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Lofcaudio

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
Apr 27, 2017
Posts
344
Location
Columbia, Missouri
I always look forward to the annual SKI magazine that ranks the ski resorts by different criteria, some of which is important to me and some of which is not. I expect that issue to be out in the near future. Until then, I've been thinking about all the places I have been and what I like (and don't like) about them all. Here is a list of my opinions on some of the ski resorts I have been to, based upon the criteria that is important to me. Feel free to add your own rankings.

Best for Beginners:
  1. Telluride
  2. Copper Mountain
  3. Buttermilk
  4. Grand Targhee
  5. Breckenridge
Worst for Beginners:
  1. Snowbird
  2. Sun Valley (Bald Mountain)
  3. Jackson Hole
  4. Snowbasin
  5. Taos
Best for Intermediates:
  1. Snowmass
  2. Aspen Highlands
  3. Snowbasin
  4. Vail
  5. Mt. Bachelor
Best for Advanced:
  1. Snowbasin
  2. Snowbird
  3. Jackson Hole
  4. Aspen Highlands
  5. Alta
Best for Expert:
  1. Jackson Hole
  2. Whistler/Blackcomb
  3. Snowbird
  4. Taos
  5. Telluride
Best Variety of Terrain:
  1. Whistler/Blackcomb
  2. Snowbasin
  3. Alta
  4. Telluride
  5. Aspen Highlands
Best for Steep Groomers:
  1. Sun Valley
  2. Whistler/Blackcomb
  3. Beaver Creek
  4. Aspen Mountain
  5. Telluride
Least Crowded:
  1. Aspen Highlands
  2. Grand Targhee
  3. Taos
  4. Telluride
  5. Aspen Mountain
Best for Families:
  1. Grand Targhee
  2. Buttermilk
  3. Telluride
  4. Snowmass
  5. Beaver Creek
My Overall Favorites:
  1. Whistler/Blackcomb
  2. Snowbasin
  3. Telluride
  4. Snowbird
  5. Alta
  6. Aspen Highlands
  7. Grand Targhee
  8. Jackson Hole
  9. Snowmass
  10. Aspen Mountain
 

skidrew

Getting off the lift
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Joined
May 1, 2017
Posts
643
I don't have the breadth of ski resort experience to be able to rank like this, but I'd have to suggest Big Sky for best for intermediates and least crowded. While Big Sky markets itself (like most places) to the skiers people wish they were (i.e., big steeps), it's got a huge range of intermediate slopes all over the mountain with a variety of styles.

As for crowds, I've been to Telluride, and it's good, but I waited in lift lines there. I haven't at Big Sky, with the exception of the tram, pretty much ever.
 

Bill Miles

Old Man Groomer Zoomer
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Nov 16, 2015
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1,315
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Hailey, Idaho
I mostly agree, but would consider the following
Add Sun Valley to uncrowded
Add Snowbird to steep groomers
Add Squaw to experts and advanced
Best Powder: Alta, Snowbird, Grand Targhee, Brighton, Solitude
Best for Big Vertical Top to Bottom Runs: Aspen Mt, Sun Valley, Snowbird, Jackson (latter two if you don't mind trams)
Best for Moguls: ?
 
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Lofcaudio

Lofcaudio

Getting off the lift
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Joined
Apr 27, 2017
Posts
344
Location
Columbia, Missouri
As for crowds, I've been to Telluride, and it's good, but I waited in lift lines there. I haven't at Big Sky, with the exception of the tram, pretty much ever.

Big Sky is #1 on my bucket list for North American resorts as I've never been there.
 

KevinF

Gathermeister-New England
Team Gathermeister
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Nov 12, 2015
Posts
3,345
Location
New England
How about a "Least chance to get a sunny day" category:
  1. Whistler / Blackcomb
  2. Whistler / Blackcomb
  3. Whistler / Blackcomb
  4. Whistler / Blackcomb
  5. Whistler / Blackcomb
  6. Whistler / Blackcomb
  7. Whistler / Blackcomb
  8. Whistler / Blackcomb
  9. Whistler / Blackcomb
  10. Whistler / Blackcomb
  11. Whistler / Blackcomb
  12. Whistler / Blackcomb
  13. Whistler / Blackcomb
  14. Whistler / Blackcomb
  15. Whistler / Blackcomb
:D
 

Monique

bounceswoosh
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Nov 12, 2015
Posts
10,561
Location
Colorado
Best for Moguls: ?

