Having read about the experience levels of the kids, I am thinking save the pricier trip for when they are more experienced and will get more out of it. At this point they don't need much to be kept challenged. Put the "savings" aside for next year or the year after. Or apply it to lessons for everyone this year.
Brighton in Utah used to be super cheap. I'm sure not how it is now, but you might want to check it out. When I skied there, the mountain was not crowded at all, the lift tickets were really cheap and the snow was great.
David, if you're in Alabama, I'm assuming you're going to fly rather than drive. Keep in mind airfare can be as much or more than the accommodations. One reason Canada is out of the equation, since airfares crossing the border are ridiculous. You could fly into Seattle and drive (or take Amtrak to Vancouver and a bus to Whistler but that's getting complicated.)
SLC is still an option for ski-in, ski-out or close to it, at Solitude or Park City. I would also consider the Colorado resorts, if you can find reasonable-priced accommodations close to the slopes. If....
I like Sibhusky's recommendations about Whitefish, provided you can get decent airfares to Kallispell.
Stanger mentioned the inland NW area, this might be your best bet. Spokane is a pretty sizeable airport and you might be able to find decent fares. As far as ski-in, ski-out, Schweitzer is excellent. It's also very family-friendly, wide open slopes, lots of uncrowded terrain, and pretty inexpensive compared to most destination resorts. Lots of condos for rent as well as the two Schweitzer lodges. One of my favorite places to ski (so far). Keep in mind, they don't have beginner terrain all over the mountain, just at the base. But pretty great intermediate terrain all over the mountain for families, and enough black and double blacks to keep advanced skiers happy, about 2900 acres total. Also, elevation is 4000'-6400' so not much need to acclimate to high altitudes.
As far as ski-in, ski-out, Schweitzer is excellent. It's also very family-friendly, wide open slopes, lots of uncrowded terrain, and pretty inexpensive compared to most destination resorts. Lots of condos for rent as well as the two Schweitzer lodges. One of my favorite places to ski (so far). Keep in mind, they don't have beginner terrain all over the mountain, just at the base. But pretty great intermediate terrain all over the mountain for families, and enough black and double blacks to keep advanced skiers happy, about 2900 acres total. Also, elevation is 4000'-6400' so not much need to acclimate to high altitudes.
As a loyal local, I'm biased, but I agree with all of this ^^^^.
I would add that there's also a cat-skiing op off the top of the mountain that's reasonably priced.
It's true there are only 2 designated Beginner runs at the very bottom of the mountain below the lodge, but the Intermediate terrain on the lower frontside off the Basin Express chair is so tame that I would classify it as more "Beginner-Plus." I wouldn't hesitate to take a beginning skier there.
Check out their website!
He says he has airline points and that it's not an issue, but checked and he can fly out of Huntsville for roughly $825 each, which to me is sort of pricey, but then I'm unemployed.
I like Sibhusky's recommendations about Whitefish, provided you can get decent airfares to Kallispell.
Brighton in Utah used to be super cheap. I'm sure not how it is now, but you might want to check it out. When I skied there, the mountain was not crowded at all, the lift tickets were really cheap and the snow was great.
2nd this suggestion!!!! You get a better resort (with Solitude right beside it), better snow, kids ski free... check the prices:
| 4 Night/Day Stay and Ski Packages | Price Per Room for 2 Adults |
|---|---|
| Dorm | $825+tax |
| Queen | $895+tax |
| Suite | $1095+tax |
http://www.brightonresort.com/planyourtrip.lodging.html
It looks like the better deal for sure.
Brighton has lots to keep the beginners happy and the experts.
From his trip to Snowshoe several years ago, my oldest son's strongest and fondest memory was the tubing, and I'd hate to disappoint him AND his younger brother who would no doubt love it as well. Then on Saturday we have one last BIG ski day at Alta or Snowbird, and I might just let the wife ski with the boys while I hit the blues and milder blacks. Or if the wife and kids are totally burnt out, or conditions just don't look good, then we could just do some touristy stuff (certainly not my choice, but this trip isn't just about me).
Hi David!
