# Help me plan my first trip out west! (From Ohio)



## uninc.mike (Nov 7, 2011)

Hey guys whats up. I would like some help to plan my first snowboarding trip out west. I'm from Ohio and and so freakin pumped. I have done research on resort sites, but cannot make up my mind. Looking to hear some great opinions. First I'll give you what I'm looking for...

Ok, some things to get out of the way. I'm looking to go to a place that has mostly intermediate to expert terrain and that has a few parks. I love to ride EVERYTHING. I could care less about night life and dining and all that. I'm 21 and will be going with my mom and 1 or 2 friends. Probably will not do much drinking. i just want to RIDE!

Looking for a resort with a steep mountain, big, plenty of variety of trails. A nice big mountain with steep amazing powder (I know I'm repeating myself lol). I love to ride the park although i can't hit the big stuff yet. but i can ride any trail out there. I plan on staying for atleast 4 days of riding ( not counting the day i arrive).

Some of the resorts of the top of my head are vail, jackson hole, big sky, brighton ect.

Can anyone please help me decide? I just cannot make up my mind and i would like to make reservations this week as i plan on staying over new years. Would love to hear experiences, how the snowfall was, how the park was, how high the mountain is ect. PLEASE HELP!!!!

Oh and this is my first post!!!

thanks

Mike


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## WasatchMan (Aug 30, 2011)

Jackson is incredible, but it takes a lot of coverage for the whole mountain to open up, very rocky terrain. After jan. would be great.

Brighton is cool, gets the most snow out of any of those resorts, sweet, light, fluffy pow, I have a pass there myself.

Heard great things about big sky, I plan on taking a trip up there myself this year.

Never been to vail. (I need to get out to colorado someday.. ugh)

I'm obviously going to recommend Utah, I didn't move here for nothing. You'll have the most resorts to choose from if you stay in salt lake (12 within an hour) Snowbird is another good choice, as well as Powder Mountain and Snowbasin and Solitude. Even the Canyons is great (and HUGE). Park City is you like park riding, the others for epic terrain and tons of pow (obviously depends on weather)


Now if I were you, I would chase the storms. Wherever is getting dumped on, go there. 

You will have a great time anywhere in the rockies :thumbsup:

P.S good job on researching, props for avoiding cali (tahoe)  but honestly, you chose some of the best states/resorts


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## uninc.mike (Nov 7, 2011)

Thanks for the reply. I would like to stay on the mountain and walk out my door to the lift line. Out of all teh resorts in Utah i guess i would be looking at brighton or Park city. As you stated i looking for that EPIC terrain lol.

Thats disappointing about jackson hole, but not really bc im looking to go anywhere. I wanna book within a week, bc i figure new years will be very crowded. Thanks for the reply though...

what do you like about brighton?


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## WasatchMan (Aug 30, 2011)

uninc.mike said:


> Thanks for the reply. I would like to stay on the mountain and walk out my door to the lift line. Out of all teh resorts in Utah i guess i would be looking at brighton or Park city. As you stated i looking for that EPIC terrain lol.
> 
> Thats disappointing about jackson hole, but not really bc im looking to go anywhere. I wanna book within a week, bc i figure new years will be very crowded. Thanks for the reply though...
> 
> what do you like about brighton?


I like that it's incredibly inexpensive for lift tickets/season passes.

I like how they get 500+ inches of snow on average, last year I didn't go unless it was a powder day and you can see how many they had:







and thats not even counting till their closing day at the end of april

I like how it's just over a 30 minute drive from my apartment. Hell, I could go home for lunch and come back and shred, and I live downtown.

I like how I can jump off stupidly big cliffs and just fall into bottomless powder.

I like how it's not that crowded and you can still shred powder waking up at noon (becoming more crowded every year though  )

I like how everyday you find new and insane terrain you never thought existed.

I like how there are tons of 'secret' spots you can shred all day without anybody bothering you (endless cliffs to pow)

I like how much variety there is, they have stuff for everyone. From a kids first day out to pros. 

