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Where can I have my (early) midlife crisis - live and walk to lifts this winter?

post #1 of 15
9/20/08 at 12:21am
Thread Starter 
Hey Bears,

I need some help identifying possible places to live and ski this winter.

I grew up skiing Alaska, but am currently in exile in Los Angeles with <10 days a year. My wife is a performer and will be going on tour for 4 months this winter- making it an ideal time for me to live a piece of the dream that many of you enjoy every year.

I work from home now and I can take my job with me. The internet is everywhere, so there's no excuse not to ski my ass off this winter.

Here is what I am looking for in my perfect world:
  • U.S. or Canada- livable town or housing from which I can walk to lifts - not vacation condos, but housing for real people- I'm hoping <$600 month and I'm not picky
  • A good mountain(s) (I'll be at my destination for 3 months, so diversity is cool)
  • Night skiing - If I have heavy work during the day, I could still make turns in the evenings
Staying at least January - March.

That's my fantasy. Do places like this still exist? Anybody have any good suggestions or secret gems they might share?

Thanks!

Hodaddy
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post #2 of 15
9/20/08 at 2:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hodaddy View Post
Hey Bears,

I need some help identifying possible places to live and ski this winter.

I grew up skiing Alaska, but am currently in exile in Los Angeles with <10 days a year. My wife is a performer and will be going on tour for 4 months this winter- making it an ideal time for me to live a piece of the dream that many of you enjoy every year.

I work from home now and I can take my job with me. The internet is everywhere, so there's no excuse not to ski my ass off this winter.

Here is what I am looking for in my perfect world:
  • U.S. or Canada- livable town or housing from which I can walk to lifts - not vacation condos, but housing for real people- I'm hoping <$600 month and I'm not picky
  • A good mountain(s) (I'll be at my destination for 3 months, so diversity is cool)
  • Night skiing - If I have heavy work during the day, I could still make turns in the evenings
Staying at least January - March.

That's my fantasy. Do places like this still exist? Anybody have any good suggestions or secret gems they might share?

Thanks!

Hodaddy
you could get a job at aspen, they have employee housing. most resorts start filling jobs in the october and november, so if you want to get something good, start looking now. i would look for something like night security or night auditor at a hotel, there's no sense picking up and moving to a ski town to ski at night, when everything is already tracked out. if the ski town experience isn't a necessity, just go to salt lake city and rent a cheap apartment in the valley. you'll be a 40 minute drive from the either of the canyons and you can probably find a place cheap enough that you wouldn't have to work, and you will not get bored with alta and snowbird.
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post #3 of 15
9/20/08 at 3:53am
Epic Pass
Live in Breckenridge, walk to gondola
Ski Keystone some nights
Other options: ABasin, Vail, Beaver Creek
<$600.... seems doubtful.

If I were in your shoes I'd (of course) live in Winter Park where it's a five mile bus ride to the mountain, or Telluride where it would be considerably more expensive.

If you were in WP you could ski Sol Vista to get some night turns in. It's about 23 miles down the road.
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post #4 of 15
9/20/08 at 10:03pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the replies! I'll check out the suggestions.
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post #5 of 15
9/22/08 at 2:26pm
This question has been asked a lot. If you search the forums you'll find plenty of threads.
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post #6 of 15
9/22/08 at 7:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by vinn View Post
This question has been asked a lot. If you search the forums you'll find plenty of threads.
Oops. Sorry. I didn't find anything similar.

I'm not trying to get a job at a resort and live in employee housing.

I'm looking for a low-key town with rental apartments (or similar) and walkable resort/lift access + night skiing. Other than a couple of suggestions, seems hard to find.

If you can think of any others, please let me know.
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post #7 of 15
9/22/08 at 9:25pm
That's a tall order. If you want to spend about 2, 3, or even 4 times as much as you've budgeted for monthly rent, you may be able to find a place with heat and indoor plumbing in a real, walk-to-the-lifts ski town like Park City, Ketchum, Telluride, Breckenridge, Jackson (if you count Snow King) or Aspen. Maybe you could find something a little cheaper, but you would probably have several roommates.

Then there are the purpose-built leisure vortices that feature walk-to-the-lifts convenience. I'm not sure where places like Vail, Snowmass, and Whistler/Blackcomb fit along the town/resort continuum, but I don't think this is what you had in mind. Then again....

If you're willing to consider a destination where you've got a real town that is a few driving minutes away from the goods, then you have a lot more options, and with a little work, you should be able to find almost-affordable digs. These places come to mind, and I know there are others: Nelson, Sandpoint, Hailey, Bozeman, Bend, Missoula, Truckee, Taos, Driggs, Avon, Whitefish, Salt Lake City, Odgen, Frisco, Dillon, Crested Butte. A lot of these places have free public transportation to and from the lifts.

Night auditor at a hotel is a good gig for a ski bum if you can handle the hours: work from 11 pm to 7 am, get changed, ski till 2, then sleep till 8 or 9 pm. Repeat as needed.
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post #8 of 15
9/22/08 at 11:47pm
One key question is whether you're only interested in getting your own place, or are willing to share. $600/month could buy your share of a ski lease in Tahoe if you find a group that doesn't mind you being there full time. But on your own, fugheddaboutit.
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post #9 of 15
9/23/08 at 1:42am
Thread Starter 
More great suggestions, thanks!

It sounds like I'll have a short commute if I don't want to go broke paying vomit inducing rent in LA and sleeping indoors at my ski destination.

I'll take a look at these towns. Fernie BC has also caught my eye. Thanks again
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post #10 of 15
9/23/08 at 2:48am
colorado may be the way to go, buy the epic pass for $579 and that gets you Vail, Beaver Creek, Breck, Keystone, Heavenly and A-Basin for less than most places charge for a regular season pass. put the difference toward rent.
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post #11 of 15
9/27/08 at 7:16pm
Look for house/condo shares on Craigslist. You could walk to lifts in Breckenridge or Aspen. Most other towns you're looking at a free bus ride to get to where you can walk to lifts.
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post #12 of 15
9/27/08 at 7:27pm
Sandy, Utah=Snowbird and Alta a short ride up LCC, can't walk there but 500inches a year....need i say more.
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post #13 of 15
9/28/08 at 9:29am
I would think a share would be ideal. You get some relief in rent and someone to ski with if so desire.

You do need to be careful about who you share with since you'll be working from home. So a bunch of party animals won't be too compatible. Maybe better looking for a real town and see if you can rent a room from a local who appreciate a working professional rather than a ski bum as tenent?

Disclaimer: I have never done it myself so I'm only speculating.
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post #14 of 15
9/28/08 at 9:03pm
For anything in Summit or Eagle, $600 per month is unlikely, unless you're sharing. Even for a share, it's less likely in Eagle. More likely in Summit.

You may find a studio in Summit for this, but I haven't seen any on Craigslist.
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post #15 of 15
9/29/08 at 12:52pm
Lease a Westfalia for $399.00 and invest the rest in LPG and a really nice -40 sleeping bag.

You'll be the envy of us all......
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