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  • Rank These Trips

    Just got an email from my ski club looking for input on where to go during this one time slot. Of these 3 trips which would you prefer (or order of preference)? They are all within about $150 between them so that's not really an issue. This trip would be the first week of March.

    - Sandy, Utah for 7 nights. Fly from Champaign to Salt Lake City and take a motor coach to Sandy to stay at the Crystal Inn Hotel. Daily breakfast is included. Also included are 5 day lift tickets to your choice of 4 ski resorts: Alta, Snowbird, Solitude, or Brighton. Transportation to the ski resorts would be by city bus from the Sandy Civic Center across the street from the hotel. There would be an option to rent vans for the group to drive to the ski resorts instead of using the city bus if we were willing to pay more.

    - Ogden, Utah for 7 nights. Fly from Champaign to Salt Lake City and take a motor coach to Ogden to stay 7 nights at the Ogden Marriott, breakfast included. The package includes a 2 day lift ticket to Powder Mountain and a 3 day lift ticket to Snow Basin. Bus transportation to the ski resorts is not included and would be extra.

    - Taos, NM and Santa Fe for 7 nights. Fly from Bloomington to Albuquerque and take a motor coach to Taos to stay 5 nights at the El Pueblo Lodge, breakfast included. This also includes 4 days of lift tickets at Taos. From Taos we would be taken by motor coach to Santa Fe to spend 2 nights at La Fonda on the Plaza. Then back to Albuquerque to fly out.


    I'm torn between Sandy and Taos. I love the Cottonwood Canyons. But, I've never skied Taos.

  • #2
    I would not risk New Mexico in March. They could be in full melt down by then with spring conditions at best. Taos has a great reputation for extreme steeps, but the rest of the resort is very ordinary, as is Santa Fe. Also bear in mind that for Taos to live up to it's reputation you will need powder, or fresh snow at the least. Santa Fe does have a reputation as a very cool, but expensive, ski town.

    Utah will be a much better bet for great weather and conditions in March. I love Snowbasin and PowMow, but would have to give the edge to The Cottonwoods for both conditions and variety of terrain. If extreme is on your list, Snowbird will give you as many thrills as Taos. Sandy also has more dining and entertainment options than Ogden.

    So;

    1 Sandy and The Cottonwoods
    2 Ogden, Snowbasin and PowMow
    3 Sante Fe and Taos
    Just these, nothing else !

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Bad Wolf View Post
      1 Sandy and The Cottonwoods
      2 Ogden, Snowbasin and PowMow
      3 Sante Fe and Taos
      I agree with the Wolf's ranking. Good thoughts on NM. They only additional comments I have are:

      -- I have never enjoyed trips where you try to cram 3 or more ski resorts into one week. My preference is 1 resort (2 max) so you can explore and relax. So maybe the Sandy trip but focus on 2 of the resorts with the best conditions

      -- Don't opt the private vans. Take the city bus. Local transport and community ski shuttles are the best place to gather local knowledge on the best runs, great places to eat, and apres ski happenings in town.
      Boards:
      2016 Spruce tuned Head Jr. Caddys - 131cm
      2013 Spruce "CTS" 120s
      2010 Spruce "Yellow/Red" 120s
      2018 Spruce "CTS" Crossbows - 115cm
      2016 RVL8 Spliffs - 109cm
      2008 RVL8 Revolt "City" - 105cm
      2017 RVL8 Sticky Icky Icky - 104cm
      2011 Defiance Blades - 101cm

      Comment


      • #4
        I too agree with Bad Wolf's ranking. I've never been to NM for skiing, but I know it's very similar to AZ where often they are melting down as early as late Feb/early Mar.

        The Ogden area is ok, and so is Powder and Snowbasin, but neither place compares to the Cottonwood resorts IMO.

        I have to disagree with Wookie. The time I took the ski shuttle to the Cottonwoods it was a miserable experience. I will never do it again and can't recommend it.
        Boards/Bindings:
        2013 Spruce Sherpas w/Tyrolia Peak 11s
        2023 Spruce Stingers w/Tyrolia Peak 11s
        2015 RVL8 Blunt XLs w/Tyrolia Attack 13s
        2020 RVL8 Sticky Icky Ickys w/Tyrolia SX 10s


        Boots:
        Salomon X-Pro 80

        Past boards: Salomon Snowblades, Line MNPs 89 & 98 cm, Five-Os, Bullets, Jedis, Spruce 120s, LE 125s, Ospreys, Crossbows
        Summit 110s, Nomads, Jades, RVL8 ALPs, BWPs, KTPs, Tanshos, Rockets, DLPs, Blunts, Condors, RCs, Revolts, Spliffs

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by sempai View Post
          ....I have to disagree with Wookie. The time I took the ski shuttle to the Cottonwoods it was a miserable experience. I will never do it again and can't recommend it.
          I will certainly defer to your firsthand experience here since I have never taken this particular shuttle. Elsewhere I always find the "ski bus" a good place to gather local info but you can get the same info at the bar.
          Boards:
          2016 Spruce tuned Head Jr. Caddys - 131cm
          2013 Spruce "CTS" 120s
          2010 Spruce "Yellow/Red" 120s
          2018 Spruce "CTS" Crossbows - 115cm
          2016 RVL8 Spliffs - 109cm
          2008 RVL8 Revolt "City" - 105cm
          2017 RVL8 Sticky Icky Icky - 104cm
          2011 Defiance Blades - 101cm

          Comment


          • #6
            The Ski Bus is OK on regular days, I've taken it many times without any problems. It does get to be a pain on days when it snows. Unless you get on at the first stop, you will probably be standing on a packed bus, in your ski boots, in a traffic jam, for a long time. But, unless you have access to a 4x4 with chains, you option will be to stay home whilst everyone else enjoys a powder day.
            Just these, nothing else !

            Comment


            • #7
              I've rode that public bus up/down the Cottonwoods before in a blizzard, and I was thankful to be on it. I think it's pretty rare that one of those shuttle buses slides off the road. I've been in traffic jams on that road when cars have gone off the side. I tend to be thankful I'm not driving that narrow, winding road with hundreds of other drivers during a storm. If it was just me on the road it wouldn't be so bad, but you add in all that traffic and it quickly becomes a pretty dangerous situation.

              I didn't know that Taos was so steep and can be melting down at the end of Feb. That's a bad combination unless your a World Cup Downhiller.

              Comment


              • #8
                The voting results are in for which trip to book. It was a close race, but Taos won by one vote.

                Comment

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