obxxtreme

Thanks to all who helped with my Aspen holiday. I can't wait! But - alas - a sense of guilt has snuck in, and I now want to do another vacation with the kids in February. I have two teenage boys who are very good at snowboarding... my daughter who is an intermediate rider... my 7 yr old son who is in his second season of riding... and my husband and I who are skiers (myself advanced and my husband intermediate). Park City looks very good for the teens, but is it skier-friendly, too? Steamboat looks great for the "family" but so-so for my teens. This is a killer vacation for them, so I want it to be awesome for riding... but the rest of us want to have fun, too.
Thanks again!

lizziea06

Snowbird is a great place for snowboarders and skiers, and especially kids. I learned how to ski there, starting at age 6. My cousins were snowboarders, and we were always able to tear around the mountain together while our parents skied. They have fantastic ski/snowboard classes. EXTREMELY family friendly.

obxxtreme

Thanks, Lizzie! Have you been there recently? Are there any accomodations you could recommend?

kangamom

Snowbird is a great resort with variety of terrain including quite a few advanced runs. The place to stay is the Cliff Lodge which is located at the bottom of the hill. It is pricey but extremely well located and has great amenities.

obxxtreme

Thank you, kanga, but they don't have accomodations for 6. Any other ideas?

enzian

You could try the Iron Blosam; we've stayed there in a 6-person loft unit.

All the Snowbird lodging places (there are only four) use the same reservations system, so you could just ask the reservation agent what is available for a family of 6 on your dates.

irishswampyankee

My concern about staying at Snowbird is that it's fairly isolated. It's near the end of the Little Cottonwood Canyon Rd and not near a town. IMO, Park City would be a better bet bcs it's in town and you could walk around with the kids in the evening or after skiing. It is skier friendly. There are many condos for rent, if you want to go that route, which would allow you to eat some meals in and cut down on expenses. You also really don't need a car there bcs the shuttle bus system is excellent, although we always get one.

Several other ski areas are within a 45 min. drive although some like Deer Valley and Alta don't allow snowboards.

MaureenB

Winter Park, Colorado, gets rave reviews for its snowboarding terrain and parks. Have you considered it? It's a good family destination, not much of a party town. Also a great mountain for skiing. Lots of mid-priced housing available. Let me know if you have more questions about WP. We've had a place there for over 20 years.
>-

obxxtreme

Thanks, Maureen. I would prefer a bit more of a "town" feel... hence the appeal of Steamboat and Park City. I would even be open to Whistler (even though it's "manufactured", but I'm concerned about the weather there.

Irish - I agree with your concerns about Snowbird. I think that a Snowbird/Alta trip would be ideal for just me... but I would like to have other activities nearby with the kids in tow.

yale

Steamboat is a great option in CO. I never recommend Winter Park for snowboarding. Have you considered staying in Breckenridge? I think it has a lot to offer in town as far as variety goes, plus it's fairly close to several Summit County ski resorts, including Copper, which is my favorite mountain to ride. I wouldn't stay in Copper because it doesn't have much to offer as far as a town. Breckenridge is not my favorite place to ride because of all the flats, and it can get windy. But if your kids can handle the flats and you don't mind the wind, it's a great resort too.

enzian

obxxtreme---what is your concern about the weather at Whistler? There is so much vertical there; the top runs are always good (even when it is raining in the village). We have been there every month of the ski season (November through April), and we've always enjoyed excellent skiing (and riding, for my kids, who are expert snowboarders). Although the area has grown a lot recently, the original Whistler Village still has a nice "village" feel. It was the first place I felt comfortable letting my teenage sons go out on their own in the evening; they liked to browse the shops and check out the movie theatre.

I didn't know Whistler was on your list of "possibles" or I would have suggested it earlier. Your sons will love the black and doduble-black bowls at the top of Whistler. There are also several terrain parks if they are into freestyle riding. You, your husband and the younger kids can enjoy skiing and riding together on the high-up runs on Blackcomb. The run down Horstman Glacier (blue) is one of my all-time favorites.

I think all of you would really like Whistler.

familytravelforum

Park City is a lively town and its three ski areas are very skier friendly. Do note that one of them, Deer Valley, does not allow snowboarders. I agree that Snowbird is fantastic, but is isolated and there is little nightlife.

Park City has the Olympic Park too, where the teens could take a ski jumping lesson or ride a bobsled or luge depending on their ages. I believe they have a zipline ride too, that goes down the ski jumping course. I think there is also a lift-served tubing area near town that is open at night. There is tons to do there, and you could ski The Canyons, which is fantastic, or Park City Mountain Resort, also fantastic. You could either stay at the base of one of them or in town and shuttle to the ski areas, which are about 4 minutes from town.

