Gotta be honest, without peak rankings, it took me probably close to ten years to learn each and every one of those lessons. I don’t think you mentioned a mistake I didn’t make. Where were you when I needed you?!?!
It should be part of the learning process and these videos are a cheat sheet for the hoards of beginners that haven't yet earned it imo. It's in part how you get a ski area packed with people that can barely put on their skis on a waist deep powder day. I've watched a number of unhappy people learn that lesson the hard way recently. Many go to the lodge after two runs but they still take up parking and congest the roads, where they are often also complete novices, and significantly more dangerous.
@@danb.709 Haven't earned it? 😅 Just a bit gatekeepy isn't it? Sometimes it's better that the resort is popular and expanding; rather than quiet and under maintained.
@@krissp8712 genuine exploration is far more rewarding than doing someone else's greatest hits list. Thing is most people that want that, want someone to hold their hand through it. They want the excitement without the oh shit factor, but that's just not how it works if you want the full experience and satisfaction of knowing you did a thing without cheating just a little. They want the experience without the work, it's not fully learned or earned, and as such that confidence is never fully gained. It then becomes a hurtle in their progression. As to why people don't think they need to work up to the chest deep blower pow is beyond me. I suppose it looks easy on film. In reality it's exhausting and downright dangerous for those not accustomed. It's dangerous if you are accustomed but the experience certainly doesn't hurt. Many people don't realize there are days they may be required to climb up onto their skis like a pool floaty and balance on top while they get them clicked on, that's a whole other level of physical exertion and fitness than snowplowing a blue. Many think that much snow means the groomed runs will be guaranteed not icy, but if it's snowing that much they can't keep things very well groomed. Most people visiting should stay inside on a day like that and save the ticket, they will be happier for it until they get to a certain skill level. I've seen it many times, it's obvious when so many aren't enjoying themselves anymore. So no, most people shouldn't be chasing those days, they should be chasing the ankle and knee deep stuff, and the heavy stuff. Leave the bottomless blower for the very well seasoned. As far as is it better being busier? That depends on who you ask. If you ask a local the answer is almost universally no, either that or it's made them lots of money. However you can't ask very many locals because most have been forced to move. Walmart pays something outrageous like 28$ starting, but that's not enough to get by and pay rent when everything has been converted to airbnb and supply was already low, so places like Walmart, hotels, restaurants, city services, are always hiring. Now some places have resorted to hiring illegal workers that are willing to sleep in cars, in a ski town, in the winter. The ski areas getting busier has by many assessments ruined several of the towns they are in. No one wants to think their vacation is making others miserable, causing them to sell their family homes and move away, but it's happening. Food for thought on your next lift ride.
That part about access roads being icy brings me PTSD from getting in a crash in Mammoth. We were driving down a steep, icy road called Davidson Road to get to the Village. We turn the corner and see several cars piled up at the bottom. We put the car in sport mode to slow it down and slowly apply the brakes. We immediately lost all traction and began sliding down the road while spinning. It was like slow motion just watching ourselves getting progressively closer to the pileup at the bottom, knowing there was absolutely nothing we could do to change the trajectory of the car or slow down. I even had time to say "brace for impact!" before we collided with the white Toyota Land Cruiser. Oh, and I was just wearing a sweater because we were going to dinner, and it was -1 degrees Fahrenheit outside and snowing. Super fun.
That’s awful. My rules for mammoth are to bring chains, a shovel and don’t go out on the roads when the sun is down. It gets warm during the day in town and it refreezes in the evening. If staying in town, I always stay on a bus line. They got one of the better bus systems.
@@Gary-np7hl Yeah, our chains did absolutely 0. We at Timberline (the place you can ski in ski out on Bluejay.) absolutely AWFUL access road. Will not be staying there again. The condo was beautiful though.
Generally the tire socks are the best. Unless climbing a wall of snow. Generally I almost never touch the brakes on ice sheet decent. I am in first gear. You have almost no Newton force so brake application is at best 1-2% before traction is broken on unprepared vehicles. I drive a 01 crv awd through and too anything. Since 01.
I went with a group once. Never again. We only had 1 day on the slopes before leaving for the next thing. By the time everyone got out of the hotel and headed to the mountain it was 9am. We stopped at 10 for cappuccino for a F--king hour!! Finally got to the mountain at 12 noon. I immediately jumped on a lift and left everyone who hadn't skied before behind. Never came down to the base again till they were closing the mountain at 4 pm. The next year my 2 sons and I went on our own. Much better. Didn't waste a minute on a stupid coffee.
Once I get my "ski legs" (3-4 days), I NEVER stop, for ANY reason. Usually, l'm within the first 5 chairs leaving the base area, ski fast, move around to avoid the busiest chairs, and rarely ski past 12. But regularly get in 15K of vertical in those 3 hours. The upper mountain gets WAY too crowded after about 10:30, so it boggles my mind to see people heading into the mid-mountain lodges about that time. After they've made maybe 2 runs. It will only be worse when they finally get back on the hill. To maximize your experience at most busy resorts these days, you need to get there early, ski nonstop, and head home before every chair has a line. If I can do it at age 70 (with 2 knee replacements), anybody can.
Best thing you can do is go to the smaller to medium sized resorts. Usually not as busy and lift tickets are significantly more affordable. It doesn’t matter how much terrain a mountain has if it’s so packed you only get a few runs in and spend most of your day waiting in lines.
Definitely true for weekends and holidays. Everytime I go midweek I basically never wait in a line. Maybe at a super popular lift or something but the rest of the mountain is usually empty once you get there.
@@Drwexter yeah I went to Jackson hole earlier this month and was able to lap the lifts with no lines all day. Guess I picked a good day to go. It’s always better to avoid weekends and holidays if you can at any resort
Live in the South of Germany. If the sky is blue on waking up, I fill up the tank, drive south for an hour and €40 gets me my ski pass for the day. US lift passes seem crazy expensive.
Ive lived in Colorado for 35 years now. April is a great month to ski. Most of the spring breaks are over, the whole mountain is generally still open, and we get a healthy dump of new fluff every week to ten days, sometimes deep into May. The worst weekend is usually MLK. If you go the week after Christmas, the 28th thru 1/1 are usually pretty good crowd-wise. The fly-in vacationers get "gassed" after 2-3 days, so it's only the hardcores after a few days of vaca. 1/1 used to be wide open, but the demographics have changed. There arent as many people staying up to welcome the New Year these days.
@@MrZebanHai almost any midweek, non-holiday day during January and February are small crowds at the Front Range areas. Saturdays are the busiest, especially any of the intermediate and beginner areas of a given hill. I wouldn't recommend it for first timers or peeps that don't like crowds. It's a lot like Saturdays at the bigger areas in Vermont: 8, maybe 10, runs in a day. Sundays can be busy but are less hassle than Saturdays. In March, Saturdays get better cuz it's the changeover day for fly-ins. Midweek is much busier, especially MTW. If you happen to hit a good pow day, all of the above is subject to change😎
I was gonna take my kids during spring break , but prices are outrageous and to go further resorts it takes 6 or more hours, I don’t want to take chances with bad weather. Iam planning to go in the mid of April to copper mountain and breck. Do you think skiing will be ok at that time? I also will need to take lessons .
