Skiing in the east -- then the west -- then the east again.

[ski diva]

Many of us in the east long to move out west, where the skiing is bigger, the mountains steeper, and the snow deeper. And some of us, even here on the forum, have gone ahead and done it.

I just finished reading an interesting article in Skiing about eastern skiers who moved west and then came back east, so I thought I'd share. For the record, I think that both eastern and western skiing have a lot to offer -- one doesn't necessarily trump the other. Hey, it's skiing -- it's all good.

Go here: https://www.skimag.com/skiing/articles/back-east

 

[snow addict]

Interesting read, though it's Jackie Paaso, not Passo. She is a former FWT women's champion.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Love this quote:
"There’s something to be said for the psychology of being appreciative, about being stoked when it snows instead of disappointed when it doesn’t. Maybe that’s part of what East Coast skiing teaches you. When it sucks, it sucks, but you go anyway... And when it’s good, it’s really good, and you are hyperaware of it."

But disagree with this one:
"Almost no one moves to New England for the mountains..."
In conjunction with a good career move? Win-win.

 

[Christy]

Scale is a real thing. So is snowfall. But there’s something to be said for a sense of place.

There's a LOT to be said for sense of place! Where you are at home, where your people (and I don't mean your family, necessarily) are. It doesn't seem weird to me at all someone would move back home to New England.

 

[Soujan]

I am considering moving out West after I retire. Makes me wonder if I will miss skiing the East.

 

[Jilly]

Last fall a friend and I were discussing ski trips. He had decided that there was just as good skiing in New England. He could drive it in a day and not have to worry about baggage allowances etc. I've got to say that Sugarloaf is not bad at all too!

There are plenty of smaller ski areas in Quebec. There are 4-5 resorts just outside of Montreal that cater to that same race night, ski club type of skier. They have fun and isn't that what it's all about!

 

[marzNC]

While I've been having a good time sampling northeast skiing, if I were to move somewhere to be closer to ski areas, it wouldn't be to the northeast. Mostly because it's generally colder than the places I ski out west. Plus, I really do enjoy skiing soft snow and that's easier to find out west.

 

[bounceswoosh]

I skimmed this. I came from the east coast to Colorado, and no, I am not constantly miserable because "it could have been better." Maybe she just needed better ski buddies to appreciate what the west has to offer ...

 

[snow addict]

It sounds like people who moved back East did so because skiing stopped being a priority and then they justified their decision from the point of view of skiing too but it wasn't the reason they moved back.

 

[Christy]

I can also see where someone might have overly high expectations of the West. A lot of people talk as if it's nothing but powder days and as we all know, that isn't even remotely the case.

 

[RachelV]

Like everything else, it's complicated. There's a lot more to being in the right place than mountains (unbelievable, right? ;) ).

My family is not even especially close and that was one of the things that really gave me a hard time when I was deciding to move out here. If you have especially strong ties to the area where you grew up, for whatever reason, it must be really hard to leave long-term.

And, you know, east coast skiing is ok. It really does make you appreciate every possible condition, that's for sure.

 

[sibhusky]

There is no way I'd move back East. There are two things I miss: red leaves on the fall and a decent deli.

We had a bad season last year, but every time I was feeling grumpy about it, I'd tell myself that this bad day was better than the best day at Camelback. Now, maybe it wasn't as good as the best day at Stowe, but I've had some best day in lifetime days here.

And my taxes are way lower.

 

[ski diva]

I am definitely an east coast person. I love Vermont in every season. Plus my daughter and her family are in the east, too, and to me, that tips the scales entirely.

I think I'd be okay staying out west for a month or so during the winter, but that's about it. I actually enjoy skiing in the east, so I'm okay with it.

What it all boils down to is your personal situation and preferences. You just have to do what works for you.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I spent many years snowboarding out west and love it. I live in the Northeast now and I've learned to love our trails. At first it was an adjustment coming from the west. However, I am fully adjusted now and just love digging those edges in on a icy/hard pack day. I do heart Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine so I think I'd live in any one of those places if given the chance. However, I have deep love for California, Utah and Colorado. I also have deep love for Montana, Wyoming and Idaho even though I've never been. Hell I love the entire western half of the United States lol. The northeast allows me the opportunity to ski for 6 months out of the year and has fueled my love of skiing. A powder day is lovely but frankly I just love to ski so as long as the trail is white I am good. I also have a nice life so don't get me wrong but I'd love to call my home out west again one day.

 

[marzNC]

What would make it that much easier to be a ski nut living in the southeast is if there were more direct flights to airports in the Rockies close to places I want to ski more often. Denver is pretty much the only major airport that doesn't require changing planes at least once.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

There's a LOT to be said for sense of place! Where you are at home, where your people (and I don't mean your family, necessarily) are.

How many resorts that you know of send e-mail subscribers this kind of link (to a "thank you" video) at the end of a season? At the end of video, what's really the best aspect, to them? All interviewed say the same: "It's the people."

 

[RachelV]

How many resorts that you know of send e-mail subscribers this kind of link (to a "thank you" video) at the end of a season? At the end of video, what's really the best aspect, to them? All interviewed say the same: "It's the people."

I see Sugarloaf stickers in random places out here, even! Street signs and such, not just on chairs at resorts.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

I see Sugarloaf stickers in random places out here, even! Street signs and such, not just on chairs at resorts.

Oh yeah, it's a "cult" thing.
The stickers are seen all over the world. My son put one in a cafe window (with explicit permission) in Bariloche, Argentina, several years ago.
The sticker even has its own website:
https://www.sugarloaf.com/blueroom/sugarloafsticker
Apparently it's one of the more recognized logos.

 

[climbingbetty]

I just read that article last night. I liked it. I've struggled (and continue to) with the East/West thing. I really long for 'bigger,' craggier mountains- stuff that involves ski mountaineering. I want to be using my crampons and ice axes to climb up something while my skis are A-framed on my pack... That's the dream anyway.

There's not a lot of that terrain here. Seems like most of it is out West. But how much would I actually go out and do it??? I'm not a professional ski bum. I'm a weekend warrior at best. Its really hard to chase the best storms and weather windows when you don't exactly have a flexible schedule.

I think part of the problem too was a 'friend' I had. Grew up in VT, moved to the the Wasatch. This person would 'tease me' about living in the wrong place. Let's just say, we don't talk anymore (for other reason not related to snow or skiing) and last winter, I secretly laughed many times when we would get another dumping here and UT hadn't had snow for weeks...

But I learned from that. The snow is always better somewhere other than where you are. The ephemeral nature of snow, or powder, even winter itself, puts everyone into 'scarcity mindset.' The problem with that is that when you focus on what you don't have, you miss out on how good you do have it. That's what I took the article to meant. We East Coasters are perhaps a little better at the later. Or maybe not. Maybe that's a gross generality.

Drew Pogge also wrote a great article about this in the most recent issue of Backcountry Magazine titled "Online Envy" that also hit on this topic and summed it up pretty well, I think. If I find the link to that, I'll post it.

 

[Liquid Yellow]

@climbingbetty sounds like you need a trip to La Grave in the French Alps!!

I'm jealous of all you Divas who live East OR West, you can drive to a ski hill within a few hours; for me, it always involves a flight!