Dan Posted October 3, 2017 Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 This is probably just wishful thinking, but if I wanted to spend a month somewhere in January or February, where should I go? Criteria: -good grooming / good carving terrain -slopeside lodging, or at least a short shuttle bus ride (less than 15 minutes) to the slopes -Can rent a furnished apartment/condo/studio/room for <$1,500 for a month You're probably wondering how I can get that much time off work. I can't! But I might be able to work remote for a month and get in about 2 hours of riding in the morning, then work 11-7 each day. Being close to the slopes is an absolute requirement; even 30 minutes makes this kind of a dealbreaker. Schweitzer came to mind, naturally (shoutout to NICE crew!), but what other options are there? I imagine that Sun Valley and Whitefish are out of budget, Bachelor doesn't have lodging close enough to the hill, and I have the impression that Big Sky doesn't have great grooming. What are the other options? A place that runs the chair at 8 a.m. Pacific time would be even better - then I could start my work day only about an hour behind. Any thoughts? Anything west of Denver is a possibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charliechocolate Posted October 3, 2017 Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 North Vancouver? You have three hills to chose from and then some on your days off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted October 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2017 I just got back from your fantastic city! It's an option, for sure. I would probably want to pick one of the local hills (Cypress, Grouse, etc) and buy a pass. What are crowds like weekdays, and is there enough terrain to stay entertained for a month? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted October 4, 2017 Report Share Posted October 4, 2017 Whitefish? https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/9297124?location=Whitefish%2C MT&s=vrP-8fsr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted October 4, 2017 Report Share Posted October 4, 2017 No suggestions, but if you go East then the time shift would open up even more hours to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted October 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2017 19 minutes ago, corey_dyck said: No suggestions, but if you go East then the time shift would open up even more hours to you. Agreed, I could definitely see Mountain Time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted October 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2017 20 minutes ago, Neil Gendzwill said: Whitefish? https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/9297124?location=Whitefish%2C MT&s=vrP-8fsr I thought about it, but I've spent some time there and at Schweitzer and I like Schweitzer better (sorry Big Mountain crew!), so if I was going to that neck of the woods, I'd probably stick with Schweitzer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted October 4, 2017 Report Share Posted October 4, 2017 Apparently there's cheap places in Big White, too. https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/18929798?location=Big White Mountain%2C Canada&s=UWxEnrRa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted October 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2017 16 hours ago, Neil Gendzwill said: Apparently there's cheap places in Big White, too. https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/18929798?location=Big White Mountain%2C Canada&s=UWxEnrRa The price is right! How is Big White for carving? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted October 4, 2017 Report Share Posted October 4, 2017 1 hour ago, Dan said: The price is right! How is Big White for carving? It's a very good hill for carving. It's quite big, there's a lot of terrain choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keenan Posted October 4, 2017 Report Share Posted October 4, 2017 Dan, I don't know about rental pricing but if I could go any where with slope side accommodations for a month it would be Sun Peaks. Three mountains funneling into one village with great carving. Big White is just a few hours away, if you wanted to split it up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted October 5, 2017 Report Share Posted October 5, 2017 Big White and Sun Peaks are similar hills but I like the terrain at Big White more. If you're talking pure carving terrain Sun Peaks may be a bit better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted October 8, 2017 Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 On 04/10/2017 at 10:10 AM, Dan said: The price is right! How is Big White for carving? Keep in mind that it's nicknamed "Big Whiteout". Sun Peaks is absolutely magnificent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted October 8, 2017 Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 If "carving terrain" is easy piste with no significant bumps on it... I'd say there's not a lot to choose between Sun peaks & Big White on those grounds alone. Overall they're all decently large, good down to earth places without crowds or BS. For Sun Peaks I tend to stay in Kamloops because I'm usually "passing through" heading somewhere else, and there wasn't much resort when I started going there so I got into that habit. For Big White I've stayed in resort accommodation and also stayed in Kelowna and driven up for days (so I can also visit Silver Star...). Big White feels to have a much bigger resort base - it's big enough to need a lift to get you across the village and includes an ice rink, for example. Sun Peaks feels much more compact. At Big White the pistes go below the accommodation so it's European-style ski-in/ ski-out if that's what you want. Sun Peaks is a valley-bottom development, with the village splitting what really feel like the two (not three) sides of the resort. Overall Big White feels much more a "destination resort" - they get 'plane loads of (often Australian) tourists who are flown in on packages. They have (last time I looked) more restaurants, ice rinks, and "night life" potential to keep you entertained for your stay. It probably depends on precisely what you do, but Sun Peaks is a solid "family" place; Big White is that too, but it's also marketed to a younger mostly Australian crowd. --- On the OP - it all depends on what you want and where the snow is, but you could get radical and time-shift to Europe...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
