Ski Bum Life in Colorado? (Steamboat Springs, Aspen: live in, shop, move to)

[awarren09]

Telluride is beautiful and more secluded than some of the more popular ski towns like Vail or Breckenridge.

[awarren09]

The world-class ski resorts in Colorado are Vail, Aspen, Snowmass, Beaver Creek, Steamboat Springs, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Keystone, Telluride, Crested Butte, and Winter Park. Some towns have more history than others like Telluride, Breckenridge, Steamboat, Aspen and Crested Butte.

[proveick]

These are not "world-class", Switzerland, Italy and France are world-class. Mt. Blanc has over 10,000 vertical feet. A lot is off piste also. RP

[movementarian]

Really, you wouldn't think Aspen is world-class? I'm curious.

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by proveick

These are not "world-class", Switzerland, Italy and France are world-class. Mt. Blanc has over 10,000 vertical feet. A lot is off piste also. RP

I've skiied with a lot of Europeans in Vail and Aspen, and stuck up a lot of conversations with them on the lifts. Some of them have become long term casual friends ... we've skiied a day or so together for well over 25 years.

Most of them have commented that we don't have the "ambience" of their premier ski resorts, where there's so many more restaurants and bars and places to sit and relax through the day as they ride chairlifts through the mountains.

But every one of them has commented upon the superior quality of the snow that we have, especially the "powder" that they don't get.

Bottom line is that they ski in Europe to be seen and to enjoy the outdoors, but when it comes to skiing, they come to the Rocky Mountains for the terrain and snow quality for the sport of skiing. They get a lot more vertical in per day on our slopes than they do at the European resorts.

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

I've skiied with a lot of Europeans in Vail and Aspen, and stuck up a lot of conversations with them on the lifts. Some of them have become long term casual friends ... we've skiied a day or so together for well over 25 years.

Most of them have commented that we don't have the "ambience" of their premier ski resorts, where there's so many more restaurants and bars and places to sit and relax through the day as they ride chairlifts through the mountains.

But every one of them has commented upon the superior quality of the snow that we have, especially the "powder" that they don't get.

Bottom line is that they ski in Europe to be seen and to enjoy the outdoors, but when it comes to skiing, they come to the Rocky Mountains for the terrain and snow quality for the sport of skiing. They get a lot more vertical in per day on our slopes than they do at the European resorts.

I met a lot of Europeans in the course of my work in Vail and Aspen and many of them just preferred the American ski experience overall anyways. Quite a few of the homes and condos in Bachelor Gulch are owned by wealthy Brits.

I've been to a number of ski towns in Austria and Switzerland, including St. Moritz and can't say I found them any better, just different.

[davesimpson]

I will be graduationg college this may in Rhode Island. Me and a friend would like nothing more than to move out to colorado to work at a mountain for the winter season as we are avid riders. however we are comming accross a few problems.

With no real knowledge of the layout of towns and mountains in the state we are unsure what the good places to work at would be and live.

Also we are trying to find a job somewhat soon just to secure the fact that we will indeed be able to move out there next winter. But obviousally no mountains are posting jobs for next winter yet.

If anyone could help out with info it would be greatly appreciated

[delta07]

Originally Posted by davesimpson

I will be graduationg college this may in Rhode Island. Me and a friend would like nothing more than to move out to colorado to work at a mountain for the winter season as we are avid riders. however we are comming accross a few problems.

With no real knowledge of the layout of towns and mountains in the state we are unsure what the good places to work at would be and live.

Also we are trying to find a job somewhat soon just to secure the fact that we will indeed be able to move out there next winter. But obviousally no mountains are posting jobs for next winter yet.

If anyone could help out with info it would be greatly appreciated

Usually ski resorts begin hiring in late summer/early fall for the winter season. I would worry about saving up some money until then so you have a cash cushion to move with. Continue to check the websites for the resorts and get your application in as soon as the jobs are posted. Also, with the economy the way it is, it may be harder than usual to get a seasonal job.

Of course, the big employer will be Vail Resorts, which owns all of the ski areas in Summit Co. I believe. You will probably have the best chance of landing a job with them and getting into employee housing, which may be the only way you can afford to live there. You might also look into Winter Park, Crested Butte, Telluride, Durango Mt., and Steamboat Springs. Not knowing what your criteria for a "good place to live and work," I can't really point you in one direction or the other. Good luck!

