• For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.

Ken_R

Living the Dream
Skier
Joined
Feb 10, 2016
Posts
5,775
Location
Denver, CO
Ha ha, I just looked up the Chateau après, still there. Dorm is now $40 a night. Looks like the place has not changed since I was there. Park City is by no means a dirtbag resort but staying at the Chateau après would fit the experience.

https://images.bookingcenter.com/après/images/APRES_DORM.jpg

34132797.jpg

Those bunks sure look dirtbag worthy to me :beercheer:
 

raisingarizona

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Sep 30, 2016
Posts
1,112
What qualifications make a ski area “dirtbag” worthy?

Back in the 90’s and into the early 2000’s when I was a true dirtbag the best places were the free ones.

A-Basin was a great spot, especially in the spring. When I lived in Steamboat we would hitch hike to there, camp in the lot and climb up Grizzly Peak in the morning to ski a Dogleg or Shit For Brains. Then skate across the basin to the ski areas upper lifts where no one ever checked your ticket. Then we would spend the afternoon hiking up to the couloirs and doing hot laps in the bowl. The day would end with parking lot beers and hot dogs.

The mid 90’s was also the time that Crested Butte had there free skiing week during their closing week in the spring. That was one hell of a party! My bud and I once hitch hiked from Steamboat while eating shrooms the whole time. That was a crazy 24 hour adventure getting there!

I used to dirt bag everywhere really. Leftover pizza crusts at Nick Wilson’s, free coffee at the Snake River Lodge, day old bread from the grocery store, etc etc.

40 dollar lift tickets were too much to be honest. I might photo slut one day to score a free pass but I might also call it early to resell that pass in the parking lot to score a meal and some beers. There were those winters where we hit the jackpot with a good weed hook up and got to live the high life slinging sacks. At one point I think I was the richest dish washer in Steamboat.

Damn those were the best years of my life.....
 

Bad Bob

I golf worse than I ski.
Skier
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
5,843
Location
West of CDA South of Canada
You want free?

1st week of April 49* North, free lift tickets. Oh and they have over 12' left on top right now and RV parking. Dirtbag's heaven.
 

Ken_R

Living the Dream
Skier
Joined
Feb 10, 2016
Posts
5,775
Location
Denver, CO
What qualifications make a ski area “dirtbag” worthy?

Back in the 90’s and into the early 2000’s when I was a true dirtbag the best places were the free ones.

A-Basin was a great spot, especially in the spring. When I lived in Steamboat we would hitch hike to there, camp in the lot and climb up Grizzly Peak in the morning to ski a Dogleg or Shit For Brains. Then skate across the basin to the ski areas upper lifts where no one ever checked your ticket. Then we would spend the afternoon hiking up to the couloirs and doing hot laps in the bowl. The day would end with parking lot beers and hot dogs.

The mid 90’s was also the time that Crested Butte had there free skiing week during their closing week in the spring. That was one hell of a party! My bud and I once hitch hiked from Steamboat while eating shrooms the whole time. That was a crazy 24 hour adventure getting there!

I used to dirt bag everywhere really. Leftover pizza crusts at Nick Wilson’s, free coffee at the Snake River Lodge, day old bread from the grocery store, etc etc.

40 dollar lift tickets were too much to be honest. I might photo slut one day to score a free pass but I might also call it early to resell that pass in the parking lot to score a meal and some beers. There were those winters where we hit the jackpot with a good weed hook up and got to live the high life slinging sacks. At one point I think I was the richest dish washer in Steamboat.

Damn those were the best years of my life.....


I think you can do the same thing at A Basin today. :crossfingers:
 

fatbob

Not responding
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
6,288
I happened on 49 North by accident and loved it. Glencoe in Scotland meets most dirtbag criteria but when the snows on it gets pretty busy.

