OT: Snow ski recommendation

[ronpolk]

Planning to take the family on a ski trip soon. I’ve been a few times but it’s been awhile, wife and kids have never been. So definitely need a more beginner friendly place. I’ve been to Breckenridge and Telluride. I remember Breckenridge being pretty beginner friendly because it’s where I went the first time. I’m considering going there but also looking at Park City, Utah. Park city is appealing to me due to being close to Salt Lake City and a little easier to get from the airport to the resort. But I’ve never been there.

Anyone been to both Breckenridge and park city and have a recommendation for one over the other?

 

[hatfieldms]

We go to beaver creek every year. Extremely family friendly with plenty of greens and a great ski school

 

[ronpolk]

We go to beaver creek every year. Extremely family friendly with plenty of greens and a great ski school

Ok… good to know. I’ve heard of it and been near it but never been to ski there. I’m kinda leaning toward somewhere in Colorado because I’m thinking we will go in during spring break here. I figure the snow will be better on March in Colorado since it’s higher elevation. I’ll look into beaver creek. Where do you guys normally stay?

 

[DawgsGoneWild]

The hidden gem of Colorado. Wolf Creek. Some of the best skiing, and they get more snow fall that anywhere else in the continental US. 612” last year. Only downfall is no ski in - ski out. It’s the last privately owned mt in Colorado which really just means it’s affordable. Prices are crazy cheap compared to other mountains. Stay in Pagosa Springs and go take a dip in the worlds deepest natural hot spring. It’s a really awesome place

 

[ronpolk]

The hidden gem of Colorado. Wolf Creek. Some of the best skiing, and they get more snow fall that anywhere else in the continental US. 612” last year. Only downfall is no ski in - ski out. It’s the last privately owned mt in Colorado which really just means it’s affordable. Prices are crazy cheap compared to other mountains. Stay in Pagosa Springs and go take a dip in the worlds deepest natural hot spring. It’s a really awesome place

What is the best way to get there?

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

This is not a good year for skiing out West. There is no snow anywhere due to this version of El Nino. Most of the Colorado resorts are still only 50-70% open. Utah is slightly better. California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana are getting absolutely skunked. In Idaho all of our resorts are 30% open. Montana is worse.

I have season passes and live within 25 minutes of two resorts. I haven't pulled my skis out of the closet yet and may not until mid/late January.

Last year was an epic snowfall year all over the West. This year is the exact opposite. The two factors that you will likely face in March of this year are warmer/drier mountain conditions causing nasty spring skiing in places. And the lack of any decent November/December/Early January skiing out west that will completely overcrowd resorts out west. Especially Colorado.

Skiers from California, Oregon, and Washington rarely spend the money to go to Colorado since there's plenty of great skiing closeby. This year I am betting they flood the high Rockies for Spring Break looking for their fix.

The lift lines are going to be gross. If I hadn't booked yet, this may be a year to skip or try eastern skiing.

 

[hatfieldms]

Ok… good to know. I’ve heard of it and been near it but never been to ski there. I’m kinda leaning toward somewhere in Colorado because I’m thinking we will go in during spring break here. I figure the snow will be better on March in Colorado since it’s higher elevation. I’ll look into beaver creek. Where do you guys normally stay?

The osprey. The strawberry lift is literally right outside the door

 

[hdogg]

Park city is good if you win the lottery.
Keystone is good family friendly.

 

[Slow Natives]

Planning to take the family on a ski trip soon. I’ve been a few times but it’s been awhile, wife and kids have never been. So definitely need a more beginner friendly place. I’ve been to Breckenridge and Telluride. I remember Breckenridge being pretty beginner friendly because it’s where I went the first time. I’m considering going there but also looking at Park City, Utah. Park city is appealing to me due to being close to Salt Lake City and a little easier to get from the airport to the resort. But I’ve never been there.

Anyone been to both Breckenridge and park city and have a recommendation for one over the other?

I just did that. I had been a few times in college and decided to take my wife and kids. I’ll probably never do it again. At 49 years of age my body did not handle the fall like it did when I was 29.

