Planning 1st trip out west...

[bigprocess]

hello all, i'm in the planning stages of a trip out west this winter. having never been out west for some real snowboarding, i thought i'd post here and see what advice any veterans might have.

i'm 23 years old and this will be my 4th season snowboarding. the hills in wisconsin and michigan have rapidly become too small/short to entertain me. i'm not the kind of person who goes out and sits in the terrain park all day looking to be an obnoxios punk image boarder (we have lots of those around here). rather, i feel in love with the feeling of linking deep hard turns and truly surfing down a slope. hopefully this mostly skiier forum won't hate on me too much for my preferred method of travelling down mountains.

that being said, i'm looking for a resort that will have short to non-existant lift lines, a good chance of powder (i'm looking at going jan 17-jan 21...on the slopes thurs, fri, sat), personally challenging terrain, a friendly atmosphere, and reasonably cheap. i'm a college student with not a lot of money. i'll be using my tax refund to pay for the trip.

as of right now, i have my eyes set on big sky, mt. it looks big enough that i could see something new each day and not get bored being at the same place 3 days in a row. they also appear to get lots of snow and have small crowds. the only downside is that flying to bozeman isn't the cheapest thing in the world. around $417 right now whereas denver is 250ish and salt lake city 315ish.

i guess i'm looking for any adivce, comments, stories about ways to get out west cheaply, where to find cheap lodging, what resorts to look at, what time of year to buy tickets (do they traditionally drop in price at a certain time?), etc. I'm open to pretty much anything anybody might have to offer, especially some sort of time travelling device to make it january now instead of in 3 months.

thanks for reading.

 

[tirolerpeter]

OK, you came to the right place. I can give you some excellent specific tips for exactly what you are asking for: "Cheap, steep, deep" are all available in the Salt Lake area. I have been going out there since 2000, and have done it on a shoe-string, and had a great time. I don't have time this moment to send out more advice, but I will PM you with stuff I have sent to others. If anyone else is interested, I'll post it here.

 

[Admin]

hopefully this mostly skiier forum won't hate on me too much for my preferred method of travelling down mountains.

Your method of sliding doesn't matter around here -- it's all good. Welcome.

that being said, i'm looking for a resort that will have short to non-existant lift lines, a good chance of powder (i'm looking at going jan 17-jan 21...on the slopes thurs, fri, sat), personally challenging terrain, a friendly atmosphere, and reasonably cheap. i'm a college student with not a lot of money. i'll be using my tax refund to pay for the trip.

as of right now, i have my eyes set on big sky, mt. it looks big enough that i could see something new each day and not get bored being at the same place 3 days in a row. they also appear to get lots of snow and have small crowds. the only downside is that flying to bozeman isn't the cheapest thing in the world. around $417 right now whereas denver is 250ish and salt lake city 315ish.

i guess i'm looking for any adivce, comments, stories about ways to get out west cheaply, where to find cheap lodging, what resorts to look at, what time of year to buy tickets (do they traditionally drop in price at a certain time?), etc. I'm open to pretty much anything anybody might have to offer, especially some sort of time travelling device to make it january now instead of in 3 months.

thanks for reading.

Bozeman flights can be expensive, that's true. However, much less expensive than going to Big Sky would be to stay in Bozeman and use it as a base to ride Big Sky, Moonlight Basin and Bridger Bowl, the latter being the least expensive, closest, and perhaps snowiest of the three. Of course for this you'd need a car. Big Sky itself isn't exactly a powerhouse in the snowfall department, and if the El Nino forecast for this winter holds true the jetstream may be expected to flow further south, allowing storms to miss the northern tier while pumping warmer air up there to boot.