My then-thirteen-year-old son and I went to SLC January 2011 for a big adventure on our own, without knowing exactly what to expect - but had a blast. We stayed at a Mariott Residence Inn in Sandy UT which was great - I think we got a price of $130/night, including free breakfasts and other happy-hour munchies. We filled our full-sized fridge with food from the nearby Super Target, cooked on our stove, and ate at our little kitchen table (in the morning, the housekeeper put our dishes in the dishwasher!). We took the Ski Bus each day to a different resort for a couple of bucks. Had we stayed at the same chain in Cottonwood Heights, it would have added about $50 a night, but would have cut the bus trip from maybe close to an hour to down to less than a half hour. We did have some interesting conversations on the bus with others from other states and even Australia, so enjoyed the trip anyway.
I am a wimpy intermediate skier, which means that in Utah I found myself looking for more greens than blues (!), and my son slightly better and more aggressive (he did some blacks).
At Alta, our first day of skiing, we enjoyed some of the beginner-type trails, to really play in the untouched snow which we don't have as much of here (ours is often augmented by man-made stuff). I had a hard time with the transfer tow which about killed my aging shoulders, so we didn't go back-and-forth between the sides. Nice and basic, so no paying for fancy-shmancy ski resort frills. Loved not being wiped out by boarders (sorry)!
We spent two days at Brighton because my son wanted to play around on one of the terrain parks and it wasn't crazy-busy, as he was just learning some of that stuff. I hung out on the slopes around him while the nice ski hosts showed him how to get to the parks. Two times we went to the right side of the mountain and made it down okay once, but the next time I ended up in a bit of a jam for my skills and finally made it down, quite proud of myself for having made it down in one piece! Again, nothing too frilly - nice and budget-friendly.
We spent a day at Solitude and while it was very nice and uncrowded, with an empty chair waiting for you at the bottom of each run, I could not ski anywhere high enough to really catch a good vista - felt as if I was down in the valley most of the time (which was still very pretty - I have a photo of the Solitdude village as my screensaver!). I felt that there were not as many slopes for my ability, and I got a little bored, though of course there are always skills to work on on any slope. My son went up higher and enjoyed it. We did enjoy the serenity of the place, and our slopeside "woods picnic" where we ate our stashed-in-pocket turkey-sandwiches, since brought-in food is only allowed in one area of the lodge.
We were going to go to Snowbird the last day, but some people told us that it was a bit steeper, so being the wimp that I am, we didn't go. So instead, on our last day we drove our rental car over to Park City just because. . . it's Park City. Very busy, tons of people, and pricey - but the slopes were beautiful and I have never seen such gorgeous vistas in my life! Worth to trip.
On the way home from Park City, we stopped for a little bit at the Olympic Village - interesting to see.
So if you do pick one of these resorts, I don't know which one to tell you to pick as we enjoyed them all. I might pick Brighton or Alta (but withOUT the transfer tow), or Park City if I wanted to live it up and get all of those great photos. Or we might just adventure and go to different places!
The multiple day ski pass of which others spoke (and which some of the hotels offer) does include the four Cottonwood resorts, but not Park City. So we opted to just buy a daily lift ticket each day at the hotel or local ski shop, for pretty much the same price, so we could plan our own schedule and not feel that we had to use up our pass in Cottonwood.
We brought our own skis,but there are some nice places like Canyon Sports and Christy Sports, where they know what they are doing and rent at reasonable rates.
I can't tell you about tubing hills as we didn't do any of that. There are places for snowmobiling, though.
Good luck and enjoy making those memories!!
Kitty
Thanks for sharing your adventure Kitty! Sounds like it was an absolute blast, and I look forward to building those kinds of memories with my boys.
Yeah I love Solitude as well. Back in 2008 when my wife and I went to SLC, she wanted to take one day off while I skied. I went to Solitude by myself which was cool because I was able to see some areas that I wouldn't have seen had she been with me. I don't remember which lift this was, but I seem to remember thinking that I wouldn't be able to go up it if my wife were with me.
Now don't get me wrong, I love skiing with my lovely wife. Same week in 2008, but at Alta (I think):
And I can't wait to ski green runs for a solid week with my boys. But sometimes it's nice to go places that are a little more challenging (not that I'm an expert or anything, but I enjoy an occasional black if it isn't too radical).
I've never skied Park City, so if we do end up spending a day or two in the SLC area, I'd certainly like to check it out!
