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Best place for a CHEAP ski vacation?

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~Gotama~
Posts: 821 - Karma: 3,160
me and a couple of my friends are trying to spend a week skiing out west this winter, but none of us can afford to stay in a 4 star hotel in jackson hole. so for 3 college guys who dont mind roughin' it a little bit and just want to ski deep pow, where is the best place to go? id really appreciate any advice you might have for saving money in expensive ski towns, finding good deals on lift tickets / hotels / tent platforms, and most importantly the areas with the cheapest economy in general. and if you or anyone you know has taken a similar excursion, please share your story.
Jul 16 2013 9:34AM
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derek.urben
Posts: 314 - Karma: 386
You will not want to go to any really big/ well known place i.e. Vail Valley, Park CIty area. Maybe like Idaho and some of their resorts. I do not know how expensive Montana resorts are but i would imagine they are cheaper.
Jul 16 2013 10:13AM
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Huck_Norris
Posts: 11487 - Karma: 18,627
I've heard you can live indefinitely in Montana by simply learning how to make shake & bake meth.


Jul 16 2013 10:16AM
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00000000
Posts: 11075 - Karma: 82,508
Where do you currently live and ski? And what kind of terrain are you planning on skiing? Other than deep pow, of course.
Jul 16 2013 10:18AM
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Crehm
Posts: 951 - Karma: 842
interior BC or montana would probably be your best bet

Jul 16 2013 10:23AM
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errrka
Posts: 2261 - Karma: 6,058
Yeah depending on where you are, transportation will be the biggest cost, once you're out there look for places that are a little less known and don't be afraid to stay at hostels or cram into a shitty hotel. Don't go out to eat and make sure to bring food to eat on the mountain (that's where it starts to add up). Also for lift tickets, check out liftopia or people selling them on craigslist, you can even get them from sports stores around the area just try not to buy them from the resort (you can almost always find a deal)
For example:
Salt Lake
Airport there, pretty good public transportation (especially to and from resorts)
Plenty of hotels (even if you're not right at the base of the canyon)
Can find a good deal on tickets

Or say Idaho, Sun Valley is cool, but there's no easy way to get there (aka more expensive) and once you're there everything in Ketchum is pretty much centered around Sun Valley, so everything is more expensive

If you choose a place that has other attractions, aka a city, then you're bound to get a better deal.

You can check out studentuniverse.com for hotels and flights, I use it a lot.
Jul 16 2013 10:31AM
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gr4
Posts: 1499 - Karma: 945
you can get a free day pass to any of the three PC resorts the day you fly in to the SLC airport. If you fly in as early as possible you could end up getting a full day of skiing in for free. Staying in salt lake is cheap.
Jul 16 2013 10:39AM
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~Gotama~
Posts: 821 - Karma: 3,160
ive grown up skiing all over the east coast, lately whiteface and gore cause i go to school up there. i ski plenty of park at home so all i want to do on vacation is ski fun powder and big cliffs and ballsy lines. and moguls. i never get tired of moguls. also i want to go to a resort and not just ski backcountry for a whole week, even though that would cost less. however i would love to do some slackcountry or inbounds turn earning.
Jul 16 2013 10:40AM
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imakestickerz
Posts: 477 - Karma: 673
Idaho is expensive as shit, plus it rains all the time
Jul 16 2013 10:45AM
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roddy116
Posts: 10627 - Karma: 7,423
Well if you are willing to pay the lift ticket's at vail you can crash at the roost.