@tatyanasadykova6069 Assuming you're Front Range from your comments..... Loveland Valley. Especially on a weekday. Relatively low cost and an excellent progressively more difficult, but still easy. Magic carpet and two lifts. Everyone there is either a learner or someone teaching so no mixing of various skill levels and speeds. Eldora is also excellent for learners, but it's usually more crowded than Loveland and the snow doesn't stick around deep into April. Although with their latest 45"+ that might be different this year.
For me, having public transit to access the resorts is my top planning factor, and removes the stress of driving. That is why Summit County, CO (Breck, Keystone, A-Basin, and Copper) and North Lake Tahoe (Palisades Tahoe, Northstar, Homewood) are my top two major ski areas in the US that I frequently go b/c they actually have decent public transit to get out and about.
I recall saying to a lifetime skiier that I didn't like paying $6 for a $.75 beer at apre ski. He very cleverly said, "you're only paying $.75 for the beer. You're also paying $5.45 for the atmosphere.
Somehow, I've avoided most of these....or I just didn't care (like I buy mid-mountain lunch for $30 and not worry about it). That said, I'm buying clothing, passes, making reservations etc. from April to November. I usually have my skis waxed/tuned, gear checked, replacement pieces purchased, and travel plans confirmed for the season by Halloween. My wife plans summer. I plan winter.
@@Qqqqql Well, money is kind of an issue, and during Covid I packed my lunch and avoided lodges, but I'd rather just spend the money and not carry lunch all day, and not go back down to the base on larger mountains. I choose where to spend and where to not spend. I mean, I drive a 7-year-old truck and 11-year-old car that are paid off, right? It's about choices.
@@andrewdiamond2697A lot of people will think you owning a 7 and an 11 year old truck/car as weird. I swear when people think used cars they think about cars from the 90’s and 80’s. A car from 2010+ is going to be a good car.
My family ski/board every year - mainly in France. We always rent a nice but small lodge and we self cater. There is no need for fancy accommodation when you are out all day every day on the slopes. We pack a lunch to take onto the mountain - something super simple cheap like a fresh baguette with cheese and ham. En route to the resort we will stop at a supermarket to stock up on supplies for the week because the shops at resort level are very expensive. We take care of our gear and remind ourselves that there is no need to be rocking the latest designs in ski-wear. It's just a waste of money and resources.
One thing not mentioned is to investigate public transportation at the resort you are considering. Park City has an amazing bus system.....absolutely no need to drive to the mountain if you stay at a place near a bus stop. My group even split ubers to and from the ariport.
If you're a person who likes to ski and doesn't care about the frills (fancy hotels, food, driving distance, etc.) skiing local is the way to go. I ski local central Sierra hills, and while they may not be as big or luxurious as Tahoe or Mammoth, you can get nearly the same snow quality and some beautiful scenery with nearly no lift lines and free parking. You can ski until your quads literally give out.
Enjoy it while you can. Mtn High now owns China Peak, Dodge Ridge, and Bear Valley. Ala MCP a decade ago. I doubt that Cali Pass is going to decrease traffic...
@@Rockwood1407 I'm hoping that SoCal riders buy Ikon for mammoth and big bear and bay area riders buy Epic for Tahoe. Cali pass only makes sense if you live north of SoCal and south of Sacramento, which isn't the largest market for winter sports. We'll see!
@@josephstratemeier8619 agreed, maybe up until now? The central valley has enough population to rival... Most states. It is certainly not the traditional skiing/*snowboarding* population. But have you seen big bear lately? Or Mtn high? Tbh Mammoth is even more diverse than it used to be. I'm not saying it's a sure thing, but with some marketing and programs, CaliSkiCo has the footprint to develop a new market of skiers. As of 2023, Reno is now the "happiest" city in the US, mostly due to its relative affordability and easy access to the outdoors and winter sports. 30 years ago it had a similar reputation to Fresno now. Are Fresno/Bakersfield/all the medium cities in-between gonna be that? I'd doubt it anytime soon, but Yosemite is already a draw, it's close to Tahoe, Dodge and Big Bear in particular have pretty dedicated skier bases to begin with. I think it's feasible.
No 5 for sure! Every time we stay in Squamish to ski in Whistler, we end up in a line up for about 2 hrs between Squamish and Whistler due to that stupid light at “function junction”! Drives me crazy
We stayed near Breckenridge for our last ski trip. It was the only way we could afford to take a party of 10 and stay in the same place. It was only 3 miles north. Yes, the roads were a bit slick because sometimes it would snow, but the roads were well salted and not too bad and relatively flat. It does help to rent an AWD or 4WD vehicle, or stay some place served by a shuttle service. For Spring Break, it was well under half in-town lodging and a fraction of the slope-side places. We rented our equipment in Frisco (about 8 miles north) - that also was a huge savings compared to in-town ski rentals. The multi-day ski pass is a great idea - even better than getting the full pass or paying lift tickets. Unless you're getting a pass, I would actually recommend going to smaller resorts instead of big-name places if you are just learning. I strongly recommend getting lessons. This sport is too expensive to not get lessons. Start with a half-day lesson in the morning so that leaves half a day to practice or just recover. Some places like Loveland Ski Area include rentals and lift tickets with the group lessons. Loveland Ski Area, Granby Ranch, and Ski Cooper are all great places for learning.
@@JohnOravetz Shuttle works well if you rent your equipment near one of the bus stops or at one of the base areas. Many of the towns or resorts also have a bus system too. Also, there are several paid shuttle services that will carry you to/from the Denver airport - so you don't need to rent/drive a car if you don't want to.
FYI, Jackson has some significant complimentary discounts for "Season Pass holders" of other resorts including ikon/epic holders with more than 10day passes - not sure if this is new but it's documented on their website. Also, consider the buses available from your accommodations - for places like Jackson Hole or Lake Louise/Banff there are often dedicated free luxury ski buses to/from the ski hill from town as well as the nice public bus options- this is great 'cause you don't have to drive in stressful conditions.
The modern skis turn so well, you need bigger and bigger hills to bring the thrills. Which comes with big bills. You can have more fun on a 300 ft rise, trying to survive on oldass Craigslist gear.
And if you're driving in Colorado, the Left Lane is the passing lane. Even if you're going the speed limit. Other people want to drive faster and risk getting a ticket, let them. Be courteous, be respectful, share the road.
If you can stay ski in and out and don’t have rent a car you’re cutting out a lot of stressful variables. And don’t ride on weekends. Ever. Also. In NA. Early December and april there will be no lift lines
The off slope activities didn’t mean much to my buddies and I because we would ride hard all day (no lunch stop) beer after riding, hot tub if the rental has one and crash hard. We’ve done several Cat/Heli trips and it’s the same thing there, the Cat trips we rode til dark (15-18 runs), also the trips we took were later in the season (March) with no complaints
I'll make it easy: just come to Europe. Less lines, better infrastructure, bigger resorts, better food, better views, better après ski, cheaper day pass, more diversity, better culture and prettier resorts.
All true but you left out one important variable, snow quality. North America has europe beat in that. I’ve schlepped over to the alps three times to go skiing and they were memorable trips but logistically a headache. It’s so much easier to just get in the car and drive a few hours to a big North American resort. It helps that I already live in the western US.
