January Ski Trip - Utah? Jackson Hole?
 

Looking for help re location for a ski trip late January '06. 4 of us are flying from the southeast US and looking for a not-outrageously-expensive-but-fun (who isn't?) spot to ski. I received help last year from Fodor friends and we skied Steamboat, which was fun, but looking for someplace different.

Criteria: Short trip (~5 days so proximity of air travel to ski location may be important), we are all moderate skiers (mostly blue and green/blues), the height of the lifts (I know this sounds weird but some places are more outrageous than others and a few of us have height issues), and having some non-ski things to do for one day might be nice. We have skied Steamboat Springs as mentioned and Snowmass...enjoyed both but Snowmass is somewhat priced out of our range, and we aren't looking for that type of apres-ski environment. I have a friend going to Jackson Hole, and wonder if that is a reasonable place for non-hard-core skiers, as a side trip to Yellowstone would be cool. I have heard great things about Utah, but actually airfare to Salt Lake City offsets many of the cost advantages of not needing to stay at a resort. Still that would be a possibility. Whistler has some great price deals offered but hear stories about more risk of rain, and that is quite a stretch as far as a flight.

Anyway, any suggestions would be appreciated, particularly in re to Utah or Jackson Hole.

Hi-
We have been to both Jackson Hole and Utah. You say you are mostly blue and blue/green skiers. For that I would definately recommend Utah. Jackson hole is very STEEP and I think a "skiers mountain". Everywhere else we go, we ski mostly black, but in Jackson, because of the steepness we ski about 75/25 black and blue. It's incredible skiing though!!

Utah is fabulous, and has something for everyone. We like Park City (Park City, Deer Valley, and The Canyons). It has nice groomers for intermediate skiers. Because these three resorts are based around a town, there is more to do when you are not skiing . Nice shops and wonderful restaurants. Can't say that for Jackson Hole. Our favorite place in Utah is Snowbird and Alta, but the lodging is not good, and there is nothing to do once the lifts stop. You may want to consider staying in SLC and driving or shuttling up. Both Park City and Snowbird/Alta are less than an hour drive. I'm not sure if any of the hotels offer shuttle service to the ski areas from downtown SLC. We did this on our first trip to Utah and alternated between Park City and Snowbird/Alta. We drove up and it worked just great.

Good luck, and start doing those wall sits now!!

I loved Jackson Hole, but issy is right - it is a skiers mountain. Trails are not well-marked, and if you get lost, it is very easy to get in over your head. I LOVE UTAH! Snowbird is a very accesible mountain for all levels of skiing. I prefer Alta, but they don't allow snowboarders, if that is relevant to anyone in your party. Snowbird feels very much like a resort, while Alta feels more quaint and European and has more trees. It is easy to stay in downtown SLC and get to either place by car. Have you considered Lake Tahoe? Fabulous skiing and great nightlife.

You can consider Montreal well more in the north of Montreal for your ski trip, Mont-Tremblant has the best spots..it is also cheap since it's Canadian currency and you can really have a great time, locals are fun and friendly

The other thing I wanted to mention about Jackson Hole is the price of plane tickets. They are really expensive, and you most likely will be connecting through SLC or Denver.

Thanks for the good information. I was afraid that Jackson Hole was more than we were up for, though actually airfare there from ATL is not much different than ATL-SLC. Are there lift packages that service more than one mountain in the Park City area? If one stays at Park City, is it difficult to go elsewhere? Any recommendations for lodging in Park City or outside of SLC convenient to all of the spots mentioned. We aren't snowboarders but are more concerned with crowds on the slopes. We thought with SLC being so close, the slopes/lifts would be nuts, particularly on the weekends. I've heard the Summit Co. places in Colorado can get pretty hairy on the weekends, due to proximity to Denver.

philsbert1:

you might want to look at site59.com. Although it's for travel that's last minute, it might be be an option for you b/c you can book up to two weeks ahead. YOu can find excellent deals that include airfare, lodging, and car rental. From ATL I also see that they have trips to Colorado Springs, CO.

I forgot to mention that they have trips to SLC too.

philsbert1-
<*Are there lift packages that service more than one mountain in the Park City area?> - Yes, you can get a pass for all three mountains in Park City. There is a shuttle that runs between them. Realistically, most people stay at one mountain each day.

<*If one stays at Park City, is it difficult to go elsewhere?> If you mean is it difficult to go to another ski area, yes. To get to Snowbird/Alta you go back down to SLC then up another canyon. That is one benefit of staying in SLC, each area is about 45 min away.

<*Any recommendations for lodging in Park City or outside of SLC convenient to all of the spots mentioned.> Depends on your budget. We like The Canyons, but it's not cheap. There are a range of accomodation prices for hotels and condos. Don't know about outside of SLC.

<*We aren't snowboarders but are more concerned with crowds on the slopes.> The crowds aren't as bad as you might think. It's a huge area, and the end of January is not the peak time. You should still make reservations for dinner. Deer Valley has a maximum capacity each day, after which point they stop selling tix. I believe Deer Valley is also a "no snowboarders" mountain, but not 100% on that.

I just remembered that the Sundance Film festival is the last two weeks of January. When we were there during Sundance, I didn't feel the slopes were that much more crowded (not sure if that many celebrities ski or what!), but you definately needed dinner reservations.

Good luck!

I live in SLC and love it. Alta is skiiers only. Snowbird has an incredible mountain (which also means lots of skiiers). Brighton is more for the snowboarder kids with half-pipes, etc. Solitude is just my style. I got a job there this year and really look forward to the atmosphere. Solitude is more of a 'locals resort' because for whatever reason, there are no lines and it isn't crowded. Hmmm, I know which one I would choose. There are lots of places to stay in SLC. My favorite by far is Hotel Monaco. (HotelMonaco.com then click on Salt Lake location). There are plenty of places to stay on the mountain. SLC has great transportation to and from all the resorts. No need for taxis, just take the bus with it's cool ski racks. You can always try one day at solitude and the other day at Snowbird. p.s. Snowbird is packed on the weekends. Avoid Saturdays.