Ski Area Near Seattle
Oct 3rd, 2004, 03:11 PM
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Ski Area Near Seattle
We're looking for a family friendly resort area in Washington to enjoy during winter break. We want accomodations that won't break the bank. We used to go to Mt Bachelor and stay at Sun River or Riverhouse in Bend. Is there any equivalent near Seattle? My son snowboards and I like cross-country. We need a pool or other things to do, as well. Crystal is out as no x-country. Snoqualmie is close, but doesn't have much in the way of accomodations. Mt. Baker is a possibility, though I don't see any obvious good places to stay. Is there snowboarding near Winthop? We'd be willing to drive to Whistler, but my impression is that it is quite expensive. Suggestions?
Oct 3rd, 2004, 03:17 PM
#2
Maybe Stevens Pass - you can stay in Leavenworth if you can tolerate the yodelayheehoo kitsch. http://www.stevenspass.com
Oct 3rd, 2004, 03:38 PM
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When we lived up there we went to Stevens Pass. Their nordic area is only 5 miles down the road from the regular downhill/snowboarding area. There are no resorts like SunRiver, but we always rented home a bit out of town from Leavenworth and it worked great for us. One place we have rented from many times is www.bedfinders.com. The other place we rented that we really liked was the Eagle Creek Cottage. I will see if I still have the website bookmarked. We always get homes with hottubs...no pools, but the next best thing
Leavenworth can grate on peoples nerves...but we love it when it is not a big festival weekend. There is just so much to do in the area at any time of year! This will be the first year in a long time that we will not be in the area for Christmas
Course maybe thats good...last year I broke my hand cross country skiing at Stevens Pass on Christmas Eve, lol!
Leavenworth can grate on peoples nerves...but we love it when it is not a big festival weekend. There is just so much to do in the area at any time of year! This will be the first year in a long time that we will not be in the area for Christmas Course maybe thats good...last year I broke my hand cross country skiing at Stevens Pass on Christmas Eve, lol!
Oct 3rd, 2004, 03:43 PM
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Orcas, I found it. It is www.eaglecreekcottage.com.
I have a bunch of other places that I have looked into over the years if you are interested. There are a ton of cabin places available in the Wenatchee/Plain/Leavenworth area. Just let me know if you want any further info on these.
The thing we found was that the good places book far in advance. One year I tried in August and it was tough. Another year I tried in January for the following Christmas and even then some places give priority to those that have been coming for years. So just wanted you to know that when you decide then book asap.
I have a bunch of other places that I have looked into over the years if you are interested. There are a ton of cabin places available in the Wenatchee/Plain/Leavenworth area. Just let me know if you want any further info on these.
The thing we found was that the good places book far in advance. One year I tried in August and it was tough. Another year I tried in January for the following Christmas and even then some places give priority to those that have been coming for years. So just wanted you to know that when you decide then book asap.
Oct 3rd, 2004, 03:53 PM
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If there's anyway you can do it, GO TO WHISTLER! It's the most wonderful, incredible skiing experience I've ever had. We were lucky and used hotel points for our room (The Westin). We booked our ski rental (we have our own boots) and lift tickets online for a lower rate $) .
Also, keep in mind the rate exchange. Your American
dollar goes farther in Canada.
Besides being so incredibly beautiful, the two mountains combined make for a huge area to ski...so many choices of runs and at all skill levels. Also, the elevation there is lower than most, so you don't feel the affects like you do in higher elevations.
The two main lifts at the base are right in the village. The village is fabulous...lots of shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs and places to stay. It's soooo convenient and that's what I'm all about when I ski. If you get a room or condo that has a kitchen, there's a little grocery store in the village so it's easy to prepare some of your own meals.
Lastly, there's lots more to do there than any resort I've been to including Colorado and Utah and Washington State. They have dog sledding, snow shoeing (which I did...wonderful!) and, of course, snow mobiling. Just spending a day in the village is great...lots of people watching :-B !
Check their website www.whistlerblackcomb.com and see if there are any specials for when you want to go. I just received their 2004/2005 Visitor Guide and if you book by October 31st, the rates for 5 nights and 4 days of lift passes were pretty darn good. I'm not sure, however, if it included the time you want to go.