@@dhowe5180In Sweden the snow is amazing honestly best I’ve skied ever, as someone who only skis in America the snow there is so much worse than in Sweden
If the ski resort is so fare away that you need to get a flight, just fly to Austria. Epic pass works there (Arlbrerg) and its cheaper, better, and more modern than NA resorts. Btw. 180km ski routs, with lifts
Flights to Austria from ny are 600$+ . I have flown within north America every year for less than 300$ including NY to Sun valley for 185$. (This includes Whistler, Tahoe and sLC and Denver) If you already have your ski pass europe is not cheaper. I've tried to make it happen many times. If you're going for Strictly the least expensive trip I don't think you're going to get it in europe.
Show me a five day trip from new york to austria for less than a thousand dollars. I do it all the time in north america. And there's more and better snow. I'd love to ski europe. But I have yet to find it to be less expensive than europe. Italy can get close in price. Austria and Switzerland not so much. Also traveling to europe requires at least two extra travel days. Which ads expense. If you fly into salt lake city you can be skiing the same day. No wasted travel time.
This is a great video! I feel like I could add paragraphs to each point, but I’ll pick a few. You should buy high quality leather gloves and waterproof them. You can get the pair every patroller uses for $30 with single use waterproofing included, and the wax to reapply costs $9. “Ski gloves” will run you a lot more than that, wear out, and they’re much more difficult to reapply waterproofing to. Get the yellow leather ones, wear them until they are dirt brown, and don’t ever think about it again. Tires are the most important thing to good winter driving. Rental cars will have crap tires, unless they explicitly state they have MS rated snow tires. Be honest about your skills. Think about buying chains or just using a shuttle. It could literally save your life. The most dangerous part of a ski day by far is getting to the mountain.
We are lucky, one of the big chains tried to buy our local 1500 acre ski area, nope. 3 local business men bought the resort and kept all the same managment in place. They only sell a limited amount of tickets per day to limit lines and crowding.
Glad I went to many great resorts before they became overpriced and overrun. There still some smaller areas with slow fixed chairlifts that have reasonable day ticket prices and no traffic and lines.
I think the biggest mistake destination skiers make these days is not exploring pass or advance ticket options. For example in April a Keystone season pass was in the neighborhood of $360. If I go online and book the standard 7 day advance purchase 5 day lift ticket for a hypothetical spring break trip it’s about $1020. That’s about the cheapest example at a Vail mountain as the Keystone pass is dirt cheap (but with blackout dates). But Epic local at $679 with 10 days at Vail is way cheaper than a 5 day lift ticket at Vail as long you can avoid the blackout dates. A few years ago I rode the lift at Keystone with a guy that was complaining about the cost of lift tickets. Every day he bought a ticket and paid window price. Vail definitely price’s their lift tickets to incentivize pre season tickets or passes and they don’t hide it. If you go online today it will show you the savings with epic day vs. a standard lift ticket.
After 15 years of skiing the Loveland and ski cooper, we did keystone plus pass which was the $360. We have a kid that does adaptive ski so this was main reason why. In my prior years at keystone I would always ski do to river run. Which is a complete nightmare. Now I’m older so I use my brain and just hit it hard in the Outback and then gondola back. Seems so much safer and enjoyable
In the 1970's it was expensive to ski, the equipment, the tickets, the travel, the lodging, food, drink, nowadays a family vacation will be big money, it's a shame because skiing is an incredible experience.
Go support your small local resorts. You're not going to miss those long lines for shorter runs (When you get more of them) - just only tell your closest friends because that will be the next one to get crammed.
Doesnt mention variable weather. Who wants to lock everything in months in advance to get to a place that's in a snow drought. Either try to go to a most snow sure place, or wing it last minute when you know how conditions are, compromising a little on lodging, price or better yet, going to a non- big name resort
@alihumair8880 I'm no expert! We ski at Apex near Penticton and there's a cool place down 75 km the road called Mt Baldy I'm going to check out this year. Super chill, tons of snow, super manageable/sometimes non-existent lift lines. Don't tell anybody!!
went to utah this last past may and got to ride snowbird solitude brighton and park city and even got a half foot pow day at snowbird.and it was all untouched and no crowds i really lucked out,the year prior my last dday of the season over a foot of pow at snowbird i got hit by a skier traversing and ended my trip early,messedmy wrist up and wasent worth getting hurt any more.
They were closing little cottonwood canyon for days, almost after every snowfall last spring for avalanche mitigation. So you got really lucky last spring. I wanted to get up there myself, but couldn’t. 😕
Take the lessons at a smaller cheaper resort near your hometown (if there are any of course) then venture out west. Don’t abuse alcohol at high altitude. Avoid weekends and especially long weekends.
I’m paying 100 euros for 3 day ski pass in Poland, plus 120 euros for 3 days rental of clothes and ski equipment. And 125 euros for 3 days in a hotel 4 stars. Probably you’re gonna pay the say amount to go to Europe skiing and meeting another country.
Thanks for all the tips -- too bad Vail Resorts won't hire you as their key consultant to fix the mismanagement of their resorts. Your guidance could return Vail-operated mountains back to a fun place to ski, and isn't that the only point of going to a ski resort?
You are not limited to US or the Alps. Some ski resorts in the Balkans, Caucasus Mountains in Georgia, or Russia offer ski passes and accommodation as low as $20 per day.
I’d add a couple more tips based in my 49 years of skiing. Spend $ on leather ski gloves. Your hands will thank you as they stay toasty and dry. I’ve been using leather racing gloves for years (with knuckle protection) and they’re great. Get your ski boots custom fitted including custom footbeds. It costs about $300-400 and you might have to travel somewhere to get it done but you’ll notice the difference immediately. You can buy the best skis but if your skeleton and muscles aren’t signaling to the skis because of poorly fitted boots then the ski investment is wasted. I disagree about taking lessons at a cheap resort. You’ll likely get a less experienced instructor and won’t learn as fast. It costs an arm and a leg but a private lesson at a big destination resort will get you started so much faster if you’re a beginner. Telluride has the best beginner terrain IMO - just take a large trash bag filled with money if you go
Ridiculous! In the alps you pay just 70 Euro per day (max), the resorts are at least twice as big as in the US, the lifts are the most modern in the world and you never have to wait in long lines more then 3 min. The video looks like beeing from the dark age.
Intermediate/advanced metro area skier here, usually drive up to Vt/Daks and have been out west twice in different capacities. Pc/Canyons with a big family group and Breck/Key/Vail with a smaller group of friends. I know trips are expensive but you kinda just gotta accept it and try to be smart along the way. That being said im inching closer and closer to constructing a solo or duo trip somewhere out west but like you said doing so can be daunting. This video rocks, along with your others haha.
why are your chairlifts so out of date? And your prices so high? Im from Europe, and im used to skiing in Austria and France. We rarely see these old chairlifts, that are seen in this video all the time, in our big ski resorts (only sometimes still a few in the very outskirts of the domain...) but most chairlifts have at least a cover against the wint and snow. a lot have also very soft padded seats, and some even heated seats. And we don't pay 200$ a day, for 200$ you'll be around a 3day pass.
Hey I live in Vermont and I would love to see a rating on Magic mountain a classic it is similar to Mad River Glen in many ways with the best wood skiing in southern Vermont.
Pretty shocking to see some of the lineups shown in this footage here! Looks almost like a theme park at times. Definitely smart to plan ahead to avoid those situations!
