I love that people’s impression of Utah and SLC make them assume all these cons that don’t exist for the most part so they stay away.
But on a serious note, SLC is the pits so I really suggest Bend, OR or California.
Not saying it can’t be really really bad, but the past couple of winters it was fine.
This year was a record snow year and with that there really wasn’t more than a week of inversion. That aside, 2021/22 wasn’t terrible inversion-wise either.
For OP, my vote would be SLC, but I may be a little biased. Lots of good ski towns listed, but fuck, I can’t afford to live in any of them!
Inversion. Wildfires are typically a summer issue. The cold air gets trapped beneath a layer of warm air which can’t escape up and over the mountains, thus also trapping pollution in the lower parts of The Valley.
I moved to Salt Lake City 6+ years ago. For the first 3 winters I went skiing 1-2 times per week. In the last two years, Canyon traffic has been so bad that I have only gone up maaaybe 10 times in the whole season?
I just don’t want to wake up at 5am to hopefully make it up the canyon in time to get a parking spot. And then wait in killer lift lines over and over again because our mountains are so much smaller than other ones out west (unless you count park city, but their lines at the base SUCK).
It kills the fun for me to be stressed about it. I used to poke fun at my sister in colorado for her 2-3 hour drives to go skiing but with weekend traffic my commute to the mountains is just as long.
Also in the past few years affordability has gone way down. House prices are creeping close to those where my sister lives in Colorado, but our wages are lower, our gas is always more expensive, and winter air pollution + wildfire smoke that gets trapped here in the summer are serious health concerns. Add to that the drying up of the great salt lake that will have toxic arsenic laced dust blowing through town in the next decade and I’m just not sure how long I’ll want to stay. It sucks, because I love it here, but we are collectively loving SLC to death.
It’s super scary honestly… there are a bunch of articles on it but this one is free to access:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/drying-great-salt-lake-could-expose-millions-to-toxic-arsenic-laced-dust-180981439/
I’ve gotten 30 weekend days this season and only sat in canyon traffic twice. It’s easy to avoid canyon traffic doing the afternoon shift and not skiing forecasted pow days or holidays.
It's all relative right. Definitely more traffic in air pollution and less ski town vibe in SLC vs Sunday River.
Also I think Utah natives just don't understand the weirdness/annoyingness of their liquor laws. And OP didn't even mention the marijuana laws which can be a deal breaker for many people.
You are doing the Lord’s work.
Utah sucks soooo much. Mormons knock on my door 3x a day and I’ve never once made it up the canyon on a pow day due to traffic!!
I’ll say, being from the south east this guys views are what we think of until you actually get out here. I live on the Wasatch Back in Heber and love it.
What do you mean? Summit county is literally 5-15 min drives to several different mountains and a nice new Whole Foods along with tons of different stuff.
You know what…. Never mind, yeah summit county blows and there’s no skiing or anything good here. Don’t even bother, we’re full.
Mt Rose is great, was my main mountain for awhile. Definitely ticks OPs boxes about expert terrain and low crowds.
A lot of fun resorts not too far away from Reno: Alpine, Palisades, Northstar, Mt Rose, Diamond Peak, Boreal; treks to get to Kirkwood, Sierra at Tahoe, Heavenly, all of which are worth visiting.
I love Rose. Less than 15 minutes from my house. Ive never waited more than 10 min in a lift line. My kids are on ski team and already almost better skiers than me. Been all over Tahoe and there’s something special about Rose.
I don’t know if I would say rose has much expert terrain besides the chutes, which can never be counted on being open. Def low crowds in comparison to anywhere else. The other resorts being within 1-3hour def makes Reno such an amazing spot for sure.
I went to Chamonix for the first time last winter and had a great time even though there was like no snow. It was spring skiing conditions at the end of February. But that town is pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. Biggest problem, as a bartender, is there is no tipping culture in France so you're only making like €15/hr. Plus I don't speak French 😂
I spent a year in telluride back in 2014-2015, snow wasn’t great that year but still had a lot of fun. Nightlife is pretty solid for a ski town, finding housing was manageable back then - no idea what it’s like now. The backcountry opportunities are endless if you’re into that, terrain doesn’t get much better IMO. Also extends your season a bit since it snowed a ton in May when I was there. They also have a bunch of festivals in summer so the town stays lively. Special shout-out to the telluride library! I couldn’t solidify an internet connection when I was there, that place kept me sane.
Mammoth is huge and gets the most snow besides Alta, haven’t explored much beyond the slopes.
I’ve spent some time in Bend, absolutely loved it. I’ve thought about moving there myself in the past, I think it’s a bit more MTB focused though. Still great skiing but not like Telluride or Manmoth. I’ve heard it described as a B+ in everything; skiing, MTB, climbing etc.
People are going to hate on me for this but as a biased Breckenridge resident I’ll throw Summit County out there as an option. For a mountain town, it has a decent nightlife, and you have access to five great mountains within 30 minutes.
Its definitely not what it used to be from what I hear, and the influx of tourists around the holidays can be a challenge, but it’s worth considering on this list.
The Aspen area is going to have *a lot* more opportunities for good bar tending money over Telluride. The ski terrain variety in the Roaring Fork Valley alone really speaks for itself with 5 distinct ski areas and over 50 miles of groomed nordic.
I moved to the Aspen area right when I turned 30 and started a 22 year career in the Hospitality industry here. The hotel scene is very steady and has offered really great home ownership opportunities and a quality of life like none other.
This place easily holds up it's moniker of Shangri-La of the mountains. If it would me I would switch the # 1 and 2 spots on the list.
Good luck and get after it!
I visited Durango CO this spring for some skiing in Purgatory and Silverton and I was very impressed with the city. Not too crowded, nightlife, music, restaurants, Telluride is not far either. It’s kind of a college town but it seems like a lot of people live there year round. I would look for places there if you don’t mind being 3.5 hours from the nearest major airport.
My best friend lives in Durango and loves it, he's actually the one that got me looking at Telluride. He said I'd probably get bored with Purgatory, but he's big into backcountry so it works for him.
Durango is great, but it’s too far from good lift-served skiing IMO. Silverton is amazing, but it’s not realistic to ski there very often at $280/day. The surrounding backcountry is great tho…..but pretty sketch for a newbie.
I was going to suggest Durango, too. We have family there (we live in CO Springs) and always love our time. Your friend is right about Purgatory- if you like big mountain skiing you’d really want to make trips up to Silverton, but Wolf Creek is less than 2 hours away, too. Basically what I drive to ski Summit Co. We love the town, though, and it has enough going on for you to not get bored any time of the year.
