Hitchhiker's Guide to the Vail Galaxy of Resorts, Part 3 of 3
Jim Kenney
Pugski Travel Correspondent
This is the concluding segment of my three-part series sharing travel insights from visits I’ve made to 10 Vail Resorts over the last four years. I’m jumping from coast to coast and across the 49th parallel in a never-ending quest for fun and frugality at some of North America’s most upscale resorts. Part 3 covers Heavenly, Kirkwood, Stowe, and Whistler-Blackcomb.
Heavenly
Of the Vail Resorts in this discussion, my knowledge of Heavenly is probably the thinnest. I have only two days there in recent years, but I can confirm a pair of important factors for thrifty snow riders: the region has an abundance of affordable accommodations, and there is no extra charge for Heavenly’s gorgeous scenery. South Lake Tahoe (SLT) is one of those tourist towns near good skiing (similar to Jackson, Banff, and North Conway) that actually draws more visitors in summer than winter. This can result in an excess lodging capacity during ski season. Better yet for cost-conscious or solo skiers, SLT has been hosting tourists for many decades and is home to numerous older mom-and-pop motels. With a little planning, rooms can be had for under $100 per night.
View of Lake Tahoe from Heavenly; photo by Jim Kenney
Where there are casinos, there are usually cheap eats. I personally have not taken advantage of this axiom at Heavenly’s cluster of casinos in Stateline, NV, but I’m pretty sure the all-night breakfasts and prime rib specials are available there. I have enjoyed a pie and a brew at the midtown Blue Dog Pizza location in SLT, and on at least one occasion I hit the local Safeway for a sale on Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
Heavenly offers free parking at the California, Stagecoach, and Boulder base lodges. There is super-scenic intermediate ski terrain off the Sky Express from the 10,000-ft summit of the California side of Heavenly. The resort draws a very international clientele, and on a clear day it’s easy to see why. Do you want views of the cobalt blue Lake Tahoe or the checkerboard sepia desert of Nevada? You can alternate all day between numerous groomers for great scenes in both directions.
Consistent with my frugal dining practices, the California side is ideal for an outdoor DIY picnic lunch. Find a big rock anywhere on the upper mountain and lay out your spread. The views of Lake Tahoe will blow you away. Beginners can enjoy the same scenery from the mid-mountain green circle terrain served by the Big Easy chair, which can be accessed from the Stateline base by the Heavenly Village gondola.
Heavenly brown bagger selfie; photo by Jim Kenney
I have not had the opportunity to explore the renowned advanced terrain of Killebrew and Mott canyons on the Nevada side of Heavenly. It’s a glaring void in my knowledge base, but maybe someday.
I rode the old Galaxy chair on the Nevada side with a gentleman from Florida visiting for 10 days of skiing and gambling. I asked him about his gambling take, “Up or down?” The answer wasn’t pretty; he was down enough to fund about three 10-day trips.
Kirkwood
I have about a dozen days in recent years at Kirkwood. I love it. At 2,300 skiable acres, it’s a little smaller than some of the other Vail resorts, but it offers reasonably affordable slopeside accommodations if you go with an older condo. There are several restaurants at Kirkwood Village next to the slopes, but with one exception all my dining at Kirkwood has been DIY meals during condo stays. The fun exception to that has been making the 2-mile drive to dine at the historic Kirkwood Saloon originally founded as a ranch and way station by pioneer Zachary Kirkwood in 1864. It is very atmospheric, and I once had a plate of nachos there that could have fed a stagecoach full of people.
View from Palisades Bowl; photo by Jim Kenney
The location of Kirkwood is somewhat isolated, about 35 mountainous miles south of Heavenly. In good weather it’s not a difficult day trip, and I highly recommend a visit to both if you are in the area. In snowy weather, be prepared because when the Tahoe tire chain law goes into effect, the police are out to enforce it. Kirkwood’s base is primarily a condo village, and there is sufficient free parking. Kirkwood has a relatively high base (7,800 ft,) compared to other ski areas in the Tahoe region and typically retains better snow because of it.
If you don’t have an Epic Pass, Kirkwood is one of the lower-priced Vail resorts for advance purchases of individual day tickets from the ski area’s website. Tickets range from about $60 to $95 per day depending on the month and number of days selected. Even in prime winter season, I have found this mountain to have very low weekday crowds.
