Where to go??

[skigirl72]

My local ski club is doing 4 trips this season, and I want to go on one, but I've never been to any of these places so I'm having a hard time choosing! Here are the options:

Mammoth, mid-January
Beaver Creek & Vail, late January
Banff, late February
Killington mid-March

My priorities are:
1. good runs for my level - I'm a solid blue skier right now, so lots of fun blue runs and if there are some good blue/black or easy blacks I can definitely see myself venturing out on those toward the end of the week. Great tree runs, double blacks, etc. are not important to me because I'm just not there yet.

2. A good base area with options for food & refreshments (some options on the mountain would be nice too but not essential) and a good nightlife/ restaurants etc. in town for dinner. I'll be going with my boyfriend, and we'd like to be able to go out at least once or twice.

So where should I go and why? Love to hear about anything else that makes one or another of these resorts unique or the place to be. Thank you much in advance!!

 

[Jilly]

Banff is a town. The ski areas are not there. So if you're looking for Ski in or out that is not the place. But it's beautiful. And you'll get more bang for your greenback with the exchange. Shuttles are good.

 

[ski diva]

I live in Vermont and I love it, but if I had the choice of going to Killington or one of those other places, I'd throw Killington under the bus.

Of the three you've mentioned, I've only been to Vail/Beaver Creek, and you could have a heck of a lot of fun there. That said, Diva West will be at Mammoth this year, and it gets a lot of love from a lot of people. I'm super excited about going there.

What's your budget? That might help you decide.

 

[newboots]

My priority would be the scenery, and I've ALWAYS wanted to go to Banff (long before I knew how to ski). Known for the incredible views. If your priority is nightlife, Killington is a good choice - there are bars all over the mountain and lots more on the mountain access road.

I can't offer any comments on the other areas. So great you're going on a trip to ski!

 

[Christy]

I'll just speak to BC--there is a lot for your ability. Sometimes I feel like a terminal intermediate and BC makes me feel like a GREAT skier--it is very ego boosting. I've been to Vail a number of times but not skied there, but it's known for having plenty of intermediate terrain. But in terms of a good base area, it depends on how you feel about purpose built resorts. If you like them you'll be fine. If you prefer a real town, you might not. I will say the free champagne and free cookies at the BC base is a nice touch (the ladies with cookies even come way out onto the snow to make sure you get one without taking your skis off. Not so with the champagne) and did help me forget that I much prefer a real town like Telluride to a resort development. These are pretty pricey areas--not sure if that matters. The scenery doesn't hold a candle to Banff or, I suspect, Mammoth, but that might not matter.

 

[Jilly]

paging @Albertan ski girl for some input.

 

[alison wong]

Never been to Vail and Mammoth, so I won't be able to comment on them. However, I have been to K'ton and Banff.
I would vote for Banff in a heart beat. As @Jilly said, you get better value for the $$ because of favorable exchange rate.

As @newboots mentioned, scenery in Banff is stunningly beautiful. Snow condition is excellent (& reliable) in Sunshine Village (SSV) - you get champagne snow there. As for Lake Louise (LL), front side can get icy but the back side is always good. Skiing in SSV is also ego boosting because the blues in SSV is very manageable, blacks are not intimidating.

For me, I feel SSV and LL offer the best of both worlds: excellent alpine skiing (above trees) as well as great tree lined skiing. I particularly love the tree lined skiing in SSV and LL, they are wide trails with lush pine trees on both sides. It is just impressive beyond words.

For base area, I am not sure what you consider as good.... so I am unable to comment on that. For the past 2 years I skied in SSV and LL, I packed my own lunch and I liked to sit at outdoor bench if sunny.

As for night life, Banff is great. There are plenty of eateries / bars along Banff avenue, as well as few fancy hotels you can check out: Fairmont Chateau LL hotel, Fairmont Banff Springs hotel, both offer good afternoon high tea. I heard Post Hotel is also good but I've never been there.

If you opt for something to do other than skiing: outdoor skating (in LL) and snowshoeing are good alternatives. Another recommendation people often mentioned was: Banff Upper Hot Springs in Banff town. You can easily do the hot spring in evening /night after skiing. As for skating and snowshoeing, I suppose you can do that as apres ski activities, if your legs are not too tired.

 

[marzNC]

My local ski club is doing 4 trips this season, and I want to go on one, but I've never been to any of these places so I'm having a hard time choosing! Here are the options:

Mammoth, mid-January
Beaver Creek & Vail, late January
Banff, late February
Killington mid-March

My priorities are:
1. good runs for my level - I'm a solid blue skier right now, so lots of fun blue runs and if there are some good blue/black or easy blacks I can definitely see myself venturing out on those toward the end of the week. Great tree runs, double blacks, etc. are not important to me because I'm just not there yet.

2. A good base area with options for food & refreshments (some options on the mountain would be nice too but not essential) and a good nightlife/ restaurants etc. in town for dinner. I'll be going with my boyfriend, and we'd like to be able to go out at least once or twice.

So where should I go and why? Love to hear about anything else that makes one or another of these resorts unique or the place to be. Thank you much in advance!!