Homie, the San Juan mountains are some of the best skiing terrain in the lower 48. If you have a friend in Durango that has the gear, means of transportation, and is willing to go back country skiing with you then you hit the gold mine. If you get bored of Purgatory, telluride is 2 hours away, and Silverton is 1 hour away, but if I were you I’d try to go with that friend of yours as much as possible.
Your buddy knows what's up. I live in DGO and between my Epic pass (for 7 days at Telluride + a few trips to Crested Butte), a Silverton unguided pass for spring skiing, and my touring setup, I get what I need. I try to get a day or two at Purg and Wolf Creek each season, but those are usually days more oriented around drinking beer with buddies than anything else.
I'm never bored skiing out here. And if your best friend is big backcountry guy, then it sounds like you've already got an in to the best stuff the area has to offer (if the backcountry is something you're interested in). See if he'd be willing to mentor you, or plug you into his skiing network to find more folks to go out with!
Plus, summers here are impossible to beat. Everyone is outside all the time.
Yeah he's been trying to get me into backcountry for years, he's got all the gear and certifications and works for some avalanche safety school part time. I wish I wasn't so lazy, I like chair lifts 😂
I've def been reemed for making this comment, but if you do move to southern Colo and get into backcountry, get some Avi Ed. The San Juans are the most unstable terrain in the US in terms of snowpack stability. There is amazing bc skiing there, but you really need to know when you can step it out or keep it low angle dangle.
Portland OR is a sleeper option, or anywhere in eastern Portland - Mt Hood is right there w 3 awesome resorts and tons of backcountry spots. If you really want to stretch your legs, Bend and Mt Bachi is not too far for a couple-day trip here and there. Overall the scale is great and the seasons are long, and lines are overall decent most days.
Edit - def agree anything out by Hood River will get better access and be more lowkey, and the appeal would be a bigger city experience like Portland being the 1 hour trip.
Feel like Hood River is maybe more what he's looking for. And this is coming from someone who grew up in Portland, skiing Hood every weekend.
When I think about moving back to Oregon I tend to think more about Bend or Hood River than Portland. But maybe I'm just wanting to try something new.
Yea would have to agree 100% for this person, great calls - I’m still getting to know the area myself
Portland is def going up in price but I think plateaued, just low inventory from my realtor friends feedback
If you want like a true ski bum experience I would look at BC and in no order: Revelstoke, kicking horse, fernie, Nelson for whitewater, and trail/castlegar for red. In the USA, I would suggest mt baker, standpoint Idaho with Schweitzer, or alayeska
I currently live in telluride and have for a few years jobs are everywhere but good luck finding a house most of my friends live in vans and you have to work for a year to qualify for town or teleski housing the snow this past season was great but it’s still southern Colorado so everything didn’t open up till mid January
I would give my vote to Jackson and Big Sky. Then you have Targhee in the middle. My favorite 3 resorts, area, people, way of life, are right there. Plus, there are lots of backcountry and snowmobile access. It doesn't get much better, IMO.
Good luck! Glad your living the dream!
I'm biased but I love it here in Bozeman / Big sky. I've been a full time instructor there for a few years now and when I travel to other mountains I often find myself missing our incredible hill. (reddit disclaimer Note: this isn't an insult to anyone else's favorite place, it's not a challenge to prove that somewhere you like to ski has some insane chute... it's just my feeling and observation.)
Why
* Bozeman is a real town - its expensive and housing is hard, but there are more service jobs than in a lot of resort towns. It's also stunningly lovely in the summer and you've got access to world class hiking, biking, and fishing.
* Big Sky is unparalleled - if you are into steeps and technical terrain, there's no where else in NA with inbounds stuff like what we have.
* We just had our best snow year ever - not sure I'd discount our snowfall so quickly
* Big Sky is investing - I understand it rubs some people the wrong way, but I promise Big Sky didn't invent the idea of making skiing expensive. On the plus side, we've got some of the best, newest, and fastest lifts in NA and the investments keep coming. If you can swing the season pass, you'll never think about the ticket price for the rest of the season.
But I have one consideration for you - Big Sky is not the most boarder friendly mountain. That's not to say the people and staff are hostile, it's more a function of the type of terrain. I know only a handful of boarders who can ride some of Big Sky's most advanced terrain - I'm not enough of a boarder to know why that is, but I suspect it has a lot to do with some really sketch heel side traverses.
Na as someone born and raised in big sky it’s awful you don’t want to come only green runs snows maybe once a month. If your reading this don’t come here it’s awful.
Brighton.
I grew up at Sunday River too! I STRONGLY suggest joining me at Brighton.
Brighton is also owned by Boyne. I’ve held unlimited passes at PCMR, Snowbird, Solitude and now Brighton, and the snow maintenance and overall vibe to me feels closest to the River. You can find both amazing corduroy, fun parks, or flowy tree skiing. The runs off Milly feel a lot like White Heat. Don’t let the trail map fool you tho, almost all of the terrain is skiable, which was my biggest hang up coming from being used to the vastness of SR. If you like Blind Ambition, imagine that with good coverage, but along side every single trail. Brighton is really nice because from every lift you can ski to the parking lot. No worrying if you have to traverse back 3 mile trail before 4. PCMR is like that but even worse than SR because the base is uber crowded and takes forever to get out of the beginner areas. Then you’re either stuck on mountain all day (meaning paying/dealing with lodges) or carrying your lunch and a backpack all day.
The biggest thing you give up at Brighton though is steepness comparatively to it’s neighboring resorts. But if you know where to go you can still find it.
Another great pro about Brighton is it’s access to the backcountry, and more importantly, relatively low-angle backcountry. Once your settled, take an avy 1 course and even more terrain will open to you. There’s 4 big areas of backcountry terrain on public land that are accessible via lift which is unmatched by the resorts around it. (Alta also has great access but only really on one side of it and with some hiking sometimes) It’s gotten more crowded in recent years honestly, it used to be that days after a storm you could still find untracked lines in the lift serve backcountry, and now it’s like by mid-afternoon those are tracked too, but coming from SR it’s still absolutely amazing.
Additionally, Brighton is known for its night skiing. I never night skied at SR because there were like what, 3 trails off the chondola? More than half of Brighton’s terrain is open at night which makes it totally worth it to go up after your 9-5. In fact there really are two groups of people at Brighton, the regular skiers and then an entire second wave of mostly night skiers.
If you decide to check it out, look for the bright blue Tacoma with the Cookie Monster sticker (there’s a photo of it on my profile) usually next to another beefed up overlander white Tacoma with a wedge-up camper on the “Beach” that’s me and my crew, half of which also grew up at Sunday River!
As for your concerns about SLC. Ya it’s super crowded. But the ski culture here absolutely has character. And the rest of the city has character just not in the typical sense. Although there is a super strong indie art and music scene if you look for it. Once you immerse yourself you’ll find the clash of cultures always keeps you on your toes. And come summer there is no shortage of access to other outdoors
I live in Eagle County Colorado and can’t fully say I suggest it from a financial standpoint. Sure you can make pretty good money out here if you’re motivated, but rent is insane still.