If you're a very good bump skier, that has to be Mary Jane at Winter Park. (I'm not a very good bump skier. Their deep troughs and angles are not my favorite.)




What about best tree skiing? MJ has some goods there, too.
 

KevinF

Gathermeister-New England
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Regarding steep groomers... Jackson Hole had a couple groomers that were :eek:.

I don't recall any groomers at Whistler / Blackcomb that were :eek: steep though. Of course, I couldn't see anything, so that might have affected my perception somewhat.

Aspen Highlands for intermediates? There is a good amount of intermediate terrain there, but it didn't strike me as being a "good" intermediate mountain. You'd need to navigate carefully at that skill level.

Best for bumps... My vote would be Aspen Mountain, hands down. I've never seen so many awesome bump runs at one place.
 
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Lofcaudio

Lofcaudio

Getting off the lift
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Posts
344
Location
Columbia, Missouri
How about a "Least chance to get a sunny day" category:
  1. Whistler / Blackcomb
  2. Whistler / Blackcomb
  3. Whistler / Blackcomb
  4. Whistler / Blackcomb
  5. Whistler / Blackcomb
  6. Whistler / Blackcomb
  7. Whistler / Blackcomb
  8. Whistler / Blackcomb
  9. Whistler / Blackcomb
  10. Whistler / Blackcomb
  11. Whistler / Blackcomb
  12. Whistler / Blackcomb
  13. Whistler / Blackcomb
  14. Whistler / Blackcomb
  15. Whistler / Blackcomb
:D

I considered a Best Weather and Worst Weather category, but figured my experience was too small a sample to warrant an opinion on such a variable criteria. Having said that, the Colorado resorts seem to get a lot more nice-weather days compared to the other spots I have been. Whistler is just so erratic, but I did have a bluebird day there last year. The view from the top of The Saddle.

16406840_10154733221625659_8327213752677546852_n.jpg
 
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TS
Lofcaudio

Lofcaudio

Getting off the lift
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Joined
Apr 27, 2017
Posts
344
Location
Columbia, Missouri
Aspen Highlands for intermediates?

It's my family's favorite place to ski. The runs from the top are super-fun (Hayden, Khandahar, and Meadows), the Cloud Nine pod is Intermediate heaven, and then the Golden Horn-Thunderbowl-Smuggler trifecta at the bottom is one of the better steep groomers anywhere. Here we all are at Highlands (all of us, intermediates):

17424771_10154901806115659_8059895598536702227_n.jpg
 

dbostedo

Asst. Gathermeister
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75% Virginia, 25% Colorado
The Saddle was ungroomed for the Gathering last year, and was shin or knee deep all over... for a bunch of us in the intermediate group it was the deepest snow we'd ever been in. Very different than skiing it as a groomer I'd imagine. :)

Nice rankings... As an intermediate who's only been to a few western places, I think this is how I'd rank the places I've been as "best for intermediates". (Keeping in mind I've only skied 3 days max at any of these places, so they are likely pretty condition dependent)... I also split out the 4 Aspen mountains and W/B separately :
  1. Snowmass
  2. Vail
  3. Whistler
  4. Blackcomb
  5. Mammoth
  6. Aspen Highlands
  7. Copper
  8. Aspen Mountain
  9. Alpine Meadows
  10. Squaw Valley
  11. Buttermilk
I'm planning to add Snowbasin, Alta, Snowbird, and Taos to the list this year.
 

crgildart

Gravity Slave
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
16,329
Location
The Bull City
Best moguls?

Low angle zipper line stuff - MJ/WP.
Steep, big a** kind of bumps -- Taos, Aspen Highland.

Was scrolling down to post Mary Jane/Winter park best for bumps.

Is there a similar list and breakdown for East or MidWest??
 

jmeb

Enjoys skiing.
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Nov 13, 2015
Posts
4,490
Location
Colorado
Depending on what a place must do to qualify as a "resort" -- Silverton should be in the list for experts. Nothing else like it in NA.
 

Bigtinnie

Formerly 'sbooker' in another world.
Skier
Joined
Aug 20, 2016
Posts
221
Location
Brisbane Australia
I always look forward to the annual SKI magazine that ranks the ski resorts by different criteria, some of which is important to me and some of which is not. I expect that issue to be out in the near future. Until then, I've been thinking about all the places I have been and what I like (and don't like) about them all. Here is a list of my opinions on some of the ski resorts I have been to, based upon the criteria that is important to me. Feel free to add your own rankings.

