USA 2010 - 2011 Trip Plans/Thoughts/Reviews Thread

[vet]

Here's a conundrum. Bags for myself and another skier were weighed by Southwest at 51-70 pounds per person, and we were charged $50 each. We land in LA and check in to VA where the bags are weighed and we're told by "Daniel' they're nearly 80 pounds (over the 70 Lbs limit???) so please fork out $50 each. Then at Starbucks in the terminal another group of passengers with Tim M. in row 40-something, complained about being hit with unexpected excess baggage fees.

Are Southwest's scales different to VA's???

 

[skiflat]

Funny thing is no-one really knows if the scales are accurate....

Wonder how often they are "tested"

My bet is never

 

[vet]

In California, everyone carries around their personal set of scales and a credit card. Maybe everyone knows the scales are dodgy

 

[Dupain]

Just getting a few ideas together for 2011/12 season.

Thinking of LA then drive to Vegas then to a ski resort. Interested in Jackson Hole and Colarado. Has anyone got a suggested plan for 2 weeks?

 

[vet]

http://youtu.be/7ugiihj6iv0

Do our resorts have programs like this?

 

[Born2ski]

Just getting a few ideas together for 2011/12 season.

Thinking of LA then drive to Vegas then to a ski resort. Interested in Jackson Hole and Colarado. Has anyone got a suggested plan for 2 weeks?

Go for Utah and Tahoe instead. LA -Vegas -Salt Lake City -Lake Tahoe -Mammoth mountain -LA. A nice round loop that means less driving and more skiing/boarding.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=d&sourc...027&ie=UTF8&z=6

Utah gets more powder than Colorado and lots of resorts to choose from around Salt Lake City. Lake Tahoe resorts also get their good share of snow and if you're after some steep terrain head to Squaw Valley and Kirkwood. And then to top it off a quick visit to Mammoth on the way back to LA.

 

[Born2ski]

http://youtu.be/7ugiihj6iv0

Do our resorts have programs like this?

Solitude in Utah has a nice program called "Back Tracks". You get a guide for the day, all the gear and even lunch for $199.

Back Tracks offers backcountry guided tours for groups of 2 to 8 skiers or snowboarders. Our guides, who are members of Solitude Mountain Resort’s Professional Ski Patrol, accompany the group into areas just outside of the ski area boundaries for an all-day excursion. We have multiple options once we get outside the boundary and we’ll make this a day not soon to be forgotten. With over 500″ of annual snowfall and so much terrain, chances of finding a few untracked stashes are strong! Tours include a lift ticket and each guest is provided a backcountry access tracker avalanche transceiver, Black Diamond skis with Fritschi bindings, Black Diamond backpack with shovel and probe, climbing skins and snacks. Snowshoes and poles are provided for guests who prefer to snowboard. Participants should be strong intermediates in good physical condition. Lunch from St. Bernard’s Restaurant is provided as well, which may be almost as memorable as the terrain; well, almost

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aqod2Y7ME4

http://solitudebacktracks.com/about/

 

[bowralzak]

Hi all looking for some advice and recommendations etc...
We are planning a boys trip to Nth America early Feb 2012 for 12 nights. We will have approx 10 starters and the skiing ability ranges from expert to intermediate. The experts are looking for some backcountry etc and the intermediates just want cruisy runs but lots of variety. Want to keep the crowds low as well. We are looking at a house to contain 10 comfortably on mountain. We are looking at the following resorts as the short list.

* Red Mountain / Cat skiing
* Steamboat
* Telluride
* Park City
* Breckenridge

We have done Niseko & Sun Peaks & Whistler so know busy vs very quiet!

Can anyone provide some first hand experience recently (last couple of years) for any of the above resorts?

 

[skiflat]

Red Mountain - No idea
Telluride - No idea

Park City - Would probably be 1st on my list as you have lots of resorts here to keep everyone busy/happy
Steamboat - Would be high on the list, can give you LOTS of detail on this

Breckenridge - Lovely resort, but the experts may get bored with limited off-piste

Wanders off to find my long posts on the above 3 resorts

 

[Angus_McCrory]

Road trips are nice and the USA is one of the best destinations for a road trip, but time on the road = less time skiing. Work out your priorities i.e. road trip or skiing. If your priority is skiing and you want variety, choose a huge mountain (i.e. one you won't be bored with after a couple of days) or choose an area with plenty or options eg Tahoe or Park City. And IMO, ski in ski out (or a short curtesy shuttle) is never over rated; nothing takes the edge off a great day's sking like the car park locker room followed by a long drive.

 

[Scooter]

We're back

Last day of the season Steamboat had 8 Inches (that AM) but we didn't ski as I had promised my daughter we would snowshoe (and that was the last day we could use the Gondy to get high). Bit of a shame but you get that. When we left on the 14th it was once again a winter wonderland with another 6-10" making for a nice farewell from the Boat and an interesting drive.

Other half had more than 60 days whilst me and the kids had 50+ (I lost about 10 from injury so I guess I shouldn't have had so many "lazy" days). Pretty decent effort for my other half considering days available and what we did etc.

Plenty of issues getting home (both with Southwest and VA) and I reckon I spent more than 12 hours standing/waiting around in queues etc. Great fun with 2 young kids

Vet - we used the curbside checkin at Denver for SW and had one bag weigh over 50 but no dramas redistributing the extra into another bag so no extra charge. Scales actually matched pretty spot on with VA's I thought (we had 4 bags total and were under 25kgs on all).

 

[oreo]

http://youtu.be/7ugiihj6iv0

Do our resorts have programs like this?

Solitude in Utah has a nice program called "Back Tracks". You get a guide for the day, all the gear and even lunch for $199.

