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Jim McDonald

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Took us about an hour each way; wasn't much traffic, and easy driving.
I do, however, always bow to local knowledge.
 

Slim

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So would your pick be Copper/ASpen-Snowmass or Salt Lake City area for Presidents’ Day week? Why one over the other?
 

Slim

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I'd pick Aspen over SLC for a holiday but SLC otherwise.
Not sure what you mean with: “for a holiday” ? Do you mean during a holiday time (which is the case, it will be the week of Presidents‘ Day)?
 

UGASkiDawg

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Not sure what you mean with: “for a holiday” ? Do you mean during a holiday time (which is the case, it will be the week of Presidents‘ Day)?
Yes I mean a holiday time. I'm a Southern boy...the word holiday ALWAYS means a holiday time. We use vacation for vacations:D
 

Slim

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Yes I mean a holiday time. I'm a Southern boy...the word holiday ALWAYS means a holiday time. We use vacation for vacations:D

I’d agree( at least in America vs in Great Britain), what threw me off a bit was your use of the word “for” instead of “during”. :)

May I ask why? Obviously it will be busy, but I would think that applies to both areas?
I should point out that with my Ikon base pass, we’d be skiing Copper during the Saturday and Sunday preceding Presidents’ Day. In Utah on that weekend I’d either visit friends, do some backcountry or XC skiing or, if it was a powder day, buy a ticket to Powder Mountain or Brighton.
 

TexasStout

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I’d agree( at least in America vs in Great Britain), what threw me off a bit was your use of the word “for” instead of “during”. :)

May I ask why? Obviously it will be busy, but I would think that applies to both areas?
I should point out that with my Ikon base pass, we’d be skiing Copper during the Saturday and Sunday preceding Presidents’ Day. In Utah on that weekend I’d either visit friends, do some backcountry or XC skiing or, if it was a powder day, buy a ticket to Powder Mountain or Brighton.
From what I've heard, Aspen isn't crowded to the degree you find at most popular resorts during holidays. It's a bit of a drive from Denver, which probably has a lot to do with it.

Never been to Utah resorts, but know many are very close proximity to SLC, so I'd guess those places are likely to be crowded during holidays.
 

Lofcaudio

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Here's my standard Aspen vs. SLC breakdown:

Pure Skiing: SLC
Crowds: Aspen
Aprés/Dining: Aspen (not even close, unless you prefer 2.5% beer)
Hassle Factor (driving to resorts/parking/schlepping): Aspen
Cost (once there): SLC
Dumb and Dumber factor: Tie (they supposedly went to Aspen, but the movie was actually filmed in Park City)
 

Crank

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Anecdotal info: We went to Salt Lake City a couple season back. Flew in Christmas day and home on New Years. Crowds at Snowbird, Alta, Pow Mow and Solitude were not bad at all. Longest lift line was maybe 10 minutes and mostly no lift lines at all. We heard that Park City was very crowded with 1/2 hour lines the same week.

I have not been to Aspen during a holiday. There is great skiing in both places. SLC is a lot cheaper.
 
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Jed Peters

Jed Peters

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Just to fill this thread with more useless information; our trip to Aspen was great.

We stayed right at the bottom of Ajax, and skied all 4 of the resorts. The first day was Aspen Mountain, followed by Buttermilk that afternoon. We then skied for the day over at Highlands, and then did Snowmass the third day and Highlands again the last.

So I guess you can say that highlands was the best/highlight. I will say that all the resorts have MASSIVE vertical, and all are a lot of fun. They all have a different vibe. Snow was REALLY bad when we were there last year in february, so Highlands pretty much was the best.

I would say I really liked staying in town. Snowmass was a crappy condo village, and highlands was a ghost town except for some big houses and the wanna-be ritz. It's NOT a ritz, it's just ritz branded condos. Seriously. (At least that's what it was last year, as we have Ritz status and were trying to re-book for future years.)

Town was cool/fun. Not my favorite ski town (Park City has it beat) but pretty darn close. I enjoyed myself immensely on the trip.

Aspen is VERY worthwhile.

And, for those who are suggesting Park city is cheaper than Aspen--no, it's not. :)

(but the OTHER resorts are MUCH cheaper)
 

dbostedo

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Dumb and Dumber factor: Tie (they supposedly went to Aspen, but the movie was actually filmed in Park City)

I'd heard Breck... so I looked at the filming locations list in IMDB... it's all over the place...Lots of Utah and some Colorado... skiing scenes were apparently at Copper!

Filming Locations
Stanley Hotel - 333 Wonderview Avenue, Estes Park, Colorado, USA
Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Salt Lake International Airport - 776 N. Terminal Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA (as Providence Airport)
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Breckenridge, Colorado, USA
Orem, Utah, USA
Park City, Utah, USA (house, Main Street)
Provo, Utah, USA
Rhode Island, USA
Sandy, Utah, USA (Mary's home in Lloyd's dream)
Aspen, Colorado, USA
Nebraska, USA
Estes Park, Colorado, USA
Lakepoint, Utah, USA (truckstop)
Bear Mountain Chalet - 425 S. Main Street, Heber City, Utah, USA (motel where Harry and Lloyd bathe together)
Fort Morgan, Colorado, USA (was Coastal Truck Stop and Quiznos. Now Reata Travel Stop)
845 W 24th St, Ogden, Utah, USA (Dante's Inferno restaurant)
Copper Mountain, Colorado, USA (ski scenes)
 

Slim

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Thanks for the info!

