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Q: Ski week for a family (with teenagers) that doesn't know how to ski ( No Answer,   5 Comments )
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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.

Request for Question Clarification by maniac-ga on 16 Sep 2003 17:55 PDT
Hello Karena,

Would you like a researcher to provide additional information /
references on this topic? The comments below cover a wide range of
suggestions but may not cover exactly what you are looking for. If
not, I'd suggest you close this question.

  --Maniac
Answer  
There is no answer at this time.

Comments  
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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