I'd be remiss if I didn't pitch my hometown here. Staying in the Salt Lake Valley can be done for as little as $40 per night, and you'd have Snowbird, Brighton and Solitude all at your disposal and accessible via public transportation (rideuta.com) if you stay on one of the ski bus routes. These three all average around 500 inches of snowfall per year. Ski Salt Lake (ski-saltlake.com) even sells a multi-day pass at a discount good at all three of those resorts (plus Alta, but they prohibit snowboarding) if purchased with lodging. It also includes free use of the UTA ski buses and TRAX light rail to go downtown. With a car you could add Park City, The Canyons, Snowbasin, Powder Mountain and Sundance to the accessible ski areas for the same approximate drive time as Bozeman to Big Sky (the only other one, Deer Valley, also prohibits snowboarding). The Studio 6 in Murray is an all-suite version of Motel 6, so it's clean, inexpensive, and offers the ability to cook in to save money as well.

With respect to your other questions, lift ticket prices don't really drop until the very end of the season, if at all, so that's not really an issue for you. To predict airfares, see farecast.com. Can't help you with the time warp machine, however. :wink:

 

[Patrick]

that being said, i'm looking for a resort that will have short to non-existant lift lines, a good chance of powder (i'm looking at going jan 17-jan 21...on the slopes thurs, fri, sat), personally challenging terrain, a friendly atmosphere, and reasonably cheap. i'm a college student with not a lot of money. i'll be using my tax refund to pay for the trip.
(...)
i guess i'm looking for any adivce, comments, stories about ways to get out west cheaply, where to find cheap lodging, what resorts to look at, what time of year to buy tickets.

Depending on your abilities, you shouldn't be bored by 3 days at Big Sky. Terrain is definately challenging.

However I need to say for skiers/boarders aren't comfortable to ski black runs would probably find Big Sky terrain a problem. Although the expert terrain is awesome and there's a bunch of easy runs, the ski areas major flaw is the late of real intermediate terrain. The place is either real steep or real flat, no in-betweens.

I think the easier spot to find cheap accomodations is Bozeman (which is even closer to Bridger Bowl (small qualities and problems as Big sky, but on a much smaller scale). You can get a bed at the Backpackers Hostel in town for $18 a night.

However I don't know anything if there's any bus or shuttle that goes to the ski areas from Bozeman or deals on lift tickets.

http://bozemancvb.visitmt.com/categorie ... &SiteID=18

Staying in the Salt Lake Valley can be done for as little as $40 per night

I'm not a SLC specialist, but I would think that there's probably a hostel that would cost you less than $40/night. If your solo and you don't mind sharing a room, then Hostels are the best deals.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Patrick hit the nail on the head. I don't see someone with 4 seasons of Midwest only experience being comfortable on Lone Peak/Challenger/Headwaters. The lower mountain is vast but mostly low intermediate pitch. Bridger has similar topography issues as Big Sky with the added twist that most of the steep stuff up top requires a hike.

The other end of Montana at Big Mountain (Kalispell airport) would be a much better choice IMHO. It has a consistent advanced intermediate pitch, more snowfall with January being an optimal time. Very low crowds, nice trees, good chance of getting to learn some powder.

SLC is always the obvious choice for a cheap but high quality trip, particularly if time is limited. Somewhat diminished for a boarder by not being able to ski Alta, and much of Snowbird will be out of your league on your first trip. That still leaves Brighton and Solitude if you're not renting a car. Snowbasin and Powder Mt. are also very worthwhile if you do rent a car. The car rental would be an offset to the higher airfares to Montana. I did not recommend Park City or The Canyons due to limited time and budget.

