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hollyberry

hollyberry

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Great advice.......I relocate my family from Hoboken to Minneapolis after living there and NYC for 18 years. My daughter and I skied CBK every weekend for 5 years which compared to the local areas here was very good. Skiing and corn/soy bean fields don't mix very well. But you know that going into it.

While we ski in the twin cities area every weekend, I found that doing a race league one night a week was a blast. People were friendly ( some more competitive than others) it was fun to ski fast, talk skiing with like minded people, and enjoy the atmosphere in the bar. Obviously, to each their own and I'm not sure how competitive you are, but being able to ski with others in a fun environment was enjoyable.

I also increased the frequency of trips to the Rockies, which was much more enjoyable that VT (sorry Vermonters). I went every month this year, and took the kids from school twice to ski Breck and Big Sky. If you have a decent compensation package like you mention, then work those direct flights into Denver next season.
If you want to do an adult race league, do you have to buy special race boots, skis, padding, etc? I’m sure that could get pricey fast. On the other hand, if I could use my regular ski boots and skis (Head raptor 110 boots, Blizzard Viva 810’s in 160 length) it might be do-able.

Full disclosure: I know NOTHING about racing except that there’s some kind of mystical, expensive, very finnicky wax involved plus a lot of spandex : p
 

Dadskier

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If you want to do an adult race league, do you have to buy special race boots, skis, padding, etc? I’m sure that could get pricey fast. On the other hand, if I could use my regular ski boots and skis (Head raptor 110 boots, Blizzard Viva 810’s in 160 length) it might be do-able.

Full disclosure: I know NOTHING about racing except that there’s some kind of mystical, expensive, very finnicky wax involved plus a lot of spandex : p

Not at all. But if you get hooked, you might start eyeing race suits, skis, and checking the temperature before putting on wax ...
 

Scruffy

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If you want to do an adult race league, do you have to buy special race boots, skis, padding, etc? I’m sure that could get pricey fast. On the other hand, if I could use my regular ski boots and skis (Head raptor 110 boots, Blizzard Viva 810’s in 160 length) it might be do-able.

Full disclosure: I know NOTHING about racing except that there’s some kind of mystical, expensive, very finnicky wax involved plus a lot of spandex : p

Forget the mystical expensive wax, that comes way after the spandex, that you should also forget about until you've at least put in a few years and decide you still want to pursue adult beer league ski racing. Just go and have fun, have low expectations and above all, don't catch a gate with your tip. If you get hooked, you get hooked, if not, it's not for you.
 

Wendy

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If you want to do an adult race league, do you have to buy special race boots, skis, padding, etc? I’m sure that could get pricey fast. On the other hand, if I could use my regular ski boots and skis (Head raptor 110 boots, Blizzard Viva 810’s in 160 length) it might be do-able.

Full disclosure: I know NOTHING about racing except that there’s some kind of mystical, expensive, very finnicky wax involved plus a lot of spandex : p

What you have is great.... you’re there to have fun. I do a weekly race clinic at night locally, it’s fun, the coaching and fellow skiers are great, and the banter at the bar afterward tops it all off.

If you can get away to Denver or SLC.... awesome. But if you can’t, make do with the small hills and realize it’s a different kind of adventure.
 

wallyk

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If you want to do an adult race league, do you have to buy special race boots, skis, padding, etc? I’m sure that could get pricey fast. On the other hand, if I could use my regular ski boots and skis (Head raptor 110 boots, Blizzard Viva 810’s in 160 length) it might be do-able.

Full disclosure: I know NOTHING about racing except that there’s some kind of mystical, expensive, very finnicky wax involved plus a lot of spandex : p

I hadn't skied gates since I was 12, so basically never, and the format was GS so the gates were spaced out and required no need for special anything.

The "team" was pretty cool...."Chinese downhillers". There were one women in her mid/late 30's who was getting back into competitive skiing after an extended break for raising her still young family 3 kids ages 2-6, a 43 year old stay at home mom with 4 kids, 3 guys in their late 40's/early 50's (one raced in college), a woman (school teacher) in her early 50's, and me, 42. Some people had race suits, some didn't ( FWIW I did not). As I remember, some people had cool gear, most did not.