Thanks for posting reminder videos of yankee lines on ski resorts, we were planning on maybe Colorado but I think we will stay on the powder highway B.C. again this year
So just like everything else these days - they make it so GD complicated. Here was the process on how a once 17 yr old rookie snowboarder in 1988 from NJ made a trip to Jackson Hole for a week; I saw the home movie "This Is Snowboarding With Team Sims" & see the best & highest powder field ever. At the bottom of the screen it says "Jackson Hole". WTH is Jackson Hole? I figure it out and then contact the resort for an information packet to get mailed to me. I choose a package that gives me a slope side room & a 5 day lift ticket. Then I go to a travel agent & buy round trip airfare to Jackson Hole where there is a shuttle bus taking skiers & boarders to the resort. For the next 5 days I ride the mountain from top to bottom & have the time of my life 12 months after I first strapped on a board at an ant hill of a "mountain" in PA. NONE of what is mentioned in this video was even a thought or something to be concerned over. If this is what it takes nowadays to go to a resort destination - no thank you. You can keep it. Too complex & takes the fun & spontaneousness out of it. For me all that matters is that there is snow - any amount (because it's going to better out west 100% of the time then here on the east coast), someplace to sleep/take a shower & thats it. I don't care about activities/social life/bars when on a trip. I can do that here at home. But seriously, if someone who has never went on a ski trip is really trying to do the calculus that this video is recommending - they're never going to go. Making something that is not hard & making it overly complicated IMO.
Heck if tickets are 200 bucks a day, consider Europe. 60 bucks/day for top notch resorts. Cheaper if you book an entire week. Accommodation is also cheaper. Probably makes up the f difference for the plane tickets.
Love snowboarding! But i hate all the people and crowded mountains. Don't live out west anymore. If i did still live out west. I'd be strictly back country! Get deep out there where hopefully most people wouldn't go...but, I've gotten into skydiving and the skies aren't crowded!
Why does anybody go skiing in the US of A? Greeting from Switzerland, where Vail just bought two resorts (well, there actually aren't any resorts in Europe, but they bought the lift systems.) We'll see how that goes
whats the best time to ski in the us ? I had the chance to ski in veil last year during christmas (im from germany) the skiing was great and and the atmosphere everything was amazing although very different from the alps but anyways. the only problem that really took away from the trip for me was the amount of people on the slopes and the lift lines. it was ridiculous I had never seen anything like this in my life. is it usually crowdy in the us resorts ? or would my experience be vastly different if I would go skiing there during like a normal week in january.
Late March and early April rock. You’ll get good weather and less crowds especially mid week. And if you’re lucky a powder day or two. I never ski before March 15
@@dhowe5180 last couple of years we've been skiing Breck around that time and had good snow with even some small snow storms. Early April can be some really good snow. Was just talking about that yesterday, ski season is different in USA than EU, we can usually ski lot later into the season. Did Bachelor May 28 last year!
I'm thinking about taking a season off. its not an easy desicion but my wallet could use a break, been indyikon and epic pass holder two years in a row and epic and ikon the last 5. I still have my splitboard i never got to use last year. when i got to mount washingtion in decenber it was raining. may just do some backcountry riding this year.
I can't believe how much people in the US have to pay for lift passes. I go to Austria every year, the most I would pay for a lift pass would be about 65 euros per day. The hotels and food there are excellent, the Apres is the best there is. For me Austria even beats France and Switzerland
Nope this guy is wrong about the second part of # 7, don’t come here in the spring, it’s terrible, after the spring break season ends, mid to later March, it’s just terrible, not worth it, just come the following season instead, you’ll be disappointed that you didn’t come during peak season. Stay away in the spring.
East Coast skiing is way underrated. Yes, the areas are smaller, but Sugar Mountain, Beech, and Snowshoe in the Southeast are comparable to western skiing. Except for maybe Snowshoe, everything is much cheaper. The highest area is Beech Mountain in North Carolina at 5k feet, so altitude isn't a problem at all. Parking is free, and I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes in any lift line. The NC areas have great lodging and restaurants at good prices.
13:52 for me, I'm always WAY too hot. even when I'm cold, I'm hot. I envy you guys who are always cold because you can just run around and warm up. I get sweaty!
what is a "destination vacation"? Or "destination resorts"?? Like... Why put destination in front of everything? Is it like Garlic Aioli? Adding an obvious word to something that already has this word implied in it's meaning?
Gotta be honest, without peak rankings, it took me probably close to ten years to learn each and every one of those lessons. I don’t think you mentioned a mistake I didn’t make. Where were you when I needed you?!?!
No friends on a powder day. He was enjoying the slopes by himself and couldnt help you sorry
For me, it's no friends on a ski day. Skiing alone is the best!
It should be part of the learning process and these videos are a cheat sheet for the hoards of beginners that haven't yet earned it imo. It's in part how you get a ski area packed with people that can barely put on their skis on a waist deep powder day. I've watched a number of unhappy people learn that lesson the hard way recently. Many go to the lodge after two runs but they still take up parking and congest the roads, where they are often also complete novices, and significantly more dangerous.
@@danb.709 Haven't earned it? 😅 Just a bit gatekeepy isn't it? Sometimes it's better that the resort is popular and expanding; rather than quiet and under maintained.
@@krissp8712 genuine exploration is far more rewarding than doing someone else's greatest hits list. Thing is most people that want that, want someone to hold their hand through it. They want the excitement without the oh shit factor, but that's just not how it works if you want the full experience and satisfaction of knowing you did a thing without cheating just a little. They want the experience without the work, it's not fully learned or earned, and as such that confidence is never fully gained. It then becomes a hurtle in their progression. As to why people don't think they need to work up to the chest deep blower pow is beyond me. I suppose it looks easy on film. In reality it's exhausting and downright dangerous for those not accustomed. It's dangerous if you are accustomed but the experience certainly doesn't hurt. Many people don't realize there are days they may be required to climb up onto their skis like a pool floaty and balance on top while they get them clicked on, that's a whole other level of physical exertion and fitness than snowplowing a blue. Many think that much snow means the groomed runs will be guaranteed not icy, but if it's snowing that much they can't keep things very well groomed. Most people visiting should stay inside on a day like that and save the ticket, they will be happier for it until they get to a certain skill level. I've seen it many times, it's obvious when so many aren't enjoying themselves anymore. So no, most people shouldn't be chasing those days, they should be chasing the ankle and knee deep stuff, and the heavy stuff. Leave the bottomless blower for the very well seasoned. As far as is it better being busier? That depends on who you ask. If you ask a local the answer is almost universally no, either that or it's made them lots of money. However you can't ask very many locals because most have been forced to move. Walmart pays something outrageous like 28$ starting, but that's not enough to get by and pay rent when everything has been converted to airbnb and supply was already low, so places like Walmart, hotels, restaurants, city services, are always hiring. Now some places have resorted to hiring illegal workers that are willing to sleep in cars, in a ski town, in the winter. The ski areas getting busier has by many assessments ruined several of the towns they are in. No one wants to think their vacation is making others miserable, causing them to sell their family homes and move away, but it's happening. Food for thought on your next lift ride.
having worked in the industry for 30plus, the first two weeks after New Years is one of the best times for lack of crowds
You're absolutely right! I go every new years day. It's surprising how almost dead the mountain is. As in never share a chair all day dead.
Have you missed the last 4 seasons or have you just been in a place that doesn't have snow? This is definitely not true out west anymore.
Shhhh. HUSH!
@@roland7584 Colorado...
For mistake number 4, I do all my ski trips solo so I am guaranteed to be in great company with the biggest asshole I know.