 

[bigprocess]

just got back from school/work to find some very nice replies. thanks to all, there's a ton of good info in there. (i'd still be eager to read your PM tirolerpeter). after dinner i'll read through them all again and see if i have any more questions.

one thing that did jump out to me is that i should make finding a good destination that fits my ability. yes i want to be challenged, but as somebody pointed out, i probably wouldn't be too entertained with the choice of very beginnerish runs or challenging/experienced steeps. yes i know i'd love to be able to hop out there and tear up the summit of a mountain, but i shouldn't assume i'm capable of more than i am/have ever seen. i guess i couldn't really say how i'd fare at the most intense peaks out there, i have no idea what it'll be like. i'm sure i'll get my game face on and go after some bigger stuff. the question is, how much bigger and more intense will it be than what i've seen? what will it take out there to continute to push myself and my limits? are greens runs out there considered blacks to us? i don't really know.

here's what i could dig up in terms of statistics for the hills around me. dont laugh too hard.

sunburst: this one is really close to milwaukee and proximity is the only reason i go there. i couldn't find anything on the pitch of the runs. although they claim to have the 'steepest run in the midwest' even though it's one of the smaller hills.
Vertical Drop: 214 ft
Longest Run: 0.25 mi
Skiable Area: 35 acres

big powderhorn:
Vertical Drop: 600 ft
Longest Run: 1.00 mi
Skiable Area: 252 acres

indianhead:
Vertical Drop: 638 ft
Longest Run: 1.00 mi
Skiable Area: 200 acres
-again no pitch on these.

that's where i go. not a lot of information, but it's some. i can snowboard aggressively yet comfortably on any of the runs at all the hills.

thought that might help with any reccomendations of a good destinations for me to really enjoy myself and push myself to new limits. again, thanks for all the replies. hopefully they help you all get in the winter mood/spirit too.

 

[Admin]

Now, bigprocess, I'm not commenting in any way on your ability -- I've never seen you ride, so that would be presumptuous of me. However, remember something: exposure. You can ride a pitch over 30 degrees anywhere, but there's a big difference when there are 200 feet of exposure below you when compared to 2,000 feet below you. It's more intimidating, and the consequences can be much more severe. Getting into DFU terrain (that's "don't f*** up!" terrain) usually requires a bit of effort.

Don't let that put you off, however. Sure, some places (Snowbird, the Tram slopes of Big Sky, etc.) are steeper on average than others. But just about every resort will mix it up so that you can find your own personal envelope and push it as you like and feel is appropriate.

 

[bigprocess]

haha. no offense taken at all. that's exactly why i posted those kind of stats-to help illustrate my experience and that i'm not going to need the extreme of the extreme to get those moments of exhilaration.

 

[Tony Crocker]

What you want when you're unsure of ability level or have a mixed group is an abundant quantity of terrain at all levels so you can work your way up gradually. Vail and Mammoth are the paragons in this regard.

Snowbird is not too bad if you're a strong intermediate (but pretty limiting for low intermediates). There will be a lot you can't ride, but there will also be a lot to challenge your limits. Big Sky is exactly the wrong kind of area in this situation IMHO. You're going to want to move up, but that is nearly all serious DFU terrain up on Lone Peak.

The other adaptation for you besides terrain will be snow conditions. That was the reason I plugged The Big Mountain. Terrain will be interesting and challenging but not hair-raising. So you can concentrate on learning soft snow, which has a much faster learning curve on snowboard than skis. Powder Mt. has similar virtues, as do Solitude and Brighton to some extent.

 

[Patrick]

Don't let that put you off, however. Sure, some places (Snowbird, the Tram slopes of Big Sky, etc.) are steeper on average than others. But just about every resort will mix it up so that you can find your own personal envelope and push it as you like and feel is appropriate.

My comments were aimed at you specifically, but I was telling Tony last winter how unbalanced Big Sky was. There isn't any easy way down from the Summit and besides the Challenger chair and some of the lifts near the bottom, everything else is mostly flat.

are greens runs out there considered blacks to us? i don't really know.

Not really, it's more like these are our easier runs, etc... Big Sky green would probably green everywhere I know. Even some of the Big Sky's blues would probably green at some places in the East. As for BS's blacks, I would say that most of them would be double, triple or quadruple blacks in the East. :lol: So you go from green to double black, few in-between.

