snorkle over to SF and wing back.

Another option is to replace 3)-5) with some time in the Kootenays. Red can satisfy for weeks easily between the touring there and the mountain itself is kickass. Then zip over to Nelson and ski Whitewater and tour that area for another week. Then drive back to Seattle and wing it home.

[Mulletizer]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Taking into account some of the stuff people have said the current itinerary is:

Mid feb - Mid March
- fly into Reno (try to spot women with knickers around ankle in walmart)
- hit up Tahoe resorts (play Squalleywood Gnar Game - I'm good at pissing mid-line)
- go to Utah
- go somewhere else (CO? WY? OR? - Wallowas look nice)
- possibly get flight to Seattle
- hit up PNW
- eat Sushi in Vancouver
- go to summit in W/B
- fly out of Seattle
- rest

What do people suggest in terms of transport? Is it necessary to hire (or buy/do a Tom) a car? Or can you get to resorts on buses/public transport?

HOP: accommodation good. Feel free to kick us out when you've had enough. Baker is a go-er, I hpoe for a extremo rad gnar schralp tour
Natty: you're welcome as long as you don't have wind issues. My lungs are still burning from the Brownmonkey "effect".
Buster: I used to live in LG - you must realise I'm not into the discos. It's all about the Blue Oyster.

[skiski]

Good plan. But you do know that it will probably cost more to fly out of a different airport than you fly in to? I would recommend renting a car and driving your trip if it works out. The scenery and desolation of the intermountain west is probably unique to someone coming from euro-land.
After Utah, I recommend Wyoming (Jackson Hole/Targhee) and Montana (Big Sky and Bridger and maybe Big Mountain) on your way back to the PNW. Jackson is 5 hours from SLC, Big Sky is another 4 from Jackson and From Bozeman or Missoula it would only be about 8-10 back to Seattle. Colorado is good at that time of year, but takes you 8-12 hours out of the way if you want to end up in Seattle. Save Colorado for next year. With the amount of time you have some kind of rotation (clockwise or counterclockwise) involving Seattle-WY/MT-Utah-Tahoe works really well logistically for a road trip.

[Mulletizer]

Cheers. I can get a reasonably priced flight if in and out of different places by using Continental. However, seeing how they've been refered to as Cuntinental by several around here and their baggage allowance is pitiful (23kg for internal/connecting flights) that might not be a great idea...

Will look into hire cars. Any leads for long term (well, month-long) rentals?

[Tri-Ungulate]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Taking into account some of the stuff people have said the current itinerary is:

Mid feb - Mid March
- fly into Reno (try to spot women with knickers around ankle in walmart)
- hit up Tahoe resorts (play Squalleywood Gnar Game - I'm good at pissing mid-line)
- go to Utah
- go somewhere else (CO? WY? OR? - Wallowas look nice)
- possibly get flight to Seattle
- hit up PNW
- eat Sushi in Vancouver
- go to summit in W/B
- fly out of Seattle
- rest

What do people suggest in terms of transport? Is it necessary to hire (or buy/do a Tom) a car? Or can you get to resorts on buses/public transport?

HOP: accommodation good. Feel free to kick us out when you've had enough. Baker is a go-er, I hpoe for a extremo rad gnar schralp tour
Natty: you're welcome as long as you don't have wind issues. My lungs are still burning from the Brownmonkey "effect".
Buster: I used to live in LG - you must realise I'm not into the discos. It's all about the Blue Oyster.

Itinerary looks pretty good.

Yes, it could conceivably be done via public transport, but it would be a huge pain in the poopenhausen, and the loss of flexibility would not allow for as many opportunistic forays. Public transport is not nearly as comprehensive or easy or punctual as in Yurp, gas is cheap, distances are vast, and the Skiing Road Trip is a Rite of Passage. Hire the car. Do it over the internet ahead of time, not at the airport. Might be cheaper to fly into SF and drive from there to Tahoe than flying direct into Reno, and the drive is only ~4H in good conditions. From Tahoe drive to SLC and environs whether you do a northern loop through WY/MT and maybe even Canadia or south/east to CO. If you're decide on the northern circuit, it might again be cheaper/easier to drive from there directly to the PNW rather than driving back to SLC and flying to Seatac. Lot of hours behind the wheel, but a lot of the drive can be pretty and/or interesting.

[shirk]

My vote goes for trying to buy an older car in the arrival city. If you pick arrival and departure cities with lots of mags it shouldn't be too difficult.

Or try rentawreck for longer term cheaper rental option.

If you go the way of public transit, I can help with Vancouver area to W/B during the summit. I hope to make it down to the Baker/Crustal/Alpy days also. Lastly a spare room in Vancouver if needed in transit.

[Tri-Ungulate]

Will look into hire cars. Any leads for long term (well, month-long) rentals?

Cheapest I can find (just looking at the usual suspects) seems to be Alamo www.alamo.com. Pickup in Reno dropoff in Seattle, from Feb 15th to Mar 15th was $467 for a compact POS and bit over $500 for a slightly larger POS.

[irul&ublo]

Mulletizer:

For Tahoe, try the old casinos on the North Shore, the Cal-Neva and The Biltmore. Cheap rooms, ticket deals, food and booze.

[Mulletizer]

Cheapest I can find (just looking at the usual suspects) seems to be Alamo www.alamo.com. Pickup in Reno dropoff in Seattle, from Feb 15th to Mar 15th was $467 for a compact POS and bit over $500 for a slightly larger POS.

I thought that looked good too. Checked out a bit further though and the prices get scary... One the next page they hit you with all the extras (drop off charge $300, distance charge $260pw etc). When I ticked the box for age 24 the cost jumped to a total of $2,254.09. Fierce! May need to look into buying a car. Hello ebay! cheers for the input though.

[bad_roo]

Perhaps seeing as Mulletizer missed out on the flight to the Jackson summit, a few of us could throw a few $$$ into the hat and whatever the total amounts to is his budget for a car for the trip.

We could then pass it on to the next deserving case. It could grow a life of its own.

[Buster Highmen]

We're sorely deficient in the BOC department, but what lackings we have there are more than made up for in FZ, King Crimson, GONG, Hendrix, Cream, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Parliament/Funkadelic and a motley assortment or other deteriorata.

Plus we'll have a spare bedroom.

(edit) Oh yeah, Wallowa info, check the pics : http://www.wingski.com

[lemon boy]

Perhaps seeing as Mulletizer missed out on the flight to the Jackson summit, a few of us could throw a few $$$ into the hat and whatever the total amounts to is his budget for a car for the trip.

We could then pass it on to the next deserving case. It could grow a life of its own.

Need to see if powder will donate the cop car!!!