On top of that, I took my kids to the top of Sugar Mountain after they had ski the bunny slopes for a little while thinking they would learn like I did. Another big mistake.

I will never put on skis again.

 

[ksc31]

Park city is good for beginners if you stay on the Park City side. It’s just really expensive. I’m taking my family to Keystone next week so we will see how it is. One plus for Keystone is that kids ski free if you stay in one of their resorts. 4 of us going to Keystone for almost half the price of what I went to Park City for by myself.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

The hidden gem of Colorado. Wolf Creek. Some of the best skiing, and they get more snow fall that anywhere else in the continental US. 612” last year. Only downfall is no ski in - ski out. It’s the last privately owned mt in Colorado which really just means it’s affordable. Prices are crazy cheap compared to other mountains. Stay in Pagosa Springs and go take a dip in the worlds deepest natural hot spring. It’s a really aweuusome place

Wolf Creek & staying in Pagosa Springs is the best skiing trip that I have experienced. Durango is within driving distance for awesome restaurant options. My 2nd favorite is Telluride.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

The hidden gem of Colorado. Wolf Creek. Some of the best skiing, and they get more snow fall that anywhere else in the continental US. 612” last year. Only downfall is no ski in - ski out. It’s the last privately owned mt in Colorado which really just means it’s affordable. Prices are crazy cheap compared to other mountains. Stay in Pagosa Springs and go take a dip in the worlds deepest natural hot spring. It’s a really awesome place

This.^^^ (Not the most snow in the continental US, just Colorado. Mt Baker has that honor, there are a dozen others in the lower 48 that get more than Wolf Creek.)

If OP is open to real skiing and not the tourist traps, Wolf Creek is perfect... they 17ing always have snow and are 100% open right now. Only drawbacks are you have to drive there and high elevation 10k+ at base could give some altitude sickness or trouble breathing.

We went in 2018 when I still lived in Dallas. Used to drive over to Taos, but had a good friend from Pagosa convince us to try it. Great skiing at great prices. No lift lines either.

We rented a bad áss 3500sf cabin on the San Juan river between Wolf Creek and Pagosa Springs. 30 minutes to the WC parking lot. We stayed for a week and skied 4 days and fly fished in the evenings. Comfortably slept 10 for less than you would pay for a single room hotel at one of the big Colorado resorts. We also drove over to Durango and hit Purgatory for a long day. Durango is pretty awesome.

Link to cabin Abnb


I can't recommend enough for people to quit wasting money on big ski resorts. If you go a little farther off then beaten path you get so much more bang for your buck. There's places where the tourists ski and places where the skiers ski.

Now that I'm really into local ski culture, we laugh at our old ski in/ski out days. We just pull up in the morning, hit fresh lines until lunch, and then ski right up to the tailgate and drink beer out of our coolers and eat burgers while the tourists drop $250 for shìtty meals in the village.

As for rentals... We get season leases for the kids for $125. I bet you can't get 3 days of rentals at a big resort for less than that. If anyone seriously wants to go on an awesome family ski vacation... Find a ski town, not a ski resort.



ETA. Those hot springs in Pagosa smell like t-total shìt. I didn't have the stomach to get in.

 

[HailStout]

Park City Villa Vacation Resort | Marriott's MountainSide

Book your stay at Marriott's MountainSide, our premium ski-in ski-out resort with spacious vacation rentals and prime location on the mountain in Park City.

www.marriott.com

Love this place. Ski in/ski out. Tons of hot tubs. Walking distance to park city.

 

[ronpolk]

This.^^^ (Not the most snow in the continental US, just Colorado. Mt Baker has that honor, there are a dozen others in the lower 48 that get more than Wolf Creek.)

If OP is open to real skiing and not the tourist traps, Wolf Creek is perfect... they 17ing always have snow and are 100% open right now. Only drawbacks are you have to drive there and high elevation 10k+ at base could give some altitude sickness or trouble breathing.

We went in 2018 when I still lived in Dallas. Used to drive over to Taos, but had a good friend from Pagosa convince us to try it. Great skiing at great prices. No lift lines either.