I like how it's a pow resort and has a great terrain park

I like how I can take the same lift as my friend who is a beginner, and he can take the easy way down, but I can take a pow run through trees and meet at the bottom of the same lift.

I like how I can spend all day on a single lift and not get bored.

I like how I can go on and on all day about everything I love about brighton 

The only thing is though, it's a real 'local' resort, so there aren't any hotels at the base. But you can check out solitude, which is 'connected 'to brighton (you can buy a lift ticket for both resorts and transfer to each using certain trail) Solitude is more of a resort (hotels, restaurants etc.) They have an in-bounds backcountry like area called Honeycomb Canyon. AMAZING terrain, pow runs all day. Cliffs, trees, chutes, anything, even easy pow runs for beginners. Solitude is always empty, it's....solitude  Snowbird has places to stay so check out that too, just a little more crowded. Here's an idea of the area http://i.imgur.com/Tnx8w.jpg

Brighton trail map - http://www.brightonresort.com/downloads/mountain/trailmap10.11brochure.pdf
Solitude trail map - http://www.skisolitude.com/downloads/winter_trail_map.pdf
Snowbird trail map - http://www.snowbird.com/imagelib/trailmaps/trailmap_snowbird.pdf


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## uninc.mike (Nov 7, 2011)

Wow thats awesome thanks so much. Idk if its just me but it doesn't look to have that many runs? idk maybe I'm just not realizing how big it is lol. If i decide on Utah you have definetly gave me a good starting point. I like that they get a lot of powder, thats definetly another reason im looking at. lots of powder!

bump for people with colorado/cali/wyoming experiences.


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## snowvols (Apr 16, 2008)

There is a hotel at the bottom of Brighton, the Brighton Lodge. If you want an off the road place Big Sky, Crested Butte, or Aspen. They don't get the Ewtah snow but meh you will be here in Jan so the snow pack isn't to the fattest point by far. You also have a pretty aawesome mom to be taking you on a trip just so you know. Brighton is fun but I have heard many a tourists complain about Brighton since they think it is boring and if you don't know where to go or what not. It is kind of funny when people tell me about how miserable of a time they have had at Brighton.


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## mdc (Sep 23, 2008)

Utah is my favorite for western trips. My favorite resorts are 1. Snowbird, 2. Brighton, 3. Solitude. All great resorts and I try to hit all 3 when I'm out there. Brighton and Solitude on weekend days, and Snowbird on weekdays.


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## uninc.mike (Nov 7, 2011)

snowvols said:


> There is a hotel at the bottom of Brighton, the Brighton Lodge. If you want an off the road place Big Sky, Crested Butte, or Aspen. They don't get the Ewtah snow but meh you will be here in Jan so the snow pack isn't to the fattest point by far. You also have a pretty aawesome mom to be taking you on a trip just so you know. Brighton is fun but I have heard many a tourists complain about Brighton since they think it is boring and if you don't know where to go or what not. It is kind of funny when people tell me about how miserable of a time they have had at Brighton.


LOL I don't think I will have a miserable time anywhere I go. Yah my moms awesome, she doesn't ski or anything she just likes to chill and check out the shops and stuff. Also i should take into account the fact that it should be a little tourismy but still with the emphasis on the baddest riding possible. so another + on utah.

MDC- Whats the difference between snowbird and brighton?


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## snowvols (Apr 16, 2008)

Then I would really not recommend Brighton for your mothers sake. There is NOTHING at the bottom besides a cafeteria. I would go to Aspen for shops and a toursity type town. There is excellent terrain there as well. 

Snowbird is way steeper than Brighton. Snowbird is the steepest resort in Utah. The downfall to the bird is that if it hasn't snowed in a little while it can be just boring since it will be super icy. What fun are steep icy pitches?


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## uninc.mike (Nov 7, 2011)

snowvols said:


> Then I would really not recommend Brighton for your mothers sake. There is NOTHING at the bottom besides a cafeteria. I would go to Aspen for shops and a toursity type town. There is excellent terrain there as well.
> 
> Snowbird is way steeper than Brighton. Snowbird is the steepest resort in Utah. The downfall to the bird is that if it hasn't snowed in a little while it can be just boring since it will be super icy. What fun are steep icy pitches?


