Quick trip in Jan

[johnnash]

We're looking to take a quick trip out West (from DC area) Jan 24-28, to take advantage of a strange 2-day mid-winter school holiday. For such a short stay, we're not overly particular about the characteristics of the resort -- although it's gotta have a reasonable terrain park for my boarder son -- but we want a place that's close to the airport so we don't waste time on the road. (We want to get in a half-day skiing the day we head back home.) Also, we'll be arriving late at night, so want to minimize the chances that we would have to drive over mountain roads in a blizzard to get to our hotel. SLC would be a good candidate, except that this happens to coincide with the Sundance Festival. (Also, we're going there over Christmas break, though probably mostly to the LCC and BCC resorts.) Other places I'm considering -- based on their being very close to the airport -- are Steamboat (from Hayden), Vail/ Beaver Creek (from Eagle), Aspen, and the close-to-the-airport Tahoe resorts (I guess Mt. Rose is the closest). Are there others I should look at? Other question is whether getting to some of these resorts from the airport requires going over some high pass that has a high likelihood of being impassable. Many thanks for any advice/opinions.

 

[Admin]

Sundance will have no effect whatsoever in the Cottonwood Canyons.

 

[johnnash]

Right. Sorry that I didn't explain myself very well. I meant that since we're doing the Cottonwood Canyons over Christmas, I'd prefer to do some other resort in mid-Jan. I'd love to go to Park City on the mid-Jan trip, since I think we probably won't spend much time there over the Christmas trip in order to avoid the crowds. (We went to PC one day last year in this same period, and it was the only one of the six resorts we hit where we wasted a lot of time in line.) But I'm ruling out PC because of Sundance. I guess we still could consider some others like Powder Mountain or Snowbasin, but those are longer drives, I think. I also figured that Sundance might make it hard to get good flights, but maybe that's not a big deal.

 

[lookn4powder]

We're looking to take a quick trip out West (from DC area) Jan 24-28...SLC would be a good candidate... Other places I'm considering ... and the close-to-the-airport Tahoe resorts (I guess Mt. Rose is the closest)...whether getting to some of these resorts from the airport requires going over some high pass...

Were it not for the constaints of the boarder, I would first consider the BCC & LCC canyons as Solitude and Snowbird offer great terrain variety if your group skis at a high level. Travel to SLC will place less wear on the group than the Tahoe flights. You might consider flying into SLC, staying in a cheaper hotel near town and then driving up to Snowbasin the next morning. If you keep on your schedule at EST for that night, you can get a 2 hour jump on the day which will allow you to ski almost at first-lifts. On the last day move back to the motel and then ski LCC/BCC, quit early, and then fly out.

If Crested Butte is having a good early season, you might fly directly into Gunnison and get easy transport to CB. But CB has been unrealiable in most years recently.

When flying into Tahoe (Reno side--not Sacramento) late at night, we stay near the airport and then drive up to Mt. Rose--or more often--to Alpine Meadows. Although closer, the route to Mt. Rose can be tricky in bad weather. The route to Alpine Meadows/Squaw is lower, not much longer, and much of it is I-80 and other well-maintained roads. Then, stay at the North End of the lake (e.g., Kings Beach) and select your area according to conditions. If its foggy or low visibility, consider Alpine Meadows or Homewood; otherwise, you have many great Tahoe resorts nearby. Sugar Bowl is even easily accessible.

Cheers,
Jeff

 

[Tony Crocker]

I've skied with this family and they are not "high level" skiers by the standards of FTO regular posters. Park City is a much better fit terrain wise than the Cottonwoods. As at the Olympics, the people in town for Sundance are not there to ski. The only reason to avoid Park City would be hotel prices.

All of the Colorado suggestions would be good. It's an ideal time of year snow-wise for Steamboat and Vail/Beaver Creek. It's a bit early for Aspen, but that comment applies to terrain they probably won't be skiing. January 25-28 are the Winter X-Games in Aspen. They are held at Buttermilk and would not affect the skiing on the other 3 mountains. I think these would be fun events to watch in person (on your incoming or outgoing day for example) and would be an attraction unless they jack up airfare or hotel prices.

I've enjoyed a whole bunch of 4-day Tahoe trips, driving up there from L.A. My impression from last year is that the Nashes would happier at one of the Colorado areas where they are based in the resort and don't need a car.