NE Gets Screwed Again?

[Powderqueen]

If it wasn't worth it, even to take a chance and book in advance (as I usually do) it is definitely worth it. Even a bad day here can be better than any good day at Greek Peak :lol:

The big mountains are remarkable and provide an incredible experience new snow or old snow (but old snow, is, well, old snow...east or west).

It seems like a lot of easterners, Europeans and people from all over come here to ski. I've been to a lot of places to ski over the years, and while interior BC is my favorite, Utah is the easiest and least expensive and beats the mid-winter-dust-on-crust blues that were setting in back east.

 

[berkshireskier]

Jeez, I'm sorry for my off-handed remark about it being more expensive to ski out West than in the East. I stand corrected, based on the extensive analysis done by Admin. I was thinking more about just the extra cost of the airfare as compared to driving and NOT all of the other costs of skiing in the West vs. the East. Certainly, if I lived in the NYC metro area and had access to non-stop, cheap flights to SLC, I wouldn't be making 6 hour drives to Stowe or Sugarbush either. Although my wife, my then 11-year old daughter and I vacationed in Park City two winters ago, skiing for five days at PCMR and DV. We used frequent flyer miles to pay for the airfares and I'm estimating that those five days skiing cost us between $5,000 and $6,000, between the lodging costs, lift tickets, round trip transportation to and from the airport (no car rental), meals and incidental expenses. Basically, $1,000 per day with NO airfare costs. Admittedly, we stayed in a fairly nice condo right on Main St. in Park City that was not cheap (but by no means the most expensive lodging option).

 

[Patrick]

I'm estimating that those five days skiing cost us between $5,000 and $6,000, between the lodging costs, lift tickets, round trip transportation to and from the airport (no car rental), meals and incidental expenses. Basically, $1,000 per day with NO airfare costs.

Shit, for that price, I could go to SA including airfare and get all my gear stolen for much cheaper than that. :mrgreen:

 

[Admin]

Jeez, I'm sorry for my off-handed remark about it being more expensive to ski out West than in the East.

Don't be! It's a common misperception, and it was a fun exercise even for me to actually validate what I believed in the back of my mind anyway.

Although my wife, my then 11-year old daughter and I vacationed in Park City two winters ago, skiing for five days at PCMR and DV. We used frequent flyer miles to pay for the airfares and I'm estimating that those five days skiing cost us between $5,000 and $6,000, between the lodging costs, lift tickets, round trip transportation to and from the airport (no car rental), meals and incidental expenses. Basically, $1,000 per day with NO airfare costs. Admittedly, we stayed in a fairly nice condo right on Main St. in Park City that was not cheap (but by no means the most expensive lodging option).

Lodging/skiing/dining in Park City, you can spend the farm if you want to. For example, while I've enjoyed exceptional meals in many establishments up there I can generally count on it costing about 30% more than the equivalent meal in Salt Lake. And there are very few economical lodging options on the Wasatch Back. The analysis above is strictly limited to staying in the Salt Lake Valley (or as was the example from the Peruvian, at Alta) and should by no means be seen as reflective of costs associated with basing yourself in Park City.

 

[berkshireskier]

Yea, the other issue for us was that we had to go on the Presidents' Holiday/school vacation week, when everything was premium priced, esp. the lodging, and there were really no deals to be had on lift tickets (I think I got 10% off on tickets to PCMR and DV through the lodging company) and other costs. I was also sort of shocked at how expensive restaurants were in PC (and I live in a resort town and know that restaurants have to try to make money within a short tourist season). I'm sure you could arrange a ski vacation for less money, if you were willing to stay farther away from the slopes. We were one block from the Town Lift and 1/2 block from the transportation hub and able to walk to all the restaurants on Main St, so you pay for the convenience.

 

[skimore]

OK. It's dumping in Utah. I'd like to see this airfare for $300 that can get me there in the next 3 days out of NYC

 

[Admin]

I'm done doing everyone else's legwork. Start searching.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

 

[kingslug]

Extended Stay Hotel fort union 12 miles from Alta ......with a coupon cost me 29.80 per night......this is a real room with a kitchen, no stove, but a cook top.....BEST deal period. Yes I got boppped for the flight, and the suv was expensive, and I rented some fatties but I got 8 of the best days ever...rather than humping my ass to the catskills and skiing ice.....which I do every monday...and yes it beats the shit out of you your car after a while.....Next trip to Alta I will do without the car, cheaper airfare, etc.....and chase Marc around, never catching him...and I don't smoke...he's just worlds better than me...but I hang in there.

 

[Harvey]

Extended Stay Hotel fort union 12 miles from Alta ......with a coupon cost me 29.80 per night......this is a real room with a kitchen, no stove, but a cook top.....BEST deal period. Yes I got boppped for the flight, and the suv was expensive, and I rented some fatties but I got 8 of the best days ever...rather than humping my ass to the catskills and skiing ice.....which I do every monday...and yes it beats the [censored] out of you your car after a while.....Next trip to Alta I will do without the car, cheaper airfare, etc.....and chase Marc around, never catching him...and I don't smoke...he's just worlds better than me...but I hang in there.

Great post. I can relate.

 

[rfarren]

I think admin's estimate is a bit off. Airfare is rarely $300 when you include cost of taking your skis and airport transfers, especially here in NYC. A more honest estimate would be $400. Utah is more expensive than a weekend in burlington, but the truth is you get more bang for your buck 8 times out of 10.

 

[kingslug]

I miss the $99.00 each way Jet Blue deals...this last flight cost me $590.00 total.....crap!!! Thinking of buying some fat skis, renting is getting expensive.

