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Local vs. Big

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Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
Okay I was thinking about where I'll be going this winter.  I like going to the big mountains with express lifts everywhere but I go back to my home mountain with 1800 acres or so and fix gripped triples and doubles some 50 years old.  At a glance most people would choose the big resorts with those lift lines and packed parks but I get back to mine and am glad to have a resort like this.  I like being able to ski fresh all day only crossing 10 times less the tracks of a big resort.  I like knowing of places no one else knows of.  Big resorts do have the large parks and fast lifts but really I think the $200 season pass is a lot better than the $1000+ at most resorts.  I posted this hoping to see what people thought about that.  So here's the question:  What do you think of the Big mountains vs. The small local mountains?
Sep 29 2008 9:02PM
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Reed.S
Posts: 1126 - Karma: 10
To be honest i love my home hill (PERFECT NORTH REPPIN) and i also love skiing out west. but when your out there you miss everything back home like building random stuff and chillin with friends so on some occasions id rather ski in ohio but dont get me wrong i love colorado
Sep 29 2008 9:13PM
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J-Evs
Posts: 6387 - Karma: 1,615
i stay true to my home mountain although the park sucks, there is like no lines, we have 3 double lifts, but some good woods if u know where to go
Sep 29 2008 9:14PM
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Billups
Posts: 3960 - Karma: 329
The vibe's just so good there. I'm sure it's the same at other places but I love how everyone is real tight knit and gets along.
Sep 29 2008 9:16PM
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A_Davis
Posts: 601 - Karma: 21
Well i live in in South Lake Tahoe so my local spots are the big resorts. But I guess sierra is still kinda local and thats where i love to ski. But im gonna say local lift lines suck.
Sep 29 2008 9:17PM
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Shredneck
Posts: 2051 - Karma: -32
I love my small mtn I know all the best glades, The guy in the kitchen (chico) knows me and what I always get (chicken burger in hot sauce +fries) and every body knows each other its like a big family
Sep 29 2008 9:18PM
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Reed.S
Posts: 1126 - Karma: 10
I know its awesome i just cant explain how chill and funny everyone is
Sep 29 2008 9:19PM
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k-rob
Posts: 14217 - Karma: 2,891
Sunshine gets pretty busy on the weekends, but there are still a lot of runs that are pretty much empty all day, that's where i like to ride. oh and whenever i go on a weekday, the hill is like empty, i went on a tuesday once and it was the greatest ski day i ever had, waist-deep pow, just me and my friends slaying it all over the place.
Sep 29 2008 9:22PM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
my "local" hills are like an 800 ft vertical
so big mountains all the way haha

Sep 29 2008 9:23PM
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Reed.S
Posts: 1126 - Karma: 10
so, mines around 750 or so and i still like it
Sep 29 2008 9:24PM
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JTL
Posts: 2275 - Karma: 338
i love my home mountain. 2 slow lifts, 34 trails. its steep. the ski patrolers don't give a shit, (yeah i know thats kinda dangerous) we can build jumps where ever we want. and the lifts are never crowded. although they do stop on occation and break down for a few minutes. the season passes are also very cheap (free for me cuz i work for them once a week for 4 hours) the park isn't very good but we are working on that this year. i am making some rails and we will get them to blow more snow on the park. on powder days me and my friends are the only ones in the trees and on steep trails. the food in the cafeteria is also homemade and pretty good.(i get employee discount) my mountain also does mountain biking in the summer so there are sick bridges all over the woods and i know where they are cuz i bike. another cool thing is that my grandpa started the mountain a long time ago. it has a new owner now, but i like that i have history at my home mountain.

http://plattekill.com
Sep 29 2008 9:37PM
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huckaberry
Posts: 993 - Karma: 14
Well my local Mountain is Mt. Hood. So i can choose to go to meadows, for backcountry (sorta) and decent parks. Tline for good pars, on somedays. Skibowl for epic night session powday's and the ropetow mini rail park at night.

At meadows there are places to bypass huge lines, or just kind of get to know the workers there and try to get in front of those lines.

Pick whatever you feel will bet better. If your paying more your probably paying for better lifts, parks and maybe steeper terrain.
Sep 29 2008 9:39PM
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Paoli_Steeze
Posts: 191 - Karma: 10

yeah PNS represent!

Sep 29 2008 9:40PM
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Drew.C
Posts: 1757 - Karma: 39
hmm, my mountain is 500 ft but has a ok park. never been out west but i plan on it. im dying to try skiing powder ice gets boring haha
Sep 29 2008 10:38PM
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T-Time
Posts: 231 - Karma: 11
My home hill is a big resort
Sep 29 2008 10:53PM
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AltaByrdSkier
Posts: 544 - Karma: 15
i dig my home mountain alta
Sep 29 2008 10:57PM
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Elg
Posts: 2998 - Karma: 3,880
I think most people like what they have, as long as they're able to ski as much as possible. My "local" hill is the biggest one in my city, and it's usually crowded. But that's in a really big city, and the hill/mountain isn't really that big.