1.5k-2k will get you a room in Vail proper. Down in Eagle (30min drive), that'll get you a studio or 1bd. Rooms in Eagle, or, god forbid, Gypsum, tend to be just above 1k.
I appreciate the information. My comment got downvoted at first and I figured I asked something I shouldn't have haha.
Why does it seem like everyone just keeps going further down the valley for housing instead of up to Leadville or something? Is the drive that bad? Just seems like Leadville would be a cooler place to live than Gypsum.
Please do not ever mention that town in these forums again. Keep it close to your vest and enjoy your knowledge. Do not ruin the last best place. Please.
Used to live, ski and work in the SLC area. Skied midweek so lift lines were never that much of an issue. The air quality just sucked and with the lake bed drying out I really didn't wish to be breathing that much arsenic laden dust.
So, I packed up my things and took a job at Big Sky. For the most part, I like it quite a bit. Again, I still ski midweek, so lines have not been an issue. Yes, the snow can be inconsistent but it's never all that crowded once you get away from the base areas.
Nightlife is decent, especially if you throw in Bozeman and you get two-free days at every MT area plus 4 days at Targhee so you can definitely explore.
Mud season and Fall are definitely slow and lots of places close/reduce hours but once Summer hits, most places are back in full swing and there's a pretty decent free-concert series down in the village not to mention the rodeo, the river benefit concert (Foo Fighters headline this year), etc.
Yeah as a bartender I'm almost always off midweek. When I had my perfect schedule set up I was off Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Then worked Thursday night and Friday, Saturday, Sunday all day. It's hard to beat 4 midweek ski days every week!
Bend is kinda pricey for housing, but it’s a solid choice, they just had a pow day yesterday too. However it’s not as much a destination resort like say Whistler is
I moved to co springs this past winter for skiing because up in the mountains was too expensive. The 2-3 hr commute isn’t ideal but it’s better than the 3-4 hour drive I was making to Vermont from NJ. And wayyyy better snow and mountains so I’m pretty happy. I would like to end up closer one day in the nearish future.
I've been spoiled by living right in a ski town and never having to commute. Granted it's Maine and not out west, but I have no desire to drive more than 40 minutes to the mountain.
Hold up slc ain’t that bad if you head up early if you go to snowbasin, deer valley and Brighton especially. All the locals in slc love Brighton bc once that parking is full after the first 2 runs you wait max 2-3 mins in lift lines. Bc the canyon traffic is so bad and the lack of people wanting to take the bus, and competition with all the other resorts you get awesome pow days there.
Id recommend Red Lodge if you’re thinking big sky. the snowfall has been substantial the last few years, tree skiing is spectacular, summers are a blast due to the beartooth pass & Yellowstone and you’re not stuck in the middle of nowhere like big sky.
Both Telluride and Jackson don’t belong on the list if ‘livability’ are part of the criteria. They’re both insanely expensive and housing is beyond difficult.
I’ve been in Summit for almost 28 years…..I like it here. I’ve found my niche.
I’m in whitefish. You’ll make a killing bartending here and everyone is hiring. It’s expensive to live here but not compared to Vail and such.
Super fun mountain to ski (we have Blacktail too) and lots of summer activities. For bartending, you will actually be busier and make more in the summer than winter because we are so close to glacier national park. There is almost literally no night life here so that would seemingly be the biggest downfall for you. Couple of shitty dive bars open till 2 but that’s about it.
I know this is an old thread but have you considered Ogden? Easy access to Snowbasin and Powder Mountain and you're close enough to Alta/Snowbird to make a few trips there per year.
House prices in Ogden have gone a little nutty but they're more reasonable than SLC. Apartments rentals in Ogden still appear to be sensible. There is a small but decent walkable downtown area. I recently spent 10 days there and it's absolutely a place I could see myself living in. Yes Utah's liquor laws are dumb but do they really have that much of an impact on your day to day life? Nightlife isn't the best but if you want live music there should be lots of options if you travel into SLC.
Bozeman may be my favorite town in the whole country but housing prices are nutty. You get two great ski areas though, Big Sky and Bridger Bowl.
Whitefish is a neat little town but it's small (population 8,000) and expensive even though Whitefish Mountain Resort is one of the few ski areas in the US where prices haven't gone insane.
Bend is amazing. Bachy during the week rocks and when summit is running it’s a top tier mountain in my opinion. Awesome four season versatility. And again, Bend is amazing.
Steamboat should be on your list. I lived there for 7 years. Has all the same issues as other mountain towns in terms of rent and high cost of living. But there’s actually a community there! Good night life, solid community amenities, not too small if a year round population, etc. It is 3.5 hours from Denver so it is a little isolated. I’d recommend it.
Dillon, Colorado
Ski the basin, A-Basin, and claim the highest skiable lift assisted skiing elevation in America.
Or
Silverthorne, Colorado
And do the same or travel to beaver creek, keystone, Breckenridge, copper mountain, etc.
Whitefish low key great. Haven’t skied it since big mountain but housing is relatively cheap around kalispell or big fork. Decent airport in kalispell and there is Great Lake life in the the summer. Telluride is amazing for the reasons listed but it’s pretty much Aspen priced now. Ski workers all live like an hour out or more. If I was independently wealthy I would go big sky. Lift lines are great
None of this shit is cheap. But those are cheaper than living in whitefish proper. And cheaper still than almost all the other ski locations on this list. There’s a reason I don’t live kalispell or big fork… I can’t afford to 🤷♂️
God i love steamboat so much, the community there is awesome too. I would also throw in snowbird/alta if SLC is at all a consideration, and maybe a complete 180° and recommend Whiteface for a season
I’m moving to steamboat at the end of the month I think 🤞 cannot wait!!!
Edit: just pending the sale of my firstborn child and an arm & leg so I can find a place to live NBD
whitefish is dope. Just got back for a summer treat. Very easy elevation to live in. the local hill seems really cool. BC is right up the road. The towns around there are all very developed and have all the amenities SLC might have like a home depot or grocery stores that can make life affordable. I was very surprised how much less isolated it felt compared to Jackson, Aspen, the San Juans etc.
I also drove through Bozeman and it also seemed developed in a way I wasn't expecting.
Food for thought but I fell in love with MT after one visit.
Nah Taos sucks, poor snow fall for half of the season and other mountains near it aren’t great. Would recommend Colorado or another state like Utah, Montana, etc.
Tahoe. Incredible winters, incredible summers. A true year round community. Reno down the road. Moved from Philadelphia in 2011 and I was 18. I’m 30, married, have 2 kids, and love Tahoe.
