Where to look for ski deals?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These are all good tips. I would add to get a Southwest credit card now. Tons of flights from BWI to DEN or SLC. Two free bags/person means you can bring your own equipment for free. Start getting points now and by next year you won't be paying for airfare.

We live in CO now and have done a mix of Ikon and Epic over the years. The Epic close-in mountains have better ski towns than Ikon (Breck, Vail, Beaver Creek) vs you have to go out further for Ikon (Apsen, Steamboat).

If I had to do this for one week, I would probably get an Epic pass and book early somewhere in Vail. There is so much to explore there and you can easily pop over to Beaver Creek for a day or so - which all the kids love bc of the Candy shack and fresh cookies - but probably doesnt have enough terrain to keep everyone excited for a week.

Vail isn’t where you get deals!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These are all good tips. I would add to get a Southwest credit card now. Tons of flights from BWI to DEN or SLC. Two free bags/person means you can bring your own equipment for free. Start getting points now and by next year you won't be paying for airfare.

We live in CO now and have done a mix of Ikon and Epic over the years. The Epic close-in mountains have better ski towns than Ikon (Breck, Vail, Beaver Creek) vs you have to go out further for Ikon (Apsen, Steamboat).

If I had to do this for one week, I would probably get an Epic pass and book early somewhere in Vail. There is so much to explore there and you can easily pop over to Beaver Creek for a day or so - which all the kids love bc of the Candy shack and fresh cookies - but probably doesnt have enough terrain to keep everyone excited for a week.

Aspen and Steamboat require longer drives but have way smaller crowds. Would never recommend epic over ikon for a Colorado trip.

[Anonymous]

This is the OP again. I appreciate all the great tips and guidance; this is the first time we're thinking about something other than "long weekend at Wisp/Snowshoe/7 Springs" and it's kind of overwhelming.

DH and I are old enough to have intense respect for gravity and our knees, and are happy to just swoop along enjoying the scenery. Long green cruisers are our jam, with some shorter blues thrown in for seasoning.

We have one snowboarding teen who enjoys a variety of runs from green to black. (The harder ones he does with more enthusiasm and bravery than technique.)

No young kids or ski school needs. But with a high schooler, we are still tied to the academic calendar and are eyeing semester break, with maybe an extra day or two to make a 4-5 day trip.

We do not have Aspen-level money (some days it feels like we barely have Liberty-level money...), but I prioritize having a condo that's easy to pop back to for lunch, to warm up, or to rest before doing a few last runs. No need for an apres scene.

I'm intrigued by the suggestion of the Alps, but not sure our timeframe would work for that. Also worried about jetlag (although honestly I get hit harder going to the West Coast than I do to Europe).

Please keep suggestions coming! I appreciate the recommendations of specific mountains and the nuances of Epic vs. Ikon.

[Anonymous]

We got Ikon this year. We did Steamboat in December. Highly recommend. You can fly Southwest from Dulles-Denver-Hayden. Take a bus or rent a car from the airport to Steamboat. There is a ton of condo lodging in the resort. All the condos have buses right to the base. It was fantastic.
The mountain has skiing for all levels. Brand new gondola to the top. Interesting terrain - trees, steeps, not steep, groomers.
We had skiers from intermediates to true experts. All liked it.
The town of Steamboat is really fun. Good restaurants. We mostly ate at the condo - bought food at Walmart. But there is a nice town if you want that.

We have skied tons of Epic mountains. The downside of both Ikon and Epic is that they have made mountains really crowded. The local mountains complain that these companies don't invest in the mountains (e.g., Whitetail, Liberty). I have heard Epic is cheaper for teens. We just don't like Vail Resorts and what they have done to skiing so we went with Ikon But others will say the same thing about Ikon.

[Anonymous]

Club med has an all inclusive hotel/food/drinks/lift tickets/kids club in Quebec- Mt Tremblant is good skiing!

[Anonymous]

We do not have Aspen-level money (some days it feels like we barely have Liberty-level money...), but I prioritize having a condo that's easy to pop back to for lunch, to warm up, or to rest before doing a few last runs. No need for an apres scene

Then drive to New England and use the savings on lodging. Stay slopeside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP again. I appreciate all the great tips and guidance; this is the first time we're thinking about something other than "long weekend at Wisp/Snowshoe/7 Springs" and it's kind of overwhelming.

DH and I are old enough to have intense respect for gravity and our knees, and are happy to just swoop along enjoying the scenery. Long green cruisers are our jam, with some shorter blues thrown in for seasoning.

We have one snowboarding teen who enjoys a variety of runs from green to black. (The harder ones he does with more enthusiasm and bravery than technique.)

