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KingGrump

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Maybe fodder for another thread -- best and worst boot-up rooms (or not rooms).

Yes! Start that one...

Looks like nobody wants to do the dirty work. SO here it is.

Since we were on Jackson, I guess I can continue with it.

As @James said, A partial roof over an area that is completely open to the elements. Booting up outside really sucks. Especially when it is storming. The blowing snow just get into everything. Not to mention the prospect of being trampled by the stampeding horde heading to the bathrooms. :eek:
They had a base lodge back in 1988 when I spent a good chunk of the season there. Must have misplaced it somewhere along the way. :huh:

Honorable mention – Lionshead at Vail. A roofless narrow alley with a bench down the middle and lockers on the side. Make sure you wear snow boots for the trek. The alley is passed the ski school line up area. Have to go through a large area with unconsolidated snow to get to the alley. Wet shoes = cold wet feet at the start of the day. No bueno. At least the walls buffer the skiers from the wind. The lack of roof does allow snow to fall straight down into the boots prior to getting them on. The snow also coats everything you put on the bench. Last skied there was in April 2011. Things could have changed since then. I doubt it. :nono:

Someone mentioned Aspen (Ajax) being bad. The current locker room under the gondola is a huge improvement over the old one. We did a week of spring skiing there in 2007. The old locker room was in the same location. It was a very narrow hallway with lockers on one side. No benches to sit down. Had to put the boots on standing up. The new one may not be great but is a ten fold improvement on the old. Got to give them credit for that. :thumb:
 

Nancy Hummel

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Snowmass ski school locker room .

Out the door and a few yards to the snow. I am so spoiled that it is hard to justify riding the bus to Aspen.
 

Philpug

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One of the reasons we aven't been to Northstar much in the past two years is just this...where to boot up. It was OK when we worked there, we woudl boot up at the shop but now.... Booting up for the trek across the village is tough. Suggestion, don't even boot up in the Village...take the gondie up and boot up at mid mountain, so much easier.
 

mdf

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Among the best is Sugarbush. Lots and lots of free shelves and cubbies. There are even two dressing rooms with doors and benches if you want to change into street clothes (without balancing on one foot in the bathroom trying not to put your sock down on whatever THAT is). And if you really want to pay for a locker, they have them too (but in a separate building, so that is a demerit for you locker fans).

Excellent - Taos before the remodel. Adequate -- Taos after the remodel; I heard a rumor there was a plan to forbid bags under benches (and anywhere but in the lockers), but mass protest appears to have staved that off.
 

Philpug

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Mt. Rose is also great with plenty of cubbies to use...at no charge. And it is still an option to boot up at the car and ski right to a lift.
 

Sibhusky

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It's really not an issue here. There's seasonal ski lockers, free cubbies, daily boot lockers, all in the base lodge. If you can't get there early enough to have a minor walk to the lodge, there's the Snow Bus that takes you right to the door or shuttles running in the parking lot. I don't know why we have anyone booting up in the lot myself. But they do. Maybe the daily lockers are too expensive for them? (I don't know the price, it's on a different floor of the lodge.) They don't really allow you to leave your stuff at tables all day.

Reminds me -- there were some irritating, but enterprising kids last season stowing their stuff up in the drop ceiling. (I don't suppose they realize that ceiling has frequently has water pouring out of it at least once a season. Apparently it's traveling along internal ducts and pipes from the roof, which seems unlikely given that there's three levels and this is in the basement? Some ice damming thing. I always thought it was the kitchen although I guess that's two floors up as well.) I found them irritating because they were using our benches to get their stuff up there, plus I was afraid the weight would have it all coming down on my head.
 
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BC.

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Among the best is Sugarbush. Lots and lots of free shelves and cubbies. There are even two dressing rooms with doors and benches if you want to change into street clothes (without balancing on one foot in the bathroom trying not to put your sock down on whatever THAT is). And if you really want to pay for a locker, they have them too (but in a separate building, so that is a demerit for you locker fans).

