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May, 2025

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Washington or Colorado?

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theath
Posts: 9 - Karma: 135
Hi everyone,

My first time posting here, so I'm sorry if this is a repeat, but I did not see anything about this when searching through the forums. I'm at a crossroads in my life of being a skier. I'm from Colorado and I've been living here for quite some time. I am much like other people in Colorado, not from here originally. That being said all the years I've lived in Colorado have been great. The hiking of 14ers and the endless adventures in the mountains have been great. But with all great things, sometimes you have to move onto something different and or better. To be blunt, the I-70 traffic is slowly killing me. I remember 6 or 7 years ago you could leave your house on a Saturday from the Denver/Lakewood area and be up to A-Basin in an hour or Winter Park in a similar amount of time. Those days seem to be over for us weekend skiers. I can't remember the last time it's taken me that little time. Seems like everyone wants to come up now as more of a status, have 2 or 3 laps, then get drunk at some lodge. This isn't for me. I'm a die hard skier who loves nasty terrain and of course lots of pow on it. I just don't know how many more mornings I can wake up at 5:30 on a weekend, be out the door by 5:45 and arrive at A-Basin around 8:15 or so. So my question to all you is- what's your experience with Washington? I've skied Stevens last year and was amazed by how much snow they had and the fact that from downtown Seattle I was there in roughly an hour and hit zero traffic. My buddy in Seattle says its like that all the time. And if you love night skiing some big dumps and live to the east of Seattle just slightly, you can be up there in about 40 or 50 minutes to Stevens or Alpental. I'm now thinking of moving up there to escape the crowds and get more pow as they get roughly double our snowfall. I know it's a heavier snow, it rains in February, etc... Another question my buddy asked me was this: Would you rather drive 3 hours to Vail with traffic, or drive 3 hours and some change to Whistler? I think the answer is obvious and it's got me thinking. Please someone help me decide!
11 years ago
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p-fo
Posts: 9372 - Karma: 6,156
You're going to get crowds on weekend pow days no matter where you go. That's just a fact of life.
11 years ago
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theath
Posts: 9 - Karma: 135
I suppose what I'm also really asking is: Which do you like better for skiing? Colorado or Washington? I know the parks are better in Co obviously. My park days are almost all behind me. I'm looking to ski chutes, pow, cliffs and trees these days. Anyone have any input on this who's been to both pretty extensively?
11 years ago
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skier_boy26
Posts: 11295 - Karma: 502
A) Your buddy obviously doesn't have a fucking clue because the traffic can get horrendous driving to Stevens on weekends and even on weekdays.

B) You'll get lines and traffic regardless of where you are

C) It only rains in Washington
11 years ago
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ZachAndCheese
Posts: 816 - Karma: 5,116
Op wants to live in Washington or Colorado to $M0K3 WE3D
11 years ago
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21109 - Karma: 8,627
If you want no traffic and sick skiing you should go to Montana.
11 years ago
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soared
Posts: 89 - Karma: 338
For less traffic try utah. In CO I've sat in ~6 hrs of traffic for a 1 hour drive on pow days.
11 years ago
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theath
Posts: 9 - Karma: 135
Guys, I'm just looking for anyone who has skied both states extensively and wants to share their experiences on which one they have enjoyed more. I know Montana, Jackson, Utah are great but there's also no jobs there except in Utah. What I would like some input on is whether or not someone who has knowledge of both states, which one they prefer and perhaps why. Anyone out there with some useful knowledge they can share?
11 years ago
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,304
skirum says the average revy pow day is pretty empty, and TBH ive skied some Schweitzer storm day pow with absolutely no one around.
11 years ago
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,304
Also OP, if you aren't a ski bum or trust funder, SLC. If you are, Montana.
11 years ago
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SkiBum.
Posts: 3614 - Karma: 4,002
You have never been up LCC on a pow day huh?
11 years ago
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,304
the smart people go to BCC on pow days
11 years ago
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Bloc_chain
Posts: 26051 - Karma: 4,433
CO is much nicer then WA, it doesn't rain all the time, their rails won't rip out your edges, and you can ski like 5 places on 1 pass.
11 years ago
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,304
also all but one summit county resort kind of blow for skiing pow, it is much more crowded, and the BC scene is both more sketchy and less vibrant than here in the WA.

jk it rains all the time, i havent ever skied pow here, im sure the parks of CO are way better.
11 years ago
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SkiBum.
Posts: 3614 - Karma: 4,002
Smart people go to PowMow

