I was all set to make my hopefully traditional annual "big" trip be a trip to New England. Planned to ski Sugarloaf, Saddleback, Cannon, and Wildcat. I figured, with the price of fuel/airfare/everything, it would save me a ton. I could drive up (cheaper than flying!) and save on a rental car, maybe crash at a friend's place for a few nights, the whole deal.

Now I'm looking at airfares, and I can get tickets to Denver in February for $150-ish, SLC for $200-ish, and I'm thinking "that's almost what it would cost to drive" (figuring 2 people to split gas, and 2 people to buy airfare for).

Anyone else finding it might actually be cheaper to travel west than north this season? I'll have to admit, I'm not TOO disappointed with the prospect of skiing Utah, but I was kind of looking forward to the old time New England skiing, too...


aaron

Sometimes it really doesn't cost more to go out west. Heck, I've spent more money staying at Snowshoe sometimes.

SLC can be done pretty cheap if you stay down in the valley. There are numerous world-class resorts within 30-45 minutes drive.

I usually take stock of the snow conditions and then decide where to go.

The obvious answer is do both. I am only half kidding. I booked the west trip but you know how it goes ... Anyone up for the car trip north ?

cheapest way to do Utah is this.

take 2 months of work(april and may) find a place to stay in sandy for 400 bucks a month!! get a snowbird season pass for 299. ski everyday in april and may.

if you did one month it would cost roughly 1300 bucks including driving out there.

I still have a Vermont road trip in my head that I have been planning for years. I want to revisit my old home base at Sugarbush, then ski MRG, Stowe, Smuggs, and Jay. It never seems to work out. Last year, gas was so expensive I flew to Alta.

Airfares West are real low right now. I found air to Reno for $142, SLC, $200, Denver, $200 and the best...right into Hayden for $250. That's unreal.

Jet Blue to freaking Burlington is $250.

Eyeing up the Hayden flight and the Rabbit Ears Motel at $99/night. I love the Boat.

Taylormatt -- Were these fares out of Pittsburgh?? I started checking some fares on priceline for a possible trip and didn't find anything nearly this good.

Funny story though--- a neighbor of mine got a great fare to SLC, available for one week only in January, and grabbed it. Turns out it's Sundance week and everything they saved on airfare they're losing on lodging and then some!

Yep, PGH. I was cruising around on orbitz and the airline sites directly for mid January.

Oh, come on out to Park City anyway. I'll be there with the family Sundance week. If you need it, I'm sure I can talk my mom and step-dad into letting the couch out for cheap (read: free).

I won't be solo, but thanks for the offer.

It's always been my point that its about the same price (after plane, lodge, food, etc.) to ski the icy cold north than the west. So, yea, i would go out west.

My opinion? Go to either Vail in colorado, or if you want some great snow, go to Utah, hit up the canyons, maybe some deer valley (if you know where you are going to find the good/expert terrain), and then spend the rest of your trip in little cottonwood canyons at alta/snowbird (greatest of the greatest snow on earth).

What baggage fees are included? Unless you are talking Southwest, isn't it 2 checked bags = $80 round trip for checking gear? Has there been any recent change in the fees?

Speaking of Southwest, you got March plans yet?

Quite a few.

First week of March, staying in SLC with the Jimmy gang. Have the hotel booked, looking for the right airfare. I may stay an extra five days by myself in SLC to get in some extra turns. I have a family event in Boston that Saturday (13th), so I may fly back, drive up to Beantown, then continue up to NH/VT the week of the 16th. Could be three straight weeks off, mostly spent skiing.

Where you two thinking of flying to?

Send me an email. I also need to get some gear info from you.

Send me a PM whne you come down, woudl love to try to meet up again. I won't be hurt this year!!! I hope.

I barely missed the jimmy gang last year, but will probably be at Alta again this year close to the first week of March, with my wife. We're batting around some tentative dates right now. I'll buy a round of beers at the GMD if you guys are around!

Well, I pulled the trigger. First trip to Utah now officially scheduled for Feb 28 - Mar 7. We'll be staying somewhere in town (with a stove/kitchen), and doing the super pass for 5-6 days of skiing (planning on 5, we'll do 6 if our legs will handle it). $240 r/t from Dulles on American Airlines. We just missed an even cheaper fare because we had to make sure our work schedules would be OK for us to go... Still $240's not so bad.

Our first two trips west (to Colorado), we found that 3 days in a row was enough to wear us out, and that the 4th day was a bit ugly. Instead of forcing it, we took the 4th day off (last year we went snowshoeing). I'm hoping that we'll be better prepared this year, though, and better conditioned for day after day of skiing.

It sounds like DC Ski will have quite a contingent out there the first week in March. We could have a DC Ski Western Conference!


aaron

I just booked airline tickets for our first family trip to Beaver Creek. We will fly AA to Vail for $181 per person. I then found out that AA charges $15 for the first bag, and $100 for oversize bag. So we probably will end up renting skis.

Has anyone shipped the skis to the resort?

I guess I'll also try to get to Utah the first week in March. Should be great fun. Where is the "jimmy" group staying?
The Colonel

So is this officially a DCski gathering?