Checking out the Wall; photo by Jim Kenney
The advanced terrain at Kirkwood is exceptional! It has been the site of many freeride/extreme ski competitions and is home to some of the most renowned cliff huckers in the High Sierra. The inbounds terrain for advanced and expert recreational skiers is highlighted by Wagon Wheel Bowl, featuring a steep headwall known as the Wall and a terrific array of chutes, slots, drains (large natural halfpipes), and the aforementioned cliffs. To the looker’s right of Wagon Wheel Bowl is more fine advanced terrain beside the Cornice Express chair. It’s slightly less steep and includes a tasty mix of groomers, moguls, trees, and a remote area called Palisades Bowl.
Wagon Wheel Bowl; photo by Jim Kenney
The back side of the mountain is served by the Sunrise chair and offers nice intermediate-friendly terrain including the Wave, a big cornice drop with a fairly mild apron that sets up every winter near the top of the chair. Linking the back side with the main base village is another intermediate trail pod called Caples Crest. All you have to do at Kirkwood to get a fun sidecountry feel is keep traversing from the top of the higher lifts.
Getting ready to ride the Wave; photo by Jim Kenney
Stowe
Until several recent visits, I hadn’t skied Stowe since 1971. I was astounded by the new lodging and dining developments at the base of Spruce Peak. But what hadn’t changed one iota in all those years at Stowe was the tremendous ski terrain and beautiful setting beneath Vermont’s highest peak, Mt Mansfield (elevation 4,393 ft).
View of Spruce Peak from the Lookout double chair; photo by Jim Kenney
The ski area and the town of Stowe, approximately 7 miles apart, are something all New England skiers worth their salt must get to eventually. I’ve experienced some of the Mansfield steeps like Starr and Goat trails, as well as the challenging trees to skier’s left of Goat. I've made tracks in sidecountry routes like Angel Food to skier’s left off Chin Clip. I've also carved the excellent, sustained cruisers off the Stowe gondola and enjoyed the surprisingly nice mix of terrain on Spruce Peak. It’s all good.
Mt Mansfield from the top of the FourRunner quad; photo by Jim Kenney
Stowe’s got character with a capital C. The steep Front Four ski trails are timeless. Nosedive, Lord, and Perry Merrill are some of the earliest purpose-built ski trails that are still served by lifts today. The historic Mansfield base lodge is one of the ultimate, throwback brown bagger lunch spots in Eastern skiing. Or you can go big, modern, and upscale across the street and dine in the Great Room Grill and Spruce Bar at the Spruce Camp base lodge.
Nosedive trail; photo by Jim Kenney
Stowe’s also got the Matterhorn, a classic après ski bar serving pizza, sushi, and more, located about halfway between the ski area and the eponymous town. I should devote a couple pages to the town of Stowe. It’s like something out of a Currier and Ives print, but I always drive right through it because I’m more likely staying in cheap digs such as the Hostel Tevere for $40 per night down in the Mad River Valley. The cheapest thing about Stowe is to save a day when you’re in the area to go to Mad River Glen and see what real hitchhiking skiers look like
.
The venerable Mt Mansfield base lodge; photo by Jim Kenney
Whistler-Blackcomb
Besides Stowe, the other huge recent acquisition by Vail Resorts has been the 2016 purchase of Whistler-Blackcomb in Western Canada’s province of British Columbia. I made my first ever visit to Whistler (and British Columbia) for a week in early March 2017. My nonskiing wife joined me on this trip. My Number 1 budgetary advice about Whistler is a foreign exchange no-brainer: just do it! The strength of the US dollar against the Canadian dollar over the last couple seasons has been as good as it gets. Think of it this way: lodging, dining, and shopping are all at about a 25% discount for US visitors.
If you think a day in Burlington, VT, is a fun thing to do on an extended visit to Stowe (and I do), then check out Vancouver on the way to or from Whistler. Before we made the 75-mile drive to the resort, we spent a day seeing touristy sights in Vancouver including a visit to the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. While at the museum, we saw an excellent performance by Coastal First Nations singers and dancers. Then we sampled the enormous variety of food and produce at the Granville Island Public Market on the Vancouver Harbor. I enjoyed a good and quick cod dinner at Cockney Kings Fish and Chips staying in a motel one night in suburban Burnaby.
Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia; photo by Jim Kenney
Once at Whistler Village, my wife and I did some fun snowshoeing at the moderate base elevation (2,200 ft) and plenty more shopping. Whistler-Blackcomb is big enough for a week’s worth of strolling and people watching. We stayed in a condo a few blocks from the Whistler Village gondola, and there was a handy and well-stocked IGA supermarket nearby to purchase supplies for evening meals.