Good point, I thought Aspen was all full of yuppies lol and kids on leashes? jk Even if it is It's not gonna bother me.


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

Good God, Guys! While Brighton is a good spot and the locals have their sure love for it, we're talking about a kid from Flat-a$$ Ohio who is looking to blow his mind on a trip. C'mon, man! Brighton isn't going to do it! Brighton is all well and good, but for 4 days of riding?!?

If you're taking mom on a vacation (or she's taking you, whatever) you'll need to consider her in the mix. You'll need a place where she can enjoy her time while you enjoy yours. Unfortunately, you're going at a rough time as New Years is still pretty early in the Season and the bases can, sometimes, be limited. 

If you want walk-out to the lifts, then you may want to look at Vail, Breckenridge, Big Sky. All are going to be very very pricey because you're looking at a Peak time, for sure! If you go to vail, you can catch a shuttle to Beaver Creek for a day or two, thus giving you a little variety in your experience. You could probably spend all 4 days at Vail and have a blast, but the variety is nice. Actually, you may want to try the flip....stay at Beaver Creek and Shuttle to Vail for a day or two. If you went to Breck, you could shuttle to A-Basin...a Colorado equivalent to Brighton.


If you go to Utah, then you'll have to consider what you want. Park City will be good for mom and would provide your walk-out options, but I wouldn't suggest you spend 4 days riding PC. I Guess you could ride the Canyons which is a short shuttle/cab from PC, but the snowfall PC and Canyons get is significantly less than Snowbird/Brighton/Solitude. If you stayed in SLC and rented a car, you could hit Snowbird (no doubt, a North American Must-see!)and Brighton with a 30 minute drive to each resort. When I go to Utah, that's usually how I hit it. 2-3 Days at Bird, and a day at Brighton. Find the Cotton Bottom bar and grab a Garlic Burger.....sooo good! You could also take the scenic drive to Snowbasin (Corporate place, so many don't like the place) or Powder Mountain (Big Local Spot)

Another thing that is nice about Utah is that the SLC airport is 40 mins (MAX) from Bird to the Airport. I've been able to ride Snowbird till 2:30, catch my 5:00 Flight and be back to Philadelphia and in my bed by midnight. If you go to CO, the drive from the Airport to Summit Co is about 2 hours (give or take/depending on traffic)

I really can't speak about Big Sky.


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## turbospartan (Oct 27, 2010)

uninc.mike said:


> Good point, I thought Aspen was all full of yuppies lol and kids on leashes? jk Even if it is It's not gonna bother me.



I haven't been there, but my buddy says it is a great place to ride. 

Has some very steep/gnarly terrain and probably has the best "town" out of any of the ski towns anywhere (maybe not Whistler/BC). 

I'll definitely be making a weekend trip there this year.


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## snowvols (Apr 16, 2008)

neednsnow said:


> Good God, Guys! While Brighton is a good spot and the locals have their sure love for it, we're talking about a kid from Flat-a$$ Ohio who is looking to blow his mind on a trip. C'mon, man! Brighton isn't going to do it! Brighton is all well and good, but for 4 days of riding?!?


This is what I was talking about. If you don't know where to go Brighton might not be very fun. Your loss for sure though.


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

uninc.mike said:


> MDC- Whats the difference between snowbird and brighton?


Snowbird is Big, Bad, Awesome, and Crowded. There is a ton of Terrain Variety. Snowbird is attached to (and affiliated with) the snowboard-banning Alta.

Brighton has a ton of terrain variety, much less crowded and touristy, but is significantly smaller. Solitude is down the road from Brighton. I've heard great things about the terrain in 'Tude.

They are on opposite sides of a mountain ridge, so relatively equi-distant from SLC.

Brighton is 1800 Vert and 1000 acres, Bird is 3200 Vert and 2500 acres.


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

snowvols said:


> This is what I was talking about. If you don't know where to go Brighton might not be very fun. Your loss for sure though.