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

You don't really need real knowledge of the layout of the towns and mountains. Colorado has many, many world class ski resorts. Getting a job at any of them would be a wonderful experience. Finding a place to live is going to be a big challenge, however. Delta07's suggestion of Summit County is a good one because there's probably more opportunity to find housing in Dillon/Silverthorne and still be accessible to Breckenridge, Keystone, A-Basin and Copper.

I moved to Steamboat to be a ski bum in the 70's. Didn't have a job lined up and knew no-one. I spent the next three years having a great time!

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by davesimpson

I will be graduationg college this may in Rhode Island. Me and a friend would like nothing more than to move out to colorado to work at a mountain for the winter season as we are avid riders. however we are comming accross a few problems.

With no real knowledge of the layout of towns and mountains in the state we are unsure what the good places to work at would be and live.

Also we are trying to find a job somewhat soon just to secure the fact that we will indeed be able to move out there next winter. But obviousally no mountains are posting jobs for next winter yet.

If anyone could help out with info it would be greatly appreciated

My recommendation for a newbie is to go for a town that does a mix of business of local Coloradans on the weekend and stays busy with "destination" travelers the rest of the week. You destination travelers being those that travel from outside the state for a ski vacation.

Therefore I'd go with the Summit County resorts of Copper Mountain, Breckenridge and Keystone, the Eagle County resorts of Vail and Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch and Arrowhead or the Pitkin County resorts of Aspen and Snowmass.

All of these resorts have the most job options, the best likelihood of earning an income, the best ski terrain and a wide variety of people including those your age.

My overwhelming recommendation is Vail/Beaver Creek. The people that travel there have real wealth not flash, so you can earn quite a bit in tip based jobs. Also there is plenty to do, the skiing is top notch and also with the base being in the 8100 ft range and the valley open to the warm west winds from lower elevations, the weather is much more moderate than a place like Summit County or Telluride or Steamboat.

Summit County is fine with a lot of variety there, plenty of living choices. It is more spread out. It's more the low end wealth, upper middle class family type place. Breck is at 9600 ft so it's pretty damn cold.

Aspen is a odd place with everyone in analysis or on drugs, legal or not, lots of people that act flashy so sometimes when in a tip based job, it's feast or famine there. I describe Aspen as containing people that are extremes whether it's politics, religion, whatever. Lots of freaky people there. But interesting, I always enjoyed going over there for work which I did quite frequently.

Steamboat and Telluride I don't favor as both are relatively cold and isolated, in my opinion. Not a lot of variety or depth in either place. I found Steamboat to be very depressing after living in Vail. It takes quite a bit of driving from either place to get anywhere else of note, so cabin fever does happen.

There are smaller day ski areas but for a new guy ski bum, I wouldn't recommend it unless you really like to rough it and live on beans and freeze to death listening to coyotes howl at the moon.

In terms of hiring, well right now anyone that works in the ski business is in total burnout from the winter and the last thing they want to think about is next ski season. They'd rather think about the coming summer time. I think you find the summer is where the real action is, at least that's what I found. I always had way more fun in the summer time.

So hiring for the winter will generally start in the summer, June at the earliest and typically my old employer would really start getting into that in July and August.

For yourselves, I'd recommend you get into town in October and get jobs and housing lined up. Employers will start doing training late Oct into November and they will want to be ready to roll 100% by Thanksgiving. Ski season spools up quickly and the two weeks around Christmas is the busiest time of winter. Waiting until January or December is not the thing as jobs and housing will be taken up and leftovers will be in effect.

My recommendation for employment is to aim for a tip based job such as waitstaff, doorman at a nice hotel, shuttle van driver, ski instructor, etc. Or a mix of jobs as many people hold down 2 or 3 jobs. My sister and I in general found we could make $100-$400 a day in tips/gratuities in Vail plus our daily wages. But we were top drawer and good at being personable and knowledgeable about the local area, so that's not a set rule for earnings.

If you have any further questions feel free to ask as I did 8 ski seasons out there. I will sent you a direct message with my old employer info as they hire every ski season and have good housing, wages and benefits for seasonal employees.