So who will get on a plane to ski this season?

[Liam]

I must admit that the last two years of economic realities in the Liam household, not to mention the hassle/ drag of flying has seriously impeded my previous zeal for western mountain skiing.  I'm far more likely to storm chase Northern, VT this year than hop on a plane, rent a car, rent a place, etc out west.  I missed last year, too (breaking a ten year streak). 

If I do get up the gumption this season it will either be a mid-Januaury 'dirt-bag' trip to the Big and Little cotton woods canyons (staying at ye old Sandy best western, stocking up on biscuits and gravy and buying those great cheap lift tickets at the local ski shops...all things considered it is one of the lowest costs and highest yield trips in all of Ski-dom!-I've done it a number of times) or, I'll suck it up, run up my credit an take a March trip to Big Sky (or possibly Telluride-I haven't been to either and would love to ski both...but we'll need to see where the snow falls first!).

Alas, a long weekend at Jay and a number of day trips to cannon, S Bush, and Stowe with a steady diet of B'East will be most likely the extent of my on snow turns this season (there are worse fates, to be sure).

[Gary]

Hey Liam...still sounds like you'll get some great time on snow west and plenty east.....AND I'm thinking mother nature will be helping us out here in the east too.

Our 5 kids are up and out and it's much easier to plan trips and spend their inheiritence... !

Heading to Park City Dec 8, Jackson Jan 15, Banff March 10....1 week trips that are locked in...

Add a smidgnon of Holiday Valley...maybe a visit to a buddy to ski Sun Peaks.....and wherever might pop up in between...should be another great season.

Hey...as long as we're still turning them...it's gotta be good.

Doing my best to support the airline industry...gesh...a nd are tickets just crazy high. Frequent flyer miles helps a bit but still.....later in the season, we might see some subsidy coming from resorts who are missing travelers due to the high cost of travel.

Best, g

[Liam]

And Here I thought you were a Steamboat Springs guy!

5 kids!!  That ties you with Beastie Boy (I am one of 10 kids...but I only have 2 of my own!).

Banff is another area I'd like to ski...but that would be more of a 'wife' trip.   You got some really good trips planned.  I hope JH gets the snow they had last season (overall, Jackson my be my favorite ski destination thus far).

I've considered a family trip out west, but the truth is, the kids are just as happy staying and skiing somewhere in vermont as they would be at a major destination (or minor destination) resort, so I can never justify the expense or hassle.  Still, it would be nice to take them to Steamboat or Aspen/ Snowmass.

[jim-ratliff]

Lynn and I have 2 trips west scheduled and another planned.  Colorado in December, utah in January, and then Colorado for her annual medical conference (aka subsidized ski trip). We bought Epic passes last year and again this year. $600 for 25 days made it a very reasonable daily rate for lift passes. Yes, in Utah you have to play the discount lift pass game. Even if oit means attending time-share presentations.
I will say that life changes dramatically once kids are out and on their own.

[Gary]

Nice Jim....you've got some great trips planned too. So you know which resorts in CO or UT your going to visit?

Liam, SO...did you get hand me down ski gear as 1 of 10?

If I were to pick a place...Alice and I love Aspen/Snowmass, probably our favorite....so much to ski...3 major mountains with such a huge seletion, ease of access, amazing town and food.... We've had some spectactular pow days there too.

Ususally the deciding factors for us are:

Trying to sleep at or below 6000 feet.
The ski resort 30 minutes from the major airport.
Reasonable cost of tickets to fly into that airport.

What we've found is Salt Lake City for the Utah resorts is easy albeit a bit longer to get there.

Steamboat a great family destination with great terrain for all levels and very fun cowboy town. PLUS the very light snow!

But recently....heading out to Banff, to ski Lake Louise and Sunshine....the vistas and skiing are stupendous....probl em is flights really are expensive. Great bowl skiing in Sunshine and such variety and Lake Louise....did I mention the Continental Divide....amazing views from the top!

