# SLC resorts vs Whistler Winter 2015-2016



## Tuan209 (Dec 26, 2008)

Hey Guys!

So I am taking next winter off and concentrating just on snowboarding. I have placed a tentative deposit that is refundable for a place to stay in Whistler next winter from Jan to the end of April. I am having serious second thoughts now that it looks like a strong El Nino may occur. I know the PNW and Vancouver areas usually do poorly during El Nino.

I know that its hard to predict weather this far out and anything could happen. Ive lived in SLC for the last 4 years so I do want to try another resort/city, and the lack of snow here in the past few years have made me lose a little interest of the surrounding resorts. 

I am mainly looking to try Whistler because I have loved it there the few times I have been. It is like a combination of Park City and Snowbird. It be nice not to have to drive 30 mins from resort to resort depending on conditions. I just like the thought of waking up and being able to walk to the lifts without having to worry too much about road conditions etc...

I have until mid October to cancel my reservation and receive all of my deposit back, but I just dont feel right canceling so late knowing that the owner may lose out on potential people looking to stay his rental. 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Don't sweat it about the rental. Someone and I mean SOMEONE will fill that the second it's available. That's how ski towns work. 

Sucks trying to predict the snow like that especially when you're trying to lock in a solid shredcation. 

My suggestion would be cancel it closer to the season approaching so you can see if the weather is going to shape up or not. But in the mean time look for something more in the South West that you could possibly stay at and do the same thing.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

No hopes for the PNW...forecasts look  aweful grim. Only potential place on west coast is cali...but get up in elevation. In my unqualified opinion go to the canadian rockies.


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

Tuan209 said:


> Hey Guys!
> 
> So I am taking next winter off and concentrating just on snowboarding. I have placed a tentative deposit that is refundable for a place to stay in Whistler next winter from Jan to the end of April. I am having serious second thoughts now that it looks like a strong El Nino may occur. I know the PNW and Vancouver areas usually do poorly during El Nino.
> 
> ...


Yup, this past year sucked ass. My local mtn was barely open 2 weeks.

Whistler also took that hit.

The difference, We all had to go to Whistler.


My local mtn fared the best, 3 others didn't open @ all.

Whistler, still opened on the 16th of Nov.

I think early January? No idea really haha? Maybe Dec? 

Flavio, the Brazilian :facepalm1:supermodel player:facepalm3:, came up from Brazil. 
1st day was rough, rainin' down below. Where it was snowing, it was snowing sideways. 
At one point, I thought I had come to a stop. When it snows sideways, you still have to use a lot of force to stay in one spot, but when everything is white

Weirdest thing, I had the sensation, of a tumble weed roll by.
Never seen a real tumble weed, let alone one roll by, haha.

I thought I had come to a complete stop, looking back up the hill for Flava Flav, then in my peripheral vision somethin' moved.
Turn my head, another one blurred out in the distance, had to lean forward & try & focus.
Then a nice big close one, that's when I realized they weren't tumble weeds.
Instantly, an extra helping of eating shit. 

Alpine was closed obviously, haha.
Flava Flav's whole trip wasn't lookin' good.
Well the snowboardin' part anyway.

Crazy ass storms like that, can last 2 weeks with nary a window in between.

That's why you NEED to pay attention to the weather.
It cleared up a day earlier than predicted, sorry when everyone else predicted haha:finger1:

I seen it coming. Told Flav we should get up extra early & buy the Fresh Trax breakfast deal thingy. 
For an extra $30 on top of the $120 + tax.
They let only a certain amount of people go up for ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET BREAKY 

Then let loose on everything for 2 full hours before any other fuckers get to it.

Flav, never made it in the mornin', went to his hotel he text me & said he didn't want to go.
If I was payin' for the ticket, I wouldn't have bought the Fresh Trax ticket.
$120 is just brutal. $150 too much.

Flav was payin' though & I had too rip it up for him:hairy:

It was THE best day I've ever had in my life. 
28? or 29? years.
It was fucking mind blowing. Never in my life have ripped it up like that day.
I was by my self, technically. I never had to slow down or wait for anyone.
100% full throttle all day.
Luckily, this crazy Russian local skier seen me smokin' ganja in the lineup for the peak chair @ Whistler, the very first chair @ 7am.

Skiers can scope out so much more shit.
The old best day ever was 20 years ago @ Mt Baker.
Was with a group of snowboarders, but I followed the one crazy skier buddy we had who always has a pass to Baker.
Stuck to him like glue, that was the plan.

Follow a skier if you want the best day ever haha

Anyway........

I got a spring pass in May cause it was killing me & they were dirt cheap compared to the weak before $120 for a single day.
Now $200 for a month 7 days a week.

Even in may & June of this shitty year, I was getting powder days.
There's dudes up there right now, it never stops.

Shitty year @ Whistler, only means the bottom doesn't get much snow.
The Alpine gets puked on no matter what.

You will have your mind blown over & over again


TT


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## Alpine Duke (Jun 21, 2015)

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/produc...ason/13_seasonal_outlooks/color/churchill.php

SLC is not in the Goldilocks Zone, but is at least sitting in the "could be good/could be bad" zone that is still a coin toss. NOAA predicts a bad, bad winter for the PNW. But hey, if what TT says is right I guess it doesn't matter and Whistler is great even on a bad year??

Based solely on the NOAA chart.....looks like New Mexico is the place to go this year.:snowplow: Or perhaps near Durango?

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/produc...ason/13_seasonal_outlooks/color/churchill.php


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

Alpine Duke said:


> http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/produc...ason/13_seasonal_outlooks/color/churchill.php
> 
> SLC is not in the Goldilocks Zone, but is at least sitting in the "could be good/could be bad" zone that is still a coin toss. NOAA predicts a bad, bad winter for the PNW. But hey, if what TT says is right I guess it doesn't matter and Whistler is great even on a bad year??
> 
> ...


It was pretty good, I can't lie.
No other mtns got any really.
They pumped out man made every second they could, just to get one run open for a few weeks at my local.
If you were daring, the odd time it would snow a foot @ my local hill.
Hahaha, you could try & do a powder run, on a run with no base
That's what rock boards are for, haha.

Haven't been to SLC so can't tell which is better?


TT


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

Get higher. The higher the place your riding, the better chance you have of good quality snow. Think Central CO. I would like to spend a season at BigSky and Jackson at some point of my lift. Maybe in a few years when my son graduates high school. I would love to spend a season in the Canadian rockies and Anchorage AK too. Those are the top 4 in the US. I have been to most of the top resorts in the US(aside from the east coast) and those are the places I would spend a season or 5. I spent the past 4 seasons in Vail and it was awesome. We are moving onward to live in the PNW(Bend, OR) to see what it is all about.

In reality if you are just dedicating your season to riding without work, you will get every storm that comes through and even 5 or 6 EPIC days will be ones you remember for your entire life. Those 5 or 6 days is what you would get on a REALLY bad year at any real mountain resort.


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