# Best USA Snowboarding Destination?



## AdamNZ (Dec 31, 2010)

Hi all,
I'm looking at doing a 21 day trip to the USA late 2011/early 2012 and can't decide on a location.
I mostly do free riding.

I was looking at Park City but apparently that gets boring after a few days. 
Maybe Tahoe or somewhere in Colorado? 

I don't mind too much all I want is somewhere I can enjoy free riding for a few weeks and be within a few hours of some nice tourist attractions so I can check out the place a bit while I'm there too.


Thanks


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## mrjimyjohn (Dec 18, 2010)

if you do any park riding as well i hear northstar has a good balance of park/free ride stuff but i cant say cause ive never been... hope you have fun on your trip though:thumbsup:

EDIT: im guessing by your name your from new Zealand? isnt there sick riding there anyway?


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## AdamNZ (Dec 31, 2010)

mrjimyjohn said:


> if you do any park riding as well i hear northstar has a good balance of park/free ride stuff but i cant say cause ive never been... hope you have fun on your trip though:thumbsup:
> 
> EDIT: im guessing by your name your from new Zealand? isnt there sick riding there anyway?


Yeah I'm a New Zealander but I'm living in Australia and gonna be here for another year or two...
And yes there is sick riding in NZ, but remember our summer is your winter


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## photohunts (Apr 9, 2010)

From your post, sounds like you plan on staking out in one spot and riding in nearby resorts. In that case and if I had 21 days, I would either pick Summit County in Colorado or Salt Lake City. Both allow access to many resorts in the area. Tahoe is good too and might offer more tourist attractions than the other two options (norcal/bay area, vegas even?).


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## thetraveler (Feb 24, 2010)

this might be a decent starting point if you haven't already checked it out:

The 2011 TransWorld SNOWboarding Resort Poll

what about Japan? that's Northern Hemisphere...


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## oneshot (Oct 8, 2010)

go stay in Reno, Nevada. casinos and stirppers at night.. shuttles to North Lake Tahoe.. Squaw, Alpine Meadows, Mt Rose and more by day.. 
impossible to "NOT" have fun.


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## roremc (Oct 25, 2009)

With the strength of the AUS dollar there has never been a better time to hit north america. Would you pick a couple of locations? Maybe Colorado and Western Canada?

Yes I am biased! 

You mention late 11 early 12. I would avoid xmas if I was you.


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## Tom Selleck (Dec 6, 2010)

One thing I'll add is if you're like every Aussie and Kiwi rider I've ever met, you're going to HATE the lack of party scene in Utah. I LOVE the mountains in Utah, but it takes an act of congress to get a decent beer around there. You'll have by far the most fun in Summitt County, Colorado.


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## Shocktroop531 (Aug 3, 2010)

Tom Selleck said:


> One thing I'll add is if you're like every Aussie and Kiwi rider I've ever met, you're going to HATE the lack of party scene in Utah. I LOVE the mountains in Utah, but it takes an act of congress to get a decent beer around there. You'll have by far the most fun in Summitt County, Colorado.


ummmm......... :dunno:


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## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

Meh for Tahoe. I would probably go Utah or Colorado instead. Tahoe has great terrain, but the snow just plain sucks, doesn't matter if you get 5 feet, Sierra Cement compacts down to crud within an hour and turns into chunk moguls.


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## turbospartan (Oct 27, 2010)

Don't know if money is an issue... but if you choose Colorado (and not sure if Utah or Tahoe have similar season pass deals), you could buy the Epic Pass for next season which is unlimited Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Breck, and A-basin, and I think it includes 2 resorts at Tahoe too (Northstar and Heavenly). 

If you buy it in time its only like $600 USD, and a single day lift ticket at each of those places is just under $100 each. So ride 6 days or more and its worth it. You have to buy it in like October or November though... or else the price jumps to $1900.


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## david_z (Dec 14, 2009)

photohunts said:


> From your post, sounds like you plan on staking out in one spot and riding in nearby resorts. In that case and if I had 21 days, I would either pick Summit County in Colorado or Salt Lake City. Both allow access to many resorts in the area. Tahoe is good too and might offer more tourist attractions than the other two options (norcal/bay area, vegas even?).


Most convenient shred goes to Utah 7 resorts within an hour from SLC. Great shred in Summit county a bit further drive from DEN, more nightlife & better beers depending on where you set up camp. Tahoe has the best enterntainment bang for your buck especially if you stay in South Lake Tahoe there are casinos that will serve you booze basically all day and all night and nightclubs and all that jazz. Reno is not too far away either.

I'd definitely put these three locations on the list. But if you're doing 21 days jeez I think you could do a week at all three although I might skip Tahoe altogether. 

Fly in to SLC putz around there for a week or two and then drive over in to Colorado hitting every resort on the way to Denver and fly home from DEN. or do the same thing in reverse.