Here's a report from Hamdog when Tony and I paid him a visit at Big Sky. What you can see belong treeline in the picture is fairly flat, especially if your riding a snowboard. On the last pic, you see probably the hardest trail on the ski map. To give you some perspective, the lone tram vertical is something like 1500ft.

http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards ... php?t=1678

Unlike Tony, I would think that some of the stuff at Snowbird could be interesting, regardless of someone ability (okay, maybe not beginner). Yes, there is some crazy stuff, but the terrain is much more varied.

For one thing, snow is easier to ski than ice.

 

[snowave]

Hellow fellow rider..

Some nice advice from the guys!

My opinions on the subject..

If you are going on your first ski trip, I belive half of the experience is staying in a ski town and not a city, and getting to take in everything that the area is about. So, I'm not crazy about the SLC or Bozeman idea for that reason.

Tony has some good points about Big Mtn.. as I really enjoyed that place (the mountain and the town).. but...

I would also give some serious thought to Summit County, CO. cheap airfare to Denver, reasonable transportation from Denver, (often cheap rental cars too) free extensive shuttle system once you get there to 4 ski areas AND all the towns( Breck, Copper, Keystone and A-Basin ...and cheap transportation to Vail and Loveland.) The worst part about it is which places to go if you only have a few days! :lol:

You also are picking a great time to go in Mid-late January.. minimal crowds, but likley great coverage in most years.

Lift ticket deals can be had if you hunt around, especially multi-day. Check the resort websites for specials, as well as sliding on the cheap . com, and local grocery stores, as they still give a nice $ 5-10 discount on ski areas in Summit County I believe.

Lodging can be somewhat reasonable too, depending on how you go about doing it... If you want to save big money, there are a few hostels in the area that are cheap and alot of fun, plus you get to meet other people from all over doing the same thing you are! The Alpen Hutte is my favorite.

There is tons of nightlife and other things to do in the surrounding towns as well.

If I had had to pick a mtn in the area, I would say Copper is your best bet on many fronts.

If you want more details, let me know and I'd be happy to help.

 

[mikesathome]

Hey fellow Michigander/rider! I'm a troll from down state near Detroit, and also a fairly new snowboarder (Been skiing for 20 years and still enjoy it)
I have never been to Montana so I can not comment about it. I have been to SLC, Summit CO Colorado, and lake Tahoe. Out of those 3 I found it VERY easy to ski and ride cheap in SLC. I would stay at Extended Stay America 7555 Union Park Ave, Midvale, UT (801) 567-0404. They have good weekly rates and is all kitchenette rooms (save some money and cook breakfast/dinner your self) You are on the local bus route and can be at snowbird/Brighton/solitude in about 1hour. Another way to save some money is look on EBay for lifts. Be careful and read the postings very closely, and never buy from someone who has zero sales. I have done the eBay thing in the past and saved some good cash on lifts (knock on wood)

Hope this helps!

 

[tirolerpeter]

If you want the "ski town" thing, you have to go to Park City. The individual resorts in BCC and LCC don't qualify (Yes, the skiing is great, but there is nothing to do there at night, if you still have some energy left over.) But, if your goal is great skiing, a chance to experience a number of different areas, AND to doing it economically, staying places like "Extended Stay America" in Midvale and the Best Western Cottonwood Inn in Sandy (these neighborhoods are adjacent to each other) is the way to go. You can not only cook as suggested, you also have the option of good restaurants (Like Buca DiBeppo Sandy) that serve excellent food at "civilian" (not ski town prices). If renting a car is prohibitive due to age (under 25) you can get along without one just fine in these areas. They have excellent public transportation available, not to mention the courtesy shuttles run by the various hotels/motels.

BTW, Extended Stay America is likely where my wife and I will be staying for a week or two this fall after we move to SLC and while we look for an apartment in the area.

