Ranking Ski Resorts
- Thread starter Triggermv
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I am a novice, but just went to Utah. Did you go to Deer Valley? I preferred it to Park City by a fairly significant margin. And I agree, Alta was the best.
Nope, didn't have a chance to ski either Deer Valley or Canyons. Park City Mountain Resort was solid and I did really like it, but I wouldn't be surprised if I'd like one of the other two better if I got a chance to ski them. One sweet thing about Park City though was that Town Lift. That was a pretty cool, picturesque setting skiing into there.
All I have heard about Deer Valley is that it is where all the old wealth skis and the average age on the slopes there is like 50. At least this is what my buddy stereotyped it as.
On a separate note, didn't know if you saw, but now that Vail owns both Park City and Canyons, they are building a lift to connect the two massive resorts this summer, making them now the biggest resort in the U.S.. Not sure what the combined resort will be called going forward though.
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What about it? Don't know anything about it myself outside of that it is near Portland.
Keystone is one of my least favorites because of terrain, and Breckenridge because it is so busy.
For terrain, Vail is awesome. Winter Park/Mary Jane is very nice and the crowds are reasonable. Interesting, if you want a challenge nothing much compares to Mary Jane. Beaver Creek is great because the crowds are small. Steamboat has a lot to offer and the crowds are small as well. I mostly try to go anywhere but Summit County. Never skied in Utah, but here it is great, inexpensive, and the weather is mild.
For terrain, Vail is awesome. Winter Park/Mary Jane is very nice and the crowds are reasonable. Interesting, if you want a challenge nothing much compares to Mary Jane. Beaver Creek is great because the crowds are small. Steamboat has a lot to offer and the crowds are small as well. I mostly try to go anywhere but Summit County. Never skied in Utah, but here it is great, inexpensive, and the weather is mild.
Ahh, the Keystone hate is a flowin. Such a polarizing resort. Guess not everyone has an appreciation for great tree runs like I do. Oh well I guess....
couple thoughts from someone that has lived in Colorado for 20+ years.
1. Vail is the best in Colorado and there really isn't a rival IMO.
2. Beaver Creek is very underrated. I prefer it over Breckenridge, Copper, and Keystone simply for the lack of crowds.
3. I you are going to Tahoe, Squaw Valley is a must visit. I liked it a lot better than Kirkwood and Heavenly. It has more of a European feel.
4. i was surprised that you listed Nordic skiing locations in Illinois and Iowa. ;-)
1. Vail is the best in Colorado and there really isn't a rival IMO.
2. Beaver Creek is very underrated. I prefer it over Breckenridge, Copper, and Keystone simply for the lack of crowds.
3. I you are going to Tahoe, Squaw Valley is a must visit. I liked it a lot better than Kirkwood and Heavenly. It has more of a European feel.
4. i was surprised that you listed Nordic skiing locations in Illinois and Iowa. ;-)
What? You don't appreciate the cross-country skiing (Sundown and Chestnut) we have around here? Such a shame....
That's probably not too far from the truth. No boards at DV. Can't speak to Canyons -- I was told that of the 3, that was the one to skip. So I did.
I'm with you on your earlier post regarding logistics. Next time, we are staying in SLC. Saves a bunch of money. Park City is nice but we were too tired to get much out of the night life after dinner each night so in hindsight, it was not really worth it for us to stay there. So it goes.
Yeah, if you are looking for the cool ski-town feel and are cool just sticking with skiing the 3 Park City resorts, I'm sure staying in Park City is great. However, if you are all about the skiing, SLC is the place to be as you have the best access to all of the resorts, including many of the better ones. No doubt you save some serious coin with that route too. Sometime, I wouldn't mind even going up to stay in Ogden, and focusing on the Ogden resorts (Powder Mountain and Snowbasin).
Any resort that doesn't allow snowboarders doesn't make the list in my book.
Keystone is a fine ski area but is pretty average in terms of terrain. The tree skiing at Steamboat is better. You won't find too many "locals" that ski Keystone regularly. I like Vail's massive size but it comes at a cost. You end up getting in fewer runs but there is no better place on a powder day. Breckenridge is always busy and too flat for my tastes. That being said, the expert terrain can be quite fun. Copper is my go-to area. It's a good mix of steep and fast with several areas to explore. Some of their lifts should have been retired years ago but they're making improvements. Winter Park is pretty good too. The coldest I have ever been while snowboarding was at the top of the Panorama Express lift with a north wind. There are also several flat areas at WP that prevent me from liking it more. Arapaho Basin is great for a change of pace and late-season runs. Very laid back, party-like feel to it most weekends. I enjoy Steamboat but I my timing has always been off in terms of great snow. For me, a trip to Steamboat requires planning in advance which leaves snow conditions to a greater degree of chance.