I think Whitewater should be disqualified from dirtbag status as its too knowingly hipster.
 

raisingarizona

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Sep 30, 2016
Posts
1,112
Shames Mountain Resort in Terrace BC. Very laid back -- phenomenal backcountry terrain as well. You may also pick up cat or heli skiing at Northern Escape...

Mike

Mount Cain looks really cool too.
I happened on 49 North by accident and loved it. Glencoe in Scotland meets most dirtbag criteria but when the snows on it gets pretty busy.

I think Whitewater should be disqualified from dirtbag status as its too knowingly hipster.

I hear the food is crazy good at Whitewater
 

DanoT

RVer-Skier
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
4,788
Location
Sun Peaks B.C. in winter, Victoria B.C. in summer
I think Whitewater should be disqualified from dirtbag status as its too knowingly hipster.

I don't know as nearby Nelson is the Hippie capital of Canada, but for Hipsters you need to go to the Kitsilano neighbourhood in Vancouver. Or just hang out at a Whole Foods Market.:D
 

clong83

Stauffenberg!
Skier
Joined
Aug 22, 2017
Posts
180
Location
New Mexico
Tahoe: Donner Ski Ranch or Soda Springs Mountain Resort, near from Sugar Bowl. Soda Springs is part of Powder Corporation but hasn't changed in 40 years. Nor has Donner Ski Ranch. Sugar bowl is definitely not dirtbag with nice terrain, good snow, lots of lifts and reasonable infrastructure - but it's independent.

Central CA: Bear Valley, Dodge Ridge and China Peak. And don't forget Badger pass in Yosemite.

LA: Mount Baldy. Fun hill a world away from LA. Unfortunately, the snow is too unreliable.

New Mexico: Cloudcroft. I didn't ski there as I went through late season and there wasn't a drop of snow but it looked interesting. Very small but with potential if it got a lot of snow. We drove past Angel Fire on a ski trip to Taos a couple decades ago and it looked promising but we didn't ski there. Taos was great and posh where we stayed.

Little resorts can be fun. But I wouldn't want to ski there exclusively.

Eric
Wow, a Cloudcroft mention! Most hard core skiers even in NM have never heard of that. Too far south, very unreliable snow. Never been myself. I’d recommend Pajarito or Sipapu if we are doing smaller resorts. If we want larger resorts, then Ski Santa Fe, and of course, Taos. Ski Santa Fe is not huge, but has some good lines if you know where to look and is usually uncrowded. One of the more under-rated resorts out there, I would say.
 

wyowindrunner

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
Aug 26, 2016
Posts
430
Just got an EM about the IndyPass - 2 days at 30 odd resorts across the country- couple in Canada and one in Alaska too. Most unrestricted access. 199 bucks. Have skied three of the resorts Lost Trail once, ( area is north of Salmon ID in the MT/ID border)The Beav (Beaver Mt. UT, between Logan and Bear Lake) quite a bit years back, and Red Lodge Mt., 5-6 miles from Red Lodge MT., a whole bunch. RLM was home hill for several years. 14 hills in the west, the rest are midwest and east. Some of the other west areas have been mentioned in this thread but I haven't skied them. (yet). For the price I'm grabbing one. If Targhee has the unlikely misfortune of having a low snow year may do some traveling.
 

sbooker

Getting on the lift
Skier
Joined
Apr 24, 2017
Posts
256
Just got an EM about the IndyPass - 2 days at 30 odd resorts across the country- couple in Canada and one in Alaska too. Most unrestricted access. 199 bucks. Have skied three of the resorts Lost Trail once, ( area is north of Salmon ID in the MT/ID border)The Beav (Beaver Mt. UT, between Logan and Bear Lake) quite a bit years back, and Red Lodge Mt., 5-6 miles from Red Lodge MT., a whole bunch. RLM was home hill for several years. 14 hills in the west, the rest are midwest and east. Some of the other west areas have been mentioned in this thread but I haven't skied them. (yet). For the price I'm grabbing one. If Targhee has the unlikely misfortune of having a low snow year may do some traveling.