 

[Tony Crocker]

snowave makes good points in favor of Summit County Colorado. These resorts don't get a lot of props here because:
1) Low proportion of "extreme" terrain
2) Not huge snowfall
3) Proximity to Denver tends to keep them busy

In your case:
1) is probably irrelevant. These places are all going to look enormous compared to what you've been riding. Low proportion of expert terrain doesn't mean there's not more than enough for you to try on a short trip. It makes sense to make the first trip west to more intermediate oriented areas. You'll appreciate the tough places like Snowbird more after you've had more mileage.
2) By mid-January everything you are going to be riding will probably be covered well. Surface conditions will look like nirvana to you.
3) Crowds will be less than in February/March.

It's the cheapest airfare, and snowave thinks you can get by without a car. Definitely worth investigating IMHO.

 

[lookn4powder]

hello all, i'm in the planning stages of a trip out west this winter.... i'm 23 years old and this will be my 4th season snowboarding. the hills in wisconsin and michigan have rapidly become too small/short to entertain me. i'm not the kind of person who goes out and sits in the terrain park all day ...

I'm kind of late coming into this discussion, but I understand/feel your relatively new enthusiasm for snow slid'n (let's forget the details of your conveyance--we all love snow here). So, let's believe that this trip is just the beginning with the love of big mountain skiing. I love the Cottonwood Canyons in SLC, but 2 of the last 3 years have had great Decembers followed by mid-Jan droughts;thus, although SLC is a good option, it is not to be held as a gold standard for January. On the other hand, I have a buddy who usually skis Summit County, CO during Jan and seems to always have a blast.

So, I gotta go with recommending staying in Dillon or Frisco and sampling Copper, Keystone, and Breckenridge. Alternately, if you can find a good package at Winter Park/Mary Jane, this would pretty much introduce you to western skiing and fit any level you are at. (I particularly like the bumps at Mary Jane). Every post to your question has suggested a good answer, but I think that the undercurrent among them is that you need to find one experience that offers a large enough diversity of terrain types that help you figure out that terrain times you like.

Everyone likes different things. My wife and a good buddy favor cruising with perfect turns and a certain flow that's addictive. She also likes the thick, nasty, heavy spring snow most don't like. Two other buddys and I prefer "adventure skiing" that usually means steep, deep & trees. None of us can guess your preference, but we all know that one western trip will change your outlook and hone your expectations into the future.

Good luck finding perfect runs...

Jeff

 

[Admin]

It's the cheapest airfare, and snowave thinks you can get by without a car.

SLC is pretty darned cheap to fly into, too, as it's a Delta hub and serviced by Southwest. Supply and demand, ya know...

But, the biggest advantage over Denver IMO is the drive time. Don't forget that bigprocess is taking a relatively short trip, and for me this would mean a lot. After landing in Denver you're facing a few hours in a car or shuttle van to get to the resorts, and you have to traverse Denver traffic in doing so. And God forbid you're flying out early on a Sunday evening, with I-70 Sunday ski traffic, airport check-in headaches and security lines you might as well leave Summit County before noon!

By contrast, after landing at Salt Lake International and staying in the Valley, you're 20 minutes from your hotel room, or 40 minutes total from the the airport to the chairlift. With the time difference that can mean an early a.m. flight out and skiing or riding by noon, or a complete day of skiing/riding on your last day if you catch an early evening flight home.

Bigprocess said he's near Milwaukee, so Chicago isn't a long drive and would save a bunch of coin, as well as provide more convenient flights. He could fly for as little as $218 including all taxes and fees aboard American non-stop each way, leaving O'Hare at 5:55 pm on the 17th and arriving in SLC at 8:25 pm. He could return on the 21st at 2:30 pm, arriving in O'Hare at 6:40 pm. He could still get a morning half day of riding on the 21st -- try that in Denver with a 2:30 flight time! If he really wants a full day on the slopes on the 21st and still pay that fare, he can catch a 7:15 am flight on Monday, the 22nd that arrives at O'Hare at 11:30 a.m.

