Earliest open hills and parks West of Colorado?

For early season parks, Timberline is open just about year round so they are usually pretty good. If you're on Hood for a pow day I would recommend heading for skibowl or meadows. Theres not a lot of urban to be found around hood or portland, but you can get sendy on the burnside stairs like freed if thats how you're feelin

LbirdFor early season parks, Timberline is open just about year round so they are usually pretty good. If you're on Hood for a pow day I would recommend heading for skibowl or meadows. Theres not a lot of urban to be found around hood or portland, but you can get sendy on the burnside stairs like freed if thats how you're feelin

Wasn't planning on heading up to Hood until March time but how much is an early season pass at timberline?

pcurran871Wasn't planning on heading up to Hood until March time but how much is an early season pass at timberline?

I don't think they do early season passes, but if you're coming up in March a spring pass is 99 bucks

LbirdI don't think they do early season passes, but if you're coming up in March a spring pass is 99 bucks

Yea I was planning on getting a spring pass, just wasn't sure when the spring pass usually starts/ ends?

pcurran871Yea I was planning on getting a spring pass, just wasn't sure when the spring pass usually starts/ ends?

Should be mid-March

Timberline!!

dyerTimberline!!

When does Timberline open?

Also any info on any early season comps or rail jams around Colorado that would be awesome too!

Mid to late nov

Keystone has a full lappable park 20+ features short lift ride in early November, brecks comes soon after but park lane isnt t2b until after dew tour anymore... Abasin opens mid October typically with 4-6 features

Boreal is usually the first to get a park going on the west coast.

Not really anything to write home about, but since your out here for 6months and prolly looking for a more well rounded experience. Hitting abay opening week(early-mid October) is always good for the stoke factor, normally only 4 features or so and one run, but everyone and there mother is out throwing down dusting off the rust.

Mammoth, Boreal, and Timberline are the first with parks on the West Coast. I'd recommend buying a Cali4nia lift-only pass right now while it's on sale (no blackout dates). With access to Bear, Snow Summit, and Mammoth you can ski just those 3 and never get tired of the parks. Mammoth also goes from early November to late May or June without issue. Don't go to Bear or Snow Summit on a weekend but midweek you'll ski right onto the chair. Mammoth may have the best park lifts in the country, so 3-4 hours in Main will feel like going bell to bell.

Also, buy the Mountain Collective pass and go catch some powder too. And if you want to stay a little longer at a resort, all of the remaining tickets are 1/2 off window price.

Small mountains with good park setups: Just went to Brighton in Utah for the first time and their setup was sweet. Schweitzer in northern Idaho has reasonable tickets and a good park setup by mid-January.

Also, I would consider Mt. Bachelor over Hood if you're on a limited budget. There's good terrain there, the snow is better, Bend is awesome, and it's not as flat as T-Line. One pass at bachelor combines all the best parts of Hood.

For powder, I would post up in SLC and you can chase it easily from there. Use powderchasers.com for forecasts and you can easily decide between Tetons, Wasatch, Rockies, or Sierras. If you're confined to in-bounds skiing, consider Grand Targhee instead of Jackson Hole for long-lasting fresh turns. Utah and Wyoming are your best bets for consistent good snow.

Hopefully this helps, I think I went on a but of a tangent haha.

FunnelMammoth, Boreal, and Timberline are the first with parks on the West Coast. I'd recommend buying a Cali4nia lift-only pass right now while it's on sale (no blackout dates). With access to Bear, Snow Summit, and Mammoth you can ski just those 3 and never get tired of the parks. Mammoth also goes from early November to late May or June without issue. Don't go to Bear or Snow Summit on a weekend but midweek you'll ski right onto the chair. Mammoth may have the best park lifts in the country, so 3-4 hours in Main will feel like going bell to bell.

Also, buy the Mountain Collective pass and go catch some powder too. And if you want to stay a little longer at a resort, all of the remaining tickets are 1/2 off window price.