If Targhee gets no snow my trip from Australia in February is doomed.
Has that ever even happened? I think not. I would guess 250 inches in the worst year.
 

wyowindrunner

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
Aug 26, 2016
Posts
430
If Targhee gets no snow my trip from Australia in February is doomed.
Has that ever even happened? I think not. I would guess 250 inches in the worst year.
I don't think I would worry a lot about lack of snow at Targhee- Lowest annual total that I have experienced there was 14-15? A little over 300" if I remember right. Seems all of the Northern Rockies were low that year.
 

New2

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
May 3, 2017
Posts
728
Location
Spokane
If Targhee gets no snow my trip from Australia in February is doomed.
Has that ever even happened? I think not. I would guess 250 inches in the worst year.
I don't think I would worry a lot about lack of snow at Targhee- Lowest annual total that I have experienced there was 14-15? A little over 300" if I remember right. Seems all of the Northern Rockies were low that year.

Opensnow reports 235" for 2014-2015: https://www.onthesnow.com/wyoming/grand-targhee-resort/historical-snowfall.html?y=2014&q=snow
But it's about as safe a bet as you can make, and I agree that it's not worth worrying about ogsmile
 

Doug Briggs

"Douche Bag Local"
Industry Insider
SkiTalk Tester
Joined
Nov 9, 2015
Posts
7,483
Location
Breckenridge, CO
Discovery MT. Amazing chocolate chip cookies. Fun fairly gnar backside terrain. $50 lift tickets. Really no town. 2:30 west of Bridger. If your on that side of MT definitely worth more than the price of admission.

My buddy in Missoula really loves lost trails but I’ve never been

I skied Discovery over 20 years ago, when I was a pinhead. The back was where it was at. It wasn't dirtbag per se, but it was down to earth and had great terrain.
 

Sibhusky

Whitefish, MT
Skier
Joined
Oct 26, 2016
Posts
4,804
Location
Whitefish, MT
My buddy in Missoula really loves lost trails but I’ve never been

My daughter skins Lost Trail on the days it's closed and has a pass there this coming season, after spending the last three shuttling around here, Blacktail, Disco, Lookout, Snowbowl, and there. (To be fair, although she lives in Missoula, she's got a friend in Corvallis which makes it closer.) She said there's also good mountain biking there, she was just there for the bike fest.
 
Last edited:

David Chaus

Beyond Help
Skier
Team Gathermeister
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
5,529
Location
Stanwood, WA
I’m planning a road trip on the way the Jackson Gathering, and will probably make stops at Lookout and either Discovery or Lost Trail on the way.
 

wyowindrunner

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
Aug 26, 2016
Posts
430
Opensnow reports 235" for 2014-2015: https://www.onthesnow.com/wyoming/grand-targhee-resort/historical-snowfall.html?y=2014&q=snow
But it's about as safe a bet as you can make, and I agree that it's not worth worrying about ogsmile
Yea I agree with the Alfred E Neuman sentiments.(What, me worry?) The below was taken from liftopia.com blog rgarding snowfall amounts down in the westand substantially higher in the east during that winter. Thought I saw 309" on the GT site closing weekend. Don't remember for sure but doremember it as very sunny, warm, and sticky.
Northern Rockies
Wyoming, Montana and Idaho fared much like Colorado. Grand Targhee in Wyoming is about as reliable for snowfall as any U.S. resort. The ski area received a healthy 301 inches. Of course, it averages 500 inches, so 2014-15 was a down season by its high standards.

Utah
Like Grand Targhee, Utah resorts have huge annual snowfall averages. The 2014-15 season did not meet their high standards, but Alta Ski Area still tallied 324 inches. However, snowfall during the three months of January, February and March added up to just 98 inches. (Alta usually receives about that amount in each of those months.)
 

Sponsor

Staff online

Top