Highly
Underrated comment
Same here bro, same here.
Maybe we will "run into" each other some day.
That part about access roads being icy brings me PTSD from getting in a crash in Mammoth. We were driving down a steep, icy road called Davidson Road to get to the Village. We turn the corner and see several cars piled up at the bottom. We put the car in sport mode to slow it down and slowly apply the brakes. We immediately lost all traction and began sliding down the road while spinning. It was like slow motion just watching ourselves getting progressively closer to the pileup at the bottom, knowing there was absolutely nothing we could do to change the trajectory of the car or slow down. I even had time to say "brace for impact!" before we collided with the white Toyota Land Cruiser. Oh, and I was just wearing a sweater because we were going to dinner, and it was -1 degrees Fahrenheit outside and snowing. Super fun.
That’s awful. My rules for mammoth are to bring chains, a shovel and don’t go out on the roads when the sun is down. It gets warm during the day in town and it refreezes in the evening. If staying in town, I always stay on a bus line. They got one of the better bus systems.
@@Gary-np7hl Yeah, our chains did absolutely 0. We at Timberline (the place you can ski in ski out on Bluejay.) absolutely AWFUL access road. Will not be staying there again. The condo was beautiful though.
@@waltysalamanderIf the chains did nothing, that must have been a sheet of ice that would embarrass an ice rink. Chains turn sedans into tanks!
Generally the tire socks are the best. Unless climbing a wall of snow. Generally I almost never touch the brakes on ice sheet decent. I am in first gear. You have almost no Newton force so brake application is at best 1-2% before traction is broken on unprepared vehicles. I drive a 01 crv awd through and too anything. Since 01.
@@SkiDaBird I know!! It was treacherous! We were in a four wheel drive BMW X3 suv with chains and we still lost all traction.
I went with a group once. Never again. We only had 1 day on the slopes before leaving for the next thing. By the time everyone got out of the hotel and headed to the mountain it was 9am. We stopped at 10 for cappuccino for a F--king hour!! Finally got to the mountain at 12 noon. I immediately jumped on a lift and left everyone who hadn't skied before behind. Never came down to the base again till they were closing the mountain at 4 pm. The next year my 2 sons and I went on our own. Much better. Didn't waste a minute on a stupid coffee.
that’s crazy! i literally had a nightmare last week where i got to the lift at 12pm lol
Closed at 4pm? Ruka Finland has night skiing to 7 in week and 11 weekends.
Once I get my "ski legs" (3-4 days), I NEVER stop, for ANY reason. Usually, l'm within the first 5 chairs leaving the base area, ski fast, move around to avoid the busiest chairs, and rarely ski past 12. But regularly get in 15K of vertical in those 3 hours. The upper mountain gets WAY too crowded after about 10:30, so it boggles my mind to see people heading into the mid-mountain lodges about that time. After they've made maybe 2 runs. It will only be worse when they finally get back on the hill. To maximize your experience at most busy resorts these days, you need to get there early, ski nonstop, and head home before every chair has a line. If I can do it at age 70 (with 2 knee replacements), anybody can.
Best thing you can do is go to the smaller to medium sized resorts. Usually not as busy and lift tickets are significantly more affordable. It doesn’t matter how much terrain a mountain has if it’s so packed you only get a few runs in and spend most of your day waiting in lines.
June, Brighton, Monarch etc. Yep I'm with you. Love the small places. Even without the detachable lifts, you can still get more slope time.
Definitely true for weekends and holidays. Everytime I go midweek I basically never wait in a line. Maybe at a super popular lift or something but the rest of the mountain is usually empty once you get there.
@@Drwexter yeah I went to Jackson hole earlier this month and was able to lap the lifts with no lines all day. Guess I picked a good day to go. It’s always better to avoid weekends and holidays if you can at any resort
Schweitzer, Mission Ridge, Si Santa Fe 😉
Sundance has quickly become my favorite resort this year for this very reason
These voice overs have gotten significantly more enthusiastic since the beginning of this channel!
All thanks to our very enthusiastic audience!
@@PeakRankingsWell yeah, you deliver very high quality videos - higher quality than the ski resorts themselves!
Live in the South of Germany. If the sky is blue on waking up, I fill up the tank, drive south for an hour and €40 gets me my ski pass for the day. US lift passes seem crazy expensive.
thats what i am saying. in greece 17 euros get you a day pass for the whole mountain
Ive lived in Colorado for 35 years now. April is a great month to ski. Most of the spring breaks are over, the whole mountain is generally still open, and we get a healthy dump of new fluff every week to ten days, sometimes deep into May. The worst weekend is usually MLK. If you go the week after Christmas, the 28th thru 1/1 are usually pretty good crowd-wise. The fly-in vacationers get "gassed" after 2-3 days, so it's only the hardcores after a few days of vaca. 1/1 used to be wide open, but the demographics have changed. There arent as many people staying up to welcome the New Year these days.
This is the kind of info that should be in the video!
@@MrZebanHai almost any midweek, non-holiday day during January and February are small crowds at the Front Range areas. Saturdays are the busiest, especially any of the intermediate and beginner areas of a given hill. I wouldn't recommend it for first timers or peeps that don't like crowds. It's a lot like Saturdays at the bigger areas in Vermont: 8, maybe 10, runs in a day. Sundays can be busy but are less hassle than Saturdays. In March, Saturdays get better cuz it's the changeover day for fly-ins. Midweek is much busier, especially MTW. If you happen to hit a good pow day, all of the above is subject to change😎
I was gonna take my kids during spring break , but prices are outrageous and to go further resorts it takes 6 or more hours, I don’t want to take chances with bad weather. Iam planning to go in the mid of April to copper mountain and breck. Do you think skiing will be ok at that time? I also will need to take lessons .
@tatyanasadykova6069 Assuming you're Front Range from your comments..... Loveland Valley. Especially on a weekday. Relatively low cost and an excellent progressively more difficult, but still easy. Magic carpet and two lifts. Everyone there is either a learner or someone teaching so no mixing of various skill levels and speeds. Eldora is also excellent for learners, but it's usually more crowded than Loveland and the snow doesn't stick around deep into April. Although with their latest 45"+ that might be different this year.
For me, having public transit to access the resorts is my top planning factor, and removes the stress of driving. That is why Summit County, CO (Breck, Keystone, A-Basin, and Copper) and North Lake Tahoe (Palisades Tahoe, Northstar, Homewood) are my top two major ski areas in the US that I frequently go b/c they actually have decent public transit to get out and about.
How’s palisades this year?
@@AaronAviion Don't know man, but it don't look promising so far this season. I usually wait by February.
I recall saying to a lifetime skiier that I didn't like paying $6 for a $.75 beer at apre ski. He very cleverly said, "you're only paying $.75 for the beer. You're also paying $5.45 for the atmosphere.
What's that math 💀
Wouldn't it be 5.25?
Somehow, I've avoided most of these....or I just didn't care (like I buy mid-mountain lunch for $30 and not worry about it).
That said, I'm buying clothing, passes, making reservations etc. from April to November. I usually have my skis waxed/tuned, gear checked, replacement pieces purchased, and travel plans confirmed for the season by Halloween.
My wife plans summer. I plan winter.