I also have a cabin up in the mountains in Norway, pretty close to one of the nicest hills i've ever skied in. Really good jumps and a few rails, and seriously no lines by the lifts. It gets dumped on a few times during the winter, and pow skiing is really nice up there if you know where to go. I like to call that hill my local mountain, and i love it.
Sep 29 2008 11:21PM
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timmi
Posts: 12874 - Karma: 3,460
mine is like 400.
i would say its best of both worlds. not too big, most of the people who ride the park know each other, and its a really sick park.
Sep 29 2008 11:24PM
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tomahawk
Posts: 2006 - Karma: 53
my mountains tight n right
Sep 29 2008 11:25PM
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Piste.Off
Posts: 11586 - Karma: 1,860
well my local mountain is a big mountain so im for big mountains
Sep 29 2008 11:25PM
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jsaya_SagStraps
Posts: 1840 - Karma: 29
idk man i think breck and keystone have sick parks, but nothing beats a empty pow day at solitude or snow basin
Sep 30 2008 3:33AM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
$400 pass to whistler/blackcomb, i'm happy with that
Sep 30 2008 3:34AM
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freeski_Shaggy
Posts: 617 - Karma: 279
Perfect North is in Indiana not Ohio.

But idk man, I love my home hill to but out west has its postives.
I guess it comes down to how much money you want to spend.
Sep 30 2008 11:00AM
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Klick_2_klaim
Posts: 3396 - Karma: 25
my mountain is a pretty big place, with lots of quads most detached.
but there are rarely lines, and rarely is the park super busy. Im lucky to have the best of both worlds.
thank you for reminding me.

++kisma
Sep 30 2008 12:19PM
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SkierX
Posts: 16253 - Karma: 538
We all remember our roots, but the truth is, many of us move to get better skiing at those big resorts.
Sep 30 2008 3:27PM
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steezeaholic.
Posts: 894 - Karma: 39
local for sure.
Sep 30 2008 7:54PM
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Fish_Sandwich.
Posts: 9108 - Karma: 16
Big for me.
Sep 30 2008 7:57PM
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Shawny*Boy
Posts: 14 - Karma: 10
yeah platty is sick. i hope they get a decent park
Sep 30 2008 8:05PM
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Karcher
Posts: 3788 - Karma: 1,934
yah for sure. locas way fun, but its also fun to go somewhere else for a change
Sep 30 2008 8:08PM
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Tanner-D
Posts: 2061 - Karma: 4,116
i guess kirkwood is a local resort in south tahoe
Sep 30 2008 8:49PM
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ct_steeze
Posts: 1175 - Karma: 153
my local mountain shut down two years ago so now i dont even botherr skiing ct i just drive up to vt whenever i can
Sep 30 2008 10:37PM
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.jr
Posts: 5313 - Karma: 356
I think the fact there are 5 people in here (including myself) that love our home mountain(Perfect North), which is tiny as heck, proves local is the way to go.. 




Sep 30 2008 10:53PM
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freeskeemcghee
Posts: 188 - Karma: 10
respect PNS and their amazing steak hoagies
Oct 1 2008 11:31PM
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tandan83
Posts: 2783 - Karma: 141
I can see where you're coming from but I definetly don't share your opinion.  I went from growing up in Minnesota and working at Mt. Kato in college (250ish vertical?) to working at Mammoth Mountain and I would never go back. 

One nice thing about big places is there are even more hidden spots to find.  Most of the vacationers just stick to certain areas.  It only takes a little work to find good snow most of the time.

to each his (or her) own
Oct 2 2008 8:19AM
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Reed.S
Posts: 1126 - Karma: 10
what? theres like 15!
Oct 2 2008 10:08AM
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Reed.S
Posts: 1126 - Karma: 10
yeah i know but i live in ohio thats why i said tgat
Oct 2 2008 10:09AM
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solidstate85
Posts: 198 - Karma: 16
Coming from the midwest, I'd have to go with the big mountains out west. 

If you know how to work things, you can do it without spending all that much.  And there are some sick places that aren't crowded off the beaten path. A great example of this is powder mountain.  It's epic, and no one has ever heard of it.



Oct 2 2008 10:17AM
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.jr
Posts: 5313 - Karma: 356
theres only 5 in this thread..
Oct 2 2008 11:54AM
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