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March, 2024

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Where would you live for a year? Big Sky, Jackson Hole, or SLC

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BirtDike
Posts: 1258 - Karma: 514
I am getting ready to move back out west, after having knee surgery back in my hometown. I have about 900-1200$ per month to spend on a year lease and I have found apartments in that price range in all locations. I also have found jobs in multiple different fields that I could apply for in all locations.

Summer Activities arent so much a matter, but mountain biking and fishing are my main warm weather hobby. I can mountain bike and fish in all places.

The important part of the decision is skiing destination. I would either be skiing Jackson/Targhee, Big Sky and bridger bowl, or Alta/Snowbird. I have skied all but bridger and loved all of them. I dont ski park as much as alot of bros on here, only about 25% of the time. I am looking to get into backcountry and I do mostly off piste when skiing at resorts.

So where would you guys pick, given the options and conditions above. If you'd like to throw in some gabber about living conditions (i.e. big town of salt lake vs small town of jackson, or other comparisons) or Job opportunities (major companies in salt lake vs whatever in jackson hole) than by all means go for it. However im really trying to decide where I would the most optimal ski experience for a whole season.
May 30 2013 12:51AM
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Alyon
Posts: 161 - Karma: 166
Whistler
May 30 2013 12:54AM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,396
portland
May 30 2013 1:09AM
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zbphoto
Posts: 7789 - Karma: 12,037
Meh...... I'd move to Revy or somewhere else in the Kootneys before I'd move back to Whistler. The skiing is good, but it's so busy, and inbounds pow is a joke everything just gets skied out so fast. If you own a sled there is a lifetime of awesome terrain you can access, but unless your a park rat and party a lot, I'd look elsewhere.

OP, I'd probably go Montana or Jackson, idk I just like smaller ski towns better.... Isn't Alta pretty far from SLC too? So you'd need a car. At the same time though, there's so many resorts in the area, so lots of variety...
May 30 2013 1:22AM
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H8CH
Posts: 2709 - Karma: 218
Jackson.

Especially if you like fishing in the summer.

Plus Targhee is epic and always quiet - best place for pow days - of which there are many.
May 30 2013 11:41AM
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Miclovin
Posts: 1043 - Karma: 637
I went to big sky and its super sick for pow pow powwwwww
May 30 2013 11:02PM
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Shlogan
Posts: 4942 - Karma: 430
i live in bozeman and ski bridger, big sky and moonlight. i would honestly say thats your best bet. if you've skied all of those except bridger, give it a shot. There is more gnarly inbounds terrain to discover at bridger than you would ever expect, its the illest. plenty of sidecountry off both sides of the ski boundary across the ridge.
May 30 2013 11:10PM
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TheAwkwardEagle
Posts: 87 - Karma: 137
SLC is awesome. I moved out here 2 years ago and skied Snowbird one winter and Alta the other.  Both are fun mountains with a wide variety of challenging terrain and consistent snowfall.  I haven't made it up to Jackson or Big Sky yet, so I can't make a claim as to which is better, but I have absolutely zero complaints about SLC.  It does seem like the Wasatch benefits from the most consistent snowfall though.  My first year here was the 2nd lowest snow year on record ("only" 383" at the bird) and I still skied tons of pow.  Here's a video for proof:
https://www.newschoolers.com/membervideo/480337.0/100-ski-days--season-pov-edit?s=161996&t=6&o=8
May 30 2013 11:30PM
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Goku
Posts: 8119 - Karma: 4,221
Jackson
May 30 2013 11:32PM
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MACK.
Posts: 1230 - Karma: 1,892
May i suggest sun valley?
May 30 2013 11:44PM
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_Garagely_
Posts: 1938 - Karma: 3,198
Big Sky/Moonlight and Bridger are good but I would recommend Jackson and Targhee over them for just pow and BC. I haven't been to SLC.
May 30 2013 11:51PM
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~Gotama~
Posts: 821 - Karma: 3,160
i lived in SLC for a couple months and everyone there is wicked fucking weird. i felt like i was in japan or some shit.
May 30 2013 11:52PM
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MothaHucker
Posts: 4678 - Karma: 2,589
lol.




