Best resorts in North America

[ealely]

I am wondering.. for you guys living in the States or Canada, what are the best resorts for carving and eventually go off piste (not freeride for experts though)? If you have a chance to compare with european resorts, even better :o

I know pretty well French resorts and a few others european resorts, and then I have been to Lake Tahoe (Squaw Valley, Montrose and one else but can't remember the name), in Japan (Nagano Area) and New Zealand (Wanaka area).

So far, considering only runs (number, length, steep, groomed and diversity of terrain....) and not signtseeing or party time, I must say that I haven't found anything better that what we have in the european Alps. I had a wonderful time in other continents but as for riding, the Alps look just SO big...

Read Whistler is the number one, so what do you think...i'm considering going to canada because it is more exotic than France and I could practice my english but if the Alps are just so much better, then riding comes first

Where would you go if you have the choice?

[LeeW]

mt tremblant. heard alot about that place, tho its in quebec. but me, mt baker, hands down, but its not carving friendly -- cuz its usually way too deep of a snow. so we're talking about deep deep powder.

i hear sun valley is good for both criteria you mentioned.

sorry i really cant make comparision with europe, but i must ask if u have ridden otu in Sweden's Are ?

and what kind of name is "Ealely" ? I really like that name as well as the avatar of the camel. Your profile is the memorable one that I reckon pretty good. :)

[carvedog]

I am completely biased, but I have found no better carving mountain than Sun Valley. Not very many people, big wide runs, several 2 to 3k vertical foot drop in length. Good bumps and off piste that isn't death defying. In other words not too much "extreme" terrain.

There are a couple of Austrian's that I know who come over for season for at least a couple of months because they like it better than Europe. Go figure. It's what they say I don't know. but I do know we pretty much don't have lift lines here.

[skategoat]

Why come to Canada when the entire USA is on sale right now?

Mt. Tremblant is probably my least favourite resort in North America. Expensive, over-developed, crowded, lousy grooming, home of the "death cookie".

Forget the East - go West. Especially if you want off-piste.

[Derf]

Sorry, but Mont-Tremblant blows (or sucks, or whatever). Some will swear by it, some hate it. Mont-Ste-Anne is my favorite for carving, Le Massif for the sight (not carving friendly) and Jay Peak is my favorite for tree riding.

[skategoat]

Sorry, but Mont-Tremblant blows (or sucks, or whatever).

It blows and sucks simultaneously.

[bobdea]

better than the rest of the resorts in the east are people who own property there

some killer bumps in the spring when it gets soft though.

it all depend on what you're looking for...........

Jackson Hole is sick for terrain, the aspens got good groom.

Jay Peak has my favorite trees.

Telluride has a great small town feel and good terrain.

there are so many hat are great!

[Steve Prokopiw]

I think the most under rated mountain I've been to or worked at is Copper.Almost every kind of terrain,well laid out,not stratospherically expensive,high altitude ,easy to get to,with early good conditions etc etc.

[Gleb]

I heard Sun Valley has one of the best carving runs in the US. Thats all i know about it...oh and its as pricey as aspen.

My vote goes to Wa wa Wachusett.

Just kidding!

[bobdea]

than it should, one of my favorites

[Allee]

I'd recommend Banff, not because the snow is all that amazing or that it's uncrowded, but because you have a lot of choice. Within a two hour drive from Banff you can ride at Nakiska, Norquay, Sunshine, Louise, Kicking Horse, Panorama or Fernie. Those fields are all in different weather systems and all have very different characteristics, so pick what you want, go with the best snow report, and there you go. No suck, no blow, and definitely not simultaneously. :)

[BlueB]

Just to say that I haven't seen anything better then Trois Valles, Val Thorans being the leading out of the 3. So you can not quite beat the Alps.

Closest to that is Whistleer/Blackomb with 2 huge mountains to ride or Aspen with 4 mountains...

One is for sure - if you were after pow or in-bound off-piste riding, Alps loose.

But here's a bit of latteral thinking: Stay in Vancouver and ride 7 mountains within 2.5 hrs drive. Whistler/Blackomb and Mount Baker (US) within 2-3 hours, depending where you stay, Cypress, Grouse and Seymore within 1/2 hour, and Hamlock 1-1/5 hour away...

You mentioned that sight seeing, cultural content and night life are not your priorities, but on that level Van is hard to beat.

Boris

[ealely]

Cool, Thanks for your comments so far

LeeW, actually my name is a 'mistake' nothing special really....when I registered on BOL my keyboard was half broken without G F letters; I am known as Eaglefly on extremecarving.com....so it is just Ealely here. Avatar is from a lovely camel in the middle of Australia, I haven't changed it since I registered because as a woman in the alpine carving world, this is pretty close to my (prettier) face when I read some of the threads here :) I love being a woman :lol:

Just to say that I haven't seen anything better then Trois Valles, Val Thorans being the leading out of the 3. So you can not quite beat the Alps.