^^^^This..Great at Sugarbush.....for the win.

Good at Killington...we park and start/end our day at Bear....so we just boot up in lodge there....lots of shelves for our bags/not crowded even on the weekend.

Decent at Hunter....we just boot up at the fireplace in the lodge. Bags go on the windowsill. We are there early enough on Sundays to be able to get there and do this without any hassle.

Terrible at Elk....as noted in the past, we used to boot up in the quad lot and just ski down to the quad. But with the recently constructed quad lot fence we can no longer can do that. So, now we just ski Elk mid week on snow days. We now park in the upper lot and boot up at the Halfway House...but that has its issues too....walking back and forth from the upper parking lot. (Can only do this midweek as well)
 
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BS Slarver

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For us, booting up is no longer an issue as we change over our Sprinter for the winter season.
A slide in ski storage rack in the bottom and we move the bench seat towards the rear over the storage giving additional leg room. We then add additional bench seating AKA the large yeti so room enough for 4 to gear up and height to stand up. The Yeti also houses cold ones for after a hard days work.
Additional aux. heater in the rear so all are comfortable until it’s time to go and only take a backpack with lunch and layers for breaks to be stashed somewhere on the hill or in the lodge.

Will be taking the show on the road to JH and GT this upcoming season to see how well it works beyond BS
 

jmeb

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Best spot for booting up. Private, cozy, plenty of room, secure storage, you get to choose the jams and totally mobile.

15036624_10101000096206010_6220230042130560723_n (1).jpg

Even better when you're at a backcountry trailhead. Everyone else is out freezing their asses off, while you sip coffee, put on your beacon, easy into your boots and step out to meet the cold.

44099996_10101631685356290_4559145408617512960_n.jpg
 

Jim McDonald

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Love that Praxis topsheet, Jmeb. Had a pair of Freerides with the same until one went AWOL off-piste in Niseko.
 

Jersey Skier

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^^^^This..Great at Sugarbush.....for the win.

Good at Killington...we park and start/end our day at Bear....so we just boot up in lodge there....lots of shelves for our bags/not crowded even on the weekend.

Decent at Hunter....we just boot up at the fireplace in the lodge. Bags go on the windowsill. We are there early enough on Sundays to be able to get there and do this without any hassle.

Terrible at Elk....as noted in the past, we used to boot up in the quad lot and just ski down to the quad. But with the recently constructed quad lot fence we can no longer can do that. So, now we just ski Elk mid week on snow days. We now park in the upper lot and boot up at the Halfway House...but that has its issues too....walking back and forth from the upper parking lot. (Can only do this midweek as well)

Elk isn’t that bad. You just have to lug all your stuff to open cattle delivery truck and stand like cattle in the elements while they drive you up the hill to the packed lodge. You make it sound inconvenient.
 

James

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The new one may not be great but is a ten fold improvement on the old. Got to give them credit for that.
Not really. That bootup area is like what? 100 sq feet? So it might be 10x better but it’s still bad.
You should have made the thread specific to lodges. Now we’ll hear about the joys of car bootup and dirt scratching in the lot. Maybe, but it subsidizes lack of space in the lodge.

Jackson Hole- bad. The paid locker area, as of 2015, is decent. It was 20-25$/day.
Outside lockers?
Next step: Porta Potties

Killington- excellent. Free bag check in Snowshed and K-1. Plenty of space. You can still scratch the dirt in the lot if you want, it’s more direct.
Really, it’s not that hard people, as Killington shows. You don’t need Snowbasin luxury.

Stowe - basically fine.
 

Marker

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Killington- excellent. Free bag check in Snowshed and K-1. Plenty of space. You can still scratch the dirt in the lot if you want, it’s more direct.
Really, it’s not that hard people, as Killington shows. You don’t need Snowbasin luxury.