 

[icelanticskier]

i'd gladly pay double for everything to hit the conditions right for lift served sliding. looks like you hit it right. money well spent.

rog

 

[kingslug]

Now I just have to pull it off again in March....have to go cheaper though......this lack of snow here is getting to me....have to start skiing the Poconos!!

 

[Harvey]

We have powder and packed powder here in NJ up at 200 feet:

http://harvey44.blogspot.com/2010/02/ho ... -2610.html

It does gets a little manky down around 180.

You could take the bus, and stay real cheap at the rescue mission.

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

 

[Tony Crocker]

Admin's analysis is quite illuminating. I agree with the point that it depends upon the number of people, and as a fair exercise 2 is probably the most reasonable number of people to assume in making these comparisons.

Renting a car is expensive

4 days over MLK weekend, reserved ONE day in advance, $96 including taxes and fees. If you're going to Utah with the objective of chasing the best powder, rent a frickin' car already! The place to save $ if necessary is on lodging, food and the ski shop lift tickets.

I'm estimating that those five days skiing cost us between $5,000 and $6,000, between the lodging costs, lift tickets, round trip transportation to and from the airport (no car rental), meals and incidental expenses.

In my family years, that's what an entire ski season cost, including ~55 days of skiing distributed among 4 people and at least one fly-to destination trip for 2 or more of them. Admittedly that was 15 years ago, but the point still stands. If you want to spend that kind of money on just lodging that's a personal choice. But if that blows your season ski budget I'd vote along with the easterners for more days skiing at cheaper places instead.

SLC is hands down the most competitive destination to mnake these comparisons. I suspect Reno stacks up OK too. For the other big cluster of western resorts Denver is too far away for day commutes, particularly given the traffic reputatiion of I-70. I don't know what kind of lodging deals can be had in places like Dillon or Silverthorne, but I suspect it's not like SLC or Reno. I could also mention interior B.C. You need a week at least as these places are spread out and many are far from competitive airports. But lodging in places like Rossland, Golden, Fernie, Revelstoke, Nelson, Canmore is quite reasonable vs. U.S. western resort towns.

 

[Marc_C]

I'm estimating that those five days skiing cost us between $5,000 and $6,000, between the lodging costs, lift tickets, round trip transportation to and from the airport (no car rental), meals and incidental expenses.

In my family years, that's what an entire ski season cost, including ~55 days of skiing distributed among 4 people and at least one fly-to destination trip for 2 or more of them....

Tony, you've got to start including the name of the poster in what you quote. It's getting to be a royal PITA to scroll/page backwards through a thread to glean the original context of the post. Not including the name makes it 10 times harder. It's really not that hard. You've just gotten into a very lazy habit.

 

[Patrick]

I'm estimating that those five days skiing cost us between $5,000 and $6,000, between the lodging costs, lift tickets, round trip transportation to and from the airport (no car rental), meals and incidental expenses.

In my family years, that's what an entire ski season cost, including ~55 days of skiing distributed among 4 people and at least one fly-to destination trip for 2 or more of them....

Tony, you've got to start including the name of the poster in what you quote. It's getting to be a royal PITA to scroll/page backwards through a thread to glean the original context of the post. Not including the name makes it 10 times harder. It's really not that hard. You've just gotten into a very lazy habit.

I don't have the time right now, but I've quote the same thing in one of my post. That cost is approximately MY cost for THREE trips down to South America everything included, flights, tickets, foods, transport, wine and cerversa. :roll:

 

[berkshireskier]

Yea, Tony, there is NO doubt you could do a ski vacation for much less money than what we spent to go to Park City for a week. The killer for us was the lodging cost (we used frequent flyer miles to buy the airline tickets from the east coast to SLC, so no airfare costs and did not rent a car). We rented a two bedroom condo at the Silver Queen Hotel right on Main St. in Park City - one block from the Town Lift and just around the corner from the transportation hub. I believe it cost around $600 per night plus whatever the lodging tax is in Utah. I had spent alot of time almost a year before the trip researching places to stay and this seemed like the best deal, given our preferences. Two bedroom condos at DV were over $1,000 per night (within walking distance of the lifts) and condos right at the base of PCMR were in the $800-$1000 per night range. Also, we went during the Presidents' Holiday week and prices for everything were at a premium and deals were hard to come by. I'm sure if you stayed further away from the ski areas, the lodging costs would have been much less but you would not have the convenience of being close to the ski areas and Main St. in Park City. I wouldn't really care, but when my wife goes on vacation, she likes it to be a "vacation" - the actual skiing is much less important to her than the overall experience. So, by the time you add up the lodging costs, lift tickets, meals and misc. expenditures, it becomes an expensive vacation.

 

[Tony Crocker]

you would not have the convenience of being close to the ski areas

1988 - Aspen Square
1989 - Yarrow in Park City
1992 - walking distance to lifts in Crested Butte and Telluride
1993 - St. Bernard at Taos
1998 - Condo in Creekside at Whistler
1999 - Chateau Lake Louise

All of the above were late March/early April spring breaks. All were no more than $150/night, except the St. Bernard which included full board. Bottom line:
1) Do not go Christmas or President's week to resorts that jack up prices
2) There are places like Jackson that should be avoided for spring breaks, but there's a long list of places that are still very good then.

 

[Admin]

Tony, Marc_C's right -- use the damned quote button or otherwise hand-code the BBcode to identify who you're quoting. Especially in a long thread like this is makes it ridiculously difficult to figure out who you're quoting.