I would suggest Jackson
May 30 2013 11:57PM
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slt.shred
Posts: 176 - Karma: 198
not one of your options but Lake Tahoe. this place is dope, south lake has heavenly sierra kirkwood and north lake has northstar squaw boreal so many sick places to ski during the winter and in the summer tons of fishing/mountain biking i live in south lake, a block from the lake and walking distance to all the casinos what more could you want?
May 31 2013 12:51AM
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fghtoffyrdmns
Posts: 2987 - Karma: 6,812
big sky is rad but dont tell anyone else
May 31 2013 2:26AM
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Inline.
Posts: 4424 - Karma: 432
Bozeman.
May 31 2013 2:39AM
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IDMT_BC024
Posts: 224 - Karma: 129
They're all good:

In terms of skiing and terrain IMO: Jackson/ Targhee> Snowbird/ Alta > Big Sky/ Bridger/ Moonlight .

Backcountry: Tetons> Bridgers and Madisons > Wasatch

In terms of snow: I'm not sure how Alta/ Bird compares to Jackson/ Targhee because I haven't skied Alta/ Bird enough to get a general idea of how the crowds effect the snow but in my experience it's
Targhee> Alta/ Bird which is slightly> than Jackson >> Bozeman area.

In terms of town: Bozeman > Jackson >>> SLC (I agree with the person who says SLC has a weird vibe, and I grew up in Idaho Falls so I'm pretty mormon tolerant.) and Bozeman's fucking rad.

In terms of getting a job: Easy, SLC > Bozeman > Jackson
May 31 2013 2:33PM
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malonius_funk
Posts: 2249 - Karma: 1,500
DO NOT come to bozeman, this place sucks. it's all just dudes and if there are any girls they're probably good 'ol corn fed inbreds.

and seriously, you have to hike in order to ski good terrain at bridger, what's up with that? i don't know why they don't just put a chair all the way up to the ridge and expand their boundaries to sattle peak...maybe put a rope tow in there too from the ridge so you wouldn't have to go all the way to the bottom to ride a chair. i mean sluch mens comes close but the hike from there is still a doozy. or at least let us use the patrol tow so we don't have to do the long hike. and don't even get me started on the snow...it's so light it doesn't even feel like pow skiing. and the commute to bridger sucks too...you have to drive or ride a free bus 20 minutes to get there, and the seats on the busses are so uncomfortable. ughhhh fuck this place.

and fuck big sky too. its so vast and has so much terrain that it's nearly impossible to be a chairline hero and impress chicks. but i guess it doesn't matter anyways because bozeman doesn't even have any women anyways.

and moonlight is the worst. i haven't skied there, but i hear its just cold as fuck and empty all the time.
May 31 2013 3:38PM
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rare_earth
Posts: 44 - Karma: 59
just so you know my home mountain has 5 trails
May 31 2013 4:07PM
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.nasty
Posts: 10581 - Karma: 11,091
if he did montana and went to big sky the only town he could really live in is bozeman, which is an hour away or so from big sky. Whereas alta is only about a half hour from SLC.

but still, Jackson would be my choice
May 31 2013 4:11PM
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malonius_funk
Posts: 2249 - Karma: 1,500
at least your mountain has trails...bridger just has a bunch of cliffs and super tight, steep lines.
May 31 2013 4:12PM
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fortyvalve
Posts: 1442 - Karma: 1,570
if finding a job quickly is a priority for you i think SLC is your best bet. also helps that you have some amazing skiing all around so i wouldn't limit yourself to just Alta/Bird. Solitude, PowMow, and Snowbasin are all pretty sick as well
May 31 2013 4:30PM
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HamFaceGirl
Posts: 5242 - Karma: 2,679
lol
May 31 2013 5:57PM
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-emile-
Posts: 6610 - Karma: 8,583
my choice would be jackson hole
May 31 2013 6:39PM
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BirtDike
Posts: 1258 - Karma: 514
Most Helpful comment on this thread...In the back of my mind, this is all I can think about.