We rented a bad áss 3500sf cabin on the San Juan river between Wolf Creek and Pagosa Springs. 30 minutes to the WC parking lot. We stayed for a week and skied 4 days and fly fished in the evenings. Comfortably slept 10 for less than you would pay for a single room hotel at one of the big Colorado resorts. We also drove over to Durango and hit Purgatory for a long day. Durango is pretty awesome.

Link to cabin Abnb


I can't recommend enough for people to quit wasting money on big ski resorts. If you go a little farther off then beaten path you get so much more bang for your buck. There's places where the tourists ski and places where the skiers ski.

Now that I'm really into local ski culture, we laugh at our old ski in/ski out days. We just pull up in the morning, hit fresh lines until lunch, and then ski right up to the tailgate and drink beer out of our coolers and eat burgers while the tourists drop $250 for shìtty meals in the village.

As for rentals... We get season leases for the kids for $125. I bet you can't get 3 days of rentals at a big resort for less than that. If anyone seriously wants to go on an awesome family ski vacation... Find a ski town, not a ski resort.



ETA. Those hot springs in Pagosa smell like t-total shìt. I didn't have the stomach to get in.

I’m definitely going to look into this. Just off first glance, the distance from Denver (unless there is a closer airport) may be an issue for me. I’m not sure I have the stamina to fly with my 2 kids and then hop in a car and drive 4 or 5 hours. But it definitely looks like an awesome spot.

 

[ronpolk]

This is not a good year for skiing out West. There is no snow anywhere due to this version of El Nino. Most of the Colorado resorts are still only 50-70% open. Utah is slightly better. California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana are getting absolutely skunked. In Idaho all of our resorts are 30% open. Montana is worse.

I have season passes and live within 25 minutes of two resorts. I haven't pulled my skis out of the closet yet and may not until mid/late January.

Last year was an epic snowfall year all over the West. This year is the exact opposite. The two factors that you will likely face in March of this year are warmer/drier mountain conditions causing nasty spring skiing in places. And the lack of any decent November/December/Early January skiing out west that will completely overcrowd resorts out west. Especially Colorado.

Skiers from California, Oregon, and Washington rarely spend the money to go to Colorado since there's plenty of great skiing closeby. This year I am betting they flood the high Rockies for Spring Break looking for their fix.

The lift lines are going to be gross. If I hadn't booked yet, this may be a year to skip or try eastern skiing.

Yeah, we may postpone it for it a year. My wife has family in Bozeman and talking to them they complained of the lack of snow this year.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

I’m definitely going to look into this. Just off first glance, the distance from Denver (unless there is a closer airport) may be an issue for me. I’m not sure I have the stamina to fly with my 2 kids and then hop in a car and drive 4 or 5 hours. But it definitely looks like an awesome spot.

United (from Houston & Denver) & American (from Dallas) service the Durango airport which is 60 miles from Pagosa Springs.

 

[TaleofTwoDogs]

Winter Park, CO is close to Denver and is pretty affordable.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

As many others have posted Wolf Creek is awesome. We did the train ride in Durango on the way back. We drove from Jxn. My biggest piece of advice is to overfill your tank in Amarillo, there're ain't nothing between there and Albuquerque. You'll see tons of Texas tags at the resort.

 

[Mr Todd French]

It’s been a while since I went. I was talking with my wife last night about going and taking kids (9 and 11). From what I could remember I think Breckenridge would be my choice. Park city was awesome and deer valley way pretty easy. Lots of long blue runs. But I think Breckenridge has more greens/blues and i think blue/blacks. Steamboat was my least favorite of all the places I’ve been.

 

[60sdog]

Planning to take the family on a ski trip soon. I’ve been a few times but it’s been awhile, wife and kids have never been. So definitely need a more beginner friendly place. I’ve been to Breckenridge and Telluride. I remember Breckenridge being pretty beginner friendly because it’s where I went the first time. I’m considering going there but also looking at Park City, Utah. Park city is appealing to me due to being close to Salt Lake City and a little easier to get from the airport to the resort. But I’ve never been there.

Anyone been to both Breckenridge and park city and have a recommendation for one over the other?