Is money not an issue for you? Not trying to be condescending just wondering
@@Qqqqql Well, money is kind of an issue, and during Covid I packed my lunch and avoided lodges, but I'd rather just spend the money and not carry lunch all day, and not go back down to the base on larger mountains. I choose where to spend and where to not spend. I mean, I drive a 7-year-old truck and 11-year-old car that are paid off, right? It's about choices.
@@andrewdiamond2697A lot of people will think you owning a 7 and an 11 year old truck/car as weird.
I swear when people think used cars they think about cars from the 90’s and 80’s. A car from 2010+ is going to be a good car.
My family ski/board every year - mainly in France.
We always rent a nice but small lodge and we self cater. There is no need for fancy accommodation when you are out all day every day on the slopes.
We pack a lunch to take onto the mountain - something super simple cheap like a fresh baguette with cheese and ham.
En route to the resort we will stop at a supermarket to stock up on supplies for the week because the shops at resort level are very expensive.
We take care of our gear and remind ourselves that there is no need to be rocking the latest designs in ski-wear. It's just a waste of money and resources.
One thing not mentioned is to investigate public transportation at the resort you are considering. Park City has an amazing bus system.....absolutely no need to drive to the mountain if you stay at a place near a bus stop. My group even split ubers to and from the ariport.
Vail valley is like that too. Can get busy , but is reliable and frequent.
If you're a person who likes to ski and doesn't care about the frills (fancy hotels, food, driving distance, etc.) skiing local is the way to go. I ski local central Sierra hills, and while they may not be as big or luxurious as Tahoe or Mammoth, you can get nearly the same snow quality and some beautiful scenery with nearly no lift lines and free parking. You can ski until your quads literally give out.
Enjoy it while you can. Mtn High now owns China Peak, Dodge Ridge, and Bear Valley. Ala MCP a decade ago.
I doubt that Cali Pass is going to decrease traffic...
@@Rockwood1407 I'm hoping that SoCal riders buy Ikon for mammoth and big bear and bay area riders buy Epic for Tahoe. Cali pass only makes sense if you live north of SoCal and south of Sacramento, which isn't the largest market for winter sports. We'll see!
@@josephstratemeier8619 agreed, maybe up until now? The central valley has enough population to rival... Most states.
It is certainly not the traditional skiing/*snowboarding* population. But have you seen big bear lately? Or Mtn high? Tbh Mammoth is even more diverse than it used to be.
I'm not saying it's a sure thing, but with some marketing and programs, CaliSkiCo has the footprint to develop a new market of skiers.
As of 2023, Reno is now the "happiest" city in the US, mostly due to its relative affordability and easy access to the outdoors and winter sports. 30 years ago it had a similar reputation to Fresno now.
Are Fresno/Bakersfield/all the medium cities in-between gonna be that? I'd doubt it anytime soon, but Yosemite is already a draw, it's close to Tahoe, Dodge and Big Bear in particular have pretty dedicated skier bases to begin with. I think it's feasible.
No 5 for sure!
Every time we stay in Squamish to ski in Whistler, we end up in a line up for about 2 hrs between Squamish and Whistler due to that stupid light at “function junction”! Drives me crazy
We stayed near Breckenridge for our last ski trip. It was the only way we could afford to take a party of 10 and stay in the same place. It was only 3 miles north. Yes, the roads were a bit slick because sometimes it would snow, but the roads were well salted and not too bad and relatively flat. It does help to rent an AWD or 4WD vehicle, or stay some place served by a shuttle service. For Spring Break, it was well under half in-town lodging and a fraction of the slope-side places.
We rented our equipment in Frisco (about 8 miles north) - that also was a huge savings compared to in-town ski rentals. The multi-day ski pass is a great idea - even better than getting the full pass or paying lift tickets.
Unless you're getting a pass, I would actually recommend going to smaller resorts instead of big-name places if you are just learning. I strongly recommend getting lessons. This sport is too expensive to not get lessons. Start with a half-day lesson in the morning so that leaves half a day to practice or just recover. Some places like Loveland Ski Area include rentals and lift tickets with the group lessons. Loveland Ski Area, Granby Ranch, and Ski Cooper are all great places for learning.
Summit county also has a great bus system to get between the mountains and where you're staying. It's free too!
@@JohnOravetz Shuttle works well if you rent your equipment near one of the bus stops or at one of the base areas. Many of the towns or resorts also have a bus system too. Also, there are several paid shuttle services that will carry you to/from the Denver airport - so you don't need to rent/drive a car if you don't want to.
@@JasonTaylor-po5xcthey don’t salt the roads there, lol.
@@xploration1437I was gonna say that is false lol
This channel is the best!!
End of Season is the best. Short sleeves and slonkin slush! Just make sure to get the RENTAL skis and flog them like a borrowed mule.
FYI, Jackson has some significant complimentary discounts for "Season Pass holders" of other resorts including ikon/epic holders with more than 10day passes - not sure if this is new but it's documented on their website.
Also, consider the buses available from your accommodations - for places like Jackson Hole or Lake Louise/Banff there are often dedicated free luxury ski buses to/from the ski hill from town as well as the nice public bus options- this is great 'cause you don't have to drive in stressful conditions.
Truer words never spoken about sliding down mountains. Great job and many thanks PR!
The modern skis turn so well, you need bigger and bigger hills to bring the thrills. Which comes with big bills. You can have more fun on a 300 ft rise, trying to survive on oldass Craigslist gear.
And if you're driving in Colorado, the Left Lane is the passing lane. Even if you're going the speed limit. Other people want to drive faster and risk getting a ticket, let them. Be courteous, be respectful, share the road.
If you can stay ski in and out and don’t have rent a car you’re cutting out a lot of stressful variables. And don’t ride on weekends. Ever. Also. In NA. Early December and april there will be no lift lines
The off slope activities didn’t mean much to my buddies and I because we would ride hard all day (no lunch stop) beer after riding, hot tub if the rental has one and crash hard. We’ve done several Cat/Heli trips and it’s the same thing there, the Cat trips we rode til dark (15-18 runs), also the trips we took were later in the season (March) with no complaints
Breck is my favorite. Cool town and doesn't have a highway going through it like Vail.
I'll make it easy: just come to Europe. Less lines, better infrastructure, bigger resorts, better food, better views, better après ski, cheaper day pass, more diversity, better culture and prettier resorts.
All true but you left out one important variable, snow quality. North America has europe beat in that. I’ve schlepped over to the alps three times to go skiing and they were memorable trips but logistically a headache. It’s so much easier to just get in the car and drive a few hours to a big North American resort. It helps that I already live in the western US.
Why, when you can go to SunValley Idaho
No thanks
@@dhowe5180In Sweden the snow is amazing honestly best I’ve skied ever, as someone who only skis in America the snow there is so much worse than in Sweden
@@TP-vu3tc $240 per day no thanks. Almost $900 for a day with my kids.
If the ski resort is so fare away that you need to get a flight, just fly to Austria. Epic pass works there (Arlbrerg) and its cheaper, better, and more modern than NA resorts. Btw. 180km ski routs, with lifts
Austria is great in most regards except for snow quality. Snow is better in North America (western part)
Flights to Austria from ny are 600$+ .
I have flown within north America every year for less than 300$ including NY to Sun valley for 185$. (This includes Whistler, Tahoe and sLC and Denver) If you already have your ski pass europe is not cheaper. I've tried to make it happen many times. If you're going for Strictly the least expensive trip I don't think you're going to get it in europe.