Jackson Hole was pretty terrific last year...we did have 12inches fall over night that was not real light but oh so much fun to ski. Also a great town to explore if the energy levels are still up after 4-5 hours on snowl.

My engine's running....I'm ready to get the boards out turning.....hopeful ly around Thanksgiving here would be nice.

G

[jim-ratliff]

Gary:  In Colorado, the Epic pass is the Vail family of resorts, so we stick to those.  Of those, we had really great skiing last year at Vail in Blue Sky basin and in the back bowls, especially Mongolia Bowl. It seems like every time we were there last year they got 8-16 inches of new snow.  We've grown to like Breckendridge more as well.  Trees off the side of Peak 10 and also up above tree line at Peak 7. And we found a nice VRBO condo in Dillon that we've now rented 3 or 4 times.
In Utah, we stay in/near Park City and pick a different resort each day. Always one day at Deer Valley and there are good trees there that don't get much traffic.  Couple of days at Alta and/or Solitude.  Canyons has gotten much better as we have gotten much better - you just have to pick a part of the mountain and stay there; again more in off-piste in trees than groomed slopes. I also like SnowBasin, but its more of a drive there.
We did drive down and ski at SunDance and stayed for dinner one time.  Very nice and a non-resort feel, and there is much more terrain than it appears from the base of the mountain.
Lynn's medical conference is at Breckenridge this year (last year was at Beaver Creek), so she and Heidi will get many days there, but the groomed slopes there fit well with Heidi's preferred terrain (groomed slopes not such a good fit for Lynn    ).

[LivingProof]

Liam,
I hear ya with the cost of flying, it sure can chew up a big chunk of the skiing budget, hmmm which chews up a fair amount of my recreational budget. I really want to return to Jackson, but the air fare to a remote airport coupled with baggage fees, and, then the steep lift tickets at an area with no competition, has me looking at options.

I'm doing the Epic Tahoe gathering. Found a great Southwest deal with no baggage fees, Tahoe Pass for 6 days of skiing @300, splitting a group home and group car rental. The total price for all that is $1100. I'm smiling. Local ski club trips doing a similar thing would have it price around $1700. I've just joined Southwest's Visa Card, and with my next purchase, get a pair of Round Trip tics for me and the Tennis Diva.

I'm considering joining Bushwacker's Epic adventure and doing the Stowe area ski around in later March. I do like your idea of chasing storms as I can be in K'ton in less than 6 hours. Last year I hit a storm dump and had 3 pretty good pow days. (But don't tell that to Bush as he says my Kastle 88's can't ski powder )

I remember when my 2 kids were still at home and skiing for just a day was a major hit. But, they are the days of your life and my kids still remember and talk about the fun. Then they went to college and the costs really zoomed. I salute all who raise and ski with their kids, very unselfish!

[Liam]

Here's a confession: Patrolling has really made skiing with my kids and family a real treat.  I get a family ski pass.  Our Patrol house is really pretty great, Kitchen, soon to have a shower, we have ample lockers and tables.  I keep all my kids stuff there, they can come and go as they please during the ski day. It really takes the sting out of skiing with the family.  PLus my kid has gotten to know everyone on the mountain, feels comfortable approaching other patrollers if he needs to find me.  And he's in the race program.  Honestly, I'm not sure I could have raised my kids as skiers without the patrol connection.  we still do a few VT long weekend trips as well (our favorite is the end of the season April trip to the Grand Summit @ Mt Snow--3 days of awesome spring skiing 4 years in a row now.  But, having the Patrol set up at B'East makes me somewhat reluctant to take the family elsewhere.

Mike you hit one nail squarely on the head..Fly Southwest!  Pretty low fares and no baggage fees (that includes two suitcases AND a ski bag).  And the Fly to Reno, SLC, and Spokane (the latter is a really underrrated skier destination airport-it's a small airport that put you in driving distance of Interior BC Ski Areas, Northern Idaho and a long drive to Big Mountain...I've done a Red, Whitewater trip and a Schweitzer, Silver, Big Mountain Trip from that Airport).