Stowe - basically fine.
We boot up in our condo and ride the shuttle bus to Snowshed, but there is plenty of space and free bag check, also at Ramshead for the family crowd. Do need those Yak Tracks to protect my boots, but that was its own thread.

Mt Snow is a little crowded, cheek-to-cheek.

How is Okemo?
 

dbostedo

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Here's my take on every place I've been that I can think of, not including places where I've only rented (and so just used the rental area). For reference, I do not like booting up at the car (I have a small-ish car), and much prefer to find a dedicated room, or cafeteria, or a hallway bench (in that order). I prefer cubbies, but will pay for lockers too. General grading guide for me:

A+ - Nice dedicated boot room with free lockers (not sure this exists)
A - Nice dedicated boot room with cubbies
B - Nice dedicated boot room with pay lockers, or ample cafeteria or other space with cubbies
C - Cramped boot room or cafeteria space with cubbies or pay lockers, Hallway type space with lockers or cubbies; This would usually include using the regular rental office space
D - Cramped hallway or other similar space - only storage under benches or along walls
F - No space to boot up indoors anywhere (not sure this exists either)
+/- is given based on how nice I thought things were

These could be variable based on crowds... even Sugarbush's very nice boot room would be worthless if overwhelmed and crowded. And this is where I booted up - there may be better options at some places. (This is also by memory and my brain might be failing me. :D)

Resort/Ski Area (Grade) - Comment
Laurel Mountain (B+) - Nice dedicated boot room with plenty of space and (I think) pay lockers. Free lockers would get an "A".
Canaan Valley (C) - Hallway bench and pay lockers
Massanutten (B) - I've been able to use the members cafe area, which serves as a very convenient boot-up spot
Whitetail (B) - Ample cafeteria space and free cubbies
Liberty (C-) - Used the regular rental area and lockers
Roundtop (B) - Cafeteria space and cubbies I think? I have booted up at the car here too
Mount Snow (B) - Cafeteria space and cubbies I think? Hard to remember
Sugarbush - Main Base (A) - Nice boot room, lots of open shelves, changing rooms if desired
Sugarbush - Mt Ellen Base (C) - Cafeteria space with a tiny boot room next to it; Bags everywhere
Mad River Glen (B) - Cafeteria space and shelves, could be a C or D if it was a crowded day
Stratton (C) - Hallway space with pay lockers
Stowe (B) - Lots of cafeteria space and cubbies
Sunday River (B-) - Cafeteria space with cubbies, a bit more confined/cramped
Okemo (A) - Good boot room with shelving
Mount Sunapee (B-) - Boot room space with pay lockers, somewhat limited
Vail (D) - I rented here, but from a third party shop; We booted up either in the shop which was OK, or at the car
Aspen Mountain (A-) - Boot room with cubbies under the gondola, nice but a bit small; could easily be downgraded if busy
Aspen Highlands (C) - Main lodge room, awkward space and limited storage; Fine with a nice fireplace if it's empty
Buttermilk (D) - Hallway and under bench storage with some lockers available
Copper (B) - Nice boot room with pay lockers
Loveland (B) - Small boot room but fairly nice with changing rooms and pay lockers
Mammoth (B) - Cafeteria space with cubbies; Also booted up at the car at the Mill, one of the few places that works well (very little walking)
Snowbasin (A) - We had a dedicate PugSki cafeteria room and it was posh
Big Sky (A-) - We had semi-dedicated or dedicated cafeteria space each day
Taos (B+) - Nice boot room, with pay lockers, and limited under bench storage

The following places don't count, as they actually encompass my favorite approach when I can - staying slopeside, and booting up at home!
Blue Knob
Timberline
Alta
Snowbird - didn't stay slopeside here, but rode the bus with my boots on, so never booted up here
Whistler-Blackcomb
Squaw Valley
Alpine Meadows - didn't stay slopeside here, but rode the bus with my boots on, so never booted up here
Snowmass - didn't stay slopeside here, but rode the bus with my boots on, so never booted up here
 

Josh Matta

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Yeah stowe get an a + but not in Mansfield you have to go to spruce.
 