Show me a five day trip from new york to austria for less than a thousand dollars. I do it all the time in north america. And there's more and better snow. I'd love to ski europe. But I have yet to find it to be less expensive than europe. Italy can get close in price. Austria and Switzerland not so much. Also traveling to europe requires at least two extra travel days. Which ads expense. If you fly into salt lake city you can be skiing the same day. No wasted travel time.
I’m not planning a ski trip, but this whole video gave me anxiety like I was. 😂😂
This is a great video! I feel like I could add paragraphs to each point, but I’ll pick a few.
You should buy high quality leather gloves and waterproof them. You can get the pair every patroller uses for $30 with single use waterproofing included, and the wax to reapply costs $9. “Ski gloves” will run you a lot more than that, wear out, and they’re much more difficult to reapply waterproofing to. Get the yellow leather ones, wear them until they are dirt brown, and don’t ever think about it again.
Tires are the most important thing to good winter driving. Rental cars will have crap tires, unless they explicitly state they have MS rated snow tires. Be honest about your skills. Think about buying chains or just using a shuttle. It could literally save your life. The most dangerous part of a ski day by far is getting to the mountain.
We are lucky, one of the big chains tried to buy our local 1500 acre ski area, nope. 3 local business men bought the resort and kept all the same managment in place. They only sell a limited amount of tickets per day to limit lines and crowding.
Which resort is it?
10:49 that's bringing back memories of a night I won't forget.
Glad I went to many great resorts before they became overpriced and overrun. There still some smaller areas with slow fixed chairlifts that have reasonable day ticket prices and no traffic and lines.
Do you know any in WA?
I think the biggest mistake destination skiers make these days is not exploring pass or advance ticket options. For example in April a Keystone season pass was in the neighborhood of $360. If I go online and book the standard 7 day advance purchase 5 day lift ticket for a hypothetical spring break trip it’s about $1020. That’s about the cheapest example at a Vail mountain as the Keystone pass is dirt cheap (but with blackout dates). But Epic local at $679 with 10 days at Vail is way cheaper than a 5 day lift ticket at Vail as long you can avoid the blackout dates. A few years ago I rode the lift at Keystone with a guy that was complaining about the cost of lift tickets. Every day he bought a ticket and paid window price. Vail definitely price’s their lift tickets to incentivize pre season tickets or passes and they don’t hide it. If you go online today it will show you the savings with epic day vs. a standard lift ticket.
After 15 years of skiing the Loveland and ski cooper, we did keystone plus pass which was the $360.
We have a kid that does adaptive ski so this was main reason why.
In my prior years at keystone I would always ski do to river run. Which is a complete nightmare. Now I’m older so I use my brain and just hit it hard in the Outback and then gondola back. Seems so much safer and enjoyable
No comment on general fitness ?
This whole video makes me want to find another winter activity...
Yeah…you should do that
In the 1970's it was expensive to ski, the equipment, the tickets, the travel, the lodging, food, drink, nowadays a family vacation will be big money, it's a shame because skiing is an incredible experience.
Wake up, new PeakRankings video dropped
Yep
It’s cheaper to book a week long ski trip to Europe then ski in the States for the same amount of time 😂 just make sure to avoid Switzerland lol
Altitude got me last year.
I was struggling the whole trip without even realizing what was going on...
Whistler/Blackcomb if anyone is curious.
You should definitely go to smaller resorts we went to bachelor and there was some powder falling and we did three runs in a whole day
Go support your small local resorts. You're not going to miss those long lines for shorter runs (When you get more of them) - just only tell your closest friends because that will be the next one to get crammed.
As for lift tickets: In Europe, they cost only a third of US rates on average.
Solid content! 🎿
Doesnt mention variable weather. Who wants to lock everything in months in advance to get to a place that's in a snow drought. Either try to go to a most snow sure place, or wing it last minute when you know how conditions are, compromising a little on lodging, price or better yet, going to a non- big name resort
legit freaking video!!!!!!! I learned a lot!🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
I love the mid-size resort option, and there are a few real gems in BC. I would much rather ski a less crowded, smaller mountain.
Great posting!
Please post about bc. I have an epic pass and cypress pass. Hate the lines
@alihumair8880 I'm no expert! We ski at Apex near Penticton and there's a cool place down 75 km the road called Mt Baldy I'm going to check out this year. Super chill, tons of snow, super manageable/sometimes non-existent lift lines.
Don't tell anybody!!
went to utah this last past may and got to ride snowbird solitude brighton and park city and even got a half foot pow day at snowbird.and it was all untouched and no crowds i really lucked out,the year prior my last dday of the season over a foot of pow at snowbird i got hit by a skier traversing and ended my trip early,messedmy wrist up and wasent worth getting hurt any more.
They were closing little cottonwood canyon for days, almost after every snowfall last spring for avalanche mitigation. So you got really lucky last spring. I wanted to get up there myself, but couldn’t. 😕
Take the lessons at a smaller cheaper resort near your hometown (if there are any of course) then venture out west. Don’t abuse alcohol at high altitude. Avoid weekends and especially long weekends.
I’m paying 100 euros for 3 day ski pass in Poland, plus 120 euros for 3 days rental of clothes and ski equipment. And 125 euros for 3 days in a hotel 4 stars. Probably you’re gonna pay the say amount to go to Europe skiing and meeting another country.
Thanks for all the tips -- too bad Vail Resorts won't hire you as their key consultant to fix the mismanagement of their resorts. Your guidance could return Vail-operated mountains back to a fun place to ski, and isn't that the only point of going to a ski resort?
You are not limited to US or the Alps. Some ski resorts in the Balkans, Caucasus Mountains in Georgia, or Russia offer ski passes and accommodation as low as $20 per day.
This channel is so underrated
I’d add a couple more tips based in my 49 years of skiing. Spend $ on leather ski gloves. Your hands will thank you as they stay toasty and dry. I’ve been using leather racing gloves for years (with knuckle protection) and they’re great.
Get your ski boots custom fitted including custom footbeds. It costs about $300-400 and you might have to travel somewhere to get it done but you’ll notice the difference immediately. You can buy the best skis but if your skeleton and muscles aren’t signaling to the skis because of poorly fitted boots then the ski investment is wasted.
I disagree about taking lessons at a cheap resort. You’ll likely get a less experienced instructor and won’t learn as fast. It costs an arm and a leg but a private lesson at a big destination resort will get you started so much faster if you’re a beginner. Telluride has the best beginner terrain IMO - just take a large trash bag filled with money if you go
When it comes to booking a ski trip there's a lot that can go wrong. Like booking the ski trip.
i upgraded to AT bindings/splitboards. no more lift tickets and more physical training baby!
i'm european and american ski pass are expensive as hell, here in the alps, it's max 30$ a day
Ridiculous! In the alps you pay just 70 Euro per day (max), the resorts are at least twice as big as in the US, the lifts are the most modern in the world and you never have to wait in long lines more then 3 min.
The video looks like beeing from the dark age.
Intermediate/advanced metro area skier here, usually drive up to Vt/Daks and have been out west twice in different capacities. Pc/Canyons with a big family group and Breck/Key/Vail with a smaller group of friends. I know trips are expensive but you kinda just gotta accept it and try to be smart along the way. That being said im inching closer and closer to constructing a solo or duo trip somewhere out west but like you said doing so can be daunting. This video rocks, along with your others haha.