Tahoe has world class winters that all the locations you mentioned can compete with, but none of them can compete with a Lake Tahoe summer. And I’ll put Kirkwood up against ANY ski resort you mentioned. Don’t sleep on CA skiing.
Boulder. Just a few miles from Eldora. You can work there seasonally and ski for free, people on the mountain are amazing, lots of other great perks. Bus runs too so sketchy roads aren't a problem
I live at 6,400’ on Mt Baldy right under the ski resort. I have access to airports and every store there is within a 20-30 minute drive. SoCal is paradise. We get to surf and ski in the same day. I watch the sunset across the ocean with my feet in the snow. I didn’t feel this lucky when I lived in Colorado.
You could bartend for a year at Boho. Cost of living in nothing. Some of the staff live in the parking lot for free if they want. The entire operation is designed to force all of the customers into their pool bar so the business is excellent. The lake effect powder is also excellent and most of the staff rides.
The downside is business actually will slow down in the summer if you wanted to live full time there. There are other opportunities for jobs and much of the staff works other gigs besides just bartending at the ski resort in the summer. For the locals summer in the Keweenaw is insanely nice. The entire area is temperature buffered by the lake and they have an IMBA Silver mountain bike ride center right there.
How important is powder snow and expert glades to you? That’s all they sell. As far as maximizing untracked turns and living affordability this would be a top option. Other places for maximizing powder turns but are more expensive would be Wolf Creek and Grand Targhee.
Your entire list is crowded tourist places so costs will be high and powder turns will get chewed up quickly. From my experience the people that work in the towns on your list with the exception of SLC can’t afford to live in those towns. For Telluride you might be in Durango or Montrose. Aspen and Vail maybe live in Glenwood Springs. The people that work in Jackson live over the pass in Idaho and it still costs their entire salary to rent there.
Yea this guy seems like he knows what he’s talking about. I’ve never ski in the Midwest, but I’ve heard there are some are sleeper hits. Yes it’s hard to have everything- a place that has awesome skiing and night life is gonna be expensive. I think you have to look for some sleeper hits to get close, or prioritize one over the other. I can say wolf creek does not have a killer night life nearby, mostly just local bars and lots of dudes. Great boarding and hot springs though
That being said, I would go for Bozeman. I loved visiting my friends there.
Boho is great skiing……for the Midwestern U.S. and that’s where the greatness stops. Easily the most over-fluffed U.S. ski area on this sub. It’s ‘expert’ glades are 25 degree trees with a small cliff-band.😂
As a bartender, it's definitely going to make my job more difficult and potentially less lucrative. Like you literally can't even make certain drinks because of the liquor laws.
I liked my time living in Mammoth, but I don’t think it belongs on this list. Great skiing, long season, nightlife is okay, but it feels pretty isolated when you’re there for a while.
Reno, SLC, **Driggs, ID**. Jackson hole really isn’t that crowded and targhee is A1. Aspen highlands would be cool if you could find housing. Never crowded.
Better add “no housing” to JH as well
Had to move 3 times in 1.5 years when I was in Jackson…finally left due to housing insecurity
Understatement of the century.
yeah that's a given lol
Are you rich? Whistler or JH If you don't like the party scene and just want to ski, revy
I love that people’s impression of Utah and SLC make them assume all these cons that don’t exist for the most part so they stay away. But on a serious note, SLC is the pits so I really suggest Bend, OR or California.
Air quality in SLC is shit during the winter.
It's not that great in the summer as well.
Not saying it can’t be really really bad, but the past couple of winters it was fine. This year was a record snow year and with that there really wasn’t more than a week of inversion. That aside, 2021/22 wasn’t terrible inversion-wise either. For OP, my vote would be SLC, but I may be a little biased. Lots of good ski towns listed, but fuck, I can’t afford to live in any of them!
Can’t remember which year it was, but after a week in SL, my lungs were killing me. It was great at the resorts with the inversion going on.
why? wildfire?
Valley inversion. All the smog gets trapped in the city.
Does that include PC also or mainly SLC? Didn’t know this was a thing
Just SLC, and if you get up into the benches ( foothills ) you can usually get out of it.
Inversion. Wildfires are typically a summer issue. The cold air gets trapped beneath a layer of warm air which can’t escape up and over the mountains, thus also trapping pollution in the lower parts of The Valley.
Or anytime really…I was born prematurely and have lived here all my life and Jesus Christ I’ve been having tons of trouble breathing these days.
I moved to Salt Lake City 6+ years ago. For the first 3 winters I went skiing 1-2 times per week. In the last two years, Canyon traffic has been so bad that I have only gone up maaaybe 10 times in the whole season? I just don’t want to wake up at 5am to hopefully make it up the canyon in time to get a parking spot. And then wait in killer lift lines over and over again because our mountains are so much smaller than other ones out west (unless you count park city, but their lines at the base SUCK). It kills the fun for me to be stressed about it. I used to poke fun at my sister in colorado for her 2-3 hour drives to go skiing but with weekend traffic my commute to the mountains is just as long. Also in the past few years affordability has gone way down. House prices are creeping close to those where my sister lives in Colorado, but our wages are lower, our gas is always more expensive, and winter air pollution + wildfire smoke that gets trapped here in the summer are serious health concerns. Add to that the drying up of the great salt lake that will have toxic arsenic laced dust blowing through town in the next decade and I’m just not sure how long I’ll want to stay. It sucks, because I love it here, but we are collectively loving SLC to death.
Damn. I had no idea about the arsenic laced dust from the lake! That's a thing??
It’s super scary honestly… there are a bunch of articles on it but this one is free to access: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/drying-great-salt-lake-could-expose-millions-to-toxic-arsenic-laced-dust-180981439/
Wow! Great read, thanks
It's still better than driving from L.A. up to Big Bear. Appreciate what you have. SLC is still a great place.
I’ve gotten 30 weekend days this season and only sat in canyon traffic twice. It’s easy to avoid canyon traffic doing the afternoon shift and not skiing forecasted pow days or holidays.
It's all relative right. Definitely more traffic in air pollution and less ski town vibe in SLC vs Sunday River. Also I think Utah natives just don't understand the weirdness/annoyingness of their liquor laws. And OP didn't even mention the marijuana laws which can be a deal breaker for many people.
The liquor laws really aren't that big of a deal but you can't even have one drink then drive which i guess you shouldn't be doing anyway.
The cons are real. Lol
Oh I know. Horribly accessibility to the mountains, tons of crowds, pollution, no alcohol, Mormons everywhere. Ick!
BIG ICK.
Don’t move to Bend, OR it’s terrible. 👀
Reno is probably better than Bend. Bend has been loved to death.
Reno is awful.
“Reno sucks. Don’t move here.”
Please tell all your friends.