If Park City, go to a Deer Valley a couple miles down the road. Best green slope area in the U. S. And a large area. Buttermilk Aspen also mostly green.

 

[Pookieray]

Planning to take the family on a ski trip soon. I’ve been a few times but it’s been awhile, wife and kids have never been. So definitely need a more beginner friendly place. I’ve been to Breckenridge and Telluride. I remember Breckenridge being pretty beginner friendly because it’s where I went the first time. I’m considering going there but also looking at Park City, Utah. Park city is appealing to me due to being close to Salt Lake City and a little easier to get from the airport to the resort. But I’ve never been there.

Anyone been to both Breckenridge and park city and have a recommendation for one over the other?

Snowshoe, Wv is awesome for families. It has some really nice green runs (beginner) that are really scenic and a nice village to stay at the top of the mountain with shopping and eats. Been 15 years since we've been but I cant imagine its gotten any worse. Kids loved the heated indoor/outdoor pool too!

Big Mountain in Whitefish, Mt is nice also but it is somewhat colder there. Tahoe is nice but it is super crowded and expensive.

 

[Pookieray]

I just did that. I had been a few times in college and decided to take my wife and kids. I’ll probably never do it again. At 49 years of age my body did not handle the fall like it did when I was 29.

On top of that, I took my kids to the top of Sugar Mountain after they had ski the bunny slopes for a little while thinking they would learn like I did. Another big mistake.

I will never put on skis again.

'been a few years since me and the wife have gone (kids out of the house now) but the kids want to go to a ski resort for christmas next year and my wife is already telling me I'm not young anymore and I should be careful!

 

[eckie1]

Red River, NM is pretty damn good and very reasonable. We went this past spring, and it was great. Beautiful mountain, and tons of easy and intermediate slopes. There’s a fun trail from the very top you can glide down on all greens.

Only downside was the idiots giving me boots that were too tight…. I could barely move my skis, and I lost two toenails. Feckers.

 

[dudehead]

A-Basin.

 

[dawglurker]

Don’t listen to these Jerry's. Wolf Creek has the slowest lifts in the west. You’ll spend all your time sitting. Nothing like riding an 18 minute lift for 800’ of vertical skiing and then using a port-a-potty at the “lodge”. Don’t be a cheap***, go to Deer Valley. When you return to Mississippi in your new Deer Valley quarter zip and drinking from your Yeti with a PC sticker, you’ll be the envy of all the other dads on travel baseball team. Don’t be a Jerry, be a genius.

 

[HRMSU]

Hard to beat Breck unless you are a hard core shredder. If it's a family trip with beginners or gap skiers then Breck has plenty of greens and blues and also 5 peaks with blacks when conditions are right. Plenty of restaurants on slopes and at base. Breck village is awesome and walkable at night if you stay at the base. Plenty of base condos are ski in bus out and resorts are obviously ski in ski out.

 

[Lawdawg.sixpack]

If you do Park City, spend at least half your days skiing Deer Valley. It’s fantastic, and no snowboards allowed. Park City was easy to get to.

Nowhere tops Whistler in my opinion.

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

Don’t listen to these Jerry's. Wolf Creek has the slowest lifts in the west. You’ll spend all your time sitting. Nothing like riding an 18 minute lift for 800’ of vertical skiing and then using a port-a-potty at the “lodge”. Don’t be a cheap***, go to Deer Valley. When you return to Mississippi in your new Deer Valley quarter zip and drinking from your Yeti with a PC sticker, you’ll be the envy of all the other dads on travel baseball team. Don’t be a Jerry, be a genius.

^Goes to Deer Valley to brag about the ski apres in a designer onesie ski suit and rides the high speed detachable quad up and down all day taking selfies and yelling weeee when he turns past the liftie at the top.***

All kidding aside, Wolf Creek is a place where you will absolutely see somebody skiing in jeans or Carhartt coveralls. Hell, I don't even bother with ski gloves any more. Just wear my leather work gloves.


As for you @ronpolk, if you have people in Bozeman, I would just go to Big Sky. That's a massive resort (2nd biggest in US), with good snow (this year notwithstanding), small crowds, and everything you could possibly want to ski. Could also hit Bridger Bowl. Not to mention you have built in babysitting options for a night out in Bozeman.

