2013 Ski Vacation Dilemma. Help me decide what to do! - Page 2

If racing has helped your freeskiing that much wouldn't you like to push your freeskiing limits, which means Whistler.  At your age (a couple of years younger than me) I can tell you that what is failing is endurance--which you need a lot more for a full week of hopefully off piste free skiing on a big mountain than you do for racing.  There are a lot more over 60 racers than there are people of that age skiing spanky's, flute bowl, couloir extreme, etc.  When I was at Whistler I was the oldest person I saw on any of those runs. Felt like it too. On the negative side you go to Whistler, fall in love with big mountain freeskiing, ditch the job and the wife and move out west. So maybe you'd better stick to Aspen. 

Wow, what a dilemma.

From reading your posts, I get the feeling that you keep gravitating towards the Whistler trip.  In my opinion (and I may be missing the mark completely), the pendulum keeps swinging in favor of Whistler until someone suggests the A-Vet/Aspen/Snowmass side, and then it seems to only swing back to about neutral.

I grew up racing (in WNY by the way) and can understand your passion.  I continued racing throughout the years while living in NY and Ohio and absolutely loved it.  We then moved to Utah a few years back and the racing seemed to take a backseat to having a blast free-skiing.  All the skills I learned as a racer have only made my non-racing experiences that much greater.

Bottom line is that you will ultimately need to make the decision between Snowmass and Whistler for very different reasons.  But if I were in your position, it would be a no-brainer ... Whistler.

Having lived in the PNW for nine years I would never plan a big trip here, as stated by someone else the snow can be wet/dense even in January. If your time or finances are limited, I'd go somewhere which gave the best chance at premium quality snow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmaie 

Having lived in the PNW for nine years I would never plan a big trip here, as stated by someone else the snow can be wet/dense even in January. If your time or finances are limited, I'd go somewhere which gave the best chance at premium quality snow.

People often say this sort of thing. And I keep being confused by it. Every place has its weather and snow risks. Every place has its up years and its down years. Up weeks and down weeks. And I have to admit that CO is excellent for risk mitigation in the sense that the odds are you'll have groomers to ski on and "good" weather. And Snowmass is a great mountain - if you can't have fun there, you are not trying too hard. But if you are looking for really good snow (and lots of it) along with great terrain - I'd bet on Whistler (or the PNW in general) ahead of all of CO put together almost any week of any random season. Part of this has to do with equipment and technique. But there is a reason you see so many freeskiing movie segments focused in on places with maritime snow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmaie 

Having lived in the PNW for nine years I would never plan a big trip here, as stated by someone else the snow can be wet/dense even in January. If your time or finances are limited, I'd go somewhere which gave the best chance at premium quality snow.

There is no such thing as bad snow...only bad skiers. 

Serioulsy I would prefer 2 ft of "heavy snow" with a 6ft base, over 2 inches of fluffy "pow" over a base of rocks anyday.

There is no such thing as bad snow...only bad skiers.

That keeps the riff-raff at bay.

You know, all that powder & soft western snow will ruing your race technique .

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Originally Posted by rickg 

 

If you raced in WNY I am sure you hit the Holiday Valley, Peak & Peak, Swain & Bristol circuit.  We hit all of those at least once each season.  Bristol is my favorite place to race as it has the biggest (1200 vert)  and steepest slope in our series.  It is also the location of our only Super G and combined races of the season for an overall winner of combined times of the SG, GS & SL races.  I still haven't won one of those so I could set my sights on winning my first combined.  After coming back from Whistler and hopefully a Heli day, I would be quite stoked.

Yes, as a junior racer (J4/J3/J2) in WNY, I raced mostly at Holiday Valley, Holimont, Peak & Peak, Kissing Bridge, Bluemont (with the strange sideways detachable chair), Swain, and Cockaigne, with a few trips each year to Greek Peak, Labrador, Toggenburg, Gore, and Whiteface.  However, that was back in the '70s so I am sure much has changed since then.  The Bristol races sound cool, especially with the SG.

Best of luck on whatever decision you end up making.  Either way, you really can't go wrong.

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Originally Posted by Skidude72 

There is no such thing as bad snow...only bad skiers. 

 

Serioulsy I would prefer 2 ft of "heavy snow" with a 6ft base, over 2 inches of fluffy "pow" over a base of rocks anyday.

Heavy powder is pretty underrated IMO, in particular when it comes to covering up bumps.  A foot and a half of blower pow is obviously an amazing thing, but on many runs on many days I'd much prefer 6" of heavy snow that holds you up over 6" of fluffy powder with ice beneath it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by spindrift 

. But if you are looking for really good snow (and lots of it) along with great terrain - I'd bet on Whistler (or the PNW in general) ahead of all of CO put together almost any week of any random season.

I'll take that bet for $500!  Name your week?

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Originally Posted by SHREDHEAD 

Quote:

Originally Posted by spindrift 

. But if you are looking for really good snow (and lots of it) along with great terrain - I'd bet on Whistler (or the PNW in general) ahead of all of CO put together almost any week of any random season.

 

I'll take that bet for $500!  Name your week?

Must ski in a different PNW than me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by slider 

There is no such thing as bad snow...only bad skiers.

 

That keeps the riff-raff on Ebay.

Fixed it for you.

Rick, I vote Whistler.  Then I have a good excuse to drive 4-5 hours and join you.

I offer to verify the bet, just fly me to CO. and I'm also always up for Utah and Montana if someone else wants to get in on the action. I can drive to Whistler.

