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Tricia

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When you plan a ski vacation, are you most likely to go to a full resort with all the amenities or do you consider separate lodging and skiing at places that don't have all the extras?

Thinking about someone who may rather ....
Stay near Dillon and ski Loveland or Arapahoe Basin.
Stay in Reno and ski Mt Rose, Alpine Meadows, or Homewood
Stay in Bozeman and ski Bridger

Or...
Stay at Vail, Breck, Keystone, Beaver Creek
Stay at Northstar, Squaw, or Heavenly
Stay at Big Sky


I was thinking about this a bit lately and realize that I enjoy the places without all the amenities a little more, and it costs less.
Why, then, do most folks plan trips to the big resorts?
 

SBrown

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When you plan a ski vacation, are you most likely to go to a full resort with all the amenities or do you consider separate lodging and skiing at places that don't have all the extras?

Thinking about someone who may rather ....
Stay near Dillon and ski Loveland or Arapahoe Basin.
Stay in Reno and ski Mt Rose, Alpine Meadows, or Homewood
Stay in Bozeman and ski Bridger

Or...
Stay at Vail, Breck, Keystone, Beaver Creek
Stay at Northstar, Squaw, or Heavenly
Stay at Big Sky


I was thinking about this a bit lately and realize that I enjoy the places without all the amenities a little more, and it costs less.
Why, then, do most folks plan trips to the big resorts?

1. It's way easier, especially if you aren't used to skiing (aka schlepping and schlepping). And sometimes when I'm on vacation, I don't really want to keep traveling once I'm there.

2. There is more to do for family members or friends who might not want to ski all day every day.
 

dean_spirito

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When you plan a ski vacation, are you most likely to go to a full resort with all the amenities or do you consider separate lodging and skiing at places that don't have all the extras?


I was thinking about this a bit lately and realize that I enjoy the places without all the amenities a little more, and it costs less.
Why, then, do most folks plan trips to the big resorts?

I prefer to ski smaller mountains, sleep in my car, meet rad people, and drink "margaritas" at their chalet at the end of the day. :)

Convenience of an all inclusive experience. People new to the sport don't know up from down. Big resorts help guide that demographic through the process of taking a ski vacation (all for the low, low price of $10,000-$15,000 for a family of 4). :doh:
 

pais alto

me encanta el país alto
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Dirtbag all the way. Stay with friends, or in the cheapest possible accommodations, or in the back of the rig. The terrain is a major driver of my choices for where I go.

Of course, if I'm traveling with my wife, it's gotta be nice. $$ be damned.
 

SkiNurse

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I consider Alta a ski area and not a major resort. I have stayed at both the Goldminer's Daughter and the Peruvian for their versions of the low key experience. But, we rented a house in SLC for the Gathering a couple of seasons ago.

When I go to any of the "local" Vail areas and stay overnight, it is with friends.

We have put four of us in a room at the Tyrolean in Aspen. Found a 4 bed cabin last minute in Pagosa Springs so we could have another day at Wolf Creek. But, then have no issues staying in a cute lodge in Created Butte or renting a house in CB for 13 of our friends for a week long trip.

And of course, there has been the fabulous Mother's Day houses that we have rented.

I guess my opinion is, the best option is always the one that can include friends & family reasonably.
 

scott43

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Generally we do ski-in/ski-out. Big or small, doesn't matter. And we try to find the least people possible. My wife likes the ski-in/ski-out and I have to say, I don't mind, we can afford it and we only generally do one big trip a year. I'd happily rough it for less people wherever I'm at but I think that'd be a solo trip.
 

SBrown

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Yeah, I guess I only answered the second question ... but I really don't think it's an either/or proposition, as it's been set up, though. I mean, yeah you can't really stay at some places, but just because you ski at Vail or Squaw doesn't mean you are staying there.