Pugskier @Chickenmonkey in Whistler Bowl; photo by Jim Kenney
I caught Whistler during a very snowy week. My ski days alternated between exhilarating runs in great snow on epic terrain and moments of significant trepidation, usually exiting summit lifts, in some of the lowest-visibility conditions I’ve ever skied. At those times I might as well have been skiing a blizzard in the Poconos for all I could tell, but no biggie. If you don’t like the conditions at Whistler, just keep heading down the hill. You’ve got a mile of vertical to travel, and the weather’s going to change several times before you get to the base. This variability comes with the territory when skiing in the Pacific ranges of British Columbia’s beautiful Coast Mountains.
Some of my favorite advanced terrain included the trees off the Symphony and Harmony express chairs, beautiful Whistler Bowl, and the steep faces in Blackcomb Glacier. My advice is to try to latch onto some locals or at least take one of the free daily mountain orientation tours to help maximize your chances of finding the best snow conditions and your preferred terrain.
Pugskier @SKI-3PO in Harmony Bowl trees; photo by Jim Kenney
Every guest should catch a ride on the Peak 2 Peak gondola connecting Whistler and Blackcomb. At 1.88 miles, it is the longest unsupported lift span in the world and rises a breathtaking 1,427 ft above the ground. Whistler-Blackcomb is huge in every respect, including vertical drop (5,280 ft) and skiable acres (8,171).
Peak 2 Peak gondola; photo by Jim Kenney
Conclusion
I hope I’ve given you some food for thought with this series of articles. Cheetos, anyone? If I had to pick a handful of favorite terrain experiences among the galaxy of Vail resorts, here are five that send me into orbit (all photos by Jim Kenney).
Pugskier @Michael R. bogeying the bumps off ABasin’s Pallavicini chair
Checking out all the slots, chutes, and drains of Kirkwood
Pugskier @Steve pointing ‘em downhill in the vastness of Vail’s Back Bowls
Exploring the varied and bodacious upper mountain terrain at Breckenridge
Being swallowed up by the steepness and scope of Blackcomb Glacier
THE END
Thanks for reading.
LINKS TO: PART 1 AND PART 2
Jim Kenney
Pugski Travel Correspondent
This is the concluding segment of my three-part series sharing travel insights from visits I’ve made to 10 Vail Resorts over the last four years. I’m jumping from coast to coast and across the 49th parallel in a never-ending quest for fun and frugality at some of North America’s most upscale resorts. Part 3 covers Heavenly, Kirkwood, Stowe, and Whistler-Blackcomb.
Heavenly
Of the Vail Resorts in this discussion, my knowledge of Heavenly is probably the thinnest. I have only two days there in recent years, but I can confirm a pair of important factors for thrifty snow riders: the region has an abundance of affordable accommodations, and there is no extra charge for Heavenly’s gorgeous scenery. South Lake Tahoe (SLT) is one of those tourist towns near good skiing (similar to Jackson, Banff, and North Conway) that actually draws more visitors in summer than winter. This can result in an excess lodging capacity during ski season. Better yet for cost-conscious or solo skiers, SLT has been hosting tourists for many decades and is home to numerous older mom-and-pop motels. With a little planning, rooms can be had for under $100 per night.
View of Lake Tahoe from Heavenly; photo by Jim Kenney
Where there are casinos, there are usually cheap eats. I personally have not taken advantage of this axiom at Heavenly’s cluster of casinos in Stateline, NV, but I’m pretty sure the all-night breakfasts and prime rib specials are available there. I have enjoyed a pie and a brew at the midtown Blue Dog Pizza location in SLT, and on at least one occasion I hit the local Safeway for a sale on Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
Heavenly offers free parking at the California, Stagecoach, and Boulder base lodges. There is super-scenic intermediate ski terrain off the Sky Express from the 10,000-ft summit of the California side of Heavenly. The resort draws a very international clientele, and on a clear day it’s easy to see why. Do you want views of the cobalt blue Lake Tahoe or the checkerboard sepia desert of Nevada? You can alternate all day between numerous groomers for great scenes in both directions.
Consistent with my frugal dining practices, the California side is ideal for an outdoor DIY picnic lunch. Find a big rock anywhere on the upper mountain and lay out your spread. The views of Lake Tahoe will blow you away. Beginners can enjoy the same scenery from the mid-mountain green circle terrain served by the Big Easy chair, which can be accessed from the Stateline base by the Heavenly Village gondola.