I knew I was going to stir someone up. I never played in the Sol-Bright area, but I've ducked into the area under Pioneer a few times. I've been to Brighton twice and I swear it has been tracked-out, everywhere (aside from Pioneer). Actually, Milly, wasn't bad. Surely, weather was not cooperating with me (Once late January, once Early March), but I just can't see sending someone across the nation to spend his time at Brighton. But that is just me. I'm not saying Brighton is bad or not fun, I'm just providing suggestions for a all-around experience.

That being said, I've been to Snowbird 4 different times and I've never had a worse time than Brighton. Just like Brighton....if you know where to go, you can avoid the crowds and still find pow!


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## snowvols (Apr 16, 2008)

You're not stirring me up I just always find it humorous how some people have an incredible time at Brighton while others loath it. 

Solitude is generally steeper than Brighton, but not as steep as snowbird.


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## mdc (Sep 23, 2008)

neednsnow nailed it. Snowbird is much bigger and badder, that said on weekends it kind of blows. Honestly I have never been to UT when the snow has not been great, I know that neednsnow has been, that's what he gets for going on trips that are not with me!

I really liked the mountain at Brighton better than Solitude. Solitude is fun, and I have a hookup there with a buddy who has worked their for years but I just didn't really like it as much as Brighton.

So other suggestions...

Whistler is a blast. Huge mountain, tons of different terrain, snow could be great at new years or horrible. Mom will have tons to do in the village. The bad is the price and the crowds.

Jesus, I could write a book about all the places I've been and just don't feel like typing that much. Check out the interior BC resorts, they are fun and low key. Tahoe could be good at that time, I'd basically watch the snow for the next month and book at the last min. and go wherever you can find the best snow conditions.


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

uninc.mike said:


> Good point, I thought Aspen was all full of yuppies lol and kids on leashes? jk Even if it is It's not gonna bother me.


If you have family(mom sister whatever) to keep busy and entertain maybe staying in Park City would be your best option for Utah, more shopping\spa\restaurants\theatres than your family will know what to do with and all walking distance or free mini-shuttle from everything.

If you want to ride the SLC resorts instead of Park City resorts you can take a ski bus from Park City to the Little\Big cottonwood canyon resorts.

I rate the major Utah resorts are as follows but most people would rank Snowbird at the top, it's uber steep and can be crowded on weekend which to me is a deal breaker.

Powder Mountain
Brighton
Solitude
Snowbird
Park City
The Canyons

Have not been to Snowbasin yet but I hear it's pretty nice will be doing a 3 dayer there in Feb\March.


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

neednsnow said:


> Good God, Guys! While Brighton is a good spot and the locals have their sure love for it, we're talking about a kid from Flat-a$$ Ohio who is looking to blow his mind on a trip. C'mon, man! Brighton isn't going to do it! Brighton is all well and good, but for 4 days of riding?!?
> 
> If you're taking mom on a vacation (or she's taking you, whatever) you'll need to consider her in the mix. You'll need a place where she can enjoy her time while you enjoy yours. Unfortunately, you're going at a rough time as New Years is still pretty early in the Season and the bases can, sometimes, be limited.
> 
> ...



If this guys never ridden anywhere besides the midwest Brighton will blow his mind(I came from Minnesota), I think somewhere like Snowbird, Jackson hole or Big Sky is gonna be a bit much for his first trip out west, those resorts are huge and steep with greens that will make runs in Ohio look like a golf course and honestly that can get annoying(for me it did) if your by yourself just trying to acclimate to a huge mountain, soft snow and drastic altitude changes. I'd personally stick with Solitude\Brighton type resorts for starters and then move onto your Beaver Creek, Snowbasin, Winter Park, Park City size\type resorts. 

Just my .02$ take it for what it's worth


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## Tarzanman (Dec 20, 2008)

Depends on how hard he goes in the @#$# paint! I learned how to snowboard at Jackson. 3 days. Didn't break anything. Was it scary? Hell yes, but I'll remember that trip and that place forever


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## Towkin (Oct 14, 2010)

I think you guys are forgetting one main point: This is his first trip out west- from OHIO (no disrespect). So basically any mountain he goes to will be better than what he’s ridden, even if he has taken trips to the east coast.