workshop7 Posted October 8, 2017 Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 Steamboat Springs. I have been taking my family there for two weeks every year Since 2002. It never gets old. The powder, grooming, trees, apres ski, downtown, night life.....its all among the best. If you decide to go let me know and I'll give you a long list of restaurants and trail names that rank at the top of list list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban Carving Gooding Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Hi Dan. Ill be in Tahoe for the month of February. Close to Heavenly the Nevada side. If things go as planned. Short shuttle ride to Stagecoach lodge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queequeg Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Man, if I were going someplace for an entire month it would almost certainly be someplace across the pond in the alps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted October 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Guys, I love all the ideas I've been hearing, thanks for all the suggestions and advice. It is really fun to think about all the options. Sadly, this may be turning into a kind of hypothetical discussion at this point, or maybe "next year for sure", because I'm starting to get projects that will run into the winter/spring, that might make it hard to be remote. Still, it's always good to know what the options are...:-) I'm pretty set on the idea that I should get into Mountain Time. Europe is out for this because I really need to be online during West Coast business hours, otherwise I would love to spend extended time there. Same for Japan. Funnily enough, I've been looking at little old Brundage in Idaho primarily because lodging close to the slopes is really cheap, and when I'm looking at staying the full month, things add up. I haven't heard really anything about that mountain, has anyone ever ridden there? @Cuban, I'm hoping to drop in to WTF this season, though I wish you were starting about 2 days earlier so I could go from NICE direct to WTF. Sounds like you're doing something like what I had in mind, are you on vacation, or will you be on call when you're in Tahoe? Who knows, maybe I could drop down for a long weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Brundage is definitely a place you should consider. It is a nice medium/small mountain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibrussell Posted October 21, 2017 Report Share Posted October 21, 2017 Brundage has four or five intermediate runs they keep groomed even on most powder days. They mostly funnel back to the same lift or a slow fixed triple. No lines but I got bored after skiing there 5-6 times over 6 years, but maybe it was because it is a 2.5 hour drive each way to ski for 4-5 hours. There were one -two other carvers a few years back but haven't seen any the last 2 years I've been there. Open 9:30-4:30 they are know for their powder in Jan.-Feb, although only 4" to 1.5' mostly. McCall is a 25-30 minute drive, The last six miles are 25mph switchbacks. I'd say Bogus basin 16 miles of switchbacks from Boise but it takes 35-45 minutes and they open late on weekdays 10am-10pm, 9-10 weekends, but passes are $350 if you just moved here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted October 23, 2017 Report Share Posted October 23, 2017 (edited) On 10/20/2017 at 3:05 PM, Dan said: @Cuban, I'm hoping to drop in to WTF this season, though I wish you were starting about 2 days earlier so I could go from NICE direct to WTF. You should hang around anyway. Hotels in Whitefish are pretty reasonable in the winter, or from Schweitzer, swing into Canada and spend a couple of days at Kimberley - which is a wonderful hill for a carving board, with cheap lift tickets and cheap accommodation. Then Fernie's on your way to Whitefish as well, if you stay north of the border. That could make for a very good week at that time of year. Edited October 23, 2017 by Allee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban Carving Gooding Posted October 24, 2017 Report Share Posted October 24, 2017 Dan its a vacation trip. About 5 1/2 weeks. We are arriving on Wednesday Jan 24th at WTF. I go on to Heavenly Feb 3-Mar 4. Stop in. Presidents week is not the best . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted October 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2017 Thanks Allee! I love the idea of hitting Kimberley or Fernie, but after some thought, and taking into account that I will be working with floppy noodle legs, I think I probably need to take some rest days after NICE. I'll work remote on 1/22 and 1/23, then hit WTF starting the 24th. Still not sure where I'll be on the 22nd and 23rd, maybe Whitefish or possibly Spokane -- I've been mulling over a move there for awhile and it would be nice to spend a little time there. Cuban, I'll be at WTF 1/24 - 1/26, just me this time, my wife's new job is not very generous with vacation days. Looking forward to riding with the WTF crew again! Tahoe is TBD because I may be doing a ski trip with my cousins in February, destination uncertain, but we'll see how things shake out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted October 30, 2017 Report Share Posted October 30, 2017 In that case, I will definitely have to make it up there a day or so early. Putting that in the calendar right meow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowwjob1 Posted November 9, 2017 Report Share Posted November 9, 2017 Salt Lake. Tons of resorts and easy to get to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.