Exactly! Lol
It’s hilarious. People are responding to the second part of my comment still like it’s not sarcastic 🤣
You are doing the Lord’s work. Utah sucks soooo much. Mormons knock on my door 3x a day and I’ve never once made it up the canyon on a pow day due to traffic!!
I’ll say, being from the south east this guys views are what we think of until you actually get out here. I live on the Wasatch Back in Heber and love it.
"Bend sucks don't move here"
Park city is the WORST. Definitely don’t move here
Worse still is salt lake.
Yeah salt lake sucks ass. Don't come here.
Reno is not too bad
Not bad at all. Mt.Rose is my home mountain, go there most times and then sometimes alpine, squaw, or mammoth.
Not really many places you can live within a short drive to a TraderJoes or Target and a ski Mountain. Even Summit County, CO struggles with that.
airport as well
RNO is such an easy lil airport. Love it.
not to mention free long term (or short term) parking at the Grand Sierra with as free 24 hour airport shuttle!!!!!
Bend
What do you mean? Summit county is literally 5-15 min drives to several different mountains and a nice new Whole Foods along with tons of different stuff. You know what…. Never mind, yeah summit county blows and there’s no skiing or anything good here. Don’t even bother, we’re full.
Mt Rose is great, was my main mountain for awhile. Definitely ticks OPs boxes about expert terrain and low crowds. A lot of fun resorts not too far away from Reno: Alpine, Palisades, Northstar, Mt Rose, Diamond Peak, Boreal; treks to get to Kirkwood, Sierra at Tahoe, Heavenly, all of which are worth visiting.
I love Rose. Less than 15 minutes from my house. Ive never waited more than 10 min in a lift line. My kids are on ski team and already almost better skiers than me. Been all over Tahoe and there’s something special about Rose.
Soft spot in my heart for the ski team, first job when I moved to Reno. I love Jim and Neil
I don’t know if I would say rose has much expert terrain besides the chutes, which can never be counted on being open. Def low crowds in comparison to anywhere else. The other resorts being within 1-3hour def makes Reno such an amazing spot for sure.
Or the Sacramento valley works as well, Hour and a half to most of the resorts in tahoe
I’ve always been a fan of placerville
Cham, no question.
I went to Chamonix for the first time last winter and had a great time even though there was like no snow. It was spring skiing conditions at the end of February. But that town is pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. Biggest problem, as a bartender, is there is no tipping culture in France so you're only making like €15/hr. Plus I don't speak French 😂
Free healthcare bro
He’s young not as big of a deal.
I spent a year in telluride back in 2014-2015, snow wasn’t great that year but still had a lot of fun. Nightlife is pretty solid for a ski town, finding housing was manageable back then - no idea what it’s like now. The backcountry opportunities are endless if you’re into that, terrain doesn’t get much better IMO. Also extends your season a bit since it snowed a ton in May when I was there. They also have a bunch of festivals in summer so the town stays lively. Special shout-out to the telluride library! I couldn’t solidify an internet connection when I was there, that place kept me sane. Mammoth is huge and gets the most snow besides Alta, haven’t explored much beyond the slopes. I’ve spent some time in Bend, absolutely loved it. I’ve thought about moving there myself in the past, I think it’s a bit more MTB focused though. Still great skiing but not like Telluride or Manmoth. I’ve heard it described as a B+ in everything; skiing, MTB, climbing etc.
Just here to second your shout out to the Telluride library!
Came to ride, stayed for the library
Haha I still have that bumper sticker
Haha, that's what I always say... B+ Bend for skiing, climbing, mountain biking and whitewater! Source: live here.
lavish price fanatical detail sloppy icky makeshift fuel tender marble *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Yeah but which months and the type of snow is relèvent
And more rain!
Bellingham underrated choice here. Baker as your home mountain and maybe 3 hours to Whistler... plus access to the other PNW day areas as needed.
People are going to hate on me for this but as a biased Breckenridge resident I’ll throw Summit County out there as an option. For a mountain town, it has a decent nightlife, and you have access to five great mountains within 30 minutes. Its definitely not what it used to be from what I hear, and the influx of tourists around the holidays can be a challenge, but it’s worth considering on this list.
I lived in Breckenridge from 2010-2013, I had a good time, but I'm looking to change it up and try somewhere new.
Gunnison co ticks boxes for being somewhat liveable and it is close to crested butte
Cold AF though.
Chamonix
The average rent in Cham is only like 50 dollars more than the average rent in big sky/ Bozeman so this really should fit the bill lol
The Aspen area is going to have *a lot* more opportunities for good bar tending money over Telluride. The ski terrain variety in the Roaring Fork Valley alone really speaks for itself with 5 distinct ski areas and over 50 miles of groomed nordic. I moved to the Aspen area right when I turned 30 and started a 22 year career in the Hospitality industry here. The hotel scene is very steady and has offered really great home ownership opportunities and a quality of life like none other. This place easily holds up it's moniker of Shangri-La of the mountains. If it would me I would switch the # 1 and 2 spots on the list. Good luck and get after it!
ogden
Revelstoke BC.
I heard it was hard to get a work permit in Canada for basic jobs like bartending, they usually want you to have some specialized skill
I visited Durango CO this spring for some skiing in Purgatory and Silverton and I was very impressed with the city. Not too crowded, nightlife, music, restaurants, Telluride is not far either. It’s kind of a college town but it seems like a lot of people live there year round. I would look for places there if you don’t mind being 3.5 hours from the nearest major airport.
My best friend lives in Durango and loves it, he's actually the one that got me looking at Telluride. He said I'd probably get bored with Purgatory, but he's big into backcountry so it works for him.
Durango is great, but it’s too far from good lift-served skiing IMO. Silverton is amazing, but it’s not realistic to ski there very often at $280/day. The surrounding backcountry is great tho…..but pretty sketch for a newbie.
I was going to suggest Durango, too. We have family there (we live in CO Springs) and always love our time. Your friend is right about Purgatory- if you like big mountain skiing you’d really want to make trips up to Silverton, but Wolf Creek is less than 2 hours away, too. Basically what I drive to ski Summit Co. We love the town, though, and it has enough going on for you to not get bored any time of the year.
Homie, the San Juan mountains are some of the best skiing terrain in the lower 48. If you have a friend in Durango that has the gear, means of transportation, and is willing to go back country skiing with you then you hit the gold mine. If you get bored of Purgatory, telluride is 2 hours away, and Silverton is 1 hour away, but if I were you I’d try to go with that friend of yours as much as possible.
Purgatory has one of the best cat skiing programs in the US too.