You're in Charlotte, right? Since the ski club will set up all the lodging, I'd say BC/Vail or Banff. That's based on what I've read since I haven't skied those places. Have been to Banff during the summer though. Absolutely no point to fly to ski at Killington in March unless you have family to visit near there. The snow will be better in Jan-Feb at the other places.

Blue runs where? A black in NC is more like a blue at destination resorts.

Do you plan to ski locally? If so, then going to Banff in late Feb could be more fun because you have more time to work on technique before then.

What type of terrain does your BF like to ski?

 

[SallyCat]

Mammoth has a ton of blue options, including open intermediate bowls on the back side, which is a rare treat for progressing skiers. Mammoth Lakes is a great ski town, and the scenery is just spectacular.

Agree with SkiDiva, of the four options, I wouldn't even look at Killington.

 

[skigirl72]

Wow, lots of great feedback! I don't know if you guys are making it any easier to decide, but you're definitely getting me excited :D The BC and Mammoth trips are about the same price, with Banff slightly less. Killington is the cheapest, but I'm with all of you on taking that one off the table. I'm not saying budget isn't a concern, but the differences among the 3 are small enough that for my ONE big trip, I don't want budget to be the primary driving factor.

Banff is a town. The ski areas are not there.

Thanks for pointing that out, I didn't realize. I looked into the details a bit more and the Banff trip is to Lake Louise

'll just speak to BC--there is a lot for your ability. Sometimes I feel like a terminal intermediate and BC makes me feel like a GREAT skier--it is very ego boosting. I've been to Vail a number of times but not skied there, but it's known for having plenty of intermediate terrain. But in terms of a good base area, it depends on how you feel about purpose built resorts. If you like them you'll be fine. If you prefer a real town, you might not. I will say the free champagne and free cookies at the BC base is a nice touch (the ladies with cookies even come way out onto the snow to make sure you get one without taking your skis off. Not so with the champagne)

I love your description of intermediate terrain that makes you feel awesome, that's just what I want!
As for the base... food for thought. I don't think I have a real preference either way, and the cookies and champagne sound awesome

For me, I feel SSV and LL offer the best of both worlds: excellent alpine skiing (above trees) as well as great tree lined skiing. I particularly love the tree lined skiing in SSV and LL, they are wide trails with lush pine trees on both sides. It is just impressive beyond words.

Sounds amazing

As for night life, Banff is great. There are plenty of eateries / bars along Banff avenue, as well as few fancy hotels you can check out: Fairmont Chateau LL hotel, Fairmont Banff Springs hotel, both offer good afternoon high tea. I heard Post Hotel is also good but I've never been there.
Perfect

If you opt for something to do other than skiing: outdoor skating (in LL) and snowshoeing are good alternatives.

Now that's something I hadn't thought of, but a great point. On the longer trips I've done, I have thought that a day off from skiing would be good... and I love ice skating

You're in Charlotte, right? Since the ski club will set up all the lodging, I'd say BC/Vail or Banff.

Yep!

Blue runs where? A black in NC is more like a blue at destination resorts.

Blue runs at Copper, Winter Park and Steamboat... the only 3 places I've skied so far. I don't think I'm going to do more than one trip this season, so I will probably get to check out the NC mountains

What type of terrain does your BF like to ski?

I'm lucky - he's a better skier than me and can handle most anything on the mountain, but he prefers cruising around having fun on the blues with maybe just one or two black runs thrown in occasionally

Mammoth has a ton of blue options, including open intermediate bowls on the back side, which is a rare treat for progressing skiers. Mammoth Lakes is a great ski town, and the scenery is just spectacular.

Sweet!

 

[Jilly]

Unless your lift ticket is just Lake Louise (which I doubt) there are shuttles to all the resorts from the hotels. I'm heading to the ski show this weekend in Ottawa because my friend that works for Big 3 will be there. If you have any questions I can ask her then!!

 

[Jenny]

@vickie has been to at least three of those places, so maybe she can help, too.

DH and I have been to all but Killington, but we are boring and stay home at night so we can go to bed early - no real knowledge at all of the night life, anywhere! Once we eat dinner, we're pretty much done.

Mammoth - We were there late season, so most of the mountain was closed, and the village appeared to be deserted. Looking forward to being there this year when all is open so I can get another view of things. I'm drooling over the option of the bowls SallyCat mentioned. mustski and vickiK had talked them up before we went, too, but they weren't necessarily accessible at that time.

Vail/Beaver Creek - Loved Beaver Creek when I went, and was probably a blue skier at the time. Heck, I still don't always feel the need to ski blacks when I'm out west - depends on the day and my mood. Not so very fond of Vail. I think it's too big and spread out for me - takes a lot of time for me to figure out where I'm going and how to get there. Plus, I just like the ambiance at Beaver Creek so much more.

Banff - Liked it a lot when we went last year and we hope to get there again this year. Both LL and SSV were fun, but I can't fairly evaluate Lake Louise as I was having early season skiing issues and only stayed on a few runs and didn't love it. But that's on me. I didn't get to the fun stuff.