Small mountains with good park setups: Just went to Brighton in Utah for the first time and their setup was sweet. Schweitzer in northern Idaho has reasonable tickets and a good park setup by mid-January.

Also, I would consider Mt. Bachelor over Hood if you're on a limited budget. There's good terrain there, the snow is better, Bend is awesome, and it's not as flat as T-Line. One pass at bachelor combines all the best parts of Hood.

For powder, I would post up in SLC and you can chase it easily from there. Use powderchasers.com for forecasts and you can easily decide between Tetons, Wasatch, Rockies, or Sierras. If you're confined to in-bounds skiing, consider Grand Targhee instead of Jackson Hole for long-lasting fresh turns. Utah and Wyoming are your best bets for consistent good snow.

Hopefully this helps, I think I went on a but of a tangent haha.

Yea my plan is to spend November in Cali and get a pass for Mammoth or a multi-mountain pass, move to Colorado early to mid December (I have friends at Breck where I can park my van to sleep in), Then I can try and mainly ride at resorts which are on the Epic pass or Mountain Collective pass to save money while I'm moving. From December to end of February I want to ride as much as possible through Colorado Utah. I will definitely have touring gear and so would like to find people to tour with as I travel. starting to head West again through Wyoming/ Idaho to get back to the coast (maybe Mammoth) by mid March. Then I want to follow the coast North, definitely will go to Bachelor (again, I have friends here where I can park my van to sleep), I would like to go to Hood if it works out too but towards mid to end of April I will head up to BC and ride Blackcomb until it closes.

I'm spending the summer down under, heading back to Perisher for the season which means I will have an epic pass for the season in the US. I've been considering getting a Thredbo pass since it includes the mountain collective pass. Since I will be on a pretty restricted budget I am trying to plan my trip around only these two passes plus one more (maybe the Cali4nia lift pass) and then I can hopefully just get a spring pass for wherever I go then. I will be travelling on a tourist visa so making money while I am out there will be restricted to cash only jobs if I can find any.

Like others have said Mammoth opens in early Nov and they get their park going pretty early. I would definitely get the California4 pass soon. If you are coming back to Mammoth mid-March that is a good plan. You can get both pow and windbuff and occasionally spring skiing their in March and the base should be good at that point.

Obviously you should also get the Epic pass if you intend to ski in Summit.

Good luck. It sounds like a great trip. Hopefully we get a big year for you.

For powder definitely go vail for the big resort feel because it's so spread you can go around the mountain and there are a ton of cliffs to hit and for small resort my favorite is wolf creek super fun resort on a powder day and for park definitely hit up keystone and copper a lot and go to Breck and park City, I haven't been to snowbird or Alta but for powder they look sweet or any day

Alpine Meadows. That is all

A Basin and Vail for a pow day in Summit County, Co.

I should add that if you get the Epic pass you should make sure to hit up Kirkwood. It is one of the best mountains in the country and they get a ton of snow. Vail owns them now so your Epic pass is good their.

Brocka_FlockaAlpine Meadows. That is all

THIS.

Squaw and alpine are easily the two best powder day mountains I have ever skied on...Whistler may be close though.

Just the ease of access to some insane terrain, inbounds and/or within a short hike, is mindblowing. Anything from 100+ft cliffs to full steeps with slough, etc. If you're willing to hike out a bit you can get freshies on some pretty insane terrain.

MUCH harder to access this in summit county and usually requires way more hiking. Not that the resorts there are bad.

KravtZTHIS.

Squaw and alpine are easily the two best powder day mountains I have ever skied on...Whistler may be close though.

Just the ease of access to some insane terrain, inbounds and/or within a short hike, is mindblowing. Anything from 100+ft cliffs to full steeps with slough, etc. If you're willing to hike out a bit you can get freshies on some pretty insane terrain.

MUCH harder to access this in summit county and usually requires way more hiking. Not that the resorts there are bad.

tahoe area has a great mix of everything, from park to gnarly terrain. squaw/alpine for terrain, northstar for park

Peter.tahoe area has a great mix of everything, from park to gnarly terrain. squaw/alpine for terrain, northstar for park

Agreed..just saying very few regions in the country can rival the access of Squaw valley for that type of insane inbounds / side country. Good parks can be found anywhere.

