Help me plan my first trip out west! (From Ohio)

[uninc.mike]

Hey guys whats up. I would like some help to plan my first snowboarding trip out west. I'm from Ohio and and so freakin pumped. I have done research on resort sites, but cannot make up my mind. Looking to hear some great opinions. First I'll give you what I'm looking for...

Ok, some things to get out of the way. I'm looking to go to a place that has mostly intermediate to expert terrain and that has a few parks. I love to ride EVERYTHING. I could care less about night life and dining and all that. I'm 21 and will be going with my mom and 1 or 2 friends. Probably will not do much drinking. i just want to RIDE!

Looking for a resort with a steep mountain, big, plenty of variety of trails. A nice big mountain with steep amazing powder (I know I'm repeating myself lol). I love to ride the park although i can't hit the big stuff yet. but i can ride any trail out there. I plan on staying for atleast 4 days of riding ( not counting the day i arrive).

Some of the resorts of the top of my head are vail, jackson hole, big sky, brighton ect.

Can anyone please help me decide? I just cannot make up my mind and i would like to make reservations this week as i plan on staying over new years. Would love to hear experiences, how the snowfall was, how the park was, how high the mountain is ect. PLEASE HELP!!!!

Oh and this is my first post!!!

thanks

Mike

[WasatchMan]

Jackson is incredible, but it takes a lot of coverage for the whole mountain to open up, very rocky terrain. After jan. would be great.

Brighton is cool, gets the most snow out of any of those resorts, sweet, light, fluffy pow, I have a pass there myself.

Heard great things about big sky, I plan on taking a trip up there myself this year.

Never been to vail. (I need to get out to colorado someday.. ugh)

I'm obviously going to recommend Utah, I didn't move here for nothing. You'll have the most resorts to choose from if you stay in salt lake (12 within an hour) Snowbird is another good choice, as well as Powder Mountain and Snowbasin and Solitude. Even the Canyons is great (and HUGE). Park City is you like park riding, the others for epic terrain and tons of pow (obviously depends on weather)


Now if I were you, I would chase the storms. Wherever is getting dumped on, go there.

You will have a great time anywhere in the rockies

P.S good job on researching, props for avoiding cali (tahoe) but honestly, you chose some of the best states/resorts

[uninc.mike]

Thanks for the reply. I would like to stay on the mountain and walk out my door to the lift line. Out of all teh resorts in Utah i guess i would be looking at brighton or Park city. As you stated i looking for that EPIC terrain lol.

Thats disappointing about jackson hole, but not really bc im looking to go anywhere. I wanna book within a week, bc i figure new years will be very crowded. Thanks for the reply though...

what do you like about brighton?

[WasatchMan]

Originally Posted by uninc.mike

Thanks for the reply. I would like to stay on the mountain and walk out my door to the lift line. Out of all teh resorts in Utah i guess i would be looking at brighton or Park city. As you stated i looking for that EPIC terrain lol.

Thats disappointing about jackson hole, but not really bc im looking to go anywhere. I wanna book within a week, bc i figure new years will be very crowded. Thanks for the reply though...

what do you like about brighton?

I like that it's incredibly inexpensive for lift tickets/season passes.

I like how they get 500+ inches of snow on average, last year I didn't go unless it was a powder day and you can see how many they had:
and thats not even counting till their closing day at the end of april

I like how it's just over a 30 minute drive from my apartment. Hell, I could go home for lunch and come back and shred, and I live downtown.

I like how I can jump off stupidly big cliffs and just fall into bottomless powder.

I like how it's not that crowded and you can still shred powder waking up at noon (becoming more crowded every year though )

I like how everyday you find new and insane terrain you never thought existed.

I like how there are tons of 'secret' spots you can shred all day without anybody bothering you (endless cliffs to pow)

I like how much variety there is, they have stuff for everyone. From a kids first day out to pros.

I like how it's a pow resort and has a great terrain park

I like how I can take the same lift as my friend who is a beginner, and he can take the easy way down, but I can take a pow run through trees and meet at the bottom of the same lift.