Bozeman is maybe 45 minutes from Big Sky and the airport has direct flights to most major cities. Rent your gear for the week from a shop in town and take a day off after your first day skiing to do something else to let your legs recover... Like a guided snowmobile tour down into Yellowstone...

Man, this sounds so fun me and @dawglurker might have to bring our families up to join you, as long as you aren't embarrassed by our respective Dickies and Lululemon ski attire.*

 

[DawgsGoneWild]

This.^^^ (Not the most snow in the continental US, just Colorado. Mt Baker has that honor, there are a dozen others in the lower 48 that get more than Wolf Creek.)

If OP is open to real skiing and not the tourist traps, Wolf Creek is perfect... they 17ing always have snow and are 100% open right now. Only drawbacks are you have to drive there and high elevation 10k+ at base could give some altitude sickness or trouble breathing.

We went in 2018 when I still lived in Dallas. Used to drive over to Taos, but had a good friend from Pagosa convince us to try it. Great skiing at great prices. No lift lines either.

We rented a bad áss 3500sf cabin on the San Juan river between Wolf Creek and Pagosa Springs. 30 minutes to the WC parking lot. We stayed for a week and skied 4 days and fly fished in the evenings. Comfortably slept 10 for less than you would pay for a single room hotel at one of the big Colorado resorts. We also drove over to Durango and hit Purgatory for a long day. Durango is pretty awesome.

Link to cabin Abnb


I can't recommend enough for people to quit wasting money on big ski resorts. If you go a little farther off then beaten path you get so much more bang for your buck. There's places where the tourists ski and places where the skiers ski.

Now that I'm really into local ski culture, we laugh at our old ski in/ski out days. We just pull up in the morning, hit fresh lines until lunch, and then ski right up to the tailgate and drink beer out of our coolers and eat burgers while the tourists drop $250 for shìtty meals in the village.

As for rentals... We get season leases for the kids for $125. I bet you can't get 3 days of rentals at a big resort for less than that. If anyone seriously wants to go on an awesome family ski vacation... Find a ski town, not a ski resort.



ETA. Those hot springs in Pagosa smell like t-total shìt. I didn't have the stomach to get in.

Im a weirdo that loves the smell. Just got back last Saturday.

 

[DawgsGoneWild]

What is the best way to get there?

I-20 to dallas, hwy 287 to Amarillo, I-40 to Clines Corner. North to Santa Fe, through Chama, NM and in to Pagosa. I strongly suggest making sure it’s daylight between Chama and Pagosa.

my in laws live in Pagosa full time now and have a few VRBOs if your interested. We go 2 or 3 times a year and i absolutely love it up there. Plan on retiring there.

 

[hdogg]

I just did a search on deer valley lift tickets for feb and march. It's about $780 for 3 days for 1 adult.
I went there a few years ago and it was great, but damn...

Wolf creek is $300 for 3 days during spring break. I have not been there but have several neighbors who recommend it. I'll happily take a slow lift, it will help me ski a full day!

 

[DawgsOnTheWing]

For beginner, family friendly, my recs are Keystone and Breckenridge.

 

[Irondawg]

Just know that airfare out there is super high during spring break - we looked at it this year and just couldn’t make it affordable (in my eyes).

I haven’t been in about 8 years and want to take my kids but the prices for everything (lift tickets, ski rentals, lodging) seem way up from last I went.

Seems like it’s about equivalent to a Disney trip these days.

 

[dawglurker]

I just did a search on deer valley lift tickets for feb and march. It's about $780 for 3 days for 1 adult.
I went there a few years ago and it was great, but damn...

Wolf creek is $300 for 3 days during spring break. I have not been there but have several neighbors who recommend it. I'll happily take a slow lift, it will help me ski a full day!

Picture all those credit card points you’ll rake in for a trip to Deer Valley. You’ll get three free nights for the Birmingham Bowl next year.

