# Which US Resort?



## Forever Young (Aug 29, 2014)

OK Boarders after your advice, experiences and knowledge of US resorts.

This Winter we are heading to the US for the first time. Been everywhere in Australia as we are from Oz, been to Canada, Switzerland and Japan. We know very little of the US Resorts.

Our Criteria for Selecting is mostly based on Powder quality and volume, then things like Price, ski-in Ski-out (or easy walking access), village/town. Don't care about night life or much in the way of off mountain activity.
Basically it's all about the Powder and steeps, having coming off the last two trips to Niseko Japan with there is a lot to live up to.

So which are the best resorts? Why?
What is the best month to go for enough base AND fresh powder?

Cheers,
G.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

*bring all mtn decks unless booking cat/heli*

if you want to be guaranteed pow, go back to Japan or probably revamp your expectations. Our mountains have their own characters, which include pow, but not like "here is 6 weeks of pow" like in Japow. West coast, east coast or in between you need to luck into it or live here. Typically feb-april is your best bet. 

The last 2 years we had 50inch weeks in may to close the season.

It seems like the east coast gets screwed the most on the regular, but locals will tell you some of the deepest baddest spots in the land are tucked up in VT.

West coast can get deep dumps and has huge mountains.

CO, UT and the central mountains tend to get snow more consistently in smaller amounts, but on good years this often leads to deep powder days every day even with only 3-5" snow reports.

Top 3 choices (that I would pick based on your parameters)
Wolf Creek
Jackson Hole
Silverton (only 1 lift, nature of mtn basically guarantees pow but you will work for it and ride where told[guided])


If you want pow and have dollars, book a cat trip (monarch, steamboat, etc), guaranteed pow unless we go into a drought.


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## ridinbend (Aug 2, 2012)

Forever Young said:


> Basically it's all about the Powder and steeps, having coming off the last two trips to Niseko Japan with there is a lot to live up to.


We'll prepare yourself for disappointment. There's no telling what this winter could bring. And pretty much nothing will amount to what Jpowder is like. There's Colorado and all it's resorts and madness. Utah gets good snow at times and has some decent resorts not far from SLC. Tahoe/mammoth could be a good choice this winter if it's their time. Mt. Hood/Mt. Bachelor(Bend)/Wa have some fun terrain. And there's a few diamonds up in Idaho and Montana that can be tougher access. Jackson hole has been on a good run the last few years. Or go to Whistler and most likely score. 

Are you getting a rental car? Will it have AWD/4WD? Budget? Is ski in ski out mandatory? 

As for timing, you'll want to be here between mid february to late march for the best window to score. 

IMHO.....use your money to do a heli trip or cat trip and forego the resorts. I'm sure the resorts will stretch your cash a bit further but if your looking for lines of untouched pow find the guide operation to fill your cup.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

For the eastern US, Jay Peak would be my fave to fit your parameters. For the west I'd think Baker would be the best bet. I haven't been to any Western US resorts FWIW...

edit: Where in Canada have you been? I think our snow can be more consistent in certain places...


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## Manicmouse (Apr 7, 2014)

While personally I've only done Aspen (was lucky - had an awesome powder week, ski in ski out at Snowmass, cheap deal), I hear great things about Steamboat and Jackson Hole amongst many others.

Apparently Mt Baker gets the most snowfall in the US on average?


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Baker owns the record for the most snowfall in a season at a ski area in North America. 

It comes with the caveat though. They will get a shit ton of snow and then it will warm up to above freezing and you'll get rain, or a serious melt off. It is a pretty great place though and if you hit it when it's on, it's full on. Whistler is not far away either. 

You might be able to find a place in Glacier, about 30 minutes down the road, or more likely in Bellingham. Washington ski areas do tend to have cheaper lift tickets (reasonable) and lodging tends to be less expensive when compared to the mega resorts like Jackson Hole, Colorado, and other Western spots.


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## 70'sskater (Mar 20, 2014)

Solitude, Utah


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Baker

powder quality and volume... when it goes off, its great...all dependent on the temp and precip

steeps... yes but some steeps are only doabe with good snow/powder

terrain...generally tight and technical, certianly places to billygoat

price....$50/day

ski-in/out....NOne

nightlife...None

when/month...last half of Feb and first half Mar, usually at least a 200" base

Caveat...Baker is a locals mountian...unpredictable for a traveler who either gets skunked or has some of the best riding in their life...if they survive :dropjaw: The snow conditions are highly variable and changes with...elevation, time, temp. When it goes off it can be great but challenging due to flat light and low vis, challenging terrain, deep pow, tree wells and in-bounds avy. But if raining...well its wet and heavy, if cold and no new...its glazed concrete, it can be white out puke at the top and raining at the bottom.


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## COtoUT (Apr 1, 2009)

snowklinger said:


> CO, UT and the central mountains tend to get snow more consistently in smaller amounts,


Utah is like a giant black .... there are no "smaller amounts", unless you go to the park city or sundance areas, then it's like colorado (for the most part).


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## Cmac_spartan (Aug 31, 2014)

Keystone Colorado is incredible. The bowls, especially Bergeman, are super fun and there are a lot of fun trees everywhere too. Tons of Ski in ski out, NO crowds, I still can find fresh tracks out there for weeks after a big storm. Super sweet village plus a coffee shop called inxpot that is probably the best place to eat breakfast at in the U.S.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

Cmac_spartan said:


> Keystone Colorado is incredible. The bowls, especially Bergeman, are super fun and there are a lot of fun trees everywhere too. Tons of Ski in ski out, NO crowds, I still can find fresh tracks out there for weeks after a big storm. Super sweet village plus a coffee shop called inxpot that is probably the best place to eat breakfast at in the U.S.


qft, keystone is the bees knees. Not to mention all that is 'murica.

They even have a snowcat you can ride on the cheap to access sick terrain (or if you don't mind hiking 10 minutes...)!!!


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## hardasacatshead (Aug 21, 2013)

Jackson Hole is good because it's an enormous mountain. So even if the snow's not that great there's plenty of different terrain to check out. In saying that, while I was there from December to January it dumped on us and it was sen-bloody-sational. 

You might also consider Grand Targhee. It's a little smaller but tends to get the same, if not more, snowfall as Jackson. It's also much cheaper and the mountain is very well suited to snowboarding. Heaps of epic tree lines, some nice steeps, big open bowls and they've got a pretty sweet cat skiing area too.


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## lancemanly424 (Sep 4, 2014)

Cmac_spartan said:


> Keystone Colorado is incredible. The bowls, especially Bergeman, are super fun and there are a lot of fun trees everywhere too. Tons of Ski in ski out, NO crowds, I still can find fresh tracks out there for weeks after a big storm. Super sweet village plus a coffee shop called inxpot that is probably the best place to eat breakfast at in the U.S.


I enjoyed Key alot as well. Beaver Creek always had the better snow reports when I was there though. Spartan you in Atl too right now?


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