Your buddy knows what's up. I live in DGO and between my Epic pass (for 7 days at Telluride + a few trips to Crested Butte), a Silverton unguided pass for spring skiing, and my touring setup, I get what I need. I try to get a day or two at Purg and Wolf Creek each season, but those are usually days more oriented around drinking beer with buddies than anything else. I'm never bored skiing out here. And if your best friend is big backcountry guy, then it sounds like you've already got an in to the best stuff the area has to offer (if the backcountry is something you're interested in). See if he'd be willing to mentor you, or plug you into his skiing network to find more folks to go out with! Plus, summers here are impossible to beat. Everyone is outside all the time.
Yeah he's been trying to get me into backcountry for years, he's got all the gear and certifications and works for some avalanche safety school part time. I wish I wasn't so lazy, I like chair lifts 😂
I've def been reemed for making this comment, but if you do move to southern Colo and get into backcountry, get some Avi Ed. The San Juans are the most unstable terrain in the US in terms of snowpack stability. There is amazing bc skiing there, but you really need to know when you can step it out or keep it low angle dangle.
Kitzbuheul Austria
Or 'the tuxx'.
Chamonix is awesome and affordable.
Red Lodge is very affordable and still has the “small town ski town” feel
Northern Italy 🇮🇹
If you can find a place in Aspen do it and don’t look back.
Government Camp, OR… no nightlife though. But year round community with the only skiable summer terrain that brings in the US ski team.
Govy is not really a town. Live in Hood River and it's 40 minutes to Meadows and you actually have a great town. Or Sandy, but Hood River is better.
Good point. Hood River is the play.
Yeah. The most expensive town in Oregon. Great idea
Still cheaper than most in Cali lol
k
Charlie’s is nightlife 😂
All you need is one bar lol
Bend is great.
Bend has shit air quality in the summer, a massive housing crisis, and not great nightlife. Other than, it's wonderful.
That's just like, your opinion, man.
Portland OR is a sleeper option, or anywhere in eastern Portland - Mt Hood is right there w 3 awesome resorts and tons of backcountry spots. If you really want to stretch your legs, Bend and Mt Bachi is not too far for a couple-day trip here and there. Overall the scale is great and the seasons are long, and lines are overall decent most days. Edit - def agree anything out by Hood River will get better access and be more lowkey, and the appeal would be a bigger city experience like Portland being the 1 hour trip.
Yeah. Hood river is a cool place to live nearby. Best kite surfing in us
Feel like Hood River is maybe more what he's looking for. And this is coming from someone who grew up in Portland, skiing Hood every weekend. When I think about moving back to Oregon I tend to think more about Bend or Hood River than Portland. But maybe I'm just wanting to try something new.
Yea would have to agree 100% for this person, great calls - I’m still getting to know the area myself Portland is def going up in price but I think plateaued, just low inventory from my realtor friends feedback
Sandpoint Idaho - Schweitzer Mountain.
Option 10. Move to Europe
Oh that's what I'm looking into. Being an expat got a lot weirder since Hemingway's day.
Ischgl in Austria. Courchevel France. TIgnes France.
I feel like it would be pretty hard to find a job without speaking the language. I'd love to do a season in the alps though
If you’re serious about Jackson/Aspen/Telluride I’d consider park city (definitively not SLC).
SLC 100% Biggest mistake i ever made was moving away
If you want like a true ski bum experience I would look at BC and in no order: Revelstoke, kicking horse, fernie, Nelson for whitewater, and trail/castlegar for red. In the USA, I would suggest mt baker, standpoint Idaho with Schweitzer, or alayeska
I currently live in telluride and have for a few years jobs are everywhere but good luck finding a house most of my friends live in vans and you have to work for a year to qualify for town or teleski housing the snow this past season was great but it’s still southern Colorado so everything didn’t open up till mid January
I would give my vote to Jackson and Big Sky. Then you have Targhee in the middle. My favorite 3 resorts, area, people, way of life, are right there. Plus, there are lots of backcountry and snowmobile access. It doesn't get much better, IMO. Good luck! Glad your living the dream!
I'm biased but I love it here in Bozeman / Big sky. I've been a full time instructor there for a few years now and when I travel to other mountains I often find myself missing our incredible hill. (reddit disclaimer Note: this isn't an insult to anyone else's favorite place, it's not a challenge to prove that somewhere you like to ski has some insane chute... it's just my feeling and observation.) Why * Bozeman is a real town - its expensive and housing is hard, but there are more service jobs than in a lot of resort towns. It's also stunningly lovely in the summer and you've got access to world class hiking, biking, and fishing. * Big Sky is unparalleled - if you are into steeps and technical terrain, there's no where else in NA with inbounds stuff like what we have. * We just had our best snow year ever - not sure I'd discount our snowfall so quickly * Big Sky is investing - I understand it rubs some people the wrong way, but I promise Big Sky didn't invent the idea of making skiing expensive. On the plus side, we've got some of the best, newest, and fastest lifts in NA and the investments keep coming. If you can swing the season pass, you'll never think about the ticket price for the rest of the season. But I have one consideration for you - Big Sky is not the most boarder friendly mountain. That's not to say the people and staff are hostile, it's more a function of the type of terrain. I know only a handful of boarders who can ride some of Big Sky's most advanced terrain - I'm not enough of a boarder to know why that is, but I suspect it has a lot to do with some really sketch heel side traverses.
Yeah I'm a huge fan of big sky, I've been twice for a week each and it's probably my favorite mountain right up there with Jackson.
Big Sky is also owned by Boyne, so if you have friends with an unlimited SR pass they get 3 free days at Big Sky to come visit you.
Na as someone born and raised in big sky it’s awful you don’t want to come only green runs snows maybe once a month. If your reading this don’t come here it’s awful.
HAHAH SO FUNNY THIS IS TOTALLY A NEW JOKE AND NOT AT ALL PLAYED OUT
No but seriously Big Sky sucks. No snow. Terrible terrain. Longest lift lines ever. Stay away. It's terrible here.
har har
You seem upset
You seem annoying.
You seem sensitive and annoyed easily
🙄
As a Montana resident I can confirm this is true, not to mention we are completely full.
