Leaving Utah (possibly)

[egibbons]

So I'm applying to Ph.D. programs and I'll likely (hopefully) be having to leave Utah after 23 years here.

The big question is whether or not the areas I'm applying to has viable carving nearby. When I say "nearby" I mean a reasonable weekend jaunt without flying. I realize that the days of being on the slope in less in an hour are over for the next several years. I am considering picking up a plate for my last year here and I am trying to justify some long term use.

The places I'm thinking are:

Bay Area

Durham, NC

Baltimore

Boston

Utah (again...but it would be my last choice)

At the end of the day I'll make my decision based on the strength of the programs, but skiing would be a perk.

[davekempmeister]

Baltimore has 3 hills within 90 minutes, all 500-800ft vert. Seasons, realistically span about 100 days with some unrideable days mixed into that 100. Totally reliant on man-made and ice-prone. All that having been said, it's still fun and alpine is a pretty good choice for 2 of the 3. Someone from Utah will have to adjust, no doubt. Best of luck - Hopkins by chance (if Baltimore?)

[egibbons]

Yeah. Hopkins. We'll see how the whole application process goes...I'm just thinking of the possibilities and how the whole lifestyle aspect would play into the thought process.

[boarderboy]

Boone area. Sugar, Beech, Appalachian. "Reliable" season mid December thru early March. All three close to 5,000 ft. elevation (?) Good season has fair number nat snow days. Bad season, mostly groomed "blown" snow & ice.

This season late starting.

Snowshoe, W.V., also couple others approx 7-9 hours away. Snowshoe/Silver Creek owned by Intrawest if you like corporate resorts. Silver Creek has good amount of relatively wide groomed though not very steep.

Have always thought our hard pack and late season "white ribbons of death" made hardbooting much more appropriate than soft.

Member Mellow Yellow can give you much better info than I.

Good Luck!

BB of Possum Pouch

[scrutton]

some good info from boarderboy...I live in Durham, NC. It's 3.5 hours away from Sugar and other runs, so is viable if you are desperate enough for a day trip. Usually stay up there the weekend though to minimize the driving. The slopes are short though, skinc.com has some info on the resorts. Sugar and Beech are my favourites.

If you like racing, we have teams that participate in the Crescent ski council racing. We have a handful of boarders involved in it. Sure makes the drive more worth it, IMO; Mellow isn't so keen on it though - something about us taking up the slopes...

Snowshoe is about 6 hours away.

Durham has good mountain biking, and good access (4 hours away) to the Outer Banks for surfing, kite-boarding and windsurfing. Also an active whitewater kayak club with access to some great whitewater within a few hours driving.

[guido591]

It isn't much of a stretch to suggest that Boston would give you the most variety of any of the East-coast cities listed. Within a reasonable drive you would have access to all of northern New England, the Adirondacks and Quebec, the sum total of which represents the best skiing and riding east of the Mississippi.

[Sinecure]

You'd have to pay me a lot of money to ski/ride the areas around DC/MD/NC. Plus its way to f'ing hot there in the summer. 500ft of vertical is OK if that's all you've got, but if you have a choice, it is a horrible one.

Outside LDS land, the only two on your list that make sense are Boston and Bay Area. Bay Area has the longest and best season BY FAR. Six solid months of lift-served skiing/carving, plus June and July if you are willing to hike.

I grew up around Boston, have spent a fair amount of time in the DC area, and now live in the Bay Area. Tahoe has amazing snow and Bay Area weather is incredible. I couldn't imagine living anywhere else (except maybe IN Tahoe - something I'm considering once both kids leave for college).

[newcarver]

Like said before, not much vert. Sugar all merges into one trail. Beach has nothing steeper than a moderate blue in UT. App is tiny. Best bet is Snowshoe. Long drive from anywhere. WP in VA is not a bad mountain. Just don't go on any weekend. In PA there are several small hills. Blue Mtn. has 1000' vert. Most of any in PA. Go on weekdays or Superbowl sunday to avoid crowds. Otherwise you could make a trek up to NY and VT to get to pretty good terrain. I came from east. Got a taste of the west. Moved out west and have not been back east since (7 seasons). Hope to never have to go back. Unless you can get up to the NE area, you will hate riding east coast except for those rare nice days. I have caught sugar and snowshoe in 2-3' of powder and uncrowded! None of them are very good for carving below NY.