Destination: Out WEST!

I have read quite a few messages on this board about the "best" place to ski out west. But, the answers didn't quite fit what we're looking for.

My husband is a snowboarder and I'm a skier (so no Alta!). We're looking for challenging terrain in February. (We've never been out west so that is where we're focusing!)

Unfortuneately, we are on a budget and even though this is our BIG vacation of the year, we want to pick the most economical ski resort. We need help!!

What mountains could we access easily from the airport, ski AWESOME terrain, and have a great ski vacation?

Thanks for your help!

www.big-mountain.com/ in Whitefish, Montana

Fly into Kalispell, Mt. and drive approx. 10 miles to the slopes.
Northwest, Delta, United and Alaska air all fly into Kalispell.

If money were no object, you'd fly right into Aspen and stay at the Hotel Jerome or something. But, if cost is important, I'd bet that airfare to Salt Lake City will be less than to any of the smaller mountain airports (Aspen, Whitefish, Jackson Hole, etc.) and that lodging will be much cheaper staying right in SLC than in any resort town (Vail, Whistler, Tahoe, etc.) You can drive to Park City, Deer Valley, or Snowbird (plus some smaller resorts) in 30-60 minutes or take the public buses. You will miss out on the ski town ambience, but still get world class skiing for a much reduced price. It all depends on how you want to spend your money.

Flying into Montana can be more expensive than into major cities. I'd recommend you fly into Denver and go to Winter Park/Mary Jane. It's a very challenging mountain, the setting is spectacular. We like it because it gets less crowded, since it's not really a day-tripper location.

There's less apres ski clubs, chain restaurants, fast-food places, and shops in Winter Park than Summit County, so if that's important to you, you might want to consider Summit (Copper, Keystone, Breckenridge).

For lodging, try Destinations West for Grand County and Summit Resort Group for Summit. The Lake Dillon condos can have a pretty view of the lake and the mountains.

P.S. Check out the new Warren Miller movie, because everyone who buys a ticket to the movie gets a free ski ticket to Copper/Winter Park/ Steamboat. At least in Denver they do. Maybe you could get your friends to go and give you their tickets! Otherwise, look into the four-pack lift ticket deal, which is good at those three areas, too. I think you go to Passwagon.com to find it. Also look into the E-Book, which has two-for-one lift tickets. Google it at Eduproject.
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The skiing in MT is cheap and challenging, but the airfare is expensive. You may be able to trade off lift ticket and lodging expenses vs. airfare.

Look at Bridger Bowl, Big Sky and Moonlight Basin. You'd fly into Bozeman. Or Kalispell and Big Mountain as John suggested.

Good luck!

Flying into SLC and staying in the valley is a great budget option. Note that Deer Valley does not allow snowboarding either. No problem, Snowbird has the challenge.

I think the question really is, where are you coming from? There are lots of direct flights to ski areas from the Northeast and that may determine where you should go. Or if you are coming from Texas, American and Continental both offer lots of flights out west. And as someone else has said Salt Lake City which is a Delta hub.

There are lots and lots of people on here with their favorite places to go skiing. I am biased because Crested Butte is the only place I ever go skiing and I like its atmosphere as compared to Vail, or Breckrenridge or Aspen which are almost like being in the big city to me. However, I really don't think you will go wrong with whatever place you choose as your first trip to go skiing out west. I think you should first focus on the logistics first of how to get where you are going.

Thank you all! These are great suggestions and I will definitely be doing more research. (By the way, we are flying out of the northeast.) We were hoping not to have to rent a car to limit costs but it also seems that then we'd have to stay in a more pricy resort town with a shuttle system...

Most resort towns have shuttle systems nowadays-- Summit County and Winter Park both have them, and they aren't necessarily pricey resorts.

If you don't want to have a car, you could fly to Denver, shuttle downtown and catch Amtrak to Fraser/Winter Park.
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AS,

Salt Lake City has a public bus system that takes you to the Big (Brighton & Solitude) and Little (Atla and Snowbird) Cottonwood Canyon resorts. Routes start right in downtown SLC.

They are slower than a car, but a lot cheaper. They will be fairly crowded, but since you will be getting on at the beginning of the route, you'll get a seat. Check prices at the UTA (Utah Transit Autority) web site to calculate your savings vs. rental car.

Powder to the people!

Big Mountain in Montana and Sugar Mountain in Idaho are two big terrain areas without the glitz. Check them out.

You may find some good deals if you click on links at the ski manufacters websites, or go to ski-oriented sites like http://www.familyskiresorts.net.

Good luck. I'm getting the itch myself!

fly into reno, nv, shuttle to south lake tahoe. there is a gondola right from town to heavenly valley so you could avoid the rental car. there are many hills in the area and i'm sure there are shuttles to all of them from town. accommodations might be a little high but flying into reno should be relatively low cost.

If you're looking for great terrain at a reasonable price, go to Snowbird. You can get a lift ticket that covers Alta also and sneak away for a few runs while your husband rides the terrain park. Keep in mind no riding at Deer Valley if you look into Park City. You can take a public bus from SLC airport up to Snowbird and back.