2-3 day ski camp recommendations

[MAB]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I was wondering if people have recommendations for multi-day ski camps. I did the Knowledge is Powder camp at Targhee in March and had a great experience. It was a great mix of instruction and getting pushed outside my comfort zone, and three days of skiing with the same instructor helped me make a lot of progress very quickly. I would like to try one or two other camps next winter, one of which would hopefully focus on steeps and advanced/expert terrain. I live in SE Idaho, so prefer to find something relatively close, which means sticking to Wyoming, Utah, Montana, or Idaho. Has anyone been to a camp they recommend? Any suggestions are much appreciated.

 

[Monique]

Are you male or female? Lots of great women's camps out there.

 

[Mendieta]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I was wondering if people have recommendations for multi-day ski camps. I did the Knowledge is Powder camp at Targhee in March and had a great experience. It was a great mix of instruction and getting pushed outside my comfort zone, and three days of skiing with the same instructor helped me make a lot of progress very quickly. I would like to try one or two other camps next winter, one of which would hopefully focus on steeps and advanced/expert terrain. I live in SE Idaho, so prefer to find something relatively close, which means sticking to Wyoming, Utah, Montana, or Idaho. Has anyone been to a camp they recommend? Any suggestions are much appreciated.

These are not necessarily close to you, but I thought it was relevant to cross link. Cheers!

 

[Carl Kuck]

Mahre Training Center @ Deer Valley. I've done two so far, really enjoyed both of them. They divide the groups up by ability (ski-off at the start), so you're in with people of your ability level. Coaches are the best of the best, both times I skied with PSIA DECL (Division Education Clinic Leader) instructors and one of them is now my "go to" guy at DV for instruction. Plus, they're lots of fun.

 

[Mendieta]

Mahre Training Center @ Deer Valley. I've done two so far, really enjoyed both of them. They divide the groups up by ability (ski-off at the start), so you're in with people of your ability level. Coaches are the best of the best, both times I skied with PSIA DECL (Division Education Clinic Leader) instructors and one of them is now my "go to" guy at DV for instruction. Plus, they're lots of fun.

You know he is a pugger, though he doesn't post often

 

[Mike King]

Extremely Canadian at Whisrler. Steep and Deep camp at Jackson.

 

[MAB]

Thanks for the responses. I am a 38 year old male, and would call myself an advanced skier. Steep and Deep is intriguing, but may be a bit over my head, and, from what I hear, is less focused on instruction than I would want.

The Mahre Training Center looks like it would be a good choice.

 

[Tricia]

We are doing some background work to jump start a Pugski Academy for a couple 2 or 3 day clinics a year. I'm not sure it will be available this winter but we're working on it.

 

[Jilly]

@Lady_Salina . She taught some Extremely Canadian last season at WB.

 

[Jerez]

Does your mountain do locals clinics?

I've done a bunch of multi day clinics, many through PSIA and a few geared toward advanced, off piste skiing. from Lito (back in the day) to to Rippin Chix and Deslauriers clinic. Loved all of them for different reasons.

But the best for me have been the two times I've signed up for a locals weekly clinic. Typically, they go for 4- 8 weeks, once a week, either half or full day. Taos has them as does our local hill and I've seen them advertised at destination resorts in their events section. Your local hill may also.

Even though the instructors are not imported or necessarily famous, it has been consistently what has improved my skiing the most over the course of a season. I think the reason is that you have time to fully ingrain what you've been working on so that the next week you can move ahead. I found that whatever progressions the instructors had for us, we were able to go much further in them than if we had done it three days in a row. You can't really work on much more than one thing in three days because it takes time for your body to "own" a new move. This way you keep the same instructor and it's more of a coaching experience. The added bonus is that you meet other local skiers of your ability with whom to play on off days. (also it tends to be cheaper!)

Since you seem to be genuinely looking for improvement through instruction and not just a guided "experience", I think you would be well served to consider this as an option.

 

[Mike King]

I just looked at the Mahre Training Center webpage. It is pretty cheap (as far as clinics go). It doesn't say anything about their focus, so if you want to focus on steeps, you may, or may not, get what you want. Also, it is at Deer Valley, which is a resort that is not known for their steeps.

I've done several Epic Ski Academies and they were great. They are not, however still around. I've also done Steep and Deep Camp, and it was pretty good. I don't know where you got the impression that there was not much instruction -- that was not my experience.

All that being said, the best experience has been doing private clinics with Extremely Canadian. It's a combination of incredible terrain and some of the best coaching I've been exposed to. You will accomplish more in two days of private coaching than you would in the three day Steep and Deep camp, and it is about the same money...