Anecdotal info: We went to Salt Lake City a couple season back. Flew in Christmas day and home on New Years. Crowds at Snowbird, Alta, Pow Mow and Solitude were not bad at all. Longest lift line was maybe 10 minutes and mostly no lift lines at all. We heard that Park City was very crowded with 1/2 hour lines the same week.

Good, since Park City is not on the Ikon Pass, and plenty others are, so I would skip that anyway.
Also I am talking about the rest of the week too, and in my experience in Steamboat and Winterpark during that week, it quiets down a fair bit on Tuesday already.


SLC is a lot cheaper.
Really? I would have thought the other way around.
As mentioned in my OP, I have the Ikon Base, so if anything, I might end up paying for a day in SLC, where I would not in Colorado.
I thought lodging in the Canyons is pretty spendy, of course in SLC it’s cheaper, but in that case you can compare places further out in Colorado too.
Flights for us seem to be almost $1000 more to SLC than to Denver (for my family of 4)
 

Slim

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Here's my standard Aspen vs. SLC breakdown:

Pure Skiing: SLC
Crowds: Aspen
Aprés/Dining: Aspen (not even close, unless you prefer 2.5% beer)
Hassle Factor (driving to resorts/parking/schlepping): Aspen
Cost (once there): SLC
Dumb and Dumber factor: Tie (they supposedly went to Aspen, but the movie was actually filmed in Park City)

Just to be clear, you can buy all % alcohol in Utah these days, just not at the grocery store (neither can we in MN).

That John Denver is full of Sh|t!
 

mdf

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I'm wondering if the Ikon pass is going to throw all past experience of what-is-crowded-when right out the window. We may see very different patterns this year.
 

Crank

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Thanks for the info!



Good, since Park City is not on the Ikon Pass, and plenty others are, so I would skip that anyway.
Also I am talking about the rest of the week too, and in my experience in Steamboat and Winterpark during that week, it quiets down a fair bit on Tuesday already.



Really? I would have thought the other way around.
As mentioned in my OP, I have the Ikon Base, so if anything, I might end up paying for a day in SLC, where I would not in Colorado.
I thought lodging in the Canyons is pretty spendy, of course in SLC it’s cheaper, but in that case you can compare places further out in Colorado too.
Flights for us seem to be almost $1000 more to SLC than to Denver (for my family of 4)

Over Christmas week we paid $100 a night for a decent hotel: Hilton Garden in Sandy. The hotels down there are primarily for business travelers so they are cheaper for the holidays. Plus food and drink is way cheaper than Aspen. Park City / Canyons is a whole 'notha thing.

Yes Denver is absolutely the least expensive place to fly into out west. The convenience of SLC can't be beat though.
 

sbooker

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Here's my standard Aspen vs. SLC breakdown:

Pure Skiing: SLC
Crowds: Aspen
Aprés/Dining: Aspen (not even close, unless you prefer 2.5% beer)
Hassle Factor (driving to resorts/parking/schlepping): Aspen
Cost (once there): SLC
Dumb and Dumber factor: Tie (they supposedly went to Aspen, but the movie was actually filmed in Park City)

Nice assessment. I would agree with all of that.
The Utah brews are under rated though.
 

aubergine

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Have also Flown into SLC and drove up to SunValley (MCP) great ski area and town, then back to Alta/Bird (I am an altaholic) Stayed at Best Western right across from SV. so many choices! They are all good!

We've done that too - Sun Valley + Snowbasin , MCP, and flights into BOI and out of SLC.

Use that same Best Western too. It's a bit above the typical one. Kids loved the in lobby hot cocoa machine and we'd play games or do puzzles in the lobby at night. SV was pretty darn cold when we were there, and SnowBasin was non stop snowing. Kids first taste of powder above their boots!

Thanks for bringing back those memories!
 

aubergine

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Over Christmas week we paid $100 a night for a decent hotel: Hilton Garden in Sandy. The hotels down there are primarily for business travelers so they are cheaper for the holidays. Plus food and drink is way cheaper than Aspen.

We did that once too and were very pleasantly surprised by how easy it was. I took the UTA bus up to the LCC areas and it was great. Inexplicably the driver wouldn't take my money on one of the trips too.

There were some surprisingly good places to eat there too. We loved counter service Slapfish for fresh seafood there. Also a wonderful authentic South Indian place whose name escapes me.

Greater SLC is just booming.
 

Lofcaudio

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I'm organizing a group from the Midwest for a trip this year and the big debate has been Aspen OR SLC. We really can't go wrong as there are so many great things to like about both of these locations. Right now we are leaning towards Aspen since it's within driving distance. When it comes to comparing the overall satisfaction of skiing at these two spots is like asking me which of my kids I love more.
 

Slim

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How is the drive time and difficulty from (the far side of) Basalt to the Aspen resort mountains?
Aspen areas themselves don’t seem to have any lodging for normal prices, but Basalt has a few.
 
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