Jul 16 2013 10:57AM
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trampsesh
Posts: 16 - Karma: 37
Grand Targhee
Jul 16 2013 12:04PM
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kbrando
Posts: 1208 - Karma: 905
If you currently live on the east, head to the Chic Chocs in Quebec. I went up there this year with a few friends and we all said it was the best ski vacation we have ever been. We skied pow, but nothing compared to Alta or Jackson, but the experience to skinning in super remote areas for every turn helped to make it an awesome trip. The mountains offer a lot of different terrain and you can find some really steep East Coast lines. Best part is, you can drive and do not have to fly. You can stay in cheap motels, hostels or a cabin inside the park that the mountains are located in. Best part is, you don't need to buy any lift tickets.
Jul 16 2013 12:05PM
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michael.loop.5
Posts: 14 - Karma: -2
Snow basin find a area cheap around there drive 30min to mountain and u will find great pow wow in winter
Jul 16 2013 12:50PM
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WU-sconsin
Posts: 565 - Karma: 1,301
You will definitely have to drive there then just stay at a cheap motel in town. Then you just need to pay the lift ticket. Or go TC style and sleep in a van the whole time, that will save you a lot of money.
Jul 16 2013 2:31PM
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illewminati
Posts: 195 - Karma: 114
Go to wolf creek, its in southern CO. imho its some of the best skiing in colorado if you can get down there (it's about 4.5 hours from denver if the roads are clear) They average ~400 inches of snow a year but no one goes there ive gone to wolf creek a month after a storm and still had fresh tracks. The terrain is pretty good too, they have some steeps and cliffs if your willing to hike a bit. The only downsides are 1) getting there and 2) no amenities they have a base restaurant but unless you are willing to sleep in your car the nearest hotel is about 30 min away at the base of the pass. Plus lift tickets are 55$ max if you go on a locals day they are like 20-30 bucks
Jul 16 2013 6:55PM
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-Robert
Posts: 2000 - Karma: 1,491
Me and acouple of my friends are going to try and do the same thing this winter. Were from western PA so we'd have to fly to get anywhere.
Jul 16 2013 7:12PM
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-Robert
Posts: 2000 - Karma: 1,491
I don't wanna drive from PA to say Utah or Montana. That's a hike to say the least.
Jul 17 2013 1:36AM
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Banane.
Posts: 3102 - Karma: 414
Salt lake is cheap IMO, Cost me like 1300$ for 5 day of skiing, a house on home away, a suv , the plane ticket ans food.
Jul 17 2013 6:22AM
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MartianMan
Posts: 1101 - Karma: 2,099
Sun Valley gets ~200 inches a year, that's less than most East Coast hills.
Jul 17 2013 10:09AM
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~Gotama~
Posts: 821 - Karma: 3,160
good to know. did you stay right in salt lake and take the bus to the mountains or did you stay right in park city?
Jul 17 2013 10:19AM
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triss
Posts: 1293 - Karma: 2,916
POWDER MOUNTAIN FOR SURE....its like no body goes there that was my first out west expirinece and it was awesome except we didnt get any fresh snow...lift tickers are like 55 bucks and u can get a retal home like 20 minutes away from the mountain
Jul 17 2013 11:56AM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
dafuq?

That's considered cheap? what's an expensive/average ski holiday then?
Jul 17 2013 12:00PM
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_Garagely_
Posts: 1948 - Karma: 3,246
You could go pretty cheap in Montana if you got a cheap hotel in Belgrade or Bozeman and then skied at Bridger and Moonlight which aren't very far away.
Jul 17 2013 12:41PM
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SABEK
Posts: 128 - Karma: 2,809
SLC.

You can find cheap places to stay in the city, then drive 30 min to most resorts, Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, Solitude, Snowbasin, Powder Mountain are all right there.

You can go to Costco's in Utah to find multi-day passes, or Snowbird usually has 2 for 1s you can find. Most of the resorts have multi-day discounts as well.

If you're wanting to ski pow, stick more with the places mentioned above, and not deer valley or Park city, plus they are $100+ per ticket there. Alta is around $75 for a day, and Snowbird similar. Brighton has night skiing for like $20 I believe.
Jul 17 2013 1:44PM
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MartianMan
Posts: 1101 - Karma: 2,099
Actually, I have skied Sun Valley, and the place has good terrain, but powder days are scarse. I know Ketchum is a classic ski town, but it doesn't make sense to me to go there when you could to a place like Jackson or Alta with 450-500 inches a year, a hell of a lot more than 200. Most Vermont areas get a lot more than that.
Jul 17 2013 7:32PM
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Banane.
Posts: 3102 - Karma: 414
Man, 1300$ for a ski holiday is good if you consider that I'm from the east of Canada. A week in whistler all included is like 1800$ and you are in a fucking hotel. I was in a house whit 4 bedroom, had a santa fe. eat like home and everything. And I ski 6 days, forgot the second day at solitude.

For me an expensive holiday would be like a week in France or Japan, around 2 grand or 4
Jul 17 2013 7:37PM
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FuckAllOfYou
Posts: 3864 - Karma: 2,518
whitefish. I like that place a lot, and pretty cheap if you try.
Jul 17 2013 9:32PM
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liftedresearcher
Posts: 1140 - Karma: 1,774
whitewater/red. but it never snows there so i dunno why anyone would go to the nelson area.
Jul 17 2013 9:54PM
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