With that being said, Utah wins mainly because it is super convenient. I have 2 trips planned there this season (one with the wife and one with my brother). Like others have said, you roll over and you’re on a mountain. That’s hard to beat. 
My fav order is: Snowbird/Brighton/Solitude for riding. The problem for you is that your mom isn’t a skier, so the Park City/Canyons or SLC would be better for her. My recommendation is to take the bus to the mountain and let your mom stay in SLC or park city area to shop/sightsee.

As far as the riding, Snowbird definitely has great steep runs that will make your butthole pucker up, but I just love getting lost in the trees in Brighton (literally). Solitude is solid as well, I had more first pow “flip” (I let the front of my board dip into the snow causing me to flip head over heels ) so it will always have a special place in my heart. TBH, Park City/Canyons wasn’t anything too special. It felt like I was riding in Vermont (killington). When I go back this year I’m only going that way the first day to get acclimated and take advantage of the free pass they give you. I mean, they are good mountains, but they’re expensive and didn’t offer anything new (btw, I had no guide to show me “the goods”). Wherever you decide to go, don’t disappear. Be sure to come back and share your adventures/knowledge with the community.


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

mdc said:


> neednsnow nailed it. Honestly I have never been to UT when the snow has not been great, I know that neednsnow has been, that's what he gets for going on trips that are not with me!


QFT! Just always been skunked on any out west trip that has taken place prior to President's weekend. (0 for 3) After Presidents is a whole different story. That said, I think I'm balking on a Colorado Trip for New Years. So torn!


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

Tarzanman said:


> Depends on how hard he goes in the @#$# paint! I learned how to snowboard at Jackson. 3 days. Didn't break anything. Was it scary? Hell yes, but I'll remember that trip and that place forever


Yes! Get your money's worth!


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Towkin said:


> I think you guys are forgetting one main point: This is his first trip out west- from OHIO (no disrespect).
> 
> The problem for you is that your mom isn’t a skier, so the Park City/Canyons or SLC would be better for her. My recommendation is to take the bus to the mountain and let your mom stay in SLC or park city area to shop/sightsee.


Stay hillside and let mom take the bus  Just sayin...give her something to do.


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## uninc.mike (Nov 7, 2011)

Thanks for the responses fellas. Its just so hard to make a decision because as yall stated, anything is gonna blow my mind. I guess the only real things i need to take into account are the size of the mountain, variety ect and a good resort so my mom can relax and stuff (she's 60 with bad knees). so she will mostly relax in the resort or whatever, hot tub you know , read that type of stuff, good food.

I have narrowed it down to either the resorts in colorado or utah. However would i need a passport to go to british columbia ie. blackomb or whatever its called? i was looking at them and it looks awesome!

If you had to choose between breck, aspen or vail for colorado which one?

damnit i just want a nice big mountain where i cant even ride everyting bc its so big lol. I definetly want a hotel thats right by a lift. Money really isn't a issue bc me and my mom are splitting the costs. I've been saving up for a long time to do this. Ohio has one resort man...it stinks.

Considering I'm going at new years, what resort will be open completely and have a good snow pack? I have onlly ridden in ohio. I haven't even been to Vermont ect.

So i guess it just comes down to the ultimate place with the best snow for that type of year..great variety good park. oh and i wanna ride in one of those lifts that is enclosed lol


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## Tarzanman (Dec 20, 2008)

Keep in mind that the ski resorts are ~90 miles away from Denver International Airport. Season passes there are cheap, though.


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## uninc.mike (Nov 7, 2011)

Tarzanman said:


> Keep in mind that the ski resorts are ~90 miles away from Denver International Airport. Season passes there are cheap, though.


Yah we plan on renting a vehicle to drive to which ever resort! plan on staying for atleast 4 days. I want to rent a hummer so i can feel BA in the mountains, LOL.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Doubtful anything will be completely open by New Year's. Most places should be close to being 100%, minus the most extreme terrain they have.