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## twin89 (Jan 21, 2009)

I see that no one has mentioned mammoth mtn. So I would put my vote there. It easily is a world class resort and they just got around 15 ft of snow


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## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

twin89 said:


> I see that no one has mentioned mammoth mtn. So I would put my vote there. It easily is a world class resort and they just got around 15 ft of snow


Mammoth's snow is pretty much the same as Tahoe, so no matter how much you get it just ends up packing down and turning into crud. Not to mention it's probably even more crowded then Tahoe. Once you experience Semi-light to Light powder, everything else is just crap, (It's good for the first several runs, but once it has tracks in it get ready to be launched).


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## photohunts (Apr 9, 2010)

HoboMaster said:


> Mammoth's snow is pretty much the same as Tahoe, so no matter how much you get it just ends up packing down and turning into crud. Not to mention it's probably even more crowded then Tahoe. Once you experience Semi-light to Light powder, everything else is just crap, (It's good for the first several runs, but once it has tracks in it get ready to be launched).


I know what you mean about being pow spoiled; won't take anything less. Damn this Texas snow.


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## AlexS (Feb 12, 2010)

21 days? I'd go to more than one area..I'd do mammoth for a few, drive to tahoe, then fly to CO

@Hobo sorry but what the fuck are you talking about? The snow is far from being bad. It's not as dry as Utah or anything but the snow takes nothing away from the resorts being incredible.


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## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

AlexS said:


> 21 days? Do like 3 days at mammoth, drive up to tahoe do like 8 or 10 days around there(shitload of resorts there). Then head over to Summit County, CO where there's also a shitload of resorts.
> 
> @Hobo sorry but what the fuck are you talking about? The snow is far from being bad


Go ride real powder and tell me struggling through that cement goop is anywhere as good. I'm not saying it's bad, but it's just not anywhere as good as what you get in the Rocky's. I rode Tahoe and Mammoth for years when I lived in CA, and it just doesn't compare to what I get now. Of course they have overall better terrain then I do now, but at the same time I get fresh lines all day long on powder days, so having a little less gnar is better then waiting in line all day long. Besides, I'm a tree-whore and those big resorts are pretty anti-trees.


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## AlexS (Feb 12, 2010)

HoboMaster said:


> Go ride real powder and tell me struggling through that cement goop is anywhere as good. I'm not saying it's bad, but it's just not anywhere as good as what you get in the Rocky's. I rode Tahoe and Mammoth for years when I lived in CA, and it just doesn't compare to what I get now. Of course they have overall better terrain then I do now, but at the same time I get fresh lines all day long on powder days, so having a little less gnar is better then waiting in line all day long. Besides, I'm a tree-whore and those big resorts are pretty anti-trees.


I lived in california for all of but the last 2 years of my life, so I think we both know how much you're exaggerating the snow quality. And I'll say it is not too far from Utah and Colorado as far as snow quality goes, and I'd say Mammoth is better in terrain and overall a better resort to be, factoring in parks and all(though all are fabulous). You can't expect powder lines all day at any major resort anyway for the most part and I don't think this guy wants to travel here to ride what isn't top notch.


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## Music Moves (Jan 23, 2009)

I'd do SLC.


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## Norman426 (Jul 16, 2010)

I'd hit up Colorado. A plane ticket from there to SLC is 50 bucks each way. 

The drive is awesome for the most part, Go visit Arches national park for a day or so. I'd get the epic pass for the vail resorts in colo I think it was 419 this year.


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## Shocktroop531 (Aug 3, 2010)

the epic pass really is the best deal in the world of skiing / snowboarding. Its the only thing Utah is lacking. the utah silver pass which is comparable in what you get costs 2500 bucks. fucking outrageous. 


that... and the medical weed.


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## Tarzanman (Dec 20, 2008)

I would make my home base Salt Lake City, UT.

That way you are close enough to everywhere else for it to be a short plane ride.

Definitely hit:
Vail in Colorado
Jackson Hole in WY
Snowbird and Park City in UT

Vail will take you at least 2 days just to explore, and there are 6 other resorts with 1 hr of Vail that you can check out as you make your way east (Beaver Creek, Copper Mtn, Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Loveland, Winter Park).

Utah has about 6 areas as well, but they are spread out: Brighton, Solitude, Snowbird, Park City, Powder Mountain, The Canyons

Wyoming has JH and Grand Targhee and you will be within striking distance (via airplane) of Montana, Idaho, Oregon, or even Washington state resorts.

If you make your home base Jackson, WY then you won't ever be more than 20 minutes from the airport or the ski slopes.


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## swilber08 (Dec 29, 2009)

Shocktroop531 said:


> the epic pass really is the best deal in the world of skiing / snowboarding. Its the only thing Utah is lacking. the utah silver pass which is comparable in what you get costs 2500 bucks. fucking outrageous.
> 
> 
> that... and the medical weed.


speaking of which im thinking about living in SLC but I love my ganj ...is it impossible to find there and is it even good? lol


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