Anyway, thanks again for sharing your experiences Kitty, and I hope you get to go on another big adventure next year!
David
That was an accurate and pretty insightful post from an intermediate's perspective from kitty gal.
David, I like your plan to fly into SLC and hedge your Brian Head bet with a day or two of skiing at very snowsure Alta. Alta has more terrain for low intermediates than Snowbird, but also renowned advanced terrain. FYI Brighton has a decent amount of intermediate terrain open for night skiing, 4-9 PM, in case that worked for your group. both Alta and Brighton are very scenic in good weather and generally very reliable for late March skiing.
Fun intermediate terrain for kids at Alta:
There is challenging stuff for adults too at Alta, although when I took the photo of this run I was with a local who said her 5 year old son often skied it solo!
Ooohhh, night skiing at Brighton sounds like fun! The wife and I night skied once at Keystone about 10 years ago and we enjoyed it thoroughly. We might be able to work that in Friday night after the drive back to SLC. That is if we aren't too wiped out by Tacos Don Ramone for lunch...
David
March is about the best month for skiing in the Inland NW. We generally get our largest snowfalls in early March and most non-foggy days. It's probably more common to see rain in the beginning of January than March (pineapple express always seems to show up about then). Past few years we've had enough snow to ski until June, if they wanted to run the lifts.
VRBO condos at Schweitzer are much cheaper than staying in one of the two hotels in the village. Everything up there is at least ski-out, if not both.
Silver is also worth checking out. They are very affordable, lodging is "ski-in/out" with a gondola ride inbetween. Tons for kids to do when they get tired of skiing. (indoor waterpark, snow tubing)
David, If you choose to get in on the group sale for the Big Sky Gathering, it'll be without any special restrictions other than pay in advance and I will need the names of the skiers and how many days they want on the pass. I will set up a PayPal store after Labor Day, so check back then. I don't think you can beat the group sale price, but you should check into the Frequent Skier Card because that offers more than lift ticket discounts.
March is about the best month for skiing in the Inland NW. We generally get our largest snowfalls in early March and most non-foggy days. It's probably more common to see rain in the beginning of January than March (pineapple express always seems to show up about then). Past few years we've had enough snow to ski until June, if they wanted to run the lifts.
VRBO condos at Schweitzer are much cheaper than staying in one of the two hotels in the village. Everything up there is at least ski-out, if not both.
Silver is also worth checking out. They are very affordable, lodging is "ski-in/out" with a gondola ride inbetween. Tons for kids to do when they get tired of skiing. (indoor waterpark, snow tubing
Never been to Silver but have noted they have tubing and a indoor Waterpark that may be entertaining.
March is about the best month for skiing in the Inland NW. We generally get our largest snowfalls in early March and most non-foggy days. It's probably more common to see rain in the beginning of January than March (pineapple express always seems to show up about then). Past few years we've had enough snow to ski until June, if they wanted to run the lifts.
VRBO condos at Schweitzer are much cheaper than staying in one of the two hotels in the village. Everything up there is at least ski-out, if not both.
Silver is also worth checking out. They are very affordable, lodging is "ski-in/out" with a gondola ride inbetween. Tons for kids to do when they get tired of skiing. (indoor waterpark, snow tubing)
I looked through what was listed on VRBO for Schweitzer and couldn't find anything in our budget range (that was truly ski-in ski-out with full kitchen). I absolutely LOVE the "Swiss Chalet" http://www.vrbo.com/146261 but unfortunately we would have to rent two separate rooms OR the family room, and either choice would be over our budget.
It looks like Silver DOES have some nice budget lodging, but having to ride a gondola EVERY time you want to go to the slopes or back to the condo definitely wouldn't feel like ski-in ski-out.
Thanks for the tips though!
Currently we're still seriously considering a nice 2 BR/2 BA condo with full kitchen that is truly ski-in ski-out at Brian Head for five nights for just over $800. With the dirt-cheap lift tickets there, that gives us plenty of room in our budget for lessons, snowmobiling, snow tubing, etc. and depending on how the budgeting/saving goes over the next 5-6 months, maybe even a day or two of epic skiing somewhere in the Cottonwoods at the end of the week.