 

[marzNC]

Blue runs at Copper, Winter Park and Steamboat... the only 3 places I've skied so far. I don't think I'm going to do more than one trip this season, so I will probably get to check out the NC mountains

Ah, in that case from a skiing standpoint any of the destinations out west will be lots of fun.

If you can take a lesson or two in the NC mountains, that's a really good way to get the most out of the trip out west. Cataloochee can be good for warm up ski days. Any time you can make it to the slopes midweek or even Friday evening or Sunday evenings, they will be relatively empty. Also means a group lesson can end up a solo lesson. If you describe your experience well, should get an experienced instructor who knows how to help an intermediate learn a few things to improve fundamentals with practice.

 

[marzNC]

Someone on DCSki was asking about Vail/BC recently. Sounds like skiing at BC on weekends is a good choice when staying at Vail.

https://www.dcski.com/forum/90940

 

[Little Lightning]

Another question for Vail/BC is where are you flying into? Eagle/Vail or DIA? Since you've already skied Copper and Winter Park I'm guessing you're aware of the logistics of getting from DIA to Vail. Also, is there a day where you have the option of going to another Vail Resort like Breck or Keystone? Are you staying in Vail or BC? Either way you will have to bus from one to the other as they are not connected.

I too am not a Vail lover. It works if you know your way around, otherwise, you spend a lot of time on catwalks. That said, I do enjoy an area called Blue Sky Basin. Lots of variety for intermediates and less skiers. If it's a big powder day BC is the place to be as Vail can get crowded.

If flying in and out of DIA ski club buses generally stop at AppleJacks in Wheatridge. Stock up with food and adult beverages there as both Vail and VC are expensive.

 

[skigirl72]

Just realized Lake Louise is 40 minutes from the town of Banff... hmmm... that's definitely a negative for me. I have stayed 40 minutes from Copper with a rental car, across the street from Winter Park with shuttle service, and slopeside at Steamboat, and the convenience of the ski-in/ski-out was huge for me. The idea of a 40 minute shuttle ride gives me serious apprehension. I was leaning toward Banff, but that may be the decider right there. BF is no help, he says he will be happy anywhere and wants me to pick!

If you can take a lesson or two in the NC mountains, that's a really good way to get the most out of the trip out west. Cataloochee can be good for warm up ski days. Any time you can make it to the slopes midweek or even Friday evening or Sunday evenings, they will be relatively empty. Also means a group lesson can end up a solo lesson. If you describe your experience well, should get an experienced instructor who knows how to help an intermediate learn a few things to improve fundamentals with practice.

I definitely want to do this!

Another question for Vail/BC is where are you flying into? Eagle/Vail or DIA? Since you've already skied Copper and Winter Park I'm guessing you're aware of the logistics of getting from DIA to Vail.

The trip includes a shuttle to BC from DIA. Looked at flying into Eagle but it's literally 2.5-3x as expensive

Also, is there a day where you have the option of going to another Vail Resort like Breck or Keystone? Are you staying in Vail or BC? Either way you will have to bus from one to the other as they are not connected.

Yes, I believe the lift tickets are interchangeable among Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone. We may or may not take advantage of that, I guess depending on how we feel. We're probably going to do the 4-day pass with 6 days in CO just because we've found before that we need rest day every 2 or 3. I've been looking into what other activities are available at both for the off days

If flying in and out of DIA ski club buses generally stop at AppleJacks in Wheatridge. Stock up with food and adult beverages there as both Vail and VC are expensive.

Definitely good to know, thanks!

 

[santacruz skier]

I have been to all except Killington. I hesitated to answer because you want a ski town and close to the lifts. I would not consider Vail or Beaver Creek a ski town but they do have villages with lots of restaurants, bars, shops, galleries and accommodations are close to the lifts.

When I think of a real ski town I think of Steamboat, Telluride, Park City, Crested Butte, and yes Banff (but not close to the lifts).

That being said both Beaver Creek and Vail have great intermediate runs and many blacks that are groomed. As mentioned above, Vail has that whole area Blue Sky Basin that is really nice.

 

[Jenny]

Blue Sky Basin itself was great but it took us FOREVER to get back to it!

 

[santacruz skier]

Blue Sky Basin itself was great but it took us FOREVER to get back to it!

it was a trek, wasn't it? But I'm kind of used to that !

 

[Little Lightning]

Is the club providing shuttles to Vail and the other resorts or are you on your own? There is an Eagle County shuttle between Vail and BC.
Are you in BC or Avon? In Avon there is a gondola out of town to get to the base. In BC and Avon not all lodging is ski-in/ski-out but there are free shuttles to take you to the slopes. One year our former ski club stayed at a place in BC where they had to shuttle in the morning to get to the lifts but were able to ski back at the end of the day.
To get to Breck or Keystone it is approx. 40-50 minutes, depending on weather, over Vail Pass. There are no shuttles that I know of so the club would have to provide transportation.
The views at Vail/BC are quite different from Copper and Winter Park due to being at lower elevation. There are more deciduous trees than firs and pines. A different Colorado perspective.