Personally, I've done pretty much everything but sleep in my car. At my age, I try not to sleep on floors or even couches anymore. But honestly, as long as the skiing is good, I don't really care. Normally the people help too, but one of my favorite trips ever was to Crested Butte and Irwin, all by myself. When I go with DH's work peeps, the accommodations are first rate -- but they still rip the shit out of the mountain. And dirtbag skiers can suck, you know. Stereotypes, stereotypes. There's nothing inherently noble about where you sleep, it's about the skiing.

Clearly it's easier for people not accustomed to the sport to have everything wrapped up in a nice little package, and they shouldn't be disparaged for it. Skiing is a huge PITA, and just because we have it dialed doesn't mean everyone should. As long as there are options, it's all good.
 

Stephen

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I think I have been very lucky in my skiing so far. I've always had a friend with a place close to where I'm skiing. Either ski in/ski out or in resort. When I have traveled somewhere that I don't have a friend with a place at that location it has happened to be traveling with friends that only want to go to rent ski in/ski out options. I have to say I enjoy the convenience of it all but would be totally down with "dirt bagging" it with the right friends.
As far as why people end up at big resorts...maybe convenience? Experience?
The idea of only doing a one week ski vacation a year is absolutely beyond my comprehension. I got sucked in. Sucked in big time! So the amount of people I've met that look forward to their one week a year somewhat shocks me. All of that being said, IF I was only going to go one week a year, I most definitely would do it at a big resort. Family would have things to do when not skiing, convenience of restaurants, gear convenience, the "ski village" feel, all things I feel I'd look for on my "one week" trip.
 

Bill Miles

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I always stay somewhere other than a resort (i.e., SLC, Jackson, Frisco, Bend, etc.). Where I ski may be a major resort (mostly) or a smaller area (somnetimes).
 

givethepigeye

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Matters where we are going - we both travel for work and hoard hundreds of thousands of hotel points and air miles - so if there is a Marriott or Westin banner property - were staying there - wherever it sits. Sometimes our carhartt/flannel sensibilities don't blend well with the other guests in their Bogner kits. :). Sometimes we count it as vacation and it's about "ease of use" ie. Staying in the village at JH
 

SBrown

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Matters where we are going - we both travel for work and hoard hundreds of thousands of hotel points and air miles - so if there is a Marriott or Westin banner property - were staying there - wherever it sits. Sometimes our carhartt/flannel sensibilities don't blend well with the other guests in their Bogner kits. :). Sometimes we count it as vacation and it's about "ease of use" ie. Staying in the village at JH

Yeah, sometimes it's funny when the bellhops unpack your gear, and sorta look at you different then. I'll never forget the one who unwrapped RB's Hellbents in the suite at the Whistler Four Seasons ... he said, Yeah, you don't see much of this in here... (This was back when those were pretty newfangled skis, and RB was doing a lot more heli and cat skiing.)
 

Drahtguy Kevin

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Dirtbag all the way. Stay with friends, or in the cheapest possible accommodations, or in the back of the rig. The terrain is a major driver of my choices for where I go.

Yes, this. Did a lot of this bird hunting and skiing.

Anymore, the terrain, snow and company are more important than accommodations. I'm certain our Tuesdays In The Snow gang could have a good time staying in @FairToMiddlin's Ellie for a couple nights if needed -- especially with some port and brown liquor.
 

janeskis

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Ski area all the way. Jeff N and I have never done the resort thing, and it's not too likely we ever will. Our ski trips involve us rolling up to the nearest rv park, camping out and having a blast. Ski in? Not unless we're sleeping in the parking lot overnight.
 

RNZ

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We do both. Domestically it is generally stay off-mountain. There is very little commercial on mountain accommodation here - can only think of one and it is expensive and there is nothing else at the "resort" - so in my eyes it is a bit like the hotel in The Shining.

When we go to North America, it is ski in / ski out or walking distance. When you add up everything, it is not always that much more expensive if you have to factor in car rental, extra stop overs and sometimes lift passes.