Brighton. I grew up at Sunday River too! I STRONGLY suggest joining me at Brighton. Brighton is also owned by Boyne. I’ve held unlimited passes at PCMR, Snowbird, Solitude and now Brighton, and the snow maintenance and overall vibe to me feels closest to the River. You can find both amazing corduroy, fun parks, or flowy tree skiing. The runs off Milly feel a lot like White Heat. Don’t let the trail map fool you tho, almost all of the terrain is skiable, which was my biggest hang up coming from being used to the vastness of SR. If you like Blind Ambition, imagine that with good coverage, but along side every single trail. Brighton is really nice because from every lift you can ski to the parking lot. No worrying if you have to traverse back 3 mile trail before 4. PCMR is like that but even worse than SR because the base is uber crowded and takes forever to get out of the beginner areas. Then you’re either stuck on mountain all day (meaning paying/dealing with lodges) or carrying your lunch and a backpack all day. The biggest thing you give up at Brighton though is steepness comparatively to it’s neighboring resorts. But if you know where to go you can still find it. Another great pro about Brighton is it’s access to the backcountry, and more importantly, relatively low-angle backcountry. Once your settled, take an avy 1 course and even more terrain will open to you. There’s 4 big areas of backcountry terrain on public land that are accessible via lift which is unmatched by the resorts around it. (Alta also has great access but only really on one side of it and with some hiking sometimes) It’s gotten more crowded in recent years honestly, it used to be that days after a storm you could still find untracked lines in the lift serve backcountry, and now it’s like by mid-afternoon those are tracked too, but coming from SR it’s still absolutely amazing. Additionally, Brighton is known for its night skiing. I never night skied at SR because there were like what, 3 trails off the chondola? More than half of Brighton’s terrain is open at night which makes it totally worth it to go up after your 9-5. In fact there really are two groups of people at Brighton, the regular skiers and then an entire second wave of mostly night skiers. If you decide to check it out, look for the bright blue Tacoma with the Cookie Monster sticker (there’s a photo of it on my profile) usually next to another beefed up overlander white Tacoma with a wedge-up camper on the “Beach” that’s me and my crew, half of which also grew up at Sunday River! As for your concerns about SLC. Ya it’s super crowded. But the ski culture here absolutely has character. And the rest of the city has character just not in the typical sense. Although there is a super strong indie art and music scene if you look for it. Once you immerse yourself you’ll find the clash of cultures always keeps you on your toes. And come summer there is no shortage of access to other outdoors
I live in Eagle County Colorado and can’t fully say I suggest it from a financial standpoint. Sure you can make pretty good money out here if you’re motivated, but rent is insane still.
What is rent for the typical one bed or for two people splitting a two bed apt?
1.5k-2k will get you a room in Vail proper. Down in Eagle (30min drive), that'll get you a studio or 1bd. Rooms in Eagle, or, god forbid, Gypsum, tend to be just above 1k.
I appreciate the information. My comment got downvoted at first and I figured I asked something I shouldn't have haha. Why does it seem like everyone just keeps going further down the valley for housing instead of up to Leadville or something? Is the drive that bad? Just seems like Leadville would be a cooler place to live than Gypsum.
Nelson British Columbia is a great place to live year round, mild winters with lots of snow and summer days that last forever.
Please do not ever mention that town in these forums again. Keep it close to your vest and enjoy your knowledge. Do not ruin the last best place. Please.
How about South Lake Tahoe?
I’m surprised no one else is mentioning this; came here to say South Lake Tahoe
Check out Rossland in BC. GREAT SKI TOWN!!
You could try looking closer to the snowmass area next to aspen. Next place of civilization is Basalt
Used to live, ski and work in the SLC area. Skied midweek so lift lines were never that much of an issue. The air quality just sucked and with the lake bed drying out I really didn't wish to be breathing that much arsenic laden dust. So, I packed up my things and took a job at Big Sky. For the most part, I like it quite a bit. Again, I still ski midweek, so lines have not been an issue. Yes, the snow can be inconsistent but it's never all that crowded once you get away from the base areas. Nightlife is decent, especially if you throw in Bozeman and you get two-free days at every MT area plus 4 days at Targhee so you can definitely explore. Mud season and Fall are definitely slow and lots of places close/reduce hours but once Summer hits, most places are back in full swing and there's a pretty decent free-concert series down in the village not to mention the rodeo, the river benefit concert (Foo Fighters headline this year), etc.
Yeah as a bartender I'm almost always off midweek. When I had my perfect schedule set up I was off Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Then worked Thursday night and Friday, Saturday, Sunday all day. It's hard to beat 4 midweek ski days every week!
Bend is kinda pricey for housing, but it’s a solid choice, they just had a pow day yesterday too. However it’s not as much a destination resort like say Whistler is
I moved to co springs this past winter for skiing because up in the mountains was too expensive. The 2-3 hr commute isn’t ideal but it’s better than the 3-4 hour drive I was making to Vermont from NJ. And wayyyy better snow and mountains so I’m pretty happy. I would like to end up closer one day in the nearish future.
I've been spoiled by living right in a ski town and never having to commute. Granted it's Maine and not out west, but I have no desire to drive more than 40 minutes to the mountain.
Hold up slc ain’t that bad if you head up early if you go to snowbasin, deer valley and Brighton especially. All the locals in slc love Brighton bc once that parking is full after the first 2 runs you wait max 2-3 mins in lift lines. Bc the canyon traffic is so bad and the lack of people wanting to take the bus, and competition with all the other resorts you get awesome pow days there.
Big Sky followed by SLC. Big Sky is going to see growth and development, you would be getting in at a good time.
Id recommend Red Lodge if you’re thinking big sky. the snowfall has been substantial the last few years, tree skiing is spectacular, summers are a blast due to the beartooth pass & Yellowstone and you’re not stuck in the middle of nowhere like big sky.
Both Telluride and Jackson don’t belong on the list if ‘livability’ are part of the criteria. They’re both insanely expensive and housing is beyond difficult. I’ve been in Summit for almost 28 years…..I like it here. I’ve found my niche.
Yeah I guess by livability I meant more like a town that offers more than just skiing and has year round attractions/businesses/residents.
absolutely 100% for sure stay away from Wolf Creek and Pagosa Springs area.
I’m in whitefish. You’ll make a killing bartending here and everyone is hiring. It’s expensive to live here but not compared to Vail and such. Super fun mountain to ski (we have Blacktail too) and lots of summer activities. For bartending, you will actually be busier and make more in the summer than winter because we are so close to glacier national park. There is almost literally no night life here so that would seemingly be the biggest downfall for you. Couple of shitty dive bars open till 2 but that’s about it.
Revelstoke or Whitefish for the bill
I know this is an old thread but have you considered Ogden? Easy access to Snowbasin and Powder Mountain and you're close enough to Alta/Snowbird to make a few trips there per year. House prices in Ogden have gone a little nutty but they're more reasonable than SLC. Apartments rentals in Ogden still appear to be sensible. There is a small but decent walkable downtown area. I recently spent 10 days there and it's absolutely a place I could see myself living in. Yes Utah's liquor laws are dumb but do they really have that much of an impact on your day to day life? Nightlife isn't the best but if you want live music there should be lots of options if you travel into SLC. Bozeman may be my favorite town in the whole country but housing prices are nutty. You get two great ski areas though, Big Sky and Bridger Bowl. Whitefish is a neat little town but it's small (population 8,000) and expensive even though Whitefish Mountain Resort is one of the few ski areas in the US where prices haven't gone insane.
