RFI: snow skiing in the USA

[rob_s]

Jackson in the spring isn't guaranteed to have good snow. Last time I was there it was pretty icy.

well that's disconcerting. thanks for the info.

[BigD]

well that's disconcerting. thanks for the info.

I wouldn’t worry. it will have snow in March. More than enough for beginners. If you need to book now to lock in a rate, go ahead.

More advanced skiers will be concerned about snow conditions. It won’t impact beginners that much, since you’ll be on groomed beginner runs mostly.

[Jakus]

The wife wants us to go on a snow skiing trip with the kids at the end of March. Being a Florida boy, I know less than nothing about these things and am trying to learn what I can to determine if this is going to be a family trip or a “girls trip” with her and our daughters. I haven’t ever even seen real snow, to put things in perspective. Some specific questions I have:
1) where would you go? Let’s assume a good balance of cost:features, an area where there’s other things to do besides skiing, good for kids, etc.
2) speaking of, I assume we wouldn’t actually be skiing for a full 7 days, right? So what other kinds of things are there to do in such environments?
3) exactly how hard is this going to be? I’m pretty much inactive these days between work and family, so I’m assuming a dexterous activity like this is going to be hard to learn, and probably maddening?
4) We are able to rent everything, right? We don’t have even so much as warm clothes. I’m down to go buy myself a puffy coat, but I’d prefer to rent skis, snow suit (do I need a snow suit), etc.

Any other input, information, or feedback would be great.

1) Based on your follow up comment about Jackson Hole I assume you are planning to fly for this trip, no? Ski in/Ski out is always going to cost more, but its also almost always worth it. Especially for your first trip. You may want a break or to add/remove layers. Any of the big resorts will have supplemental activities (snowmobiling, snowshoeing, dog sleds, etc.) I have only been to the western half of North American, never back east so I can't really speak to the areas which would be closest to you. For the Rocky Mountains, end of March could be good or it could suck. Only the higher elevation mountains reliably have good snow at the end of March. I live at the base of a ski resort that plans to close the middle of March every year, and sometimes manages to stay open an extra week or two. The resort on the other side of the mountains from us usually has good snow all the way through March and closes in early April. It's all about the weather cycles, topography, and elevation. Ease of access from a major airport would make Breck, Vail, Keystone good targets in Colorado, I would also highly recommend Winter Park to families and first timers looking to go to Colorado. Winter Park may not be as glitzy as the others, but its close, large, well laid out and not quite as crazy busy. Park City is easy access from Salt Lake and very well thought of.

While I have not been to Jackson Hole it always gets high marks for its terrain and snow. Town is close by and would provide some other activities as well. However, Jackson is the Mecca for extreme terrain and big mountain riding. Unless you're dead set on it, it would be a little like traveling to Gunsite to fire a gun for the first time. You'll have a great time, but it might be overkill for a family that has never seen snow before.

2) It would be very rare for a first timer to enjoy 7 days in a row. I would recommend full day lessons for everyone who is going. Successive days in a row are the best way to learn, but after 2 or 3 days in a row you'll be exhausted. I would do 2 or 3 days in a row of lessons, then plan a day off and see how many more lessons or days you want. Snowmobiling is a great way to break up a week of skiing, or better yet go somewhere with a hot springs near by and soak the sore out.

3) Coming from Florida do you have any water skiing/wakeboarding/wakesurfing experience? When you first start you are going to working 10 times as hard as you do on day 3. Think new shooters death griping the gun out of fear. It's tiring. As your comfort level grows the chairlift rides will start to provide enough rest for you to be ready for the next run. If your kids are under the age of 8 I wouldn't recommend snowboarding as a high center of gravity can make it harder to learn. The statement "do not let them learn to snowboard until they can ski" is ridiculous. Let them choose what they are comfortable with. For all I know rob_s grew up skateboarding for 15 years, and his kids are championship level wakeboarders. Should they all start skiing first? Internet absolutes are trouble.

4) You'll be able to easily rent all the equipment you need with skis, poles, boards, boots, helmets and goggles, but it not very common to be able to rent gear/clothing. I would see if any of your local friends can loan you gear as outfitting a family of 4 with all new gear could be very expensive. At a minimum you'll need a base layer (long johns), warm socks, mid layers, and water proof shells or fully insulated pants and jackets

Here's a few well done guides that should help.

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-adv...wboarding.html

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-adv...wboarding.html

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-adv...wboarding.html

Hope that helps.