I like how I can spend all day on a single lift and not get bored.

I like how I can go on and on all day about everything I love about brighton

The only thing is though, it's a real 'local' resort, so there aren't any hotels at the base. But you can check out solitude, which is 'connected 'to brighton (you can buy a lift ticket for both resorts and transfer to each using certain trail) Solitude is more of a resort (hotels, restaurants etc.) They have an in-bounds backcountry like area called Honeycomb Canyon. AMAZING terrain, pow runs all day. Cliffs, trees, chutes, anything, even easy pow runs for beginners. Solitude is always empty, it's....solitude Snowbird has places to stay so check out that too, just a little more crowded. Here's an idea of the area http://i.imgur.com/Tnx8w.jpg

Brighton trail map - http://www.brightonresort.com/downlo...11brochure.pdf
Solitude trail map - http://www.skisolitude.com/downloads..._trail_map.pdf
Snowbird trail map - http://www.snowbird.com/imagelib/tra...p_snowbird.pdf

[uninc.mike]

Wow thats awesome thanks so much. Idk if its just me but it doesn't look to have that many runs? idk maybe I'm just not realizing how big it is lol. If i decide on Utah you have definetly gave me a good starting point. I like that they get a lot of powder, thats definetly another reason im looking at. lots of powder!

bump for people with colorado/cali/wyoming experiences.

[snowvols]

There is a hotel at the bottom of Brighton, the Brighton Lodge. If you want an off the road place Big Sky, Crested Butte, or Aspen. They don't get the Ewtah snow but meh you will be here in Jan so the snow pack isn't to the fattest point by far. You also have a pretty aawesome mom to be taking you on a trip just so you know. Brighton is fun but I have heard many a tourists complain about Brighton since they think it is boring and if you don't know where to go or what not. It is kind of funny when people tell me about how miserable of a time they have had at Brighton.

[mdc]

Utah is my favorite for western trips. My favorite resorts are 1. Snowbird, 2. Brighton, 3. Solitude. All great resorts and I try to hit all 3 when I'm out there. Brighton and Solitude on weekend days, and Snowbird on weekdays.

[uninc.mike]

Originally Posted by snowvols

There is a hotel at the bottom of Brighton, the Brighton Lodge. If you want an off the road place Big Sky, Crested Butte, or Aspen. They don't get the Ewtah snow but meh you will be here in Jan so the snow pack isn't to the fattest point by far. You also have a pretty aawesome mom to be taking you on a trip just so you know. Brighton is fun but I have heard many a tourists complain about Brighton since they think it is boring and if you don't know where to go or what not. It is kind of funny when people tell me about how miserable of a time they have had at Brighton.

LOL I don't think I will have a miserable time anywhere I go. Yah my moms awesome, she doesn't ski or anything she just likes to chill and check out the shops and stuff. Also i should take into account the fact that it should be a little tourismy but still with the emphasis on the baddest riding possible. so another + on utah.

MDC- Whats the difference between snowbird and brighton?

[snowvols]

Then I would really not recommend Brighton for your mothers sake. There is NOTHING at the bottom besides a cafeteria. I would go to Aspen for shops and a toursity type town. There is excellent terrain there as well.

Snowbird is way steeper than Brighton. Snowbird is the steepest resort in Utah. The downfall to the bird is that if it hasn't snowed in a little while it can be just boring since it will be super icy. What fun are steep icy pitches?

[uninc.mike]

Originally Posted by snowvols

Then I would really not recommend Brighton for your mothers sake. There is NOTHING at the bottom besides a cafeteria. I would go to Aspen for shops and a toursity type town. There is excellent terrain there as well.

Snowbird is way steeper than Brighton. Snowbird is the steepest resort in Utah. The downfall to the bird is that if it hasn't snowed in a little while it can be just boring since it will be super icy. What fun are steep icy pitches?

Good point, I thought Aspen was all full of yuppies lol and kids on leashes? jk Even if it is It's not gonna bother me.