Smarter people don't go to the resorts
11 years ago
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lIllI
Posts: 1255 - Karma: 1,986
You really need to get away from those touristy resorts if you actually believe this.
11 years ago
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,304
touché
11 years ago
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lIllI
Posts: 1255 - Karma: 1,986
Summit County is quite possibly the worst place I have ever been. It's as if every douchy snowbro kid from high school summoned each other to congregate in the flattest western skiing in the U.S.
11 years ago
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Troy.
Posts: 5070 - Karma: 12,550
I would say Washington. I could go my entire life and never have to drive I70 to go skiing again. Traffic in Colorado can get ridiculous. Took me 4 hours to drive from Fort Collins to Denver one Monday evening, when it should take 45 minutes. Shit gets insane. I70 always gets shut down, and there is always traffic.
11 years ago
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Dr.Dickless
Posts: 2620 - Karma: 1,392
Why not just ski Wolf Creek?
11 years ago
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Bloc_chain
Posts: 26051 - Karma: 4,433
Troy you are wrong, all that sriracha chugging has gone to your head. At least the traffic can move in CO, with half a CM of snow the entire king county infrastructure shuts down, what should be an hour and 45 min drive has taken me 8.5 hours before because old grandma Ming from china thinks its ok to not now how to drive in the snow.
11 years ago
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theath
Posts: 9 - Karma: 135
So I see we have some opinions here. Some sarcastic, some serious. Again, I'm wondering if there's anyone here from the PNW who has skied both states and which one they like better and for what reason. I remember driving up to Stevens in Washington and being like wow, these mountains aren't quite as big or tall, but man are they steep and have a far deeper snowpack than ours. I agree, the BC is where it's at. But if you dont have an airbag and don't want to dig snowpits and risk avy danger then obviously Washington is going to be way more stable due to their heavier snow. Come on guys, let's get constructive here and say which state you like better for skiing and why. It doesn't always rain in Washington, I keep seeing that come up. It's cloudy and misty, but actually Seattle doesn't even get in the top 10 cities in the US for rainfall. So if you want to just keep saying it rains all the time in Washington, for one you're wrong and two, it's still not getting to the answer of my question. Let's be constructive here! I'm really trying to get an actual basis for which place people like better and why. leave the rainy comments at home, I get it, it's cloudy in Washington and I don't care. Would I rather have cloudy skies and 6 or 700 inches of snow in the cascades vs. Colorado's big season of 400 to 450 would be a better critical question. The fact that you can ski 5 mountains with 1 pass is not something I really care about. I care about the quality of skiing. Another thing I love about Washington that Colorado can't touch is that in Washington you can duck ropes with no problem from patrollers and come December/January the entire mountain is filled in and open due to the sticker, heavier snow. Anyone have experience with this?
11 years ago
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gotti
Posts: 4269 - Karma: 4,552
honestly your best bet is probably going to go try for yourself. head up to washington for a week when there is snow forecasted, stay in the city, and drive the route yourself. Especially if you are thinking of moving a forum isn't going to be solid proof to pack up and move. besides half the people here can shit out of their mouths
11 years ago
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Troy.
Posts: 5070 - Karma: 12,550
I've seen the same thing happen here.

Can we agree that they both suck a lot of the time, unless you live at the base?
11 years ago
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Karma_Police
Posts: 2655 - Karma: 1,628
Is this a fucking joke?

If you're not riding real colorado "Telluride, the butt, wolf creek, etc.." and riding I 80 resorts then this question is stupid, Washington wins, hands down.

More snow, steeper terrain, longer season, better skiers (maybe not park rats).

Oh yeah, it only rains. Buy gortex.
11 years ago
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,304
Alright I really have skied extensivley in both. I grew up in eastern Washington, and used to make weekend trips to western WA to ski Crystal, White Pass and Alepental. I also used to go to CO every thanksgiving and Christmas for about 10 years, and we'd usually ski. When i lived in AZ, i got to ski southern CO quite a bit, Telluride, Silverton, Purgatory and Wolf Creek. So while im not an expert, I've skied both to have a pretty honest opinion.