Thank you! If you’re looking to save some money, consider staying in a hostel when you go out west
why are your chairlifts so out of date? And your prices so high? Im from Europe, and im used to skiing in Austria and France.
We rarely see these old chairlifts, that are seen in this video all the time, in our big ski resorts (only sometimes still a few in the very outskirts of the domain...) but most chairlifts have at least a cover against the wint and snow. a lot have also very soft padded seats, and some even heated seats.
And we don't pay 200$ a day, for 200$ you'll be around a 3day pass.
Great video!
This guy is the G.O.A.T
Awesome videos
You should do a video of lift lines to avoid at certain resorts like at Breckenridge staying away from peak 8 on weekends
Hey I live in Vermont and I would love to see a rating on Magic mountain a classic it is similar to Mad River Glen in many ways with the best wood skiing in southern Vermont.
Pretty shocking to see some of the lineups shown in this footage here! Looks almost like a theme park at times. Definitely smart to plan ahead to avoid those situations!
Thanks for posting reminder videos of yankee lines on ski resorts, we were planning on maybe Colorado but I think we will stay on the powder highway B.C. again this year
So just like everything else these days - they make it so GD complicated. Here was the process on how a once 17 yr old rookie snowboarder in 1988 from NJ made a trip to Jackson Hole for a week;
I saw the home movie "This Is Snowboarding With Team Sims" & see the best & highest powder field ever. At the bottom of the screen it says "Jackson Hole". WTH is Jackson Hole? I figure it out and then contact the resort for an information packet to get mailed to me. I choose a package that gives me a slope side room & a 5 day lift ticket. Then I go to a travel agent & buy round trip airfare to Jackson Hole where there is a shuttle bus taking skiers & boarders to the resort. For the next 5 days I ride the mountain from top to bottom & have the time of my life 12 months after I first strapped on a board at an ant hill of a "mountain" in PA.
NONE of what is mentioned in this video was even a thought or something to be concerned over. If this is what it takes nowadays to go to a resort destination - no thank you. You can keep it. Too complex & takes the fun & spontaneousness out of it. For me all that matters is that there is snow - any amount (because it's going to better out west 100% of the time then here on the east coast), someplace to sleep/take a shower & thats it. I don't care about activities/social life/bars when on a trip. I can do that here at home.
But seriously, if someone who has never went on a ski trip is really trying to do the calculus that this video is recommending - they're never going to go. Making something that is not hard & making it overly complicated IMO.
Heck if tickets are 200 bucks a day, consider Europe. 60 bucks/day for top notch resorts. Cheaper if you book an entire week.
Accommodation is also cheaper.
Probably makes up the f difference for the plane tickets.
ahh gotta love maine, we dont have these issues with our ski resorts.
SunValley Idaho.
1st class skiing without all the lift lines. Expensive, but you're going to be skiing
My dumbass dropped/lost my mitts walking out of the lodge:
Came back found them placed on the rope.
Faith in humanity sustained
I haven't skied on a weekend in 12 years. Weekdays are the way to go.
damn there's a sick tele skier at 1:26
Love snowboarding! But i hate all the people and crowded mountains. Don't live out west anymore. If i did still live out west. I'd be strictly back country! Get deep out there where hopefully most people wouldn't go...but, I've gotten into skydiving and the skies aren't crowded!
Avoiding resorts that support the Ikon and Epic pass is a start!
Why does anybody go skiing in the US of A? Greeting from Switzerland, where Vail just bought two resorts (well, there actually aren't any resorts in Europe, but they bought the lift systems.) We'll see how that goes
If you want the best sking for bucks resorts, goto Big White or Silverstar
Yup, BC is the biggest bang for the buck. Just hard to get to unless you live in the PNW
Pls do stratton mountain review. Its my home mountain and I want to see how it does
whats the best time to ski in the us ? I had the chance to ski in veil last year during christmas (im from germany) the skiing was great and and the atmosphere everything was amazing although very different from the alps but anyways. the only problem that really took away from the trip for me was the amount of people on the slopes and the lift lines. it was ridiculous I had never seen anything like this in my life. is it usually crowdy in the us resorts ? or would my experience be vastly different if I would go skiing there during like a normal week in january.
Ski Vail, Breck or generally most US resorts January or late March April. Stay away from weekends, Feb and most of March.
Late March and early April rock. You’ll get good weather and less crowds especially mid week. And if you’re lucky a powder day or two. I never ski before March 15
@@dhowe5180 last couple of years we've been skiing Breck around that time and had good snow with even some small snow storms. Early April can be some really good snow.
Was just talking about that yesterday, ski season is different in USA than EU, we can usually ski lot later into the season. Did Bachelor May 28 last year!
did you mention , show up in good physical condition... get in shape , start at least 2 months before trip..
This video is quite accurate 👍
" Extortion level prices " . That's what is up with the industry as a whole .
I'm thinking about taking a season off. its not an easy desicion but my wallet could use a break, been indyikon and epic pass holder two years in a row and epic and ikon the last 5. I still have my splitboard i never got to use last year. when i got to mount washingtion in decenber it was raining. may just do some backcountry riding this year.
Just go to Great Divide in Helena, M.T.
Man I stalled on buying the Loveland pass and it cost me an extra $200 dollars. 🤦🏽♂️ definitely buy all passes preseason
Love my apple pie MetRX meal bars for mountain snacks
So, everything matters and putting in the effort is always worth it to save more money.
Some ski resorts Are big But Share The same ski path As little ones😄
I can't believe how much people in the US have to pay for lift passes. I go to Austria every year, the most I would pay for a lift pass would be about 65 euros per day. The hotels and food there are excellent, the Apres is the best there is. For me Austria even beats France and Switzerland
Basically, stay away from most of the Rockies , and go only during weekdays, even in the East.
Nope this guy is wrong about the second part of # 7, don’t come here in the spring, it’s terrible, after the spring break season ends, mid to later March, it’s just terrible, not worth it, just come the following season instead, you’ll be disappointed that you didn’t come during peak season. Stay away in the spring.
💯 so true, just come the 2nd or 3rd week of March and make sure it's on the weekend, spring is just corn snow you'll hate it don't try it
3:08 seeing my old home hurts 😢
Were those driving shots in the cottonwoods? 8:53 is the dream
Some of the shots were in the Cottonwoods, but 8:53 is actually in Tahoe!
East Coast skiing is way underrated. Yes, the areas are smaller, but Sugar Mountain, Beech, and Snowshoe in the Southeast are comparable to western skiing. Except for maybe Snowshoe, everything is much cheaper. The highest area is Beech Mountain in North Carolina at 5k feet, so altitude isn't a problem at all. Parking is free, and I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes in any lift line. The NC areas have great lodging and restaurants at good prices.
Plan your trip at least 6 months before going. Best deals and buy pass at the end of the present season
Now I start worrying what lunch I could get during the day. Seems not many choices there with low quality and high price.
13:52 for me, I'm always WAY too hot. even when I'm cold, I'm hot. I envy you guys who are always cold because you can just run around and warm up. I get sweaty!
And all these reasons are why I ski 100% at my local independently owned ski hill.
what is a "destination vacation"? Or "destination resorts"?? Like... Why put destination in front of everything? Is it like Garlic Aioli? Adding an obvious word to something that already has this word implied in it's meaning?
Let’s be honest. Skiing is a decadent, ridiculous hobby filled with difficulties. And it’s great.