Northern Rockies/Alberta Big Sky or Jackson Hole first in multi-week, multi-skilled family trip?

[surfandski]

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!

 

[sbooker]

There’s heaps of intermediate terrain on the skiers left side of Jackson mountain. It’ll be chilly in January but you’ll have a ball.
Ski legs will be back within 5 or 6 days. Have a full day off on the fourth day I think.

 

[Crank]

Weather can be really different. We were in Big Sky a couple of years ago getting 4-6" per day with one day of about a foot and never too windy. At the same time Jackson Hole got closed down when some big high tension power line tower or towers went down in a blizzard and many roads and passes were closed as well. We met some young dudes at BS who had left there to road trip to JH in order to get in on the multiple feet of fresh snow , FOMO, and they related a nightmare of 3 days driving around on detours and not getting to ski.

Another anecdote: my regular ski buddies where at JH and it was so freaking cold, as it can sometimes be, that they drove to Big Sky where it was around 30 degrees warmer. Not saying it can't be cold at Big Sky; just saying the weather can be more different than you may think.

There are a lot of long cat tracks at Big Sky to get around to different areas so you should be in shape and bring your ski legs. The trek from Dakota to Moonlight Basin feels like at least a couple of miles. I agree that JH has plenty for novices- intermediates for more than a few days. Both great mountains.

Gonna be a fun trip!

 

[Black Dog]

Big Sky by a wide margin is my vote, skied both last year.

 

[TonyPlush]

Not sure how to answer the specifics of your question, other than to say the beginner terrain at Jackson Hole seemed fairly nonexistent during my trip. Greens are relegated to the bottom 1/4 of the mountain, and even blue groomers at JH could very well be black groomers at most Colorado or Utah hills.

I'd agree for a beginner-intermidate, Big Sky mops the floor with JH. However, for an intermediate-advanced, JH has some of the sneakiest amazing blue groomers anywhere. JH's blue groomers are more like blue-blacks at most placed, but they're amazing nonetheless. That said, for a true intermediate, there's definitely more variety and options at BS.

How that fits into the order of your specific trip planning, I'll leave up to you to decide as you likely know your group's abilities and tendencies better.

 

[Talisman]

You may be over thinking BS versus JH as either offers lots of skiing. Both areas are great and can be cold (even by MT/WY standards) in January so bring mittens, balaclavas, boot gloves and base layers. Big Sky is more than double the skiable acreage of Jackson Hole MR so there should be plenty of trails and glades to fit the needs of your family. be sure to go on line daily to see what has been freshly groomed. Fingers crossed for good snow when you visit.

 

[kimberlin]

Both are really great mountains. My suggestion is to go to whichever one and put your children in a lesson or two right off the bat. Lessons offer not only instruction but the students are guided around the mountain as they learn, gaining familiarity with the terrain. They will adapt quickly to the resort and should be feeling more confident about trying runs they may not otherwise.

 

[surfandski]

Thanks everyone! Sounds like neither would be a bad decision so based upon the responses I'll stick with J Hole for the warm up week if conditions are comparable and then follow the snow if one stands out.