David
David, If you choose to get in on the group sale for the Big Sky Gathering, it'll be without any special restrictions other than pay in advance and I will need the names of the skiers and how many days they want on the pass. I will set up a PayPal store after Labor Day, so check back then. I don't think you can beat the group sale price, but you should check into the Frequent Skier Card because that offers more than lift ticket discounts.
Thanks for the info nolo!
David
Never been to Silver but have noted they have tubing and a indoor Waterpark that may be entertaining.
Yeah, but the problem is that my boys are absolutely crazy about waterparks, and if they know there's a waterpark nearby I might have a problem getting them (or keeping them) out on the slopes where DADDY wants to be. The last thing I want to do is spend big bucks (and lots of Amex reward points for airfare) getting us to a ski resort and hearing nothing but endless chants about wanting to go play in the waterpark.
David
By the way, have two stories of VRBO homes being canceled at the last minute on friends and they had to re-book much higher places because they already had non-refundable air tickets. One place was in Paris, the other Hawaii. Something to think about.
By the way, have two stories of VRBO homes being canceled at the last minute on friends and they had to re-book much higher places because they already had non-refundable air tickets. One place was in Paris, the other Hawaii. Something to think about.
SCARY thought! Fortunately the condo we're looking at is handled by a property management company. So hopefully that sort of thing wouldn't happen since they have a reputation that I'm sure they wouldn't want to tarnish. If the specific condo we reserved DID become unavailable at the last minute for some reason, I sure hope that they would find us SOME other place to stay for the week. I certainly wouldn't be happy about it, but that would be better than being stuck at home (or paying through the nose for some last minute reservations).
I'll keep my fingers crossed.
David
If you are still considering one of the bigger resorts (which is what I would do if I am going out west) check out the Marriott Summit Watch in town Park City. They are privately owned luxury places with undergound parking, nice pool, renovated in 2009 and a ski lift right outside your door. Walk to restaurants, etc. You might not even need a rental car. Shuttle to any other resort if you want.
You could do a week there in a 2 bedroom for $2,000. Park City will provide enough cruising to keep everybody happy for the week. You can ski the first day of your arrival for free.
Take a look - http://www.vrbo.com/406419
Yeah, but the problem is that my boys are absolutely crazy about waterparks, and if they know there's a waterpark nearby I might have a problem getting them (or keeping them) out on the slopes where DADDY wants to be. The last thing I want to do is spend big bucks (and lots of Amex reward points for airfare) getting us to a ski resort and hearing nothing but endless chants about wanting to go play in the waterpark.
David
Just to clarify, the waterpark is only for guests of the Morning Star Lodge, which is not exactly budget accommodations.
David, all things considered, if you really do want ski in/out, and not willing to travel, say 20 minutes by car or shuttle bus from a town, I think you're on the right track if you want to stay within your budget. Any larger ski destination (even a place like Schweitzer which is a great resort but off the radar for many folks) will be more expensive for what you want. Since you know the whole family will enjoy Brian Head, go there, and then take a day or two at Brighton or Solitude.
David, all things considered, if you really do want ski in/out, and not willing to travel, say 20 minutes by car or shuttle bus from a town, I think you're on the right track if you want to stay within your budget. Any larger ski destination (even a place like Schweitzer which is a great resort but off the radar for many folks) will be more expensive for what you want. Since you know the whole family will enjoy Brian Head, go there, and then take a day or two at Brighton or Solitude.
Yep, I came to the exact same conclusion. So I made the reservations at B.H. this morning. 
For $800 bucks for five nights in a nice large condo that REALLY IS ski-in ski-out, I just couldn't find any resort that could come close to the deal at B.H. (especially considering the 1/2 price lift tickets that we will probably be able to get).
Of course I'm well aware that there is a BIG difference between a tiny little resort like B.H. and the much bigger mountains that have been suggested, and on future trips I hope to visit many of them. But I think this was the right choice for this trip.