I'd pick a mountain based on the actual mountain...not the park. Squaw/alpine (tahoe area in general), whistler / bc, SLC.

Summit county is sick but the terrain is way harder to access

Brocka_FlockaAlpine Meadows. That is all

I do hope the OP gets to hit Squaw/Alpine. I did my ski bum half decade at Squaw and I absolutely loved it. Insane steeps and cliffs. On a pow day it is nuts, and even on regular days you can find great steep turns for windbuff, slush, bumps, often all in the same day. It has an absurd amount of steep terrain.

I also love Alpine, which just might be the most underrated mountain for steeps in the U.S. I would rather ski Alpine than anywhere in Colorado except maybe Crested Butte and Sliverton, although Silverton goes in another category.

The only problem for the OP will be that Squaw/Alpine are not either the Epic or the Cali4nia, and lift tickets are very expensive. Season passes are cheap but it sounds like he will be spending enough on passes. Still, if he is in California it might make sense to hit up Squaw/Alpine for a day. Arguably the best skiing in the U.S. as far as I'm concerned, although I have not been to Jackson. March is a great month and it is only 3-4 hours from Mammoth.

KravtZAgreed..just saying very few regions in the country can rival the access of Squaw valley for that type of insane inbounds / side country. Good parks can be found anywhere.

I'd pick a mountain based on the actual mountain...not the park. Squaw/alpine (tahoe area in general), whistler / bc, SLC.

Summit county is sick but the terrain is way harder to access

dan4060I do hope the OP gets to hit Squaw/Alpine. I did my ski bum half decade at Squaw and I absolutely loved it. Insane steeps and cliffs. On a pow day it is nuts, and even on regular days you can find great steep turns for windbuff, slush, bumps, often all in the same day. It has an absurd amount of steep terrain.

I also love Alpine, which just might be the most underrated mountain for steeps in the U.S. I would rather ski Alpine than anywhere in Colorado except maybe Crested Butte and Sliverton, although Silverton goes in another category.

The only problem for the OP will be that Squaw/Alpine are not either the Epic or the Cali4nia, and lift tickets are very expensive. Season passes are cheap but it sounds like he will be spending enough on passes. Still, if he is in California it might make sense to hit up Squaw/Alpine for a day. Arguably the best skiing in the U.S. as far as I'm concerned, although I have not been to Jackson. March is a great month and it is only 3-4 hours from Mammoth.

Definitely will go to Squaw/ Alpine for a few days at least! Its been on my list for a long time! Also A basin is on the epic pass so that is probably where I will go early season. Will also spend some time at Tahoe since its on the epic pass and I have friends there.

I think the Cali4nia lift only pass is a little too much for me to stretch to after I have the Epic and mountain collective passes. I would rather keep the money for a few day tickets at other resorts like Squaw.

pcurran871Definitely will go to Squaw/ Alpine for a few days at least! Its been on my list for a long time! Also A basin is on the epic pass so that is probably where I will go early season. Will also spend some time at Tahoe since its on the epic pass and I have friends there.

I think the Cali4nia lift only pass is a little too much for me to stretch to after I have the Epic and mountain collective passes. I would rather keep the money for a few day tickets at other resorts like Squaw.

I think you are thinking along the right lines. Just remember that Mammoth is expensive (like everywhere else) so if you want to spend some serious time there you will want the Cali4nia pass. If you are going to ski 6 days at Mammoth it makes sense to get the Cali pass, unless the Mountain Collective gets you days at Mammoth? I don't know enough about the Mountain Collective to know. Being as you will be getting the Epic Pass make sure you spend a bunch of days at Kirkwood. It is one of the best mountains in North America and gets a ton of snow. It is not too well known outside of California but the place absolutely rocks

I love A-basin. Some fun steep terrain. I am not much of a park guy so if I lived in Denver and was a Summit weekender I would ski A-basin.