Closest to that is Whistleer/Blackomb with 2 huge mountains to ride or Aspen with 4 mountains...

One is for sure - if you were after pow or in-bound off-piste riding, Alps loose.

But here's a bit of latteral thinking: Stay in Vancouver and ride 7 mountains within 2.5 hrs drive. Whistler/Blackomb and Mount Baker (US) within 2-3 hours, depending where you stay, Cypress, Grouse and Seymore within 1/2 hour, and Hamlock 1-1/5 hour away...

You mentioned that sight seeing, cultural content and night life are not your priorities, but on that level Van is hard to beat.

Boris

Cool thanks for that feedback, I just love Val Thorens when not too crowded....as for Van, good to know anyway :rolleyes: Deep pow is not a priority because unfortunately I can't ride in that very wel yet.

[dredman]

1) Turner Mountain in NW Montana for best fall lines, trees, atmosphere, powder. Turner is the closest thing to cat or heli skiing with a lift. They are closed Monday - Thursday so Friday's can be amazing after a week of snow. www.skiturner.com

2) Whitefish Mountain Resort (formerly known as Big Mtn), Excellent groomers, very fast lifts, small crowds.

3) Verbier....Need I say more?

[LeeW]

Well with the name of Ealely and the camel avatar, I would have guess youre a woman. Lucky guess, apparently.

anyhow, good luck with your venture, btw. :)

[timinor]

Last year at SES I asked a group of the Europeans how Aspen compared to the areas in Europe since I'd never ridden in Europe. They looked at me smiling and said, "We're here aren't we." And they were there...50 or more strong.

I agree with them...terrain, groom, quality of snow, variety, lack of crowds - Aspen rules.

[John E]

Though I have never looked at it as a carver, Vail is a great mountain except that it is expensive, can be crowded and often has a lot of wealthy sometimes arrogant people. That's why I say it is a great mountain - not a great resort.

I think Beaver Creek may be a better carving mountain & is often less crowded.

Allee - though I have never boarded in Banff, it is REALLY beautiful. Though I was born & raised in Colorado, the Canadian Rockies put ours to shame.

My wife & I have a tandem bike. Last August, we flew to Calgary, took a bus to Banff & rode our bike to Jasper & back - 4 days up & 3 days back. The Icefield Parkway is the most beautiful road on earth. It must be equally beautiful in winter.

[Allee]

oldacura ... yes, the Icefields Parkway is stunning any time of year, and Jasper is such a cute town, I love it there.

timinor, I can't wait to go to SES next year - the trail maps from Aspen look like SO much fun.

[dantheman0177]

Though I have never looked at it as a carver, Vail is a great mountain except that it is expensive, can be crowded and often has a lot of wealthy sometimes arrogant people. That's why I say it is a great mountain - not a great resort.

I think Beaver Creek may be a better carving mountain & is often less crowded.

I agree with your comments regarding Vail. Although the resort is huge, it takes so long to get to anywhere away from the crowds that you lose half your day doing just that.

Beaver was great groomers when I was there, although I admit that was before I got into riding plates. I also really enjoyed Big White, but that was pre-plates too and I get the feeling that many of the runs could be too narrow for good carving.

I would steer clear of Whister for the same reasons as for Vail.

IMHO Aspen is the place.

Can't comment on Europe yet, but I have a few days in Courmayer (Italy) in Jan/Feb, the week before SES, and planning some time in France or Austria probably in March. And if you want a riding buddy in France, drop me a line. Any excuse to escape a London winter.

[Gecko]

As far as major resorts or resort area's I've done Jackson, Big Bear, Tahoe, Mammouth, Stowe, S. Vt, K-mart, Loon, Nagano, Gunma and Niigata....I was wholely unimpressed with Nagano (bad mix of K-mart and BigBear), Gunma had great singular mountains, a lot like Jackson or Mammouth in their ablity to stand alone. The mountains of Niigata were far and a way my favorite for carving, good conditions good grooming well laid out....kinda like Stowe on Steroids

[Jack M]

'nuff said.

[trailertrash]

LeeW, actually my name is a 'mistake' nothing special really....when I registered on BOL my keyboard was half broken without G F letters; I am known as Eaglefly on extremecarving.com....so it is just Ealely here.

Fin can change this if you want.

[philw]

It all depends... and really you have to check it all out, just like Europe. A good day at a really small no-name French resort beats a standard day at the biggest resort in the world.