No young kids or ski school needs. But with a high schooler, we are still tied to the academic calendar and are eyeing semester break, with maybe an extra day or two to make a 4-5 day trip.

We do not have Aspen-level money (some days it feels like we barely have Liberty-level money...), but I prioritize having a condo that's easy to pop back to for lunch, to warm up, or to rest before doing a few last runs. No need for an apres scene.

I'm intrigued by the suggestion of the Alps, but not sure our timeframe would work for that. Also worried about jetlag (although honestly I get hit harder going to the West Coast than I do to Europe).

Please keep suggestions coming! I appreciate the recommendations of specific mountains and the nuances of Epic vs. Ikon.

One note of caution - your teen snowboarder who likes the occasional black in the mid atlantic will need several days of practice (or perhaps multiple trips) before s/he is ready for blacks out west. They're not even close to being a similar scale. There are blues in Utah that are harder than any black around here.

[Anonymous]

Want to know a real tip if you are just going to ski weekdays and plan ahead? Go ski at one of the western mountains where kids ski free and buy a weekday pass for the adults when they go on sale in the spring for the next year - the unlimited weekday passes(blacked out for Xmas though) are like 250$. This is the at a bunch of decent mountains in the SW: purgatory, Bryan head(great for beginners), Arizona snowbowl, copper mountain, etc. if you’re doing a February break trip go to Arizona snowbowl - Arizona schools have March break. You can also go to Sedona from there and flagstaff is very cute with good breweries and restaurants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Want to know a real tip if you are just going to ski weekdays and plan ahead? Go ski at one of the western mountains where kids ski free and buy a weekday pass for the adults when they go on sale in the spring for the next year - the unlimited weekday passes(blacked out for Xmas though) are like 250$. This is the at a bunch of decent mountains in the SW: purgatory, Bryan head(great for beginners), Arizona snowbowl, copper mountain, etc. if you’re doing a February break trip go to Arizona snowbowl - Arizona schools have March break. You can also go to Sedona from there and flagstaff is very cute with good breweries and restaurants.

I wouldn’t recommend this pass for someone flying in for the winter holidays. For one, the week after Christmas is blacked out for weekday pass holders and the snow can be so iffy at those mountains in December. I’m also not sure the weekday pass gives reciprocal benefits. I think it’s only good at one location. Copper’s not on it at all. They’re also fairly isolated ski hills which may not give the “ski vacation” experience OP is looking for.

Sure, Flagstaff is a fun town, but even if you stay at a Airbnb at the base of the hill, you still need to drive up and park. Staying near snowbowl also makes you 20 minutes from downtown Flagstaff.

[Anonymous]

We are going to Whistler, BC and booked just before labor day weekend when they had significant online savings and "packages" in the sense that if you stayed at one of their properties (a zillion of all price ranges to choose from), they had various discounts and freebies -- and our dollar is strong in Canada right now, so that helps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Europe is the best deal by far, especially if you can cover the flights with points.

To wit, flights to Milan are $470 RT through pretty much all of February and March. Italian Dolomites are the cheapest of the four countries that share The Alps.

I have become a convert to skiing in Italy over the last two years. Snow is not Utah/Colorado quality (or at least has not been for us) but the experience is so much nicer. Lift tickets are reasonably priced, the food is amazing (and much cheaper), and the ski resorts significantly less crowded and much easier to navigate. I love skiing in the Dolomites and am eager to try Cervinia (which is closer to Milan).

I haven't been, but Club Med in Europe and Canada offers all-inclusive kind of experience: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/all-inclusive-ski-resort-vacation/2021/12/09/6a269cf8-53a2-11ec-8927-c396fa861a71_story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

rental cars without snow-rated tires

I really wish the state of CO could regulate this somehow. Like impose massive fees if you rent a stupid ass car and cause a snow/ice related problem.

I don't know...

We do have traction and chain laws with hefty fines but when it gets bad there’s only so much they can do out there. I have seen some crazy stuff on I-70 and I just putter along in my AWD Sienna, passing them all…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Want to know a real tip if you are just going to ski weekdays and plan ahead? Go ski at one of the western mountains where kids ski free and buy a weekday pass for the adults when they go on sale in the spring for the next year - the unlimited weekday passes(blacked out for Xmas though) are like 250$. This is the at a bunch of decent mountains in the SW: purgatory, Bryan head(great for beginners), Arizona snowbowl, copper mountain, etc. if you’re doing a February break trip go to Arizona snowbowl - Arizona schools have March break. You can also go to Sedona from there and flagstaff is very cute with good breweries and restaurants.

I wouldn’t plan ahead for Snowbowl. Snow is very hit or miss year to year there.