Crank

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Here's my thoughts on this boot up thing.

I have never ever and never will ever decide which ski area to ski based on whether or not it has a nice booty space. Snow, yes. Terrain, yes. Lifts, possibly, Booty space - nope.
 
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dbostedo

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Here's my thoughts on this boot up thing.

I have never ever and never will ever decided on which ski area to ski based on whether or not it has a nice booty space. Snow, yes. Terrain, yes. Lifts, possibly, Booty space - nope.

I wouldn't explicitly make a decision based on boot up space... but I bet subconciously it affects my perception of whether or how much I like resort, which will affect whether or not I decide to visit. Or if I'm deciding between two places I like that it's a toss-up between, I'll more often go to the one with nicer amenities (parking, boot-up, food, ski-check, etc.)
 

David Chaus

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Stevens has 3 base lodges, the Granite peak lodge has hooks to hang bags on both floors (cafeteria and brown bag area near the coffee bar) as well as paid lockers in the bathrooms. The Crest lodge has paid lockers on the first floor brown bag area, free cubbies on the second floor, also a brown bag area, plus a separate room on the first floor (Trailside room) that is often available, though sometimes reserved for the day. The bathrooms have paid lockers, but also a number of wide benches for booting up, which is where I usually go, then leave my boot bag in a cubbie on the 2nd floor.

That said, most people coming to Stevens seem to change clothes and boot up at their cars and walk (sometimes quiet a distance) to the base area.

Crystal has a nice season locker room, which can be used by non-season locker holders, and either pay for a day locker or find space to toss your bag on top of lockers.
 

mdf

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I have never ever and never will ever decided on which ski area to ski based on whether or not it has a nice booty space.
Sure, but it determines whether the start of your day is pleasant or a hassle to get through. And it's amusing to run through the catalog of places you've skied, mentally searching for the boot room.

Sugarbush - Main Base (A) - Nice boot room, lots of open shelves, changing rooms if desired
In addition to the boot room, there is a room upstairs off the cafeteria full of shelves.

Yeah stowe get an a + but not in Mansfield you have to go to spruce.
I've never booted up on that side, but I have walked through, and yeah it looks very nice.

hooks to hang bags on
An important point we haven't mentioned before. Having hooks to get the bags off the floor and out of the way is much better than having them in the way all over the cafeteria. It is almost as good as cubbies. But it is tough to have enough hooks, and they have to be in a good location.

Of course, using hooks for bags conflicts with using them to get your helmet off the table at lunch.

A-Basin A-frame has lots of hooks, but they are awkwardly placed. Black Mountain Lodge has good hooks but not enough of them.
Alpine Meadows has excellent hooks on the pillars.
Magic has good hooks, but not enough -- and some are broken off.
Killington used to have good hooks up on the rafters. Not sure if they still do. A bit hard to reach, but out of the way.
Powder Mountain had good hooks.

Snowbird has a cluster of little-used benches on the floor below the tram plaza. They look like they were put there to fill up an architect's mistake. But they make a good boot-up option, and you can stash your bag under them. The other option is the large locker room in the basement -- a reasonable amount of space and under-bench storage. (And real lockers if that's your thing.)
 

Big J

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Whistler Creekside has no place to boot up. Most people either walk in their boots from where they are parked or boot up outside in front of the gondola. My wife and I have booted up in the Epic guest services building at the base as we are Epic Pass holders. We stay nearby but choose not to ruin our boot soles on the sidewalk walking to the gondola. There is no lodge or lockers in this base area. We use the boot/bag check at the top of the mountain for $3.00 to put our shoes and whatever else we want to store. We cannot put our boots on at the top as one must take the gondola and then a chairlift to get to the top. Kind of dissapointing that they have nothing to assist in this. We thought of getting ski trax for our boots but find it is easy to just wear our shoes/hiking boots instead.
 

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