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Subject:
Ski week for a family (with teenagers) that doesn't know how to ski
Category: Sports and Recreation > Travel Asked by: karena-ga List Price: $12.00 |
Posted:
09 Sep 2003 23:06 PDT
Expires: 16 Sep 2003 20:12 PDT Question ID: 254125 |
I would like to take my three sons, ages 10, 14, and 18, skiing for a week at Christmas. They have never skiied or snowboarded and I haven't done so in 25 years. Since we live in Southern California, the logical places to go would be in the Western U.S. or in Canada, I guess. I'd love to find a place where we wouldn't need to use a car at all once we get there--where we could walk to the lifts, or ski in and ski out. We'll need lesson packages, week-long lift tickets, and also equipment rental package. Ideally, our rental/lesson packages could permit the kids to go back and forth between snowboarding, downhill skiing and cross country skiing so they could see what they liked best. It doesn't have the best black diamond trails, because we're not at that level. (I have a nostalgic memory of a ski area I went to as a teenager, Mont Gabriel, near Mont Tremblant in Canada. For a great skier there were not that many challenging trails, but for us it was fine. The lodge was at the top of the mountain and at the bottom was a cafeteria. The all-in price included lessons, accomodations, three meals a day--the meal card was also good at the cafeteria--and lift tickets for the week.) At the risk of making this list sound even more like "Matchmaker, find me a match," from "Fiddler on the Roof," I'll mention that I'd also appreciate charm and value in this dream spot. I would appreciate your suggestions and advice as to places or packages to look into. | |
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Subject:
Re: Ski week for a family (with teenagers) that doesn't know how to ski
From: umiat-ga on 09 Sep 2003 23:25 PDT |
Without a doubt, Park City, Utah has it all. You can walk to Park City Ski Resort or take the lift right from the center of town. A 5-minute shuttle ride takes you Deer Valley Resort or the Canyons Ski Resort. The town has a quaint Main Street full of shops, and you can visit all the Olympic venues in your free time (bobsled, luge, ski-jump) and most likely see some athletes practicing as well. A 5-10K cross-country ski track is right next to the Resort. Park City and the Canyons also allow snowboarding along with skiing. There is also a great skateboard park and movie theatres for times when the kids are bored with the ski/snowboard hill. You won't regret a visit to Park City...I guarantee it :) http://www.parkcityinfo.com/ http://www.ditell.com/ParkCity/ParkCityMainStreet.html http://www.thecanyons.com/home.php http://www.deervalley.com/ |
Subject:
Re: Ski week for a family (with teenagers) that doesn't know how to ski
From: politicalguru-ga on 10 Sep 2003 00:35 PDT |
Dear Karena, I haven't made a research on places for you. However, from anecdotal information, I know that the famed "Club Med" have great ski instructors and facilities. There's one in the States (Colorado): http://www.clubmed.com/cgi-bin/clubmed55/Ratio/Villages/RATIO_village.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1331786268.1063179048@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccdgadcjfjdgmgmcflgcefkdffhdfhg.0&PAYS=115&LANG=EN&pIDVILLAGE=CBUCH |
Subject:
Re: Ski week for a family (with teenagers) that doesn't know how to ski
From: omnivorous-ga on 10 Sep 2003 07:18 PDT |
Karena -- Living in Seattle, we've skied a fair amount of the west. A lot depends on how much you expect to have in non-ski activities at the destination resort. Here are several places that would fit but are not considered "world class" destinations: Kirkwood, CA http://www.kirkwood.com/ Schweitzer (outside Sandpoint, ID) http://www.schweitzer.com/index_summer.shtml Apex Resort (Penticton, British Columbia) http://www.apexresort.com/home.htm Among the destinations with larger accomodations and lots of restaurants & nightlife, these would probably be the top recommendations: Whistler/Blackcomb (British Columbia) -- though being in the coastal range, conditions can be wet at the bottom of the mountain: http://www.whistler-blackcomb.com/ Aspen, CO -- has a range of skiing, though it has a well-deserved reputation for being expensive. Aspen Mountain's for advanced skiers but Snowmass is very manageable for beginners: http://www.aspensnowmass.com/default.cfm?var=1&hasFlash=1 Vail, CO -- wide range of skiing; very developed ski village: http://www.vail-colorado-skiing.net/ Steamboat Springs, CO -- a little more "laid back" than most resort areas: http://www.steamboat-ski.com/home.aspx And finally, Park City, UT -- as noted by Umiat-GA. It's developed substantially for the last Winter Olympics; the Deer Valley Resort is very classy and upscale but one of a couple of options. Note that ski conditions can vary widely, particularly at Whistler/Blackcomb, which is very close to the coast and will have heavier, wetter snow (and warmer temperatures). Best regards, Omnivorous-GA |