Whistler is great fun too for those ages. In Feb the weather should be fine, unless it's foggy, which is somewhat rare. I've skied it as late as April, and the bottom is mushy but the top and middle are great. Its purpose-built ski village makes it very safe and easy to get around, very walkable.

Check out the website familytravelforum.com for more ideas -- it has tons of info on ski destinations.

obxxtreme

Thank you for the great information. I'm clueless as to which to choose... PC, Steamboat or Whistler. Not knowing about the accomodations and the ins and outs of the areas makes it that much tougher since all but Whistler have towns that are separate from the actual mountains, and I don't know the best options. Any thoughts so I can weigh these and finally make a decision?

padams421

Enzian must not have been to Whistler when we were there. The first time we went, it rained much of the week at the lower elevations. Snow on the bottom third of the mountains quickly melted leaving our ski in/ski out accomodations as mud in/mud out. Two years ago, Whistler had one of is worst snow years ever. We cancelled due to the lack of snow, and lost some money on deposits.

We went back to Whistler last year and it snowed all week. The snow conditions were great but the slopes were PACKED with locals and Vancouverites. Also, all that snow caused visibility to be a white out, or foggy, at best much of the time.

Whistler can be great but it's a LONG way from the East Coast of the US, and you can usually find better conditions in Colorado and Utah.

randknew

being that i live in Utah, i feel that park city/deer valley has it all for both skiers & boarders. lots of accomodations...i think the Fox Point Condos are really good since its adjacent to Redstone shopping area, but those condos are not huge, think maybe most are 2 bedrooms & you for sure would need a car although i think the ski bus stops there, not sure though. but there are restaurants, shops, movie theatres all outside your door. but last year we actually took a ski vacation to Beaver Creek in CO & loved it. stayed at a wonderful condo at Arrowhead which has a few runs itself but connects to Beaver Creek. Great grooming & no one there! we all liked it better than Vail, which we have skied twice recently & stayed right in the village. but we much preferred Beaver Creek for both skiing & boarding...but of course Park City is our home & it has so much to offer too!

enzian

padams421---I confess that the last time I was there was March 2004. Maybe it's warmer now. My point was just that even when it is raining in the village, it is almost certain to be snowing at the top. And yes, that can mean whiteout conditions, but that can happen anywhere. As for mud on the lower runs, when it is like that we just give in and ride down the last part instead of trying to ski all the way down.

My personal favorite place to ski is actually Alta/Snowbird, but with boarders and skiers of a range of abilities, who want a "village", Whistler can be a good option. But we live close enough to drive. And many people around here are fed up with Whistler like you are, and go to one of the newer interior BC resorts, Big White or Sun Peaks. Both have villages built on the Whistler model, but smaller. Heven't been to either one, but I hear good reports.

http://www.bigwhite.com/

http://www.sunpeaksresort.com/

lizziea06

My favorite place in the world to ski is Alta, and I just have such fond memories of Snowbird that I guess I'm biased. Snowbird is a resort, and although it's not near a town, there's SO much to do on site. It's also enormous, family friendly, and lots of varied terrain.

Don'tworry too much about picking the right place. It sounds like for your family, most any resort in Utah or Colorado would be perfect.

Dayle

Hi OB,

Regarding the mentioned Fox Point condos at Redstone. I would NEVER recommend them to someone for a ski vacation! Talk about a NON-ski resort atmosphere! They are located in a highly congested, new retail shopping/high density housing area 7 miles from Park City. No!

Yes, Park City's Historic Main Street is maybe a whole 3 blocks walking distance from the base of PCMR. If you don't want to walk, you can take the free shuttle.

obxxtreme

I looked into Snowbird again, but none of their properties accomodate 6 people.
I called PC, and the guy there was totally unhelpful and was quite condescending when he heard I didn't want to spend nearly $900/night on a hotel.
I'm sure we'd be happy in PC if I knew of a well-located, moderately priced (up to $550/nt) condo. Most of the better rated places there appear to have smaller units.

randknew

not too surprised by the cost of condos, unless you stay out by Kimball Junction area, you may pay at least $750 a night for a 2 bedroom condo. the closer you get towards town/ski bases, that price will go up. especially in Feb.

I can understand the previous post dissing Redstone area, but at night if you want to walk to dinner/drinks, its a pretty good option. a new Italian restaurant just opened there, as well as Red Rock Brewery...also walk to Whole Foods for groceries. And of course the prices are much less for the condos, which are nearly new. but it for sure isn't ski-in/ski-out!

i'm sure there are older condos closer to town on the ski bus route that may be priced pretty well, may take some searching though. Sundance Film Festival is jan. 18-28, really fun but for sure not a good time to visit PC.