First of all CO skiing happens in 2 states, the 1-70 corridor and that general area, and central to southern CO. Skiing at Telluride was more about hoping to hit the big storm, but the snowpack generally leaves a bit to be desired. Not so much at Wolf Creek or Silverton, but they also rely on the big dump. I've always had a hard time judging summit county. Its beautiful in its towering peak way, but i always felt like it was missing something. A-basin and Loveland were the exceptions, they felt like "real skiing" and not a super corporate show. Not to say i didn't really enjoy the day i got to spend at Breck or Copper, I just felt like southern CO was more genuine.

Now for WA. It does rain here, and more often than id like. It also snows a ton here. A shitty snowpack here would be a dream for CO resorts, and that really opens up the season length if you hike, and provides for one of the best BC cultures ive been around. Everyone tours. Burly cliffs can be hit in early January, and in my experience the culture is less douchey. There are still the self righteous BC skiers who know everything, but ive come to accept that they live everywhere. Id say the park scene is underrated, Stevens is dope and sometimes snoqualamie gets their chit together. I'd day the vibe is more "exploratory" if I had to use one word, while in CO id use the word "bro".

As for in bounds ski area terrain, Southern CO wins, WA is second, 1-70 is last by a long ways. Baker has some dope shit, especially on the arm. Crystal has a lot worth skiing. Alpental is comparable to a-basin in size, but maybe a little bit more boring terrain. If you get OB then alpental wins, but for inbounds Pali and the wall win. However in WA even in a shitty season like this one, most of that gnarly terrain is open from late January to early April, compared to a few weeks in Feb and march for CO.

If I had to choose, id pick WA, which is where i live now. I get to hike, bike, explore, and ski pow with people who are here to do the same. I thought about CO, but it always felt too commercial and too park skiing only. Southern CO would be great for that too, but financially its usually pretty unrealistic. Costs a lot to live there, and there aren't a ton of jobs or houses.
11 years ago
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snocompton
Posts: 2026 - Karma: 348
weekends are worthless to ski around here. it does in fact rain a shit ton at the mountains themselves. the last 2 major storm cycles we've had were both ruined by freezing rain. this entire week its been nothing but rain everywhere. night skiing is prolly the best here out of anywhere in the states tho.
11 years ago
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busterburns
Posts: 485 - Karma: 539
Normally I would tell dummies like this to stay in there lane, but you should come to washington OP

Baker is fun, people like skiing, minimal bullshit, might rain occasionally, we smoke kush

no inside edition
11 years ago
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theath
Posts: 9 - Karma: 135
Thanks guys. I see some pretty good replies to my thread now. I'm seeing the more in depth ones say that Washington is where it's at. I'd have to agree in terms of snowpack, ski culture and extremity of the mountains. Granted if I lived in SW CO that would be great to be shredding the San Juans, but it's just not realistic for me because of the lack of job market down there. Anyone out there able to claim that Colorado is better? I would like to hear both sides of the argument. I know a big one is that it rains in WA and it's sunny in CO all the time. To be honest for me, it's gotten a little old having constantly sunny days. It's great in the winter don't get me wrong, at least in Denver. But man those summers where we don't get rain for like 2 months and it's so hot you can only do a run in the AM just really gets to me. Thanks all for the constructive comments! I really and truly do appreciate it because I am looking to move to WA in roughly 1 year from now. Let's keep the comments coming from both sides! This can be educational for other skiers who are interested in the same thing.
11 years ago
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theath
Posts: 9 - Karma: 135
Thanks so much for your reply. It's very constructive and shows both sides of the story. I know I'll shell out more for a season pass to Stevens and Alpental together being about a grand, but it's so worth it for more snow, longer season, crazier lines and much more snow.
11 years ago
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E.Stai
Posts: 121 - Karma: 1,338
I have had my best pow days in Washington at Alpental and Crystal Mountain. Only problem is that the snowfall is very inconsistent (especially the last couple years). Washington is a super sick place tho and if you've lived in Colorado for a while now why not check out WA!
11 years ago
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skiingonskis
Posts: 2076 - Karma: 262
Dude, you are moving from one city to the next...  There is going to be weekend traffic from the city to the mountain on weekends, regardless of where you are.  Obviously the job market is better in the city, but if your absolute priority is skiing and easy access, then move to the mountains instead and drive 5 min to the mountain whenever you please.
11 years ago
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howlongcanausern
Posts: 4982 - Karma: 1,737
forget alpental...stevens has it all
11 years ago
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Rekkil
Posts: 169 - Karma: 146
If you want some gnarly terrain with a small mountain feel and love the backcountry I would go to alpental over anywhere else in WA. Summit central at snoqualmie (5 mins drive from alpental) has a decent park too. However, Crystal has more a lot of wide open runs. And stevens is a pretty good middle point between Alpental and Crystal. Also Snoqualmie is the closest to Seattle itself. Where I live its 2 hours to crystal and stevens each way while snoqualmie is only 45.
11 years ago
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SELEKTAH.VISUALS
Posts: 10 - Karma: 327
One word.... Baker
11 years ago
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GayWolf420
Posts: 38167 - Karma: 130,590
there are tons of trust fund ski bums in utah. PC primarily.
11 years ago
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,304
yeah i meant more if you have to make a living, live in the city. FI you can afford for any reason to make pretty much nothing, live in Montana.
11 years ago
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SkiFreshPow
Posts: 233 - Karma: 335
My background- I've lived in Seattle my whole life and skied the cascades a ton. This season I also spent two weeks in vail and Evergreen CO this winter. so I feel like i have some real input here.