Subject:
Re: Ski week for a family (with teenagers) that doesn't know how to ski
From: cryptica-ga on 10 Sep 2003 12:07 PDT |
Deer Valley is wonderful and has a great ski school for kids, but Deer Valley doesn't allow snow boarding. Park City Resort itself does and nearby is something I always wanted to try and never got to: TUBING! You go down the mountain on gigantic inner tubes. |
Subject:
Re: Ski week for a family (with teenagers) that doesn't know how to ski
From: maniac-ga on 10 Sep 2003 19:17 PDT |
Hello Karena, A few comments / suggestions that I might make, slightly different than the others. All are based on personal experience and include a few different options that you may want to consider. I am definitely an expert skier and both trained both sons (11 and 15) up to a high intermediate level. [1] I suggest doing a "dry run" at skiing at one of the local areas. Within an hour or so of Los Angeles you can go to - Mountain High (http://www.mthigh.com/) was a great place for me to take my young son (started when four) because they let kids ski free with an adult ticket. The drive up is extremely easy as well. - Snow Summit (http://www.bigbearmountainresorts.com/) and Big Bear Mountain are farther away but the town is right there with shuttle service from several locations. I generally preferred Snow Summit due to the limited ticket sales, but have not been back since they became one company [Bear Mountain may be OK as well]. - Mount Baldy (http://www.skibaldy.com/) was my personal favorite due to the black trails to the base, but you have to go there right after a snow fall (no snow making). The trees are also spares in many areas - allowing a lot of off run skiing opportunities. Show up before 8am and you might hear them blasting the avalanches down - music to my ears. The road past Mount Baldy Village can be challenging - be sure to bring tire chains, you will need them. It was only about 20 miles from my home in Upland, is a lot smaller than the other resorts, and the prices are lower to match. The last time I was there, they still used a big wood stove to heat up the main dining area, the only place I know of [now] that would make it easy to dry wet ski gear. Definitely an older style ski area. [2] Other California destinations - Mammoth Mountain (http://www.mammothmountain.com/) is a good place for vacations. I spent a week there during a college spring break and had a great time. The mountain is huge and there are plenty of packages with lodging available. - Lake Tahoe (http://www.skiheavenly.com/), Squaw Valley (http://www.squaw.com/) and other areas near Lake Tahoe provide a variety of terrain and lodging opportunities. You also have the gambling aspect if that is important. Drive or fly into Reno with shuttle service to Tahoe and around the ski areas. [3] Salt Lake area. I'll agree that Park City is a great place to ski but the prices may be too steep. My kids both like it but we also like Little Cottonwood Canyon - Alta (Skiers only - http://www.altaskiarea.com/) and Snowbird (http://www.snowbird.com/). The prices at the latter are more reasonable and there is good public transportation to / from Salt Lake City (or you can stay near the ski area). Staying in Salt Lake City and taking a shuttle to the ski areas is certainly feasible. [4] Summit County, CO. A little harder to get to - about an hour or more from Denver, but has a *lot* of ski areas in a relatively small area. You can stay in Frisco for example and be within about 20 miles of Keystone (http://www.keystoneresort.com/), Breckinridge (http://www.breckenridge.com), Vail (http://www.vail.com/), Beaver Creek (http://www.beavercreek.com/), and Copper Mountain (http://www.coppercolorado.com/). Each are very large areas and the crowds have been OK in mid March when we've been there. I can't say about Christmas. You can also get multiday tickets that are good at more than one area - just ask at any of the ski shops in town for details [or order in advance]. Note that the last time I was there (last March) the road to Denver was closed by snow - I was glad I had some flexibility on my travel plans. [5] Mount Bachelor, Oregon (http://www.mtbachelor.com/) is my personal favorite and the kids love it too. Its main disadvantage is that - the ski area is far away from any major cities (about 3-4 hours to Portland, though you can fly into Redmond on scheduled service) - the ski area is relatively far from town (about 20 miles to either Bend or Sunriver Resort) However the ski area is top notch, the snow quality is usually excellent, and the crowds are never a problem - even in peak season like Christmas. The prices for both skiing and lodging are generally lower than other areas (except Southern California) and there are good shuttle services from both Bend and Sunriver (http://www.sunriver-resort.com/). If you don't mind a day of travel on both ends of your holiday trip, you might want to consider it. --Maniac |
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