I've gotten in under a grand in Utah using the cheap tickets and the fine hotels of Sandy, UT.

When is the Epic Gathering in Tahoe?  I've never done one of those, but I suspect it is a pretty fun time.  I forgot Bushwacker is hosting a VT Epic gathering...that I will endeavor to make part of.

Oh, not to speak for Bushwacker, I think he'd freely admit that the MX88 is plenty for skiing powder--he'd just say it's not enough ski to ski powder in Tight New England woods to their fullest. 

Me, I couldn't ski those trees like  the young rippers do these days with any ski!   

[jim-ratliff]

Here's a confession: Patrolling has really made skiing with my kids and family a real treat.

Liam: My friend that is the certified patroller. He grew up skiing with his family.  His dad wasn't a patroller, but his mother volunteered in the First Aid clinic or something. That's where he got hooked, then he became a Jr. Patroller, and never left patrolling.  It's all good, obviously. And, interestingly, his main interest is still the EMT and helping people side of things. Ohh, he's also a certified EMT.
I'd say everything you described is a great environment for your kids.  Better than growing up playing PONG or PacMan.

[ToddW]

It seems like every time we were there last year they got 8-16 inches of new snow. 

Ullr,  You and Lynn are overdue for Vermont.  Please visit and bring 16 inches with you. 

[ToddW]

It's still early in the season, but I'm off to A-basin tomorrow night on the Jet Blue redeye from JFK to Denver.  I'm taking a week of lessons to jump start the season (Harb Ski Systems short turn camp.)  Sorry for the short post, but I gotta go tune my skis .... 

[jim-ratliff]

Ullr,  You and Lynn are overdue for Vermont.  Please visit and bring 16 inches with you.

16 is a lot, would you settle for 8"?
Actually Lynn and I hope to either hook up with you or attend PMTS East III. Do you know if Dan is coordinating another such gathering this year?
Hope camp is a breakthrough for you this year.

[ToddW]

8" would be acceptable given the quality company.

Several months ago, Dan was talking about having a gathering and mentioned that Glen is interested.

[beastieboy]

Having checked the EFC calculator (expected family contribution) (part of the FAFSA form for college financial aid) as our oldest is less than a year away from college, I think that we will be taking a hiatus on anything that costs money.  I do have several hundred thousand FF miles, and a week banked with RCI, so we might be able to pull something off, but probably not with the 5 kids.  Any volunteers out there to babysit the kids for a week while Joyce and I use our freebies to go to Steamboat?  Just kidding.... sort of.  We have been seriously looking at places that we could use the banked RCI points, but have the feeling that if we took off skiing out west for a week, it would negatively affect the quality of the nursing home that the kids chose for us . 

Only a few weeks till opening day (if mother nature cooperates)!!

John

[LivingProof]

Mike you hit one nail squarely on the head..Fly Southwest! 

When is the Epic Gathering in Tahoe?  I've never done one of those, but I suspect it is a pretty fun time.  I forgot Bushwacker is hosting a VT Epic gathering...that I will endeavor to make part of.

Oh, not to speak for Bushwacker, I think he'd freely admit that the MX88 is plenty for skiing powder--he'd just say it's not enough ski to ski powder in Tight New England woods to their fullest. 

Liam,
And don't forget SW goes to Denver....from Philly it's direct.

The Gathering is 2/27 to 3/3. High Angles and I (+ Greg Merz) will be sharing the house with a total of 9 people. I know most from last year and I just really enjoyed skiing with them. All are pretty competent, love the sport, good people who want to have some fun. Will ski 6 different mountains over 6 days, not totally in love with all the driving, but, I can go with the flow. Ron will be staying with Phil and Trish. The big news is JB himself hopes to join in for a day! Gotta meet the Bottimeister!

Actually, I don't think Bush likes hard snow period. I always think of Stowe as closer to a western area than a typical eastern area. If it were only as easy as changing skis to join him for a few runs! On skis, he plays a game with which I am unfamiliar, he goes where few have gone before. Self preservation runs strong in me. Rather kiss a girl than a tree!