Back Tracks offers backcountry guided tours for groups of 2 to 8 skiers or snowboarders. Our guides, who are members of Solitude Mountain Resort’s Professional Ski Patrol, accompany the group into areas just outside of the ski area boundaries for an all-day excursion. We have multiple options once we get outside the boundary and we’ll make this a day not soon to be forgotten. With over 500″ of annual snowfall and so much terrain, chances of finding a few untracked stashes are strong! Tours include a lift ticket and each guest is provided a backcountry access tracker avalanche transceiver, Black Diamond skis with Fritschi bindings, Black Diamond backpack with shovel and probe, climbing skins and snacks. Snowshoes and poles are provided for guests who prefer to snowboard. Participants should be strong intermediates in good physical condition. Lunch from St. Bernard’s Restaurant is provided as well, which may be almost as memorable as the terrain; well, almost

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aqod2Y7ME4

http://solitudebacktracks.com/about/

At our resorts, HIP at thredbo springs to mind (minus the backcountry stuff)

http://www.thredbo.com.au/bookings-and-tickets/snow-sports-school/special-programs.asp

In regards the Solitude Backtracks, great for people who don't know anything, but the twin lakes pass area where they take you has some of the highest concentration of "backcountry" skiers in utah. It's smack bang in between Solitude, Brighton and Alta and is not a very big area. It also has a groomed road to it almost all winter making it pretty much a highway from the alta carpark (thanks to alta cat-skiing). The terrain in there is pretty intermediate by utah standards, except for the cirque at the top (wolverine cirque). But it's pretty doubtful that the backtracks would take you there. You're most likely to hang around the pass and highway to heaven areas of solitude.

 

[vet]

Fyi for those who purchased a SnowBomb Eticket or printed a SnowBomb coupon this year, get your Kirkwood Resort season passes for $20 less than anywhere else, even the Kirkwood website! FULL PASS with NO BLACKOUTS for only $329 and include TWO FREE LIFT TICKETS for use before Christmas as well.

 

[skiflat]

DUMPING in Breck

 

[Tilt]

...and so the excellent US season continues. I think Breck closes this weekend?

 

[vet]

time to plan 2012. Got my USD, Squaw pass, accom at Squaw and Heavenly, suv and air ticket.

 

[Snorkler]

I'm planning my 2012. It's too hard to choose. With Squaw's passes at super value especially with the current exchange rate. $460 for a season's pass..... that's less than 5 days skiing here.

But I was planning a road trip around Utah/Colorado next season.

 

[vet]

Tough decisions. I had to choose between an 800 sq ft apartment with a Jaccuzzi facing the lake, or one where the jaccuzzi faces the mountain.

 

[oreo]

So, been back to skiing for almost two weeks now. The weather here has been pretty average during that time. Some rain, some snow, not that much sun. But managed to get up to the higher points of little cottonwood canyon today on a pretty epicly long tour. Unfortunately, our goal of skiing the coalpit was put on the backburner when the clouds, fog and graupel moved in just after midday... We were so close at the time too. Oh well.

It is still winter out here, for a little while longer.

Our escape plan out towards salt lake involved about 2 miles of walking through the forest.

Adventure. Tomorrow is an early start in an attempt on Terminal Cancer in the ruby mountains, nv.

 

[Scooter]

Gee oreo - looking pretty crowded out there

- some nice shots there

 

[Myazma]

Pwease - Share wit us tihs funny and interest 2011 travel plan

 

[teckel]

Don't encourage him - I'm expecting a massive spam attack from him.

 

[Tilt]

Don't encourage him - I'm expecting a massive spam attack from him.

One like nadeals

Looking ahead to next season, I'm thinking of going back to Breck for 2 weeks (mainly to pick up the week lost this season - still have credit for the accom). Then cruise on over to JH for a few weeks, I'm getting pretty keen to check that resort out.

 

[Tilt]

2011 / 2012 Epic Season Passes are up.

http://www.snow.com/epicpass/home.aspx?intcmp=br000005

 

[sfo]

Speaking of NADEALS' plug for Air Pacific & Copper Mtn, I found

$1300 return to LA on AP via Fiji (with 15 hour 'stopovers')
$700 a week at Vintage Hotel/Lodge in a studio
free lifts at Copper or Winter Park if a) you hold a $295 season pass at Mt. Ruapehu and b) book the Vintage Hotel thru several places named in Ruapehu's terms, c) stay at the hotel 7 days.

DIY I say. .

 

[Tilt]

Still dumping in Breck

http://www.brecklivecam.com/

 

[snow momma]

Has anyone started the USA 11-12 thread yet..or am I too thick to find it?

 

[sfo]

No, start one up.

 

[gortonator]

Hi all looking for some advice and recommendations etc...
We are planning a boys trip to Nth America early Feb 2012 for 12 nights. We will have approx 10 starters and the skiing ability ranges from expert to intermediate. The experts are looking for some backcountry etc and the intermediates just want cruisy runs but lots of variety. Want to keep the crowds low as well. We are looking at a house to contain 10 comfortably on mountain. We are looking at the following resorts as the short list.

* Red Mountain / Cat skiing
* Steamboat
* Telluride
* Park City
* Breckenridge

We have done Niseko & Sun Peaks & Whistler so know busy vs very quiet!

Can anyone provide some first hand experience recently (last couple of years) for any of the above resorts?

Red's great but not extensive intermediate terrain, so maybe not a good idea. Steamboat and Park City would certainly be good choices - plenty of variety and backcountry access, and lots of accommodation near lifts. Other possibilities might be Jackson, Revelstoke and Big Sky for size/snow quality/variety.