Given that BS has a lot more beginner friendly terrain, it seems like the more obvious choice for the first week when everyone is getting their legs under them but I'm starting to reconsider that plan. We have a variety of skill levels from my 15 y/o daughter who is mostly greens with maybe an occasional very easy blue to my 11 y/o son who is any blue to easier blacks (on or off piste) and then my wife who falls in the middle of them but still prefers groomers. When originally planning our 8 week trip, Jackson Hole was the mountain I figured would be the most challenging for my daughter so I debated about putting it later in the trip (after SLC and Colorado) when she's warmed up and making progress but I'm now considering putting it nearly first (they'll get 1-2 days at Winter Park and/or Copper as warm ups while visiting friends in Denver) and am curious your thoughts given that I haven't skied either before. My reasoning for this is that I think whichever resort we start at is going to be sort of a "wasted" warm up week where they'll be toast after a couple hours the first day and then maybe can handle a half day their next ski day (they typically only ski 2-3 days per week and then home school the others whereas I'll avg 6 days per week so I'll ski long, full days on my solo days and then take rest days on the family days when we are skiing easy terrain).
So am I right in my thinking that the beginner-intermediate terrain is quite a bit better at Big Sky to where J Hole could be a good warm up with shorter days and then hopefully their legs will be starting to get in shape by the time we get up to BS where we can really cover some ground? I read Bob Peter's guide to J Hole and it sounds like they'll be enough easier terrain to get them started for their 2 days and then maybe I'll take my son on a 3rd day on some more challenging terrain but I don't think even he will be able to fully appreciate the terrain early in the season which is why I'm starting to think it would be best to put it first.
How different can the weather be at these two resorts as I've reserved lodging at both mountains for two weeks starting January 7th so that I can put either first if there is a big difference in snow quality and quantity. It's going to be a crap shoot that early in the season but figured those more northerly mountains may have a better chance of early season snow so I put our 3.5 weeks in SLC and 10 days in Colorado after them. The other weeks are locked in since we already rented the airbnbs but I can always flip BS and JH if conditions are much better at one so this post is mainly asking which would be best if conditions are comparable.
Thanks!
So am I right in my thinking that the beginner-intermediate terrain is quite a bit better at Big Sky to where J Hole could be a good warm up with shorter days and then hopefully their legs will be starting to get in shape by the time we get up to BS where we can really cover some ground? I read Bob Peter's guide to J Hole and it sounds like they'll be enough easier terrain to get them started for their 2 days and then maybe I'll take my son on a 3rd day on some more challenging terrain but I don't think even he will be able to fully appreciate the terrain early in the season which is why I'm starting to think it would be best to put it first.
How different can the weather be at these two resorts as I've reserved lodging at both mountains for two weeks starting January 7th so that I can put either first if there is a big difference in snow quality and quantity. It's going to be a crap shoot that early in the season but figured those more northerly mountains may have a better chance of early season snow so I put our 3.5 weeks in SLC and 10 days in Colorado after them. The other weeks are locked in since we already rented the airbnbs but I can always flip BS and JH if conditions are much better at one so this post is mainly asking which would be best if conditions are comparable.
Thanks!
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