But, this place get a big
from me. We hope to go back in January!
Also, keep in mind the rate exchange. Your American
dollar goes farther in Canada.Besides being so incredibly beautiful, the two mountains combined make for a huge area to ski...so many choices of runs and at all skill levels. Also, the elevation there is lower than most, so you don't feel the affects like you do in higher elevations.
The two main lifts at the base are right in the village. The village is fabulous...lots of shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs and places to stay. It's soooo convenient and that's what I'm all about when I ski. If you get a room or condo that has a kitchen, there's a little grocery store in the village so it's easy to prepare some of your own meals.
Lastly, there's lots more to do there than any resort I've been to including Colorado and Utah and Washington State. They have dog sledding, snow shoeing (which I did...wonderful!) and, of course, snow mobiling. Just spending a day in the village is great...lots of people watching :-B !
Check their website www.whistlerblackcomb.com and see if there are any specials for when you want to go. I just received their 2004/2005 Visitor Guide and if you book by October 31st, the rates for 5 nights and 4 days of lift passes were pretty darn good. I'm not sure, however, if it included the time you want to go.
But, this place get a big
from me. We hope to go back in January!
Oct 3rd, 2004, 06:29 PM
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I'm not big on snow, but was just at Mt. Baker for a week hiking and everyone there seemed to be big skiers and claim that area gets the most snow around. Maybe some other people know more about it, but you might run a search on google or try nwsource.com.
There are also ski resorts (Crystal for one) on the way to Mt. Rainer.
There are also ski resorts (Crystal for one) on the way to Mt. Rainer.
Oct 3rd, 2004, 09:14 PM
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Thanks for the great information. I'll do some more homework on this and return if I have further questions. Sounds like Stevens Pass might work. I think the kids might like the kitch, and it has the advantage of being very close. We went to Whistler once in summer and loved it. I'll check it out, too.
Thanks for the reminder to act quickly. It sounds like we're already behind the eight ball!
Thanks for the reminder to act quickly. It sounds like we're already behind the eight ball!
Oct 3rd, 2004, 09:44 PM
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I live 1 hr from Stevens Pass, so it is the area of choice for us when going for the day. As you probably know, lodging is pretty skimpy close to the ski area.
I disagree about no x-country at Crystal - there are indeed trails there; I've been on them, and the scenery is fantastic, with views of Mt. Rainier. Crystal is really the only place in WA with good lodging at the mountain base. I also think that it is the best ski area in the state as well.
I think that the 4-hr drive to Whistler is definitely worth it, as it is one of the top ski areas in N. America. It can be challenging to go there on a budget, but it certainly is possible. If you are a WA resident, you can purchase an 'Edge' pass, which will give discounted lift tickets, and also can get you some good lodging deals. If you hurry, you can probably still get a studio condo during winter break for CDN $90/night (http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/edg...ks.asp#lodging).
I disagree about no x-country at Crystal - there are indeed trails there; I've been on them, and the scenery is fantastic, with views of Mt. Rainier. Crystal is really the only place in WA with good lodging at the mountain base. I also think that it is the best ski area in the state as well.
I think that the 4-hr drive to Whistler is definitely worth it, as it is one of the top ski areas in N. America. It can be challenging to go there on a budget, but it certainly is possible. If you are a WA resident, you can purchase an 'Edge' pass, which will give discounted lift tickets, and also can get you some good lodging deals. If you hurry, you can probably still get a studio condo during winter break for CDN $90/night (http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/edg...ks.asp#lodging).
Oct 4th, 2004, 11:14 AM
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Oh, the dogsled races sound fun!
Alf--I think you live in the area we used to. We loved being so close to the mountains for skiing and hiking.
Orcas, another good website that will link you to all sorts of stuff for the area is www.leavenworth.org. There is also lots of cross country skiing right in Leavenworth if you don't feel like going far.
Alf--I think you live in the area we used to. We loved being so close to the mountains for skiing and hiking.
Orcas, another good website that will link you to all sorts of stuff for the area is www.leavenworth.org. There is also lots of cross country skiing right in Leavenworth if you don't feel like going far.