Heavenly brown bagger selfie; photo by Jim Kenney
I have not had the opportunity to explore the renowned advanced terrain of Killebrew and Mott canyons on the Nevada side of Heavenly. It’s a glaring void in my knowledge base, but maybe someday.
I rode the old Galaxy chair on the Nevada side with a gentleman from Florida visiting for 10 days of skiing and gambling. I asked him about his gambling take, “Up or down?” The answer wasn’t pretty; he was down enough to fund about three 10-day trips.
Kirkwood
I have about a dozen days in recent years at Kirkwood. I love it. At 2,300 skiable acres, it’s a little smaller than some of the other Vail resorts, but it offers reasonably affordable slopeside accommodations if you go with an older condo. There are several restaurants at Kirkwood Village next to the slopes, but with one exception all my dining at Kirkwood has been DIY meals during condo stays. The fun exception to that has been making the 2-mile drive to dine at the historic Kirkwood Saloon originally founded as a ranch and way station by pioneer Zachary Kirkwood in 1864. It is very atmospheric, and I once had a plate of nachos there that could have fed a stagecoach full of people.
View from Palisades Bowl; photo by Jim Kenney
The location of Kirkwood is somewhat isolated, about 35 mountainous miles south of Heavenly. In good weather it’s not a difficult day trip, and I highly recommend a visit to both if you are in the area. In snowy weather, be prepared because when the Tahoe tire chain law goes into effect, the police are out to enforce it. Kirkwood’s base is primarily a condo village, and there is sufficient free parking. Kirkwood has a relatively high base (7,800 ft,) compared to other ski areas in the Tahoe region and typically retains better snow because of it.
If you don’t have an Epic Pass, Kirkwood is one of the lower-priced Vail resorts for advance purchases of individual day tickets from the ski area’s website. Tickets range from about $60 to $95 per day depending on the month and number of days selected. Even in prime winter season, I have found this mountain to have very low weekday crowds.
Checking out the Wall; photo by Jim Kenney
The advanced terrain at Kirkwood is exceptional! It has been the site of many freeride/extreme ski competitions and is home to some of the most renowned cliff huckers in the High Sierra. The inbounds terrain for advanced and expert recreational skiers is highlighted by Wagon Wheel Bowl, featuring a steep headwall known as the Wall and a terrific array of chutes, slots, drains (large natural halfpipes), and the aforementioned cliffs. To the looker’s right of Wagon Wheel Bowl is more fine advanced terrain beside the Cornice Express chair. It’s slightly less steep and includes a tasty mix of groomers, moguls, trees, and a remote area called Palisades Bowl.
Wagon Wheel Bowl; photo by Jim Kenney
The back side of the mountain is served by the Sunrise chair and offers nice intermediate-friendly terrain including the Wave, a big cornice drop with a fairly mild apron that sets up every winter near the top of the chair. Linking the back side with the main base village is another intermediate trail pod called Caples Crest. All you have to do at Kirkwood to get a fun sidecountry feel is keep traversing from the top of the higher lifts.
Getting ready to ride the Wave; photo by Jim Kenney
Stowe
Until several recent visits, I hadn’t skied Stowe since 1971. I was astounded by the new lodging and dining developments at the base of Spruce Peak. But what hadn’t changed one iota in all those years at Stowe was the tremendous ski terrain and beautiful setting beneath Vermont’s highest peak, Mt Mansfield (elevation 4,393 ft).
View of Spruce Peak from the Lookout double chair; photo by Jim Kenney
The ski area and the town of Stowe, approximately 7 miles apart, are something all New England skiers worth their salt must get to eventually. I’ve experienced some of the Mansfield steeps like Starr and Goat trails, as well as the challenging trees to skier’s left of Goat. I've made tracks in sidecountry routes like Angel Food to skier’s left off Chin Clip. I've also carved the excellent, sustained cruisers off the Stowe gondola and enjoyed the surprisingly nice mix of terrain on Spruce Peak. It’s all good.
Mt Mansfield from the top of the FourRunner quad; photo by Jim Kenney
Stowe’s got character with a capital C. The steep Front Four ski trails are timeless. Nosedive, Lord, and Perry Merrill are some of the earliest purpose-built ski trails that are still served by lifts today. The historic Mansfield base lodge is one of the ultimate, throwback brown bagger lunch spots in Eastern skiing. Or you can go big, modern, and upscale across the street and dine in the Great Room Grill and Spruce Bar at the Spruce Camp base lodge.
