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Given your experience you should know that avalanche danger has little to do with difficulty of terrain and more to do with climate. The climate of the Rocky Mountains leads to weak snow bonding and deep instabilities (again, with Colorado being the worst).
The ski areas/resorts listed are/were skied by people like Sage C-A, D Coombs, C Davenport, Seth M, Chris (Anthony), and many others (I live in a ski town and have run into some of these people while skiing). If these areas are too tame for you, you should go pro. Then TGR, MSP and the like will pay you and take you skiing in extreme locations.
[quote=Fuzz;25634403]Given your experience you should know that avalanche danger has little to do with difficulty of terrain and more to do with climate. The climate of the Rocky Mountains leads to weak snow bonding and deep instabilities (again, with Colorado being the worst).
The ski areas/resorts listed are/were skied by people like Sage C-A, D Coombs, C Davenport, Seth M, Chris (Anthony), and many others (I live in a ski town and have run into some of these people while skiing). If these areas are too tame for you, you should go pro. Then TGR, MSP and the like will pay you and take you skiing in extreme locations.[/QUam
Climate obviously but if the terrain is steep jammed and jagged that snow is coming down regardless of the climate and snow melt. Wasn't saying that they are "tame" just saying that I hate controlled areas I would rather be in a free rider type territory. I thought only snowboarders get paid for that kind of thing? Anyway i'm most likely to old to get hired for something like that.
Mammoth gets completely packed on winter weekends with Southern California skiers making a run up the east side of the Sierra. It seems like every other skier in LA heads there on the weekend. But if you go on a weekday, it can be spectacular and uncrowded--sometimes almost feeling a little empty considering how big it is. I've had few great late-spring days at Mammoth where I felt like I had runs all to myself.
Couldn't resist reading/quoting the LA dig!
True, most of the la-tee-dah resorts are in CO, UT and ID, but they require a deliberate vacation to those specific locations, and are isolated.
While in HS, I learned to ski in Yosemite National Park, at a "tiny" placed called Badger Pass. It did the trick.
While in college, I generally opted for the Lake Tahoe area - with places like "Sierra at Tahoe" (previously Sierra Ski Ranch) and "Northstar," both of which have an abundance of good intermediate runs. Then, there was the abundance of things to do (buffets et. al.) at South Lake Tahoe. What I do remember is what way-cool a-holes the people who worked at the ski resorts thought they were. It was cultish.
I've gotten bored of skiing. Eventually, the "draw" and the $ to keep up with the latest equipment made the appeal wear off.
True, most of the la-tee-dah resorts are in CO, UT and ID, but they require a deliberate vacation to those specific locations, and are isolated.
While in HS, I learned to ski in Yosemite National Park, at a "tiny" placed called Badger Pass. It did the trick.
While in college, I generally opted for the Lake Tahoe area - with places like "Sierra at Tahoe" (previously Sierra Ski Ranch) and "Northstar," both of which have an abundance of good intermediate runs. Then, there was the abundance of things to do (buffets et. al.) at South Lake Tahoe. What I do remember is what way-cool a-holes the people who worked at the ski resorts thought they were. It was cultish.
I've gotten bored of skiing. Eventually, the "draw" and the $ to keep up with the latest equipment made the appeal wear off.
Ya. I understand where your coming from it's not cheap considering all the gear,travel, and possible medical bills that come along with it. But it never upsets me.
... I have gone on some Ski forums and I have gotten some suggestions.
Jackson Hole
Big Sky
Tellirude
Vail
Snowbird
A-Basin.
Those are some of the suggestions are some of the suggestions I have been receiving. I would like some opinions on these to if you could and if you could ad some more resorts that would be great. Also let me know any major resorts to avoid. Thanks ahead of time.
Jackson Hole would be great for what you want -- long, steep slopes. It has the highest vertical of any ski slope in the U.S.
Big Sky is a great ski mountain, but from my experiences it's more geared to intermediate skiers. I've only skied there a few times and was always with intermediate skiers, so maybe that's just the part of the mountain I saw, but I don't know if it would have enough of what you're wanting.
Telluride -- never been there.
Vail -- excellent. The back bowl alone offers tons of steep, mogul skiing, but the front side offers plenty of everything too.
Snowbird. Throw in Alta and you've got a terrific area. The best powder skiing I've ever experienced was at Alta.
A-basin. Never been there either.
OTHERS:
Steamboat Springs should be on your list. I've skied there in January when it never got above -10F, but my gloves were drenched in palm sweat!
Snowmass should be on anyone's list for consideration.
Big Sky, if you are stuck in US... BC and Alberta offer significant Ski experiences if you can go a few more hours north. (and out of USA)
Yea. It's possible. I'm looking into Whistler-B.
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