# Next trip to the west



## tekniq33 (Mar 18, 2009)

I went to Utah last year and got back from Breck on Monday. They are very, very different experiences in my opinion. I can see why die hard Utes would say nay to CO but.... I thought Breck was awesome for a vacation. The mountain is great and sure it gets crowded but when you are coming from the East their crowds are nothing and the payoff is way more. Reason I said its good for a vacation is the mountain is right in the town and the restaurants, bars and shops were great. 

To me I liked Utah as well for the ease of getting around and the terrain, but the nightlife does not compare though PC is very nice as well. 

my brother in law was on the Breck trip and last year went to Utah and Whistler. He had excellent things to say about Whistler and his pictures are worth more than 1,000 words. it was epic, with only Snowbird coming close. 

That being said I will probably hit Utah and Tahoe next year just to mix it up.


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## Mr. Polonia (Apr 5, 2009)

thanks dude...ill look into breck as well. Even tho people were saying that whistler isnt all that, im still considering it..but their frequent rain has me more on the "no" side


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

From a night life perspective most Colorado ski towns kick all sorts of ass over Utah. 

Also, I wouldn't discount Whistler, it's pretty rare that they get rain, an even if they do it's the lower mountain. You have to remember how larger the Whistler/Blackcomb combo is. You visit several different climate zones from the bottom to the top. Consistently ranks #1 in every ski and snowboard magazine out there. There is something going on.

For Colorado, I'd recommend doing Crested Butte, Telluride, or Aspen. They are more destination areas and have great terrain. Aspen being one of the more entertaining ski towns around. Even though it's populated by the mega rich, I've met some of the most friendly locals around in Aspen. Crested Butte is just a balls to the wall gnarly mountain. T-Ride, well it's remote. I haven't been there yet but it's in the San Juans and that is an impressive range. 

Breck and the surrounding resorts are also fun, especially if you get the snow. 

The backcountry around here is pretty limitless too.


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## tekniq33 (Mar 18, 2009)

Yeah the weather can certainly be iffy but then again last year when i was in UT I had no new snow and it was hot as hell. 

With Whistler the two things were the epic terrain and the base village is awesome and its all right there. All of his pics are on Flickr I will see if I can find them but it was all hike to terrain, cliffs, etc and they had about 4 feet while he was there.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Yeah, weather is the great factor. If you nail it when it's on, it's amazing just about anywhere. If it's crappy, well it's crappy. I think the Rocky Mountain states give you more options for finding good snow in less than ideal weather but not always. Plus spring riding in the coastal climate mountains is pretty hard to beat.


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## Mr. Polonia (Apr 5, 2009)

Telluride looks great but then again, the lift system sux IMO...which is where my picky criteria comes into focus. i have to take 3 or 4 lifts to get to the top in some spots.

and i also look at the cost of everything too. CO, especially Aspen and Vail look expensive as hell


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## CaptT (Sep 23, 2009)

killclimbz said:


> From a night life perspective most Colorado ski towns kick all sorts of ass over Utah.


I am pretty sure a family bowling alley in Co, would kick all sorts of Ut ass in that category....lol

So what is the verdict Polonia??? Did you kick all sorts of ass or what??


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Mr. Polonia said:


> Telluride looks great but then again, the lift system sux IMO...which is where my picky criteria comes into focus. i have to take 3 or 4 lifts to get to the top in some spots.
> 
> and i also look at the cost of everything too. CO, especially Aspen and Vail look expensive as hell


If you think the lift design sucks at Telluride, just wait until you get done with Heavenly...


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## Mr. Polonia (Apr 5, 2009)

CaptT said:


> So what is the verdict Polonia??? Did you kick all sorts of ass or what??


at first united airlines did, but i fought back vigorously and got $150 off my next flight.
I left Snowbird and the Canyons a lasting impression of me!



killclimbz said:


> If you think the lift design sucks at Telluride, just wait until you get done with Heavenly...


why do i always get myself into these debates? at the end im always ending up questioning myself:laugh:


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Just sayin' layout is not everything. At Telluride you have the rugged terrain and large vertical rise of the San Juans. One of the few spots where the riding goes through terrain like you find in Europe. Look for pictures of people in Gold Hill (I believe that is the spot) for reference. 

Heavenly just kind of blows btw. It's rather flat and getting from lift to lift can be a pita. 

Lift design is just not that big of a deal imo. What is offered off of the lifts is. The only thing that does suck is if you have to take a lot of T Bars and Pony tows. Which is about the only drawback with Crested Butte. The T-Bar and Pony tows there get you to the best terrain. I end up riding them most of the day when I am there. I don't have a problem riding them, but they still do suck in comparison to a chairlift...


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## Mr. Polonia (Apr 5, 2009)

yea i knida agree with you abt heavenly...i read some posts yday about people complaining that Heavenly has a lot of flat spots and its more suited for skiiers than riders.

Then again Co would be also good to have on your snowboard resume cuz everytime u pop open a coors lite, you can say, " yup, i demolished those Rockies":laugh:


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

There are some really good deals to be found in Colorado too. It's a rather large state and resorts are littered through out the mountains here.

Wolf Creek is probably number one bang for your buck. Cheap lodging in South Fork, cheap lift tickets, tons and tons of snow, low crowds. I love that area, the bc on the pass is some of the best in the state.

Monarch is underrated, but the stuff in Mirkwood Basin is legit. Cheap places to stay in Salida.

Crested Butte. Kind of an odd one, but if you stay in Gunnison or better yet Almont (15 minutes to CB), they have the ski and stay packages. Last time I did that it was $60 a night and included is your lift ticket. Pretty hard deal to beat. Almont is rad and I can not recommend that place enough. If you got a solid crew, you can just have a blast there apres wise.


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## Mr. Polonia (Apr 5, 2009)

i will save this thread as i discuss this with the woman...if we go to Co, im hitting you up!


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

For California, Tahoe in particular, I'd recommend Kirkwood on the South Shore. If you stay North Shore, Squaw is a must visit, Sugar Bowl, Alpine, and Homewood are all worthy. I've actually always wanted to stay at Sugar Bowl. You take the gondola down to the slopes and stay right there. It's kind of like a hut trip without the hiking into the hut. Seems super cool.


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## Mr. Polonia (Apr 5, 2009)

thanx my man:thumbsup:


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Mr. Polonia said:


> i will save this thread as i discuss this with the woman...if we go to Co, im hitting you up!


No worries man. I've been living here for 20 years and have some pretty good insights about the regions. The only major resort I haven't been too is Telluride and that is because it's so damn far away. Solid 8 hour drive from Denver to get there.


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