Keystone is a fine ski area but is pretty average in terms of terrain. The tree skiing at Steamboat is better. You won't find too many "locals" that ski Keystone regularly. I like Vail's massive size but it comes at a cost. You end up getting in fewer runs but there is no better place on a powder day. Breckenridge is always busy and too flat for my tastes. That being said, the expert terrain can be quite fun. Copper is my go-to area. It's a good mix of steep and fast with several areas to explore. Some of their lifts should have been retired years ago but they're making improvements. Winter Park is pretty good too. The coldest I have ever been while snowboarding was at the top of the Panorama Express lift with a north wind. There are also several flat areas at WP that prevent me from liking it more. Arapaho Basin is great for a change of pace and late-season runs. Very laid back, party-like feel to it most weekends. I enjoy Steamboat but I my timing has always been off in terms of great snow. For me, a trip to Steamboat requires planning in advance which leaves snow conditions to a greater degree of chance.
Agree on Vail. Every time I take people new to CO skiing out they all say Vail blows everything out of the water. Especially if you can get good snow at Blue Sky Basin. Skiing back there makes you forget you're at a resort.
I've always liked Keystone because I always go midweek and never have to wait in line. This year we had a ton of snow so it was awesome. Really, if you enjoy mountains, skiing, hanging with your buddies, some cold beverages in the hot tub, and not dealing with the daily grind of life, you can't go too bad anywhere.
I used to get caught up in talking about and comparing scenery in both Colorado and Utah until I went to Tahoe this year. While Tahoe lacks in many areas out there compared to Utah and Colorado, most notably in the snow category, I now refuse to even mention the scenery of about anywhere except at Heavenly (I'm sure other Tahoe resorts around the lake are good too). It truly is amazing and stands alone.
Good to hear it was useful. Truthfully, if I had to choose a favorite resort to just fit my personality, Brighton is the place. I've never been to a more laid-back resort than Brighton, even though Kirkwood is close. Honestly, I think it is the perfect place for you to go with a couple kids who are still learning.
1. Crowds are small, especially smaller than Alta
2. Lift tickets are super cheap
3. Most all the lifts are speed lifts
4. Parking is easy and super close
5. The terrain is good, but not as tough as Alta (why I call it Alta-light)
6. Resort isn't as big as Alta
7. All lifts end at the base, so it is hard to lose each other or get too far away from one another
8. Gets some of the best and most consistent snow in all of North America, much less Utah
9. Biggest downfalls is there isn't much of anything at the base outside of some marginal food and beer
With all that said, Alta is still not a bad place to take them either as it enjoys many of the same benefits, but of all the ski resorts on my entire list to take a family that is learning to ski, I'd choose Brighton.
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Heavenly is an amazing place in that regard. If you want to ski/ride somewhere that you can't tell if it's real or fake there are a few money runs that will test the boundaries.
Yeah, nothing compares to the views you can see on both sides of you (the lake and Nevada side) while riding that California Trail across the top of the mountain at Heavenly. That run alone made my trip to Tahoe worthwhile. Its almost good that it is more of a catwalk than an actual run as all you do the entire time is gawk around you. In fact, I almost smoked a kid once on it since I wasn't paying attention at all to where I was going.
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Just took another trip to Utah where I hit up Alta again, and then finally hit up both Snowbird and Solitude as well, which were new ones for me. With that said, I thought I might drag out this old thread again to update my rankings for anyone interest. Spoiler alert: Snowbird and Solitude were pretty amazing. I see why they get ranked so high, especially Snowbird.
