Hi All:

I live near DC and have never been skiing outside of the mid-Atlantic, but would like to change that this season.  The most advanced trails I've ever skied are the two on Western Territory at Snowshoe.  I'd like to go somewhere with much longer runs and more variety. I'd like to take one, maybe two trips, preferably Feb 22-25 and/or March 21-26. I've read that conditions in Colorado and Utah haven't been good this season. I'm willing to book a trip on short notice to get good conditions. Any recommendations for where to go?

Thanks!

Vermont has been good and is a classic scene. History would suggest that CO will be good in March too.

Big Sky, MT has a lot of terrain at your skill level and supposedly has had decent snowfall this winter.  It would still probably be very good for your March dates.  They say Whistler-Blackcomb is also having a good season.  Jackson Hole is also supposedly doing pretty well, but it is an experts-oriented mtn.  Northern Rockies and Western Canada seem to be favored for snow this winter, but things could still change.  I just got back from ten days in Utah.  They are having a subpar snow season, but the intermediate groomers were fine at the places I visited; Snowbird, Alta and Park City.

Indeed more fun at a big mountain in the Rockies.  I'm biased towards Utah over Colorado.  Altitude is a factor for me.  Distance from the airport is another.

Have read a few reports from people who flew to SLC who are intermediates.  They had a very good time on the groomers at Park City, Solitude, or Alta.  From the pictures I've seen of Alta, conditions are similar to late season when the snowpack has already decreased from natural melt.  I would still consider Utah as an option in late Feb or late March.  Access is much easier for a last minute decision than going to Big Sky.  Have you heard of the SLC SuperPass?

While northeast skiing can be quite fun in good conditions, the switch from a powder day to frozen slopes can happen pretty fast.  I wouldn't bother to fly to VT from DC.  The groomers are longer out west.  Weekend lift lines in the northeast are generally longer than for the intermediate terrain out west.

Flying to Denver is easy and cheap.  Getting from DIA to a ski resort takes a bit more thought.  Not particularly difficult but need to take into account traffic on I-70.

Flying into Hayden to ski at Steamboat could be good fun.  This trip report for early Feb is by a woman from Boston who's been going to Steamboat for quite a few years.  She started as a cautious intermediate and likes to take private lessons.  Now she enjoys the Steamboat trees.

http://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/steamboat-feb-1-10.22464/

DCD_Ski wrote:

Hi All:

I live near DC and have never been skiing outside of the mid-Atlantic, but would like to change that this season.  The most advanced trails I've ever skied are the two on Western Territory at Snowshoe.  I'd like to go somewhere with much longer runs and more variety. I'd like to take one, maybe two trips, preferably Feb 22-25 and/or March 21-26. I've read that conditions in Colorado and Utah haven't been good this season. I'm willing to book a trip on short notice to get good conditions. Any recommendations for where to go?

Thanks!

Note that if you go anywhere Feb. 22-25 . . . you will want to go again in March. :-)

To get the most out of the experience, consider a group lesson on the second ski day.  If the ski resort has a free mountain tour, take it the first day.  Tours are on green/blue groomers.

DCD_Ski wrote:

Hi All:

I live near DC and have never been skiing outside of the mid-Atlantic, but would like to change that this season.  The most advanced trails I've ever skied are the two on Western Territory at Snowshoe.  I'd like to go somewhere with much longer runs and more variety. I'd like to take one, maybe two trips, preferably Feb 22-25 and/or March 21-26. I've read that conditions in Colorado and Utah haven't been good this season. I'm willing to book a trip on short notice to get good conditions. Any recommendations for where to go?

Thanks!

How do you do on Shay's and Cupp Run (the two runs you mentioned at Snowshoe)?   Can you ski them repeatedly confidently, and do you enjoy doing so?  If not, what runs are you most comfortable on / enjoy at Snowshoe?  

Jackson Hole has great expert terrain, but I think you could enjoy it as an intermediate.  I haven't been, but have heard great things about Blue Sky.

You can't beat Utah for ease, cost, and mountain quality.  You will likely pay less in lift tickets to ski there vs Colorado, and can get cheap lodging downtown, a short drive from the slopes.  If you're skiing groomed blues, you should be fine from a snow-perspective.  If you like a high end product, maybe try Deer Valley.  

You'll love Steamboat.  It's like the Western Territory times 50 plus a lot of moderate glades.  And they have had decent snow this year.

West is always best, but the East coast can be cheaper and closer. You can drive from DC to Southern VT in a day with out too much of an issue or hop a short Southwest flight to Albany or Manchester NH.

From Albany you have asscess to Killington in VT or head up to Whiteface in Lake Placid NY.

Out of Manchester, it is an easy drive to Sunday River Maine, any of the New Hampshire area as well as Vermont.

I have driven to Vermont from DC many times just go early to avoid traffic.      

Has anyone done a Vermont trip recently?  I'd like to go in the next coupld of weeks, but it looks they've been getting lots of rain recently (much like the Mid-atlantic).  Okemo and Stowe look to still have decent base depths.....any insights? 

Heelside wrote:

Has anyone done a Vermont trip recently?  I'd like to go in the next coupld of weeks, but it looks they've been getting lots of rain recently (much like the Mid-atlantic).  Okemo and Stowe look to still have decent base depths.....any insights? 

Northern Vermont has missed most of the rain. Condtions are best at Jay, Stowe or Burke. Southern Vermont has seen some rain but I have heard good reports from Killington. Same in New Hampshire anything in the Whites is fine. Down near the Mass border they have seen some rain. 

I am headed to Jay and probally Stowe or Bolton Valley this weekend. 

Thanks, that's very helpful intel!

VT hasn’t got the same warmth and rain as around here, but conditions are below average for them. I don’t know about Jay, but Stowe and south got some wet and serious freeze.

My VT pals on pugski are not loving life. 

Stowe’s advanced terrain is closed - MRG is only a fraction open.

Per Josh at MRG weather blog, warmup the next week. But heading into March, promising pattern.

Thank you all for the detailed recommendations!  I'm looking further into some of the recommended locations, including SLC, Steamboat, Big Sky, and maybe others. Will follow up with my findings.

Western bad conditions are still better and any 'big' resort will be 10x better than Snowshoe; be careful, you'll be fast spoiled. For what you want I would add Copper to the list, maybe the top, lots of long lifts and long slopes and easy access to 'bowls'.  Also it's great to be in that area so you can try a few different places and get a feel for what you like, you don't have to stay 'in' a resort. I would say the nearly the same about SLC. You'll be fine. Have fun.

Update:  Skied 3 days in Park City. It was awesome! Thank you all for the recommendations! Looking forward to exploring some of the other mountains on the list above, maybe even before the end of this season.

DCD_Ski wrote:

Update:  Skied 3 days in Park City. It was awesome! Thank you all for the recommendations! Looking forward to exploring some of the other mountains on the list above, maybe even before the end of this season.

Glad you enjoyed Utah!  Did you ski Deer Valley, or stick to PCMR (Park City Mountain Resort)?  You kind of can't go wrong out there.  

We're headed to Colorado the 21st through the 27th (same dates as you threw out there).  You should definitely book a second trip!