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## mojo maestro (Jan 6, 2009)

Aspen......4 mountains, 1 pass, gondola, "stuff" for mom, less crowded.


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

If money truely isn't an issue, then hit Aspen. Check out lodging on VRBO.com for a decent place to stay. Have fun! It should be quite a scene over New Years.


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

mojo maestro said:


> Aspen......4 mountains, 1 pass, gondola, "stuff" for mom, less crowded.


My target for 2012-2013 season. Maybe even this year if $$$ flows right.

Is it four mountains in one? Only ever heard of Snowmass, which looks totally awesome.


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## mdc (Sep 23, 2008)

I still say Utah. Go to Snowbird, stay at the cliff lodge. You walk out the door to the slopes and mom chills at the spa, in the rooftop hot tub and pool. She can go to all the shit that goes along with a spa. The rooftop hot tub and pool are very cool. Mom may even find you a new daddy!


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## mojo maestro (Jan 6, 2009)

Snowmass...Aspen Highlands....Aspen Mountain....and Buttermilk


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## p-hat in cincy (Nov 12, 2010)

*From another Ohio native:*



neednsnow said:


> If money truely isn't an issue, then hit Aspen. Check out lodging on VRBO.com for a decent place to stay. Have fun! It should be quite a scene over New Years.


 I agree! Aspen will have something for everyone. Hopping the free shuttle to any of the 4 mtns is awesome. I had a blast there. 

With that said, my two snowboard trips West this year will be to Utah. The convenience of the resorts from SLC is hard to beat. You can stay in Park City and access the Town Lift to Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) or take a quick car/bus trip over to Canyons. As others stated, other resorts are within a reasonable drive.

Staying in Park City gives everyone stuff to do and virtually gives you walk-out convenience to PCMR...and nightlife afterwards.

The wife and I will hit Powder Mountain & Snowbasin (staying in Eden) the week after Christmas (hoping to minimize crowds). Since we'll have the kids when we head back out the end of Feb., we'll stay in Park City (ride PCMR , Canyons, ...?) because it opens up options after we get off the mtns.

Wherever you decide, you should have a blast! It took 1 trip 2 seasons ago to hook me.

I also suggest vrbo.com for lodging.

Thread of PC trip:
http://www.snowboardingforum.com/trip-reports/37282-utah-park-city-march-11-a.html


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## uninc.mike (Nov 7, 2011)

mdc said:


> I still say Utah. Go to Snowbird, stay at the cliff lodge. You walk out the door to the slopes and mom chills at the spa, in the rooftop hot tub and pool. She can go to all the shit that goes along with a spa. The rooftop hot tub and pool are very cool. Mom may even find you a new daddy!


LMAO

Thanks guys, I think It's looking like aspen is gonna be the ONE. Nice mountain, plenty of shit to do for mom ect. I think regardless of where I go im going to love it... bad news is now i have to find a new board bc mine is cracked  oh wells


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## Sudden_Death (Mar 23, 2011)

uninc.mike said:


> LMAO
> 
> Thanks guys, I think It's looking like aspen is gonna be the ONE. Nice mountain, plenty of shit to do for mom ect. I think regardless of where I go im going to love it... bad news is now i have to find a new board bc mine is cracked  oh wells


Wait so you get to go to Aspen and get a new board and you end that with a a frown? Mom should be spending that money on a shrink if you are still frowning after that! :laugh:


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## nevrsumrrider (Nov 21, 2011)

hold the boat, or plane, or whatever you are taking. Your mom is just going to chill, and you want to ride a good mountain on the 1st. Here is a short list.
1.Jackson Hole- because it is the best mountain in the states, and your mom will love it too.
2. Big Sky- another amazing mtn, less for your mom but still decent.
3.Telluride- tons of snow already and your mom will love it too.
5.what has been said about utah, don't skip powder mountain if you go.

Where to avoid, unless your mom wants to be puked on and you want to spend your first 4 days of riding a real mountain in a lift line.
1. All of summit county and Vail.
2. Park City- normally awesome, but not the week you are going.
3.Brighton is awesome for a purist, but your mom is going to be bored off her arse there.