1. It's way easier, especially if you aren't used to skiing (aka schlepping and schlepping). And sometimes when I'm on vacation, I don't really want to keep traveling once I'm there.

Absolutely. When we have traveled for anywhere between 25 and 36 hours from door to door, including long-haul flights I want a break from traveling. Also, it is more time efficient. On long haul travel often the difference between flying to a major hub or as close as possible to a resort is negligible or non-existent (if you book it all on one fare). This avoids having to stop over for a night before driving to a ski area (Living in a place where there are regular serious road traffic accidents due to fatigued people hopping off a long-haul flight and hopping straight in to a car / RV etc and driving means that it is something that I just won't do).

Yeah, I guess I only answered the second question ... but I really don't think it's an either/or proposition, as it's been set up, though. I mean, yeah you can't really stay at some places, but just because you ski at Vail or Squaw doesn't mean you are staying there.

Personally, I've done pretty much everything but sleep in my car. At my age, I try not to sleep on floors or even couches anymore. But honestly, as long as the skiing is good, I don't really care. Normally the people help too, . And dirtbag skiers can suck, you know. Stereotypes, stereotypes. There's nothing inherently noble about where you sleep, it's about the skiing.

Clearly it's easier for people not accustomed to the sport to have everything wrapped up in a nice little package, and they shouldn't be disparaged for it. Skiing is a huge PITA, and just because we have it dialed doesn't mean everyone should. As long as there are options, it's all good.

Agree with this too - For me it is all about the skiing, and I find it very difficult to determine someones skiing ability by where they stay (except for the ones that give you some really big clues).

Matters where we are going. Sometimes our carhartt/flannel sensibilities don't blend well with the other guests in their Bogner kits. :). Sometimes we count it as vacation and it's about "ease of use" ie. Staying in the village at JH

This is true for us too. We often stick out in hotel check-ins, bars and restaurants because of our lack of après chic - we make up for it by clearly having a good time and anyway we routinely stand out for making minor cultural faux pas (generally involving not understanding North American liquor licensing laws (taking kids into bars and sitting in the wrong place or asking where the liquor aisle is at the supermarket). Or littering the hotel lobby with too many large ski bags.

Sometimes it's a just a holiday and where we stay doesn't affect how many days we get in each season. I'll schlep skis and load cars, pack lunches, help put snow chains on when appropriate, but I'll also admit it is kind of nice to ski to the bottom of a lift at the end of the day, hand my skis in to a valet and head upstairs to take my ski boots off and have a beer, all in the time it would normally take to all get back to the car and get loaded up to drive back to wherever we are staying.
 

givethepigeye

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but I'll also admit it is kind of nice to ski to the bottom of a lift at the end of the day, hand my skis in to a valet and head upstairs to take my ski boots off and have a beer, all in the time it would normally take to all get back to the car and get loaded up to drive back to wherever we are staying.

^This - not every time, but once in a while, it's nice to see how the "1%" lives. Definitely is spoiling.
 

SKI-3PO

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I like my vacation to be on the mountain with only my friends/family, to be able to get out my door and onto the lift ASAP with bottomless fresh snow and for it to cost nothing so that it can be repeated as often as possible. So far I've found that most of these need to be compromised, but the goal is to maximize all of them.
 

SShore

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Since my favorite places to ski don't usually have lodging at the base, I prefer option 1. I really enjoying visiting a town where people actually live and go to eat at local restaurants and drink at local dives, hence my favorite places are Salida/Monarch; Durango/Purgatory; Bend/Bachelor and Hoodoo. Some places on my must hit list are Anaconda/Discovery and Lost Trail; Grand Junction/Powderhorn, Glenwood Springs/Sunlight and Santa Fe/Santa Fe, Taos (actually have been to both of those several times) Pajarito, and Sapapu; and Pagosa Springs/Wolf Creek.
 

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