Most North American resorts are small though - Whistler's the biggest, but it's still a baby by Euro standards. So you need to decide if you're going to be mobile or if you're going to need a destination. If it's a destination, then your choice is restricted and you will miss some of the excellent small hills. Plus you may find most places fairly small, depending on how much you ride.

The next issue for me at least is snow... do you want it wet or dry, or icy? I've not tried the right hand side of the US, although plenty of here can tell you about that. Wet you can get near the left hand side (eg Whistler); that's not a problem and you may not notice it by most European standards, but it's humid and you need to ride in it (not after it's settled). If you want it dry you need to look inland... Utah is driest, but the Rockies generally are pretty good (eg I70 in Colarado or Banff in Canada).

I must say that I haven't found anything better that what we have in the european Alps. I had a wonderful time in other continents but as for riding, the Alps look just SO big...

Indeed. The largest resort in North America... has maybe a tenth of the number of lifts of some Alpine resorts. But, as the ladies are rumored to say, it's not all about size. It's not.

think...i'm considering going to canada because it is more exotic than France and I could practice my english but if the Alps are just so much better, then riding comes first [...] Where would you go if you have the choice?

Aside from the leader, they also speak English in the USA ;-) The USA is cheaper at the moment, but it's dumping in BC. If I had the choice (I do), I'd go to both, but I'd time it so I'm in the right place at the right time for the snow. America has nasty immigration controls, but generally it's a friendly place. Canada is more laid back, and some people there even speak French.

It's incorrect I think to say that the Alps are better: they're just different. Visit them both then make your own mind up.

[olivier]

Céline,

If you want to practice your english while carving, you should consider taking part of the Big Mountain Expression Session organized by some people of this forum as Dr D. And from there, you can easely drive to Fernie, Lake Louise ect...

Big Mountain is quite small if you compare with big european resorts, but probably the same size as Zinal. You can find affordable accommodation in the valley at 30 mn drive. With the price of the dollar, it's for cheap at the moment.

I was planning to make it, but it seems that it won't be possible for this time. Still thinking about it anyway.

Olivier

[ealely]

It all depends... and really you have to check it all out, just like Europe. A good day at a really small no-name French resort beats a standard day at the biggest resort in the world.

Well, I totally agree there but if you plan to say one or two months somewhere, then it's not just about one good day but a good 'season'. I loved New Zealand and I love small alpine resorts but If I have to make a choice between Europe and NZ for a stay of more than a month I would choose Europe anyway. I would love to go in Canada or US to check it out but spending a long time there would be expensive for me so I am trying to make the best choice ;)

Most North American resorts are small though - Whistler's the biggest, but it's still a baby by Euro standards. So you need to decide if you're going to be mobile or if you're going to need a destination. If it's a destination, then your choice is restricted and you will miss some of the excellent small hills. Plus you may find most places fairly small, depending on how much you ride.

don't thing i'll be mobile there, that's the thing.

The next issue for me at least is snow... do you want it wet or dry, or icy? I've not tried the right hand side of the US, although plenty of here can tell you about that. Wet you can get near the left hand side (eg Whistler); that's not a problem and you may not notice it by most European standards, but it's humid and you need to ride in it (not after it's settled). If you want it dry you need to look inland... Utah is driest, but the Rockies generally are pretty good (eg I70 in Colarado or Banff in Canada).

hum very interesting, don't like it too wet, icy doesn't matter...i'm thinking about joining an instructor training program, so i can ride and get a diploma if i'm not too bad..

Indeed. The largest resort in North America... has maybe a tenth of the number of lifts of some Alpine resorts. But, as the ladies are rumored to say, it's not all about size. It's not.

ah ah.

Aside from the leader, they also speak English in the USA ;-) The USA is cheaper at the moment, but it's dumping in BC.

well, yeah but i never rode in Canada and lately, Canadians might be nicer than Americans to french ladies :D spent a great year in the US 12 years ago and I don't want to change my mind about that :p

Big Mountain is quite small if you compare with big european resorts, but probably the same size as Zinal. You can find affordable accommodation in the valley at 30 mn drive. With the price of the dollar, it's for cheap at the moment.

Zinal is cool for a week but for a month or 2 without going to Zermatt or any other resorts, hum, I don't know. euro compared to CHF is not too bad either

I was planning to make it, but it seems that it won't be possible for this time. Still thinking about it anyway.

for me, it's now or never so I guess i'm gonna do it, just not sure where yet....was also thinking about Japan to practice my japanese :rolleyes: but well, après six ans en Chine, la culture anglosaxonne serait un peu plus sexy :p

Cheers, thanks again for your feedback