Advice for my first trip out west

N

npage148

New member
Hi, this is my first post, but ive been lurking here a while. My girlfriend and I are planning a trip out west for next winter in Mid march. It will be about a week long. It's hard wading though all the information on the net and I was looking for some advice where to visit. I've been snowboarding for about 7 years and consider my self pretty advanced. I'm comfortable on most terrain as long as the moguls are kept to a minimum and It's not overly icy. The steeps at killington, stratton and gore do not bother me. Ive ridden thigh deep powder a handful of times My girlfriend is an intermediate rider and enjoys blues and some mild diamonds. I am looking for a place where I will be able to ride deep powder and some challanging terrain without getting overly extreme. My girlfriend would enjoy a place where the crusing runs are nice and groomed with packed powder and she alway wants a nice villiage to go enjoy. We will not be riding exculsively together and probabaly split up to explore by ourselves. The budget is not really a concern but i do not want to break the bank since we are both in college. Also, i will probably not rent a car out there. I have been looking at solitude, and steamboat and she has heard good things about sun valley idaho. Any other input would be great. Thanks Alot
Nate
 
Watch the weather and book late. Steamboat is generally a good place in March. We usually get in a Northwest flow late season. No way gaurantee pow, but if you do a cat trip you have a better chance.
Check out Steamboat powder cats. They operate on Buffalo pass which nearly doubles the amount of snow the ski area gets, and it's close by. You may just want to set the money aside and see if you can get an open spot if it's not snowing at the ski area. There is also plenty of lodging right on the hill there.
Wolf Creek ski area is reliable. Though small, it's a real kick in the pants. You would probably need a car there but lodging and lift tickets are pretty cheap so you would probably still come out ahead. In general there is good snow to be found there for days after a storm.
Sun Valley really doesn't get much snow over a season. I don't even think they average over 200". Utah on the other hand gets creamed.
 
I disagree on the Steamboat recommendation. It's the only Colorado destination resort that faces more south than north, and surface conditions in March will not be great except during storms. It does get a lot of snow and is probably the BEST big Colorado destination for early season.

In most Colorado resorts March is the best month due to max coverage and good preservation due to high altitude and north exposure. Crowds are less as you get farther away from Denver. Aspen and Telluride come first to mind, both also great resort towns.

I always plug Utah, but it really works best with a car, driving around and sampling several resorts. And if you're going to be in one place as late as mid-March it should be the Cottonwood Canyons, not Park City due to snow surfaces.

Mammoth would be ideal for both of you for both terrain and snow in March. You'll need a car to get there from Reno airport 3 hours away. There is a new Intrawest village for apres-ski, but lodging is much cheaper elsewhere in town.

Despite this aberrational year you should consider Whistler too. Skiing-wise it's like having 2 Mammoths accessible from the same lively resort base. Alpine terrain (mostly advanced to expert, but some intermediate) is very reliable for snow. Intermediate mid-mountain runs are extensive but March surfaces more spring-like than Mammoth or many Colorado areas.
 
I pretty much second Crocker's recommendations. For March I'd go with Utah first, Summit County (CO), S. Colorado, and Mammoth. In normal years Whistler is a hoot and you will not need a car, as AP transport is available and the local transportation is very good and usually free.

Summit Co (CO) is dependable, but in our opinion it is even better in April after the crowds evaporate and prices drop. Tony likely has the best statistics, but I think that Summit Co gets most of its snowfall between 15 Mar -- 15 Apr.

Steamboat can be fun in March (and April), but you may also need to deal with spring conditions, which some intermediates dislike intensely.

I would add Lake Tahoe areas to your list for March. Alpine Meadows' terrain allows skiers of vastly differing skills and interests to share the same lifts. It is an area where intermediates can ski off the top. Of course, the snow is usually good in March. Other rarely mentioned areas are Sugar Bowl, Homewood for when the cloud ceiling is low, Mt. Rose, and Sierra-at-Tahoe. Lots of better-publicized areas (e.g., Heavenly, Squaw) lie around the lake, but these do not accommodate a skiing couple with discordant abilities as well as Alpine does. In CA you will need a 4WD truck to comply with chain laws. If you rent in Reno, you will pay truly criminal taxes (31+%). Sacramento car rental taxes are lower, but I-80 is a tough drive during storms.

Utah is the bomb in March! My wife and I ignore the expensive, overhyped Park City areas. They usually have inferior snow anyway. In SLC you do not need a car--although it's handy. If you stay in one of the cheap motels on 7200 W between I-15 and Main St, you can walk a block or so to the bus depot and ride a bus that has direct service to the Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. The gem of the four ski areas is Alta, where an expert can share the same lifts and yet find terrain that will fit any skill level?but Alta doesn?t allow boarders. (Alta does have a terrific & cheap ski school.) Intermediates will likely wish to skip Snowbird, but boarders and skiers of all levels can enjoy Brighton and Solitude. (Full Disclosure: We are Altaholics.)

Finally, if you go to Utah and rent a car, you can also consider skiing Snowbasin and Powder Mt. Snowbasin has a terrific lift system and particularly good terrain. Both areas are rarely busy and can have terrific surfaces when other Utah areas (other than Alta) are suffering. You can drive from SLC or stay at a cheap motel in Ogden (preferred).

Perhaps, you should plan a lot of trips! Hope yours works out.

Cheers,
Jeff
 
look'n4powder, how did you ever wind up in MASH (Mid-Atlantic Ski Hell)? :lol: Your recommendations are all spot-on, IMO. You're obviously well-traveled, and your presence here is most welcome. I hope that you'll contribute often.
 
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