I have been to every resort on your list during or near the time you are going. They are all awesome, but I would choose a charming mountain town with little to no lift lines so I can actually ride. central colorado is going to be packed. Hence my list. If I was from Ohio, I would definitely want to go to a mountain that would impress me for a lifetime. Jackson, Big Sky, and Telluride will do that.


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## ClevelandSB (Dec 4, 2010)

ohio rider here.

went with the fam to vail last year during spring break (around march 5th I think?) so I can give you a little insight into vail and what it was like coming from Ohio. Before going to Vail the biggest place I'd ever been was Holiday Valley (about 300 acres versus vail's 5000 acres). The snow there was absolutely terrible. ZERO powder, not even close. The weather was in the mid 50s every single day and not a drop of precipitation. It got below 32 overnight so everything was iced over in the morning and in the afternoon it was wet, heavy shit. 

Aside from the terrible snow, the mountain was pretty awesome. I'll always remember the first ride up. I wanted to get the full experience on my first run so I made sure to take the lift straight to the summit and do a full run from top to bottom. The majority of the terrain was pretty easy for me, even having only ridden in ohio. Vail for the most part is not very steep. Additionally, the crowd was mostly skiers and the terrain park was only decent. Looking back, it was still my favorite trip of all time but I'm itching to get into some powder and a more down-to-earth, snowboard-centric crowd. You can ride groomers in ohio and NY all day. Find where the pow is.


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## wvbms (Apr 16, 2010)

As a former east coaster, I know what it's like to have those powder dreams of the west. But the fact is, you can't plan a trip in advance and expect to ride powder. If it works out that way, consider yourself lucky. Just like the east coast, you aren't going to ride powder unless it snows. And unless you are riding backcountry, then you aren't going to find many powder stashes if you happen to arrive a day or two after a storm (at any major resorts anyway). It's all about your timing. We had a record season in Tahoe last year with some resorts getting 700+ inches of snow. However, there was a 6 week period from the beginning of Jan through mid Fed where we didn't get a single storm, and it was pretty warm... so the conditions were pretty terrible. Conditions can suck in the west at times just like the east. I know this seems like pretty no-brainer stuff, but I just see a lot of people planning trips out west asking "where can I ride powder?", or being disappointed after a trip because there wasn't any powder. I'm just saying, if you're booking your trip in advance instead of on the fly as storms are forecasted, you pretty much just have to cross your fingers. My advice is, just move west and let the storms come to you!


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## rc_moe2000 (Oct 1, 2011)

ClevelandSB said:


> ohio rider here.
> 
> went with the fam to vail last year during spring break (around march 5th I think?) so I can give you a little insight into vail and what it was like coming from Ohio. Before going to Vail the biggest place I'd ever been was Holiday Valley (about 300 acres versus vail's 5000 acres). The snow there was absolutely terrible. ZERO powder, not even close. The weather was in the mid 50s every single day and not a drop of precipitation. It got below 32 overnight so everything was iced over in the morning and in the afternoon it was wet, heavy shit.
> 
> Aside from the terrible snow, the mountain was pretty awesome. I'll always remember the first ride up. I wanted to get the full experience on my first run so I made sure to take the lift straight to the summit and do a full run from top to bottom. The majority of the terrain was pretty easy for me, even having only ridden in ohio. Vail for the most part is not very steep. Additionally, the crowd was mostly skiers and the terrain park was only decent. Looking back, it was still my favorite trip of all time but I'm itching to get into some powder and a more down-to-earth, snowboard-centric crowd. You can ride groomers in ohio and NY all day. Find where the pow is.


I am from ohio as well and years ago was bitten by the west coast pow bug as well. So we planned a trip and to vail we went. Needless to say i have been to colorado two more times and moved to portland to ride mt hood for a year. Like said above, if you don't get a storm you will be ridding crust, but if it hits you could be riding in waist deep powder.

where ever you go, your not going to want to come back, that is for sure. 
Just remember

1 have fun
2 pray to the snow gods every night
3 saftey third


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