And personally good thing rumor has it that the conditions must always be crappy at Whistler.  Already "no one goes there anymore, there are too many people"  Yogi B.  

Last trip to Whistler it was Ice then Rain then slop warm all in 3 days. What do expect it's 300km from the Ocean. Skiing is an outdoor sport,put your big girl panties on.

Winning? Bah! Skiing's the thing. Go have fun. Do Whistler, and then try to also do the later trip.

Sheesh, where did I say the snow was "bad" at Whistler?

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHREDHEAD 

 

I'll take that bet for $500!  Name your week?

Well, the devil is in the details. How about second week in May. You can pay me now 

Early season, CO might well win - they run cold and can blow snow. Late season Whistler time - Whistler wins by default because CO is mostly shut down & what is open tends to be ribbons whereas I have skied spectacular powder in Whistler in late April/May. Plus my definition of better may not be yours (and I said I'd bet for m purposes - not bet you...). I love supportive maritime snow and hate insubstantial fluff that does nothing to make my skiing floaty wonderful but hides armies of shark fins (aka Breck). That said, I'm happy to let you pick a mid-season week now & we can see who has what when the time rolls around. Just for yucks, I'd be happy to offer up a pound of some of the best coffee Seattle has to offer, or whatever local goody makes sense, if it is clear that Whistler is on the losing side of the equation and we can sort out how to make it happen. Make your offer and make your midseason pick. 

Whistler hands down. I have been there 3 times, all at the end of January and loved it every time.  If you feel the need to race,   go down the run that was used for the Olympic downhill (Dave Murray Downhill),  that should be just what you need for that racing fix.  If that's not enough.  Try taking the Blackcomb glacier run all the way to the village without stopping.  :)

I'm from Western PA and id grab that whistler trip in a heartbeat.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by spindrift 

 

Well, the devil is in the details. How about second week in May. You can pay me now 

 

Early season, CO might well win - they run cold and can blow snow. Late season Whistler time - Whistler wins by default because CO is mostly shut down & what is open tends to be ribbons whereas I have skied spectacular powder in Whistler in late April/May. Plus my definition of better may not be yours (and I said I'd bet for m purposes - not bet you...). I love supportive maritime snow and hate insubstantial fluff that does nothing to make my skiing floaty wonderful but hides armies of shark fins (aka Breck). That said, I'm happy to let you pick a mid-season week now & we can see who has what when the time rolls around. Just for yucks, I'd be happy to offer up a pound of some of the best coffee Seattle has to offer, or whatever local goody makes sense, if it is clear that Whistler is on the losing side of the equation and we can sort out how to make it happen. Make your offer and make your midseason pick. 

Good call, but I think I'll let it ride in May.  You just never know, Silverton might get slammed or the front range may get an upslope?  It's a big state with a lot of different weather patterns.

Then I'd also pick first week in March for a sixer of Three Floyds!

Quote:

Originally Posted by slider 

Last trip to Whistler it was Ice then Rain then slop warm all in 3 days. What do expect it's 300km from the Ocean. Skiing is an outdoor sport,put your big girl panties on.

If Whistler really was "300km from the Ocean" it would be in the BC Interior and there really wouldn't be any ice, rain, slop. I am more of an Aspen fan than Whistler. As far as weather goes, Whistler sells green garbage bags emblazoned with their logo and arm and neck holes already cut.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanoT 

Quote:

Originally Posted by slider 

Last trip to Whistler it was Ice then Rain then slop warm all in 3 days. What do expect it's 300km from the Ocean. Skiing is an outdoor sport,put your big girl panties on.

 

If Whistler really was "300km from the Ocean" it would be in the BC Interior and there really wouldn't be any ice, rain, slop. I am more of an Aspen fan than Whistler. As far as weather goes, Whistler sells green garbage bags emblazoned with their logo and arm and neck holes already cut.

237 km

actually its only 58 km from "the ocean" (Squamish) but still another 2000 feet up to the base  300 km inland would put you in the rain shadowed Okanogan. It must rain even more at Alyeska if the distance to ocean really counted. Mountains on the western edge always get the most snow but you have to contend with the clouds/storms and variable conditions that bring it. I don't mind the trade off.     

I've had great snow and lousy snow in Utah, lousy snow in Telluride and flew back to CA early where there was tons, poor snow at Jackson, great snow and fair snow at Taos, fair snow at Mammoth, great snow at Whistler, two winters ago went to Chamonix and got the worst snow in a generation, (and still had a great time), leaving behind California's epic winter. My cousin comes out to CA to ski with me a lot and we're about even on good snow trips and bad snow trips.  Point is any week skiing anywhere is a crap shoot. Pick another reason to decide--pick the mountain for it's terrain, hope it snows, and let the Coloradans and BCers have their pissing match. That's the best you can do.

Well said. And it sounds like we have the same type of luck on ski trips. I almost wonder if its best to pick a destination where I don't expect too much--that way I go in with low expectations, and am pleasantly surprised when I get, say, that powder day at Sun Valley (not that SV has bad snow. It just doesn't snow much.)

(Not that this matters for the skiing but c'mon, you guys know that Howe Sound, Haro Strait and the Strait of Juan de Fuch aren't the ocean, right? The ocean is the ocean, inland saltwater sounds and waterways are just that. Squamish is not on the ocean--you have to travel almost 200 miles to reach the ocean from Squamish. The Strait of Juan de Fuca is LONG).