I also checked Southwest out of Chicago-Midway. (Just don't overshoot the runway on a snowy night! :wink: ) Bigprocess could get a full day of work in on the 17th and leave Midway at 6:30 pm, flying non-stop and arriving in SLC at 9:00 pm. He has choices for the return -- if he wants a full day of riding on the 21st he could catch a 5:30 pm connecting through Denver and arriving in Chicago at 11:35 pm (the 6:25 pm departure connecting through Vegas already has the cheap seats sold out!), or if he insists on a non-stop he could leave SLC at 3:05 and arrive in Chicago at 7:00 pm. Either way, that would cost $227.40 including all taxes and fees. Beware, though -- those are promotional fares that may sell out and/or end at any time, so if you want that flight go to southwest.com ASAP and book it.

Delta also runs non-stops, but their $238 (including all taxes and fees) fares right now involve a return flight that leaves SLC at either 8:15 a.m. or 9:50 a.m. For $289 (again, including all taxes and fees), he can leave O'Hare at 5:25 pm on the 17th, arriving in SLC at 7:58 pm, and fly home on the 21st leaving SLC at 5:00 pm and arriving at O'Hare at 9:05 pm. That would give him nearly a full day on the slopes on Sunday.

Bigprocess, for Southwest, book right on their website. If those other fares interest you, call the airline and use those flight times and the following codes when speaking with the booking agent:

• American - booking code Q and fare code QA21DN
• Delta - booking code L, fare code T14RBV99 for the outbound, and L14M1NBV for the return

I doubt it'll drop to anything less than that. Everything else is considerably more right now. $218 including all taxes and fees? Could Denver possibly be cheaper??!!

Actually, much to my chagrin, it could. Southwest currently has Internet specials on their website, and seats are available that suit bigprocess' schedule non-stop from Midway to DEN for $177.10 round-trip including all taxes and fees. But again, I stress, go to their website now and book that if you want it. You can go on United or Frontier nonstop for $157 on those dates from O'Hare to DEN including all taxes and fees. The best flight times I found for that price were aboard United: 2:55pm-4:21pm outbound on the 17th, and 6:45pm-9:51pm returning on the 21st, but even with that evening departure he'll still only get a morning half day on the 21st due to the drive from the Colorado resorts to Denver International. Bigprocess, that's United fare code T, booking code TOV7TDN for both legs.

I should emphasize that for everything I've quoted other than Southwest, I'm only able to see fares, not availability. There's no guarantee that those seats are still available without calling the airlines. For the Southwest fares I've quoted, there are seats available at that price right now, but they may not be available tomorrow.

All of these flight schedules will net you 3.5 or even 4 days of riding, a half to full day more than you'd figured on with the same vacation days. Should you opt for Utah, you could catch an early a.m. flight on the 17th(there were plenty at those prices and fare codes) and add another half day, bringing that to 4 to 4.5 days of riding...and still vacation from the 17th through the 21st!

So, in the end, Tony's right about the fares to Denver being cheaper. $157 non-stop into Denver including all taxes and fees is mind-bogglingly cheap -- you can't drive it for that price! But when comparing fares you have to look at the total cost, and you can't just hop a free hotel shuttle from the airport and ride public transportation to the ski resorts by flying into Denver. You have to add in the cost of getting from Denver to the ski resorts, then figure out what it'll cost you (if anything) to get to the slopes each day, or rent a car. Those are expenses that are easily avoided by using Salt Lake City as a "ski town."

 

[tirolerpeter]

Someone once said: "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink." In this case, the problem must be that the water is just too salty. :wink: Great skiing can be found in many places, but great skiing with the degree of access and low cost available around SLC is another matter.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I'm still in favor of Summit County as a first destination from a skiing perspective. Everybody here knows there's no bigger devotee of Utah skiing than I. But I'm also an advocate of trying different places, and in that sequence Summit County is most attractive in an earlier stage of one's skiing/riding career. Timing is ideal for reasons in my earlier post.