I had a great time bombing around a small hill outside of Minneapolis, Buck, and made some new friends. Similar to you, I was relocated and had to develop new friendships. So seeing the same people who were not from the office on a consistent basis was enjoyable.

But all this is dependent on the local area having an adult league. Remember: you're from NYC so you already have a talking point, and because you're from NYC you can do anything. Even ski race.
 

newboots

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Welcome, @hollyberry !

Southwest flies into one of those airports - Louisville, Cinci? I can't recall which one. Good prices and watch for deals.

Ski club? With trips?

And never mind weekends; what about Intersession? Won't you have a month off?
 

Jim Kenney

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Sounds like your modus operandi for the next couple of years will be: Perfect North for tune-ups, then drives to Colorado during school breaks for better conditions/terrain. Pay attention to input from Uncle Louie. He has been taking ski trips from your new region for many years. Unless you get a really good airfare to Denver or SLC from Cinn or Louisville, then driving will be your cheapest/best mode, especially since there are two of you to take turns at the wheel, and this also eliminates the expense of a rental car. Loveland is the closest ski area to Denver and it's a pretty good mountain. It is also one of the least expensive, usually selling four packs of tickets in the preseason for about $160. There are motels along I70 between Georgetown and Evergreen for approx. $100 per night. Nearby Arapahoe Basin ski area usually sells a la carte tickets on Liftopia for a little more. FYI, some of the nearest (from Cinn) larger Northeastern ski areas like Gore Mtn, NY or Mt. Snow, VT are going to be an 11+ hour drive, so driving a few more hours to CO for better snow/mtns is probably a better choice. If you are going to go to Colorado for more than about five ski days and you want bigger mtns, then one of the season pass products like Epicpass, Ikon, Mtn Collective, etc. might be appropriate.


The Keystone-Arapahoe Basin season pass for $349 might be a nice deal for your situation: https://www.epicpass.com/pass-results/passes.aspx

They are pretty close to Denver and are about 5 miles from each other. The combo of those two ski areas provides a nice mix of terrain/conditions/vibe.
 
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hollyberry

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All of these sound great!

One thing- our car is a 2012 Chrysler 200. Hubby and I worry that too many long drives will kill it, so we may be flying & renting anyway. Anybody know if 4WD is a necessity in SLC or Denver ski areas? When my husband and I went skiing at Copper and Wolf creek in CO in the past, we didn’t have 4WD and we got there just fine. Wondering if roads are bad enough in other areas to warrant renting a 4WD car?

Not ruling out driving either, but worried that a long drive could turn into an interminable or dangerous drive if the winter weather/ road conditions are bad.

I have been finding flights to Denver and SLC from Cincinnati for around $250-350 each. Seems like a good deal.

Anybody checked out the mountain collective pass this year? If we plan to ski 6 days, the $429 MC pass seems cheaper than paying for a 6-day ski card at any of the places we are eyeing.
 

trailtrimmer

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Finally, Perfect North is a fun little place all things considered and it's really close.

Driving up on the east/central part of lower Michigan is usually a cake walk, the west side is certainly different. The problem with MI is that you need to drive at least 3.5 hours north of the Ohio border to get to anything that's more than 250-300' of vertical and with decent snow. At that point, it makes more sense to drive to Holiday Valley or Swain right back in New York.
 
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hollyberry

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Well, we ended up getting the Mountain Collective Pass. We’ll be flying to SLC and skiing Alta, Snowbird, and Snowbasin Jan 3-12. We can’t wait!

We’re going to stay at a very affordable hostel in SLC from the 5th-12, when we will ski Alta & Snowbird. (Only $34/day.) We are going to look for an affordable place to stay near Snowbasin Jan 3-4. Any suggestions for cheap lodging near Snowbasin greatly appreciated!!
 

dbostedo

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How are you getting the price down to $34/day? The MCP is $429. That gets you 7 days, making it $61.30/day. If you ski every day from the 3rd - 12th, you'll ski 10 days, so you'll have to buy 3 more day passes. With the 50% off MCP deal, that would be another ~$150 (guessing on the daily cost, but should be something in that range).

So that would be a total of 10 days for $579, or $57.90 a day. Am I missing something? Is there a better deal out there?
 