1. Snowbird (Utah) - 4-way tie for best snow, Best Terrain, Steepest terrain, Best for expert skiers, best views by far (amazing), good lifts with a tram, fun tunnel to backside, crowds can get bad
2. Alta (Utah) - 4-way tie for best snow, 2nd best terrain (fairly extreme terrain), Good for Expert Skiers (hard terrain, but a little lighter than Snowbird), Best Value, No boarders allowed
3. Solitude (Utah) - 4-way tie for best snow, Awesome terrain, highest chance of getting untouched terrain, 2nd Smallest Lines, Best tree Runs, Too Many Slow Lifts, 2nd Best Value, Similar to Brighton, only a little bigger, and a little more challenging
4.. Keystone (Colorado) - 2nd Best Tree Runs, Best Lifts, Best Night Skiing, Fun Snowcat Skiing
5. Vail (Colorado) - 2nd Biggest Resort, Nicest Resort, Great Runs, Best Back Bowls, One of the Best Ski Towns, Too Many Catwalks
6. Brighton (Utah) - Very Simple and Laid Back (I like), 4-way tie for Best Snow, Great Tree Runs, Smallest Lines, 3nd Best Value, Best Place to Take Young Family For Value Skiing
5. Kirkwood - (California) - Almost an exact blend of Alta and Brighton, only with not as good and consistent of snow and too many slow lifts, 3nd Smallest Lines, 4th Best Value, Very Laid-Back, Fairly Challenging Terrain, Worst Lifts
6. Heavenly - (California) - 3nd Best Views (mostly due to the lake), 2nd Nicest Resort, One of Best Ski Towns, 2nd Largest Resort, Great Runs, Great Lifts, Good Tree Runs, Best for Skiing in T-Shirt, Worst Consistent Snow
7. Copper Mountain (Colorado) - 4th Best Value (best in Colorado, especially when using coupons), Nice Runs Overall, Smaller Lift Lines, Free Snowcat Skiing, More Laid-Back
8. Park City Mountain Resort (Utah) - Biggest Resort Now That Combined With Canyons (I skied it prior to being combined) Coolest Town Setting, 3rd Nicest Resort, Great Lifts, So-So Views, Decent Snow
9. Breckenridge (Colorado) - Decent Overall, Very Busy, Too Many Boarders, Good Lifts, Cool Ski Town
10. Sunrise Park (Arizona) - Fun Place, Not Colorado or Utah, Still Lots Better Than Iowa
11. Chestnut Mountain (Illinois) - I Like the Runs, Resort Area, and Views Better than Sundown, Little further drive than Sundown, Underrated for being in Midwest
12. Sundown (Iowa) - Closest Ski Resort, Best in Iowa, Rentals are terrible and the place is kind of a dump, but decent runs for Iowa
Again, from a comparison to expert's rankings, I always like to see how my thoughts compare to this particular website, which is the best at measuring all the factors out to come out with an overall ranking.
https://www.zrankings.com/
1. Snowbird (Utah) - 4-way tie for best snow, Best Terrain, Steepest terrain, Best for expert skiers, best views by far (amazing), good lifts with a tram, fun tunnel to backside, crowds can get bad
2. Alta (Utah) - 4-way tie for best snow, 2nd best terrain (fairly extreme terrain), Good for Expert Skiers (hard terrain, but a little lighter than Snowbird), Best Value, No boarders allowed
3. Solitude (Utah) - 4-way tie for best snow, Awesome terrain, highest chance of getting untouched terrain, 2nd Smallest Lines, Best tree Runs, Too Many Slow Lifts, 2nd Best Value, Similar to Brighton, only a little bigger, and a little more challenging
4.. Keystone (Colorado) - 2nd Best Tree Runs, Best Lifts, Best Night Skiing, Fun Snowcat Skiing
5. Vail (Colorado) - 2nd Biggest Resort, Nicest Resort, Great Runs, Best Back Bowls, One of the Best Ski Towns, Too Many Catwalks
6. Brighton (Utah) - Very Simple and Laid Back (I like), 4-way tie for Best Snow, Great Tree Runs, Smallest Lines, 3nd Best Value, Best Place to Take Young Family For Value Skiing
5. Kirkwood - (California) - Almost an exact blend of Alta and Brighton, only with not as good and consistent of snow and too many slow lifts, 3nd Smallest Lines, 4th Best Value, Very Laid-Back, Fairly Challenging Terrain, Worst Lifts
6. Heavenly - (California) - 3nd Best Views (mostly due to the lake), 2nd Nicest Resort, One of Best Ski Towns, 2nd Largest Resort, Great Runs, Great Lifts, Good Tree Runs, Best for Skiing in T-Shirt, Worst Consistent Snow
7. Copper Mountain (Colorado) - 4th Best Value (best in Colorado, especially when using coupons), Nice Runs Overall, Smaller Lift Lines, Free Snowcat Skiing, More Laid-Back
8. Park City Mountain Resort (Utah) - Biggest Resort Now That Combined With Canyons (I skied it prior to being combined) Coolest Town Setting, 3rd Nicest Resort, Great Lifts, So-So Views, Decent Snow
9. Breckenridge (Colorado) - Decent Overall, Very Busy, Too Many Boarders, Good Lifts, Cool Ski Town
10. Sunrise Park (Arizona) - Fun Place, Not Colorado or Utah, Still Lots Better Than Iowa
11. Chestnut Mountain (Illinois) - I Like the Runs, Resort Area, and Views Better than Sundown, Little further drive than Sundown, Underrated for being in Midwest
12. Sundown (Iowa) - Closest Ski Resort, Best in Iowa, Rentals are terrible and the place is kind of a dump, but decent runs for Iowa
Again, from a comparison to expert's rankings, I always like to see how my thoughts compare to this particular website, which is the best at measuring all the factors out to come out with an overall ranking.
https://www.zrankings.com/