My 13 yr old son who's been on one ski trip 5 years ago insists that he wants to snowboard this time around. And his little brother will do whatever big brother does. So I plan to do what I've been threatening to do for years now, and take snowboard lessons myself! I've always wanted to try it, but in the past when it was just me and my wife and/or ski buddies, it never seemed to make sense to "waste" a day falling on my arse when everybody else was having a blast on skies. But this should be the perfect time. I'm sure all those normally "boring" green runs will be quite challenging for me, and the boys won't know any better. And my wife will be perfectly happy staying with us on mostly green runs all week, and probably happy that I'm not encouraging her to ski blues that she might not be completely relaxed on.
Now we just have to be patient for 8 loonnnnggg months, and save hard so that we can afford that end-of-the-week splurge in the Cottonwoods! 
David
good to hear David,
Sounded as if you really needed just to double check that some other less expensive option surfaced. Short of the Epic Ski gathering, doubt you'd find cheaper, or at least much.
I'll wish ya good weather but then anywhere planned early is a risk. But, I've been to Co when other folks said it was poor however being from Iowa, poor in Co is very fine in Iowa.
Given you have two newbies and a spouse hanging mostly on greens ... well, don't think the smaller size of BH will matter much. You should have fun either way and if you do your plan going via SLC, have the option for some added options on either ski or exploring.
Thanks Pete!
To everyone who has so graciously contributed to this thread, I hope it doesn't look like my mind was made up from the start and that your suggestions fell on deaf ears. I spent a LOT of time checking out all the various resorts suggested, looking at trail maps, and scouring VRBO for lodging deals. Far more time than I needed to, and it's good to get back to concentrating on work. 
I sincerely WANTED to find a bigger, more epic resort that would suit all our needs and most importantly our budget. I came extremely close to pulling the trigger on an incredible cabin at Moonlight Basin, but it would have put us at least $1,500 over budget, and ultimately we just decided it wasn't the right choice for this trip.
In any case, I've learned about a lot of very cool sounding resorts that are definitely on my bucket list! I'm determined to get ski Big Sky/Moonlight Basin in the future, and I'd also love to visit Bridger while there. Whitefish, Schweitzer, and Silver are definitely on my wish list as well after looking them over. Hopefully in future years when everybody knows how to ski and/or slide, and when the boys are a little bigger and can more easily handle their own gear, we can take some trips where ski-in ski-out isn't so high on the priority list.
Anyway, thanks again for all the great suggestions!
David
A side note about night skiing at Brighton: the great thing about late March is it doesn't get dark! Daylight savings time will have started, so sunset is around 7:30.
A side note about night skiing at Brighton: the great thing about late March is it doesn't get dark! Daylight savings time will have started, so sunset is around 7:30.
Awesome! And they have a LOT of runs open for night skiing (compared to most resorts). Sure hope we can fit that in the budget!
David
By the way, have two stories of VRBO homes being canceled at the last minute on friends and they had to re-book much higher places because they already had non-refundable air tickets. One place was in Paris, the other Hawaii. Something to think about.
The flip side to that cautionary tale is that I've used VRBO with no issues for several ski trips in the last five years. I spend a bit of time going back and forth by email and/or phone getting to know the owners before making a commitment. Have gotten good deals making a deposit in the fall.
The good news is that discounts typically abound at that point, because most people think the ski season ends after Presidents' Week. (I, on the other hand, think that's when it's just starting to get good.)
For snow quality and terrain availability, I'd look at the late season suggestions on Tony Crocker's site, bestsnow.net. And better yet, I'd wait to decide until the end of February at the earliest. You should be able to get good plane fares as long as you're booking at least two weeks out, and you'll know where the best snow has been (and therefore, where conditions are likely to be best when you're going). Plus, places start to get desperate to rent by then.
For cost-effectiveness on lift tickets, I'd go somewhere that either has a cheap season pass you can buy now (e.g., Vail resorts, including Heavenly and Kirkwood); is likely to have a spring pass deal by that time (e.g., Alpine and Squaw); or will probably have next year's passes for sale by that point and will let you ride for free the rest of the season.
As a general rule, Utah resorts have lousy deals on kids' tickets, so I'd do a serious comparison shop with Colorado, Tahoe, etc.
And I didn't think that you had your mind made up, David - you are just a good planner/thinker, searching for and considering all of the options! I work that way too. I too enjoyed hearing all of the other options, for future reference!
Anyway, it sounds as if you got a great deal, and you all should have a super time!! Make sure you have lots of cameras handy!!
Kitty