Nosedive trail; photo by Jim Kenney
Stowe’s also got the Matterhorn, a classic après ski bar serving pizza, sushi, and more, located about halfway between the ski area and the eponymous town. I should devote a couple pages to the town of Stowe. It’s like something out of a Currier and Ives print, but I always drive right through it because I’m more likely staying in cheap digs such as the Hostel Tevere for $40 per night down in the Mad River Valley. The cheapest thing about Stowe is to save a day when you’re in the area to go to Mad River Glen and see what real hitchhiking skiers look like
.
The venerable Mt Mansfield base lodge; photo by Jim Kenney
Whistler-Blackcomb
Besides Stowe, the other huge recent acquisition by Vail Resorts has been the 2016 purchase of Whistler-Blackcomb in Western Canada’s province of British Columbia. I made my first ever visit to Whistler (and British Columbia) for a week in early March 2017. My nonskiing wife joined me on this trip. My Number 1 budgetary advice about Whistler is a foreign exchange no-brainer: just do it! The strength of the US dollar against the Canadian dollar over the last couple seasons has been as good as it gets. Think of it this way: lodging, dining, and shopping are all at about a 25% discount for US visitors.
If you think a day in Burlington, VT, is a fun thing to do on an extended visit to Stowe (and I do), then check out Vancouver on the way to or from Whistler. Before we made the 75-mile drive to the resort, we spent a day seeing touristy sights in Vancouver including a visit to the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. While at the museum, we saw an excellent performance by Coastal First Nations singers and dancers. Then we sampled the enormous variety of food and produce at the Granville Island Public Market on the Vancouver Harbor. I enjoyed a good and quick cod dinner at Cockney Kings Fish and Chips staying in a motel one night in suburban Burnaby.
Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia; photo by Jim Kenney
Once at Whistler Village, my wife and I did some fun snowshoeing at the moderate base elevation (2,200 ft) and plenty more shopping. Whistler-Blackcomb is big enough for a week’s worth of strolling and people watching. We stayed in a condo a few blocks from the Whistler Village gondola, and there was a handy and well-stocked IGA supermarket nearby to purchase supplies for evening meals.
Pugskier @Chickenmonkey in Whistler Bowl; photo by Jim Kenney
I caught Whistler during a very snowy week. My ski days alternated between exhilarating runs in great snow on epic terrain and moments of significant trepidation, usually exiting summit lifts, in some of the lowest-visibility conditions I’ve ever skied. At those times I might as well have been skiing a blizzard in the Poconos for all I could tell, but no biggie. If you don’t like the conditions at Whistler, just keep heading down the hill. You’ve got a mile of vertical to travel, and the weather’s going to change several times before you get to the base. This variability comes with the territory when skiing in the Pacific ranges of British Columbia’s beautiful Coast Mountains.
Some of my favorite advanced terrain included the trees off the Symphony and Harmony express chairs, beautiful Whistler Bowl, and the steep faces in Blackcomb Glacier. My advice is to try to latch onto some locals or at least take one of the free daily mountain orientation tours to help maximize your chances of finding the best snow conditions and your preferred terrain.
Pugskier @SKI-3PO in Harmony Bowl trees; photo by Jim Kenney
Every guest should catch a ride on the Peak 2 Peak gondola connecting Whistler and Blackcomb. At 1.88 miles, it is the longest unsupported lift span in the world and rises a breathtaking 1,427 ft above the ground. Whistler-Blackcomb is huge in every respect, including vertical drop (5,280 ft) and skiable acres (8,171).
Peak 2 Peak gondola; photo by Jim Kenney
Conclusion
I hope I’ve given you some food for thought with this series of articles. Cheetos, anyone? If I had to pick a handful of favorite terrain experiences among the galaxy of Vail resorts, here are five that send me into orbit (all photos by Jim Kenney).
Pugskier @Michael R. bogeying the bumps off ABasin’s Pallavicini chair
Checking out all the slots, chutes, and drains of Kirkwood
Pugskier @Steve pointing ‘em downhill in the vastness of Vail’s Back Bowls
Exploring the varied and bodacious upper mountain terrain at Breckenridge
Being swallowed up by the steepness and scope of Blackcomb Glacier
THE END
Thanks for reading.
LINKS TO: PART 1 AND PART 2
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