But to all the other posters, I think it has come down to Big Sky and Jackson. SLC is still in the runnings but Im bugging out about living in that place...I have lived in tahoe before, and colorado, and although colorado was pretty cool ( sucked only because lack of snow and/or terrain) Tahoe sucked. My sister lived in North Lake for 3 years and she loved it, but I was there a few months and hated it. Thats because my sister is and artsy hippy, and she got along with most of the ""grunge". I did not, I wanted out almost immediately after moving there.

I have found apartments IN Big Sky, so that is not a problem. The hard place to find apartments under 1200 is Jackson, I guess everyone else wants to live there too. MTM your posts are making Montana seem good, not bad, except for the parts about no women. That sucks. I definately need to be able to find decent hotties in or around the immediate area. Thats why Driggs, ID is not even a consideration, they dont have women or jobs in the immediate area.

Thanks to all the dudes who posted on the actual topic at hand. I am leaving Monday to drive (across country to get there) through all the above places, and to make the decision.

Jun 1 2013 2:50PM
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4750 - Karma: -561
I think you hit the worst part of Tahoe. Living north shore with hippy fucks sounds gay I wouldn't be down.

You can always just kick it in Reno or South Lake. That is how I roll 2-3 months of the year. I am seriously twitching and want to go back so badly I miss it so much.

The Horizon in South Lake is 30 bucks a night extended stay with no tax assuming you stay month. You have to try and be shifty and scam free internet though.

1200 a month will keep you in the nice casinos in Reno (yes you'll have to move out to a motel 6 for New Years eve and stuff.)

That sounds much better than slumming it in a tiny studio eh?

You can get a full epic pass no blackouts and a full squaw pass no blackouts for 1400 total. You'd get tons of mountains and Squaws gives you 50% off basically everywhere else like Mammoth, WHistler, Alta, JH etc etc.
Jun 1 2013 3:34PM
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KelleyAtten
Posts: 240 - Karma: 1,055
Big sky is crazy definately go for it
Jun 1 2013 3:44PM
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malonius_funk
Posts: 2249 - Karma: 1,500
hey man, to clear things up the stuff i was saying about bozeman was meant to get a rouse out of people; it was a joke. bozeman/big sky are rad. skiing is ridiculously good, snow is ridiculously good, bozeman is great (can't say much about the town of big sky but i hear it's awesome as well). as far as women go, don't worry they aren't all corn fed inbreds, there are in fact many beauties here.

this was my first year in bozeman from the east coast, and all i can say is that the people here were so welcoming it felt like home the first day i got here. if it means anything at all, i may never leave this place except for vacations and if i do leave for grad school or something of that sort, i will definitely come back after no matter what. all in all, you will not be disappointed by coming out here, and if ya do i'd love to take a few laps with you come winter time. happy decision making!
Jun 1 2013 8:50PM
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snowfinder
Posts: 2717 - Karma: 32,924
salt lake city if you like air pollution that is = to smoking 3 packs of cigs a day for being outside for 1 hour.
Jun 1 2013 8:52PM
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snowfinder
Posts: 2717 - Karma: 32,924
Click for larger image take a deep breath.
Jun 1 2013 8:54PM
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malonius_funk
Posts: 2249 - Karma: 1,500
oh and as far as side country, back country, there's tons of it. close to town theres so many good dawn patrol areas and day trips. check out mt. ellis, mt. blackmore, and fairy lake. all of those are super close to town and are easily accessible (fairy lake is much easier if you have a sled but it's totally doable under man power). and the northern bridgers have a ton of good side country thats accessible off of the ridge at the resort, as well as saddle peak which is right outside the boundary but is so fucking rad. oh did i mention cooke city is only 3 hours away and the tetons are only 4 hrs.?
Jun 1 2013 8:56PM
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Daph
Posts: 5978 - Karma: 5,005
Bozeman. You have these three mtns within an hour
Big Sky
Click for larger image
Moonlight
Click for larger image
Bridger
Click for larger image
Jun 1 2013 9:37PM
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Inline.
Posts: 4424 - Karma: 432
That's an extreme exaggeration about Montana.
Jun 2 2013 1:06AM
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punkrock32
Posts: 1183 - Karma: 21
Having spent time at all three places, I'd recommend Jackson(for me), here's why:

Big Sky: the resort is pretty fun, the bc is ok, the town is dead....I'd rank it third out of the three.