The Sunday I-70 issue is a good point. He should come home Monday instead. The cheap air deals will last longer for Monday also. These trips have always have fixed costs, and the marginal cost of adding an extra day is low.

One caveat about Summit County. Sleep altitude is 9000+ feet. That's enough to seriously degrade the skiing experience on a short trip for maybe 20% of people. If you've been to the Rockies or similar altitude in the summer, hopefully you know your personal degree of altitude sensitivity. If not that's a random factor you'll have to weigh in making your decision.

 

[warthog]

Hi, I've been lurking on the forum for a bit, but this is my first post.

I'm a boarder. Till last year I lived in New York and rode in Vermont almost exclusively. Now I'm in Iowa, so I can relate to the plight of midwestern skier/boarder.

Since relocating to Iowa, I've made two trips to SLC (rode Park City Mountain, Snowbird, Solitude, Brighton and Snow Basin) and one to Summit County, Co (rode Keystone). I've got one trip planned again this year for SLC.

My impression of the SLC area:
awesome snow, awesome mountains/terrain, nothing close to crowded by East Coast standards, short drive times and cheap logging/eats in SLC proper.

My impression of Summit County:
awesome mountains/terrain, more crowded than Utah, but still nothing compared to the crowds back east. And, I know that Keystone is not anyone's favorite resort in the area, so I would love to see the bigger name mountains.

In short, I don't think you can go wrong with the actually on-mountain experience with either choice.

Two things have kept me favoring SLC over Summit County:
1. Distance from the airport. I made the drive from Denver without too much traffic, but I hear that it can be absolutely terrible. Can anyone elaborate on this? Worst case scenario, how long can it take to make the drive?
2. Lodging and food costs, I like SLC because I can escape the expensive, tourist-trap, resort atmosphere that I associate with "ski towns". Can anyone elaborate on cheap lodging and food in Summit County?

One more thing, my strategy for short trips to SLC involves flying in as early in the AM as possible during non-peak season and heading to Park City where you can get a free lift ticket if you have a boarding pass for the same day:
http://www.parkcityinfo.com/skiing/quickstart/

 

[Admin]

Hi, I've been lurking on the forum for a bit, but this is my first post.

Welcome! I hope that you'll contribute often.

I've got one trip planned again this year for SLC.

Let us Utahans on the forums know when you're in the neighborhood.

more crowded than Utah, but still nothing compared to the crowds back east.

Take skier visits statewide and divide them by ski and snowboard resort acreage statewide, and statistically-speaking Utah's resorts are one-third as crowded as Colorado's.

I made the drive from Denver without too much traffic, but I hear that it can be absolutely terrible. Can anyone elaborate on this?

I've been stuck on a Sunday evening in literally bumper-to-bumper, stop-and-go traffic on I-70 all the way from Georgetown to Evergreen, where it finally started to spread out. It took hours.

For skiers, they also built the new Denver International Airport on the "wrong" side of town, such that you have to drive clear across the Denver metro area to get from the airport to the mountains. That can be a real bear at the wrong time of day. They did the same with SLC International, of course, but a) it's a much shorter distance, and b) Salt Lake traffic is in a completely different league from Denver's.

Lodging and food costs, I like SLC because I can escape the expensive, tourist-trap, resort atmosphere that I associate with "ski towns".

You haven't eaten in Park City, have you? :wink:

One more thing, my strategy for short trips to SLC involves flying in as early in the AM as possible during non-peak season and heading to Park City where you can get a free lift ticket if you have a boarding pass for the same day:
http://www.parkcityinfo.com/skiing/quickstart/

That's a marvelous program, now in its third year I believe. And with that strategy, which I also mentioned in my novel-length post above, it's possible to do it from both coasts. Note that you need to pre-register at the ParkCityInfo.com website (the Park City CVB) to take advantage of that offer.