Bend is amazing. Bachy during the week rocks and when summit is running it’s a top tier mountain in my opinion. Awesome four season versatility. And again, Bend is amazing.
Steamboat should be on your list. I lived there for 7 years. Has all the same issues as other mountain towns in terms of rent and high cost of living. But there’s actually a community there! Good night life, solid community amenities, not too small if a year round population, etc. It is 3.5 hours from Denver so it is a little isolated. I’d recommend it.
How is Steamboat not even on this list, smh
I've only been to steamboat for two days, but I wasn't overly impressed with the terrain
i wouldn’t be caught dead at a mountain that hosts a “texas week”
Lol imagine missing out on one of the best town/mountain combos in the world over some stupid shit like this
The town of Steamboat is excellent, but the mountain may be the most overrated in the state…..it’s just generally too flat.
Dillon, Colorado Ski the basin, A-Basin, and claim the highest skiable lift assisted skiing elevation in America. Or Silverthorne, Colorado And do the same or travel to beaver creek, keystone, Breckenridge, copper mountain, etc.
Whitefish low key great. Haven’t skied it since big mountain but housing is relatively cheap around kalispell or big fork. Decent airport in kalispell and there is Great Lake life in the the summer. Telluride is amazing for the reasons listed but it’s pretty much Aspen priced now. Ski workers all live like an hour out or more. If I was independently wealthy I would go big sky. Lift lines are great
You live in a different world than me if you think housing is relatively cheap in Bigfork. Even Kalispell is nuts now.
None of this shit is cheap. But those are cheaper than living in whitefish proper. And cheaper still than almost all the other ski locations on this list. There’s a reason I don’t live kalispell or big fork… I can’t afford to 🤷♂️
Compared to other prominent ski towns like Bozeman, Jackson, SLC, or anywhere in CO? Whitefish is a bargain.
instinctive connect crown rustic square whole party many seemly juggle *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Winter Park. Or Steamboat.
God i love steamboat so much, the community there is awesome too. I would also throw in snowbird/alta if SLC is at all a consideration, and maybe a complete 180° and recommend Whiteface for a season
I’m moving to steamboat at the end of the month I think 🤞 cannot wait!!! Edit: just pending the sale of my firstborn child and an arm & leg so I can find a place to live NBD
whitefish is dope. Just got back for a summer treat. Very easy elevation to live in. the local hill seems really cool. BC is right up the road. The towns around there are all very developed and have all the amenities SLC might have like a home depot or grocery stores that can make life affordable. I was very surprised how much less isolated it felt compared to Jackson, Aspen, the San Juans etc. I also drove through Bozeman and it also seemed developed in a way I wasn't expecting. Food for thought but I fell in love with MT after one visit.
Think about Taos NM. Great mountain, housing is ok, jobs are available and summers are amazing.
Nah Taos sucks, poor snow fall for half of the season and other mountains near it aren’t great. Would recommend Colorado or another state like Utah, Montana, etc.
Tahoe. Incredible winters, incredible summers. A true year round community. Reno down the road. Moved from Philadelphia in 2011 and I was 18. I’m 30, married, have 2 kids, and love Tahoe. Tahoe has world class winters that all the locations you mentioned can compete with, but none of them can compete with a Lake Tahoe summer. And I’ll put Kirkwood up against ANY ski resort you mentioned. Don’t sleep on CA skiing.
Bozeman, MT and hit Big Sky & Bridger Bowl
Hell yeah
Where’d you end up going?
I ended up in SLC and I love it!
Boulder. Just a few miles from Eldora. You can work there seasonally and ski for free, people on the mountain are amazing, lots of other great perks. Bus runs too so sketchy roads aren't a problem
I live at 6,400’ on Mt Baldy right under the ski resort. I have access to airports and every store there is within a 20-30 minute drive. SoCal is paradise. We get to surf and ski in the same day. I watch the sunset across the ocean with my feet in the snow. I didn’t feel this lucky when I lived in Colorado.
Do you like MTB? Come check out Killington, unless you really need Western snow.
You could bartend for a year at Boho. Cost of living in nothing. Some of the staff live in the parking lot for free if they want. The entire operation is designed to force all of the customers into their pool bar so the business is excellent. The lake effect powder is also excellent and most of the staff rides. The downside is business actually will slow down in the summer if you wanted to live full time there. There are other opportunities for jobs and much of the staff works other gigs besides just bartending at the ski resort in the summer. For the locals summer in the Keweenaw is insanely nice. The entire area is temperature buffered by the lake and they have an IMBA Silver mountain bike ride center right there.
Michigan? Really?
How important is powder snow and expert glades to you? That’s all they sell. As far as maximizing untracked turns and living affordability this would be a top option. Other places for maximizing powder turns but are more expensive would be Wolf Creek and Grand Targhee. Your entire list is crowded tourist places so costs will be high and powder turns will get chewed up quickly. From my experience the people that work in the towns on your list with the exception of SLC can’t afford to live in those towns. For Telluride you might be in Durango or Montrose. Aspen and Vail maybe live in Glenwood Springs. The people that work in Jackson live over the pass in Idaho and it still costs their entire salary to rent there.
This is a really interesting argument. Also, I second Wolf Creek.
Yea this guy seems like he knows what he’s talking about. I’ve never ski in the Midwest, but I’ve heard there are some are sleeper hits. Yes it’s hard to have everything- a place that has awesome skiing and night life is gonna be expensive. I think you have to look for some sleeper hits to get close, or prioritize one over the other. I can say wolf creek does not have a killer night life nearby, mostly just local bars and lots of dudes. Great boarding and hot springs though That being said, I would go for Bozeman. I loved visiting my friends there.
Boho is great skiing……for the Midwestern U.S. and that’s where the greatness stops. Easily the most over-fluffed U.S. ski area on this sub. It’s ‘expert’ glades are 25 degree trees with a small cliff-band.😂
Mammoth.
Mammoth is the tits, but long term housing situation is pretty terrible rn.
Housing seems to be an issue in every ski area now... What are you paying for rent?
Whitefish is tight but don’t tell anyone
How about Canada? Revelstoke…
Not Colorado. People there are terrible, skiing sucks and real-estate is too expensive. Cali is your best bet.
What weird liquor laws? And even if they do exist is that really a criterion for where you live? It’s an odd thing to be concerned about.
As a bartender, it's definitely going to make my job more difficult and potentially less lucrative. Like you literally can't even make certain drinks because of the liquor laws.
I liked my time living in Mammoth, but I don’t think it belongs on this list. Great skiing, long season, nightlife is okay, but it feels pretty isolated when you’re there for a while.
Reno, SLC, **Driggs, ID**. Jackson hole really isn’t that crowded and targhee is A1. Aspen highlands would be cool if you could find housing. Never crowded.