Best for Beginners:
  1. Telluride
  2. Copper Mountain
  3. Buttermilk
  4. Grand Targhee
  5. Breckenridge
Worst for Beginners:
  1. Snowbird
  2. Sun Valley (Bald Mountain)
  3. Jackson Hole
  4. Snowbasin
  5. Taos
Best for Intermediates:
  1. Snowmass
  2. Aspen Highlands
  3. Snowbasin
  4. Vail
  5. Mt. Bachelor
Best for Advanced:
  1. Snowbasin
  2. Snowbird
  3. Jackson Hole
  4. Aspen Highlands
  5. Alta
Best for Expert:
  1. Jackson Hole
  2. Whistler/Blackcomb
  3. Snowbird
  4. Taos
  5. Telluride
Best Variety of Terrain:
  1. Whistler/Blackcomb
  2. Snowbasin
  3. Alta
  4. Telluride
  5. Aspen Highlands
Best for Steep Groomers:
  1. Sun Valley
  2. Whistler/Blackcomb
  3. Beaver Creek
  4. Aspen Mountain
  5. Telluride
Least Crowded:
  1. Aspen Highlands
  2. Grand Targhee
  3. Taos
  4. Telluride
  5. Aspen Mountain
Best for Families:
  1. Grand Targhee
  2. Buttermilk
  3. Telluride
  4. Snowmass
  5. Beaver Creek
My Overall Favorites:
  1. Whistler/Blackcomb
  2. Snowbasin
  3. Telluride
  4. Snowbird
  5. Alta
  6. Aspen Highlands
  7. Grand Targhee
  8. Jackson Hole
  9. Snowmass
  10. Aspen Mountain

You love a list don't you! I remember you started something like this in Epicski in previous years.
I'm heading to Snowbasin this coming January and your assessment of that hill being best for advanced surprises me. My favourites are similar to yours so I'm looking forward to Snowbasin - I should love it based on the above.
I'm also hitting up Grand Targhee so I'm glad that features in your list too.
I assume you've not been to Mammoth as it should appear in a few of your lists too (I reckon it would crack your top 10 favourites).

I'm big on scenery. Care to give your opinion on that? I would say Lake Louise would top my list in that regard (until I get to Europe the winter after next). I'm expecting Jackson will do it for me this winter scenery wise too (it would want to as I'm expecting it will be too much mountain for my intermediate family).
 

KingGrump

Most Interesting Man In The World
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Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
12,209
Location
NYC
Depending on what a place must do to qualify as a "resort" -- Silverton should be in the list for experts. Nothing else like it in NA.

Skiing wise, Silverton's terrain is about on par with Taos. It's the scampering around stuff that is way sketchier. Not stating my opinion. Just the general consensus among the Taos senior instructors.
 

KingGrump

Most Interesting Man In The World
Team Gathermeister
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
12,209
Location
NYC
Best moguls?

Low angle zipper line stuff - MJ/WP.
Steep, big a** kind of bumps -- Taos, Aspen Highland.

Was scrolling down to post Mary Jane/Winter park best for bumps.

Is there a similar list and breakdown for East or MidWest??

Can only list the places I have been to recently.

Killington
Stowe
Sunday River
 

Bigtinnie

Formerly 'sbooker' in another world.
Skier
Joined
Aug 20, 2016
Posts
221
Location
Brisbane Australia
It's my family's favorite place to ski. The runs from the top are super-fun (Hayden, Khandahar, and Meadows), the Cloud Nine pod is Intermediate heaven, and then the Golden Horn-Thunderbowl-Smuggler trifecta at the bottom is one of the better steep groomers anywhere. Here we all are at Highlands (all of us, intermediates):

17424771_10154901806115659_8059895598536702227_n.jpg

My intermediate crew loved Highlands too but Whistler/Blackcomb would be a favourite of ours and we've got a soft spot for Snowbird/Alta because of the superb snow we've experienced there.
By the way I feel your obvious financial pain taking that group on ski holidays. Now add $5000 for flights from Australia and you'll get an idea of why I tell my kids when we're about to hop on the plane - "it's an order for you to thoroughly love this holiday - smiles only for the next three weeks please".
 

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