I'm starting to plan a trip out west for the upcoming winter and I'm trying to find out where I would be best off going. I'm looking for a somwere that has a good amount of cliffs and Aggressive terrain on the resort (not looking to hike in the BC). I am a pretty big park skier but typically when I've gone west I've tried getting the terrain I normally can't on the east. I was thinking snowbird/Alta, whistler, or Jackson hole so having a park is a plus but not much of a necessity. Any opinions or knowledge would be appreciated, thanks
Jul 15 2015 4:46PM
I have been to all of those except whistler. All i know is that its pretty much impossible to have a bad time at Alta or Jackson Hole. Jackson has mad terrain with some gnar cliffs n stuff. Alta is sick cause its just jumps in natural terrain all over the place. Alta doesn't have a park though, but Jackson Hole does. Its probably cheaper to stay in Utah than in Jackson and Utah has so many resorts to choose from as well. I will say if you go to Jackson Hole you will probably ski powder. Probably my best or second best powder day was at JH.
Come stay here in Pocatello! haha you can ski at Pebble Creek (best place on earth) then drive a few hours north to JH or a few hours south to Alta!
Jul 16 2015 12:36AM
Jul 16 2015 9:43AM
Here's how you plan a ski vacation so you don't get skunked:
Make hotel reservations in 3 areas, for example Whistler, Jackson, and Aspen. Make sure the places you book at have generous cancellation policies, like full refund up to 48 hours before check in.
Book plane tickets to one location, your first choice, use an airline like southwest with minimal fees to change your tickets but also make sure they fly to the airports you want.
Cross your fingers for snow at your first pick.
Once your travel dates near narrow it down to where ever has had the best year and/or best forecast for your stay. Make adjustments to your reservations like cancelling hotels and changing plane ticket destinations.
By booking everything early you save a ton, and by having options you won't end up commited to somewhere without good snow.
Jul 16 2015 10:48AM
I haven't been to whistler, but I have skied all 3 of the others. I live in Boise so im pretty close to SLC and Ive skied snowbird/alta quite a bit. Both resorts are a ton of fun, and have exactly the big mountain terrain youre looking for. Plus if you stay in the SLC area, there are a ton of other resorts to go to if the snow isnt very good up in that canyon. (Park city, canyons, brighton, solitude, powder mtn, snowbasin). Like was said earlier, Alta has no park and the park at snowbird is a joke so dont go there expecting anything.
Jackson Hole is incredible, the terrain is amazing and they have a somewhat decent park. The only thing with Jackson is that the lift lines get pretty long and the good snow is quickly skied out in my experience.
In my opinion go for the Salt Lake City trip and ski alta/snowbird if you want a good "west" trip.
Jul 17 2015 11:38PM
Jul 21 2015 5:06PM
FlownOunceI'm starting to plan a trip out west for the upcoming winter and I'm trying to find out where I would be best off going. I'm looking for a somwere that has a good amount of cliffs and Aggressive terrain on the resort (not looking to hike in the BC). I am a pretty big park skier but typically when I've gone west I've tried getting the terrain I normally can't on the east. I was thinking snowbird/Alta, whistler, or Jackson hole so having a park is a plus but not much of a necessity. Any opinions or knowledge would be appreciated, thanks
+1 Jackson. Its an experience.
Jul 21 2015 10:22PM