 

[dawglurker]

^Goes to Deer Valley to brag about the ski apres in a designer onesie ski suit and rides the high speed detachable quad up and down all day taking selfies and yelling weeee when he turns past the liftie at the top.***

All kidding aside, Wolf Creek is a place where you will absolutely see somebody skiing in jeans or Carhartt coveralls. Hell, I don't even bother with ski gloves any more. Just wear my leather work gloves.


As for you @ronpolk, if you have people in Bozeman, I would just go to Big Sky. That's a massive resort (2nd biggest in US), with good snow (this year notwithstanding), small crowds, and everything you could possibly want to ski. Could also hit Bridger Bowl. Not to mention you have built in babysitting options for a night out in Bozeman.

Bozeman is maybe 45 minutes from Big Sky and the airport has direct flights to most major cities. Rent your gear for the week from a shop in town and take a day off after your first day skiing to do something else to let your legs recover... Like a guided snowmobile tour down into Yellowstone...

Man, this sounds so fun me and @dawglurker might have to bring our families up to join you, as long as you aren't embarrassed by our respective Dickies and Lululemon ski attire.*

Come on, I’ll let you show off your elite status at the bar of your choice in Park City. Sipping Keystone Light.

 

[Irondawg]

That’s what I’m saying - lift ticket prices are insane now. $780 for 3 days is steep. Then multiply it by 4 or so for most families.

You are over 5k just for airfare and lift tickets.

Add in transportation, lodging, food and ski rentals and you are over $8k in a hurry

 

[ronpolk]

Just know that airfare out there is super high during spring break - we looked at it this year and just couldn’t make it affordable (in my eyes).

I haven’t been in about 8 years and want to take my kids but the prices for everything (lift tickets, ski rentals, lodging) seem way up from last I went.

Seems like it’s about equivalent to a Disney trip these days.

Funny you mention that because a Disney trip is what I’m trying to avoid. And yes it’s expensive as hell too. I’ve just done the Disney thing too many times. I grew up near Orlando, so I went a lot as a kid. And I’ve taken my kids a couple times. It really is a great vacation and especially with the right age kids… but damn I’m over it. I think everyone would enjoy the ski trip.

But you’re right, it won’t be a cheap trip at all.

 

[dawglurker]

You do have options.. in Utah, if your kids are elementary age, they can ski cheap/free. SkiUtah Resort access in the Salt Lake valley is quite impressive. Gives you options to stay in the valley for cheaper. All along the asatch range, you have 6+ canyons that lead you to skiing. Way better than an I-70 option.

However, if you’re set on the centennial state, wolf creek does have slow lifts and cheap tickets. Getting there is the issue. My Mississippi family wants us to meet them there this February. I’ll take my own TP… Beaver Creek and Keystone were my favorites. A lot like winter park too. Never skied it but I like the town of Steamboat a lot.

Unfortunately, Epic and Ikon passes are no longer on sale. Plan in advance next time and buy those for your trip. Ski a few days and you’ll come out cheaper.

Some resorts offer specials throughout the year. Snowbasin just did 12 days of Christmas and had 3 day passes for pretty cheap.

Don’t rent gear at the resort. Find somewhere in town. Pack a sandwich and hide your beer in the snow under a tree.
Many places offer shuttles from the airport if you don’t want to rent a car. Park City, I-70 resorts in Colorado, @PooPopsBaldHead. Breck, Vail, Park City are walkable towns where you won’t need a car, but if you want to explore more you’ll need some wheels.

Careful to watch out for resorts that are doing parking reservations. I don’t think it’s been an issue, but something to keep in mind.

 

[MechEnDawg]

Just got back today from Pagosa Springs. We stayed at Wyndham for $70 a night through afvc. I'm sure it's still cheap if you don't have that option.
Super chill small town that has cool restaurants and I do recommend the hot springs, but we didn't partake since we had our 7 year old. Peak lift tickets were $100 a day.
The mountain is a really good with a mix of all that you could want with shorter lift lines.

Park city was really awesome 4 years ago and we had a lot of snow which made my first experience with fresh powder amazing. The free shuttle to the mountain is great. Everything else is super expensive.

 

[Irondawg]

Yeah, next year I’m just going to have to bite the bullet and make a ski trip happen as the kids are getting older and my knees are getting worse