SLC: I personally like Alta/Snowbirds inbounds as well as the surrounding BC much more than the other two listed, but in terms of off-mountain activities/partying, this place sucks, real bad. The skiing's great, everything else sucks.

Jackson: I'd place it second in inbounds and ob, but Jackson's got a whole lot more life than either Big Sky or SLC. If you're bent on just skiing, go to SLC and ski Alta/Snowbird as well as the surrounding area. If you want something more balanced, go to Jackson. Its a rowdy, fun town to be in.
Jun 2 2013 1:35AM
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B-Right-On
Posts: 570 - Karma: 532
I would pick Jackson. So many Mom and Pop stores and everyones friendly. Never skied there but it looks amazing. I can't imagine that it would be that crowded on a pow day. I live in SLC and ski at Brighton, when I first moved here I skied snowbird for a year. The Bird and Alta have amazing terrain but are a joke on pow days. The snow is tracked out completely literally after 20 minutes. This last season I got a pass to Brighton, it has a great vibe, amazing terrain just outside the ropes, and the snow hasn't been raped after two runs. Sorry for the long post but if you go to SLC Brighton will be your best bet, other than that, Jackson is a fantastic choice
Jun 2 2013 1:59AM
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bieberhole69.
Posts: 654 - Karma: 1,387
Honestly, if your fine with living in canada, which it sounds like since you were in whistler for a season, go to revelstoke. Cant think of a better place to live
Jun 2 2013 5:00PM
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Skibumsmith
Posts: 5414 - Karma: 11,608
SLC sucks. I'm looking forward to the day when I don't live here anymore.
Jun 2 2013 10:05PM
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FigNewton
Posts: 2454 - Karma: 5,744
SLC you have a lot more options in terrain because there is 11 resorts within an hour of the city. Lots to choice from.

But personally I would go with Jackson. The vibe there is awesome and it is huge.

Never been to Big Sky/ Bridger so I cant speak for that.
Jun 2 2013 11:52PM
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B-Right-On
Posts: 570 - Karma: 532
This, but the cottonwood canyons get the most snow.
Jun 3 2013 12:05AM
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Funnel
Posts: 7808 - Karma: 1,414
Jackson. You can go back to SLC anytime you want in your life and I feel like Jackson is just a little bit better than Big Sky. You probably can't go wrong with Jackson or Big Sky though.
Jun 3 2013 12:07AM
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Balbertt
Posts: 1585 - Karma: 4,723
Upstate NY, best park skiing in the us right there.
Jun 3 2013 6:07PM
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BirtDike
Posts: 1258 - Karma: 514
ended up in jackson, definately the right decision.
Jun 19 2013 3:30PM
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B-Right-On
Posts: 570 - Karma: 532
Best of luck
Jun 19 2013 3:41PM
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japanada
Posts: 13784 - Karma: 1,957
Yes, yes it is! Now get out and throw some flies on the Snake!
Jun 19 2013 3:47PM
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AlexMartini
Posts: 2987 - Karma: 1,886
good call
Jun 19 2013 4:09PM
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ski0
Posts: 2321 - Karma: 5,370
haha , yes the pow inbounds this year did get ripped so damn fast. There are always secret stashes hidden in whistler even a week or 2 after a storm, but those are becoming increasingly scarce as the years go on.

generally the backcountry access is still pretty great I'd say.
Jun 19 2013 4:16PM
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zbphoto
Posts: 7789 - Karma: 12,037
Yeah, it was brutal, I wanted to try filming lines and pillows this year, but like, most good lines would be tracked by 11am. Touring access is great, but you really need a sled to get to the 'good stuff'.
Jun 19 2013 4:23PM
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bieberhole69.
Posts: 654 - Karma: 1,387
At Alpental its tracked out after your first run :'(
Jun 19 2013 11:55PM
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gingaskier
Posts: 623 - Karma: 263
Jackson hole hands down. The backcountry there is so tight!
Jun 19 2013 11:58PM
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BirtDike
Posts: 1258 - Karma: 514
i need some form of income so i can buy a rod and a fly line set up. among other things.
Jun 20 2013 1:15AM
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