[Crash41984]

I've been skiing since I was two years old, and have logged multiple days in most of the big mountain resorts in the country. Jackson Hole is easily in my top three favorites. However, it is not a beginners mountain. Sure, they will have a ton of beginner terrain, but they are known to have some of the steepest grades anywhere in the US. With that said, there is a ton of things to see if you are outdoorsy and there is wildlife everywhere. Go find that old Clint Eastwood movie, "Any Which Way You Can." The whole movie is filmed in Jackson Hole and that fight scene at the end takes place right in the middle of town. It's a beautiful place.

[1911nerd]

It’s looking like the wife has zeroed in on Jackson Hole as the target location. Any information specific to that area appreciated. Sounding like she’s found a ski in/out hotel room plus 4 days of lift tickets plus gear for the three of them for about $3500 so if I go it’ll be maybe $4k I’d guess.

Jackson Hole has great skiing, but it would not be my first choice for new skiiers -- the vast majority of the terrain is steeper. That said, there's plenty of other outdoor activities nearby and there's good, if expensive, food in Jackson.

[DocGKR]

Good instruction is CRUCIAL!

Jackson Hole, WY is a wonderful place, but is likely not the best beginner mountain and is harder to get to than some other spots.

Deer Valley, UT has some of the best ski instruction for kids in CONUS, great food, easy access from SLC airport, and Park City is a very fun town.

Keystone, CO is a fairly friendly for beginners, usually has good snow in March, and Silverthorne is a reasonable town to hang out in.

Squaw Valley, CA offers a nice kids program, has a lot of beginner terrain situated high on the mountain, and typically has good March snow--not to mention tons of other activities in Tahoe, Truckee, Reno, and Sacramento.

[john c]

Good instruction is CRUCIAL!

Jackson Hole, WY is a wonderful place, but is likely not the best beginner mountain and is harder to get to than some other spots.

Deer Valley, UT has some of the best ski instruction for kids in CONUS, great food, easy access from SLC airport, and Park City is a very fun town.

Squaw Valley, CA offers a nice kids program, has a lot of beginner terrain situated high on the mountain, and typically has good March snow--not to mention tons of other activities in Tahoe, Truckee, Reno, and Sacramento.

How old are your kids?

I second these recommendations, but would point you to UT over CA. The east side of SLC is right up against the slopes, you can take a 20 minute public bus ride up to the resorts. This means much cheaper accommodations. Plus you're in town, so you can do a lot of other things with the family during the evenings. By March the snow in SLC will be mostly gone, but if they get a late storm you can sled/toboggan in the public parks.

The altitudes of the resorts in the West are high, so you will take a few days to acclimatize. The kids will be okay, but you'll be out of breath. Do you smoke? If so, it will be unpleasant since you can't get enough oxygen at that high altitude. The east coast resorts might be better, since they're much lower. For a 7 day trip, I'd spend the first couple of days in SLC at 4500 feet to acclimatize and then start skiing at 8,500 to 11,000 feet. On sunny days in March you could ski in jeans (but don't do that; they'll get wet and be very uncomfortable) and a light jacket. The days are longer, too.

[rob_s]

Arrived home last night to discover that wife already bought plane tickets for her and the girls for Jackson Hole area. So that’s decided. Remains to be seen if I’ll join them for part of the trip. They are going mon-mon as it was $500/person cheaper, so I may go out for some portion of the week.

[trailrunner]

It’s looking like the wife has zeroed in on Jackson Hole as the target location. Any information specific to that area appreciated. Sounding like she’s found a ski in/out hotel room plus 4 days of lift tickets plus gear for the three of them for about $3500 so if I go it’ll be maybe $4k I’d guess.

I've snowboarded at Jackson Hole. I stayed at a place right on the property and could walk to the lift. Compared to the DC region, Jackson Hole was far, far better in every way. The mountains are bigger. The snow was far better. It's the big leagues. The first time I fell, I was struggling to get up out of the powder, huffing and puffing, and then I realized I was at about 9,000 foot elevation. I signed up for a lesson, and wound up being the only person in the class. I wound up following a 20-something girl all over the mountain, having a blast trying to keep up with her. It was one of the best days of my life, although I was utterly exhausted by the end of the day.

There is a village on site. I don't remember much about it, but I think it has the basics - food, gift shops. I'm sure it has other things like a spa, but I wasn't interested in those things. One evening I took a shuttle into town for dinner. I remember it being small, but could be wrong.

[Stephanie B]

Lots of good advice.

As a kid, I skied in Vermont (long wooden skis with leather boots and runaway straps). Icy trails were a way of life.

Taking a trip to Deer Valley was like going to heaven.