Snow conditions- lighter snow in CO that's more fun to ski. WA usually gets more though and the areas stay open later. I remember 3 seasons ago when crystal had weekend operations till mid July. The terrain is there in both places if you know where to look.

Traffic- it's not really that bad in WA. yes, it may suck for a huge pow day, but it sounds like you're used to getting up early anyways. When I had a pass to crystal, the normally 2 hr drive would still only take 2.5 hrs on a crowded day. From my time in CO I can say that that drive on I70 was way worse than anything in washington. It literally took me 5 hours once to go from Vail to evergreen.

Other- The overall skill level of hardcore skiers is higher in CO than in WA. That's not at all to say people in the cascades suck, but if you're pretty good in CO then you'll probably be really good in WA comparatively. It'd give you more of an ego boost than anything. If you want to ski park, stay in colorado, that's a no brainer. In colorado it seemed to me that it was either sunny or snowing, but not too often was it just cloudy. In Washington, it is usually cloudy, sometimes snowing, and a sunny day is a rare gift until spring season starts.

If you have any other questions feel free to pm me.
11 years ago
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cmo
Posts: 2325 - Karma: 1,085
not necessarily true...i skied last weekend after a large dump at targhee and lift lines were no longer than 5 minutes...old time locals were leaving because "it was too crowded" that place is a fucking gem
11 years ago
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21109 - Karma: 8,627
Come on Chris, you can't use Targhee as an example for lift lines....


Also, I'll be in CO in 2 weeks. you still around?
11 years ago
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dingus
Posts: 1328 - Karma: 7,879
The devils lettuce is legal in both states does it really matter
11 years ago
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gustafari
Posts: 726 - Karma: 50
go to colorado. it only rains in washington, skiing in garbage bags is absolutely mandatory if you don't want to get wet
11 years ago
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Ron.Burgundy
Posts: 353 - Karma: 1,072
Bellingham. End of story.
11 years ago
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21109 - Karma: 8,627
anybody who uses the word faggot automatically gets their rights to be taken seriously immediately revoked. and probably banned.
11 years ago
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Evangelista
Posts: 481 - Karma: 1,583
Colorado. You can like smoke weed there bro...it's tight!
11 years ago
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artrud
Posts: 598 - Karma: 1,471
I've lived in both states. Don't let ppl fool you, Colorado is above and beyond Washington in all aspects; pow, steep, park, night life, bc, etc... if u know where to go. The cost of living in CO is half that of WA. Plus it rains a lot more than the resorts report on their sites.
11 years ago
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Byron_tha_gr8
Posts: 4573 - Karma: 14,304
bellingham sucks dick
11 years ago
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JayB
Posts: 107 - Karma: 38
I've skied in both Washington and Colorado extensively. When it comes to skiing, Washington is better for everything but parks, groomers, and sunny days.

The snow in Washington is deeper, more consistent, and snowfall is more frequent. The terrain in or near resorts is better. The coastal snowpack is more stable and predictable than the continental snowpack in Colorado. The season is longer, and if you get into ski mountaineering - there are 5-10,000 foot descents possible into early July or longer in some years. You can also ski park into early August at Hood if you are into that.

As to the traffic - don't come to Seattle to escape that. Weekday traffic is a nightmare pretty much everywhere in the Puget Sound. Getting back to Seattle from Stevens on a weekend afternoon is horrific. Way worse than anything I ever encountered in CO.


11 years ago
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