Jenny

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How are you getting the price down to $34/day? The MCP is $429. That gets you 7 days, making it $61.30/day. If you ski every day from the 3rd - 12th, you'll ski 10 days, so you'll have to buy 3 more day passes. With the 50% off MCP deal, that would be another ~$150 (guessing on the daily cost, but should be something in that range).

So that would be a total of 10 days for $579, or $57.90 a day. Am I missing something? Is there a better deal out there?
I think,she means the lodging is only $34/day.
 
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hollyberry

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I think,she means the lodging is only $34/day.
Yes, I’m only talking about the lodging. I WISH everything all together was that cheap!

I checked out lots of ski pass deals and resort 6/7 day passes. Other than the epic pass’ college pass (Keystone & A Basin) this was the next cheapest, but was a way better value for us because we may be able to ski Sugarbush, Taos & Aspen, too, (if we play our cards right ) and they are all included in the MCP, too.

I’m guessing that near Aspen Snowmass there are REALLY no lodging deals, right? How about near Taos?
 
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hollyberry

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I think,she means the lodging is only $34/day.
We might take Sunday off as a rest day, check out SLC.

I’ve heard that on Thursday evenings the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has free open rehearsals from 7:30-9:30. I would love to go hear them!
 

dbostedo

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Yes, I’m only talking about the lodging. I WISH everything all together was that cheap!

I checked out lots of ski pass deals and resort 6/7 day passes. Other than the epic pass’ college pass (Keystone & A Basin) this was the next cheapest, but was a way better value for us because we may be able to ski Sugarbush, Taos & Aspen, too, (if we play our cards right ) and they are all included in the MCP, too.

I’m guessing that near Aspen Snowmass there are REALLY no lodging deals, right? How about near Taos?

There are deals to be had at Aspen... a couple of hostel or cheap options in town (St. Moritz or the Tyrolian if you get their cheap rooms), or stay outside of town in Carbondale or Basalt (though you'll need a car then). And sometimes you can get a deal in Snowmass village for under $100 a night.

For Taos, you could stay down the road or in town. The hotels just a couple of miles down the road are pretty affordable I think.

The bigger issue might be needing a car everywhere you go. Rentals can be expensive if you get into a situation of needing 4WD. Aspen is great for not needing a car if you fly in directly. And SLC you can avoid driving in the canyons and take a bus easily (except for Snowbasin). But Taos, if they're getting snow, could be difficult without a good vehicle unless you're staying up in the valley. The hotels nearby might run shuttles - I don't know if they do.
 

KingGrump

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For Taos, a regular front drive rental car will generally suffice. The drive up from town is pretty easy. They keep the mountain road very clean and passable.
 
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hollyberry

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There are deals to be had at Aspen... a couple of hostel or cheap options in town (St. Moritz or the Tyrolian if you get their cheap rooms), or stay outside of town in Carbondale or Basalt (though you'll need a car then). And sometimes you can get a deal in Snowmass village for under $100 a night.

For Taos, you could stay down the road or in town. The hotels just a couple of miles down the road are pretty affordable I think.

The bigger issue might be needing a car everywhere you go. Rentals can be expensive if you get into a situation of needing 4WD. Aspen is great for not needing a car if you fly in directly. And SLC you can avoid driving in the canyons and take a bus easily (except for Snowbasin). But Taos, if they're getting snow, could be difficult without a good vehicle unless you're staying up in the valley. The hotels nearby might run shuttles - I don't know if they do.
Luckily if I go to Taos, I’ll be going with my sister and her husband, who owns a 4WD pickup.

I spoke to a rep from the SLC transportation authority who told me there is a ski bus that runs from the Ogden train station to Snowbasin, so that might be a possibility if we don’t rent a car.

Anybody ever stay in Ogden? I’ve heard very mixed things, from ‘best small ski town’ to ‘seedy, dirty, avoid!’
 
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aveski

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I moved from Maine to Covington Kentucky, right across from Cincy, a couple of years ago. Perfect North is surprisingly good. They make snow whenever it's cold enough. Although the runs are short, Center Stage and Hollywood have a pretty good pitch. I'm retired, so get to ski midweek and it's not usually crowded. CVG is really easy to fly out of. I've never had to wait long making it through security.
Cincy and Northern Kentucky also has a pretty good food scene. Plus, it's bourbon country.
 

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