Mike

 

[James]

Taos ski week is a possibility. Last I looked it was very inexpensive. You'll ski with a bunch of folks half day and the same instructor. Likely there will be someone you will want to ski with in the afternoon.
Access to steep terrain is not a problem at Taos. You may wish they turned off the moguls though.

 

[KingGrump]

Agree with @James on Taos ski week. Really inexpensive - $185 for the week. Runs 2 hours per day for 6 days. Sunday to Friday. You can also drop in on Monday. Usually about 200 - 300 skiers sign up for the ski week program so the splits are pretty spot on.
As James said, Taos terrain runs steep, steeper and beyond. Tons of fun. As for the moguls, I like the bumps. Bumps are my friends.

The Mahre camp looks interesting, The Mahre brothers were my idols back in the day. As for DV - yes, they are not known for their steeps but they do have enough to keep a Taos skier like me happy for a week or so.

 

[karlo]

Extremely Canadian at Whisrler

And the Canadian dollar is weak.
They do ski-offs to place skiers in appropriate levels. I assume most clinics do.

 

[Jilly]

We did when I did Roxy (or whatever they call it now!). But you placed yourself in the level based on the descriptions on line. Be prepared, they do move fast or at least they did at Roxy. The instructor wanted me to go to the next level up and I said no. I've been here before and I'll be dead meat tomorrow. And I was in the afternoon.

WB is a great place and if you have the Epic pass.....

 

[mdf]

...
They do ski-offs to place skiers in appropriate levels. I assume most clinics do.

Nearly everyone does. Steep and Deep sends out a questionnaire that is completely ignored -- they do a ski-off. ANd they don't know your name when they do it, after all.

Taos experimented with self-assessment two years ago, but went back to ski-offs mid-season.

I've done a couple upper-level group lessons that wound up being privates or near-privates.

Skiing with good skiers at Pug Events (formerly Epic, including Gatherings and Mother's Day) is not a teaching venue, but you learn a lot by imitation, trying to keep up, and even an occasional comment from someone who forgets they aren't teaching.

I give all of them enthusiastic endorsements. None were perfect, but what is?

I've never done Extremely Canadian, but from talking to the Tonys who have (Tseeb and Crocker) and from watching you tube videos it looks like a great camp. The downside is the notoriously poor Whistler visibility.

 

[Crank]

I considered Steep and Deep at JH but thought it was kind of pricey, ok, really pricey.

I am going to Taos for a week next season and will try the ski week.

 

[MAB]

Thanks for all the replies. It turns out there is a seven week course that meets 2 hours a week at my local hill for only $120, so I will take that since there is almost nothing to lose.

I am not sure where I heard Steep and Deep was not focused on instruction, but I am glad to know it isn't and will consider it. It is, as @Crank says, expensive, but would probably be worth it to get some instruction on terrain I don't normally ski while there. I am also considering the steeps camp at Big Sky, not least because it is so much cheaper.

 

[KingGrump]

@Crank, I've skied with you at Aspen. You are a very strong skier. You should have no issue fitting into one of the more advanced ski week groups at Taos. If you are not happy with the pace of the group you are with you can always ask the instructor to bump you. At $185 (last season) for the week, it is a good deal.

There is also a super ski week. It is 6 full days of instruction. Pretty intense. The skiers in the super ski weeks are a bit too OCD for my taste. Happens once per season. TSV haven't posted dates or price next season yet.

You can also buy a private request ski week for $1,050 (last season price). For the price you can request a specific instructor, specify exactly what you want to work on and the terrain you would like to cover. Three other skiers can be added to the group without additional charge. So it would be a good deal if you have several friends that skis on your level and split the cost.

Doesn't matter which ski week you pick, Taos has steep terrain in abundance.

 

[Crank]

@Crank, I've skied with you at Aspen. You are a very strong skier. You should have no issue fitting into one of the more advanced ski week groups at Taos. If you are not happy with the pace of the group you are with you can always ask the instructor to bump you. At $185 (last season) for the week, it is a good deal.

There is also a super ski week. It is 6 full days of instruction. Pretty intense. The skiers in the super ski weeks are a bit too OCD for my taste. Happens once per season. TSV haven't posted dates or price next season yet.

You can also buy a private request ski week for $1,050 (last season price). For the price you can request a specific instructor, specify exactly what you want to work on and the terrain you would like to cover. Three other skiers can be added to the group without additional charge. So it would be a good deal if you have several friends that skis on your level and split the cost.

Doesn't matter which ski week you pick, Taos has steep terrain in abundance.

Thanks. I am going with my ski club 1/27-2/3 and want to spend time skiing with those folks and Robin as well. She is a advanced skier and I am pretty sure we would not be in the same group. I think a couple of hours per day is about all the instruction I can handle. Hoping and assuming that in a group of strong skiers the instructor will show us some interesting terrain. I have only skied 2 days at Taos close to 20 years ago.