Recommendations for Early Season Bachelor Party?

[ZMan17]

Hi all - long-time NY ski blog lurker but first-time poster! I'm getting married next January and looking to set the contours of my bachelor party. I ideally want to do a ski trip somewhere out West (flexible on which state) in either the latter half of November or the first half of December. The group (about 8-10 people with myself included) has varying skill levels. Myself and a few others can ski anything, while others are beginners or might not do anything beyond blues.

Would y'all have thoughts on which resorts in the early part of next season would be most likely to have (1) the most terrain open overall and (2) open terrain of all difficulties? I know places like Loveland, A-Basin, and Mammoth usually open early but don't know what kind of trails open first or where else to look.

Also would appreciate any thoughts anyone has about lodging or travel for any good early-season targets!

 

[DomB]

Hi all - long-time NY ski blog lurker but first-time poster! I'm getting married next January and looking to set the contours of my bachelor party. I ideally want to do a ski trip somewhere out West (flexible on which state) in either the latter half of November or the first half of December. The group (about 8-10 people with myself included) has varying skill levels. Myself and a few others can ski anything, while others are beginners or might not do anything beyond blues.

Would y'all have thoughts on which resorts in the early part of next season would be most likely to have (1) the most terrain open overall and (2) open terrain of all difficulties? I know places like Loveland, A-Basin, and Mammoth usually open early but don't know what kind of trails open first or where else to look.

Also would appreciate any thoughts anyone has about lodging or travel for any good early-season targets!

My wild somewhat educated guess is a ski resort in the Rockies west of the Conte tail divide including Breck (vail I think) and Copper (ikon). I thinks some of the places you mentioned are near there.

Breck has a social scene right off the mountain. Copper it is a 10-15 minute drive which I would imagine you don’t want to make.

Congratulations!!!

 

[Ripitz]

If you have a solid crew you can have fun anywhere. These goofballs went on a raft to ski trip.

 

[MarzNC]

Congrats!

For mid-December I have a suggestion if better ski conditions is a priority. My primary ski buddies and I checked out assorted destination resorts in early to mid-December (separate trips). Collectively we skied 1-5 days each at Jackson Hole, Grand Targhee, Alta, Steamboat, and Winter Park. We are advanced skiers who have been doing trips out west together since 2014. Three of us are retired and the other is still working full-time. Three of us are married to non-skiing spouses.

For open terrain around the week of Dec. 11, my ski buddies and I have settled on Wolf Creek Ski Area (WCSA) for our annual early season meet up for a week of skiing to shake off the rust. WCSA has been 100% open that week for the past three years. Dec 2021 and Dec 2023 were low snow situations in Colorado and other parts of the Rockies. There were places we opted not to ski in the trees or bowls even with rock skis, but for the more mellow advanced terrain there wasn't any reason not to have fun after a storm.

WCSA has terrain for all levels. In Dec 2022 the group included my BIL, who is a cautious intermediate (learned as an adult), and his high school classmate (both over 65) who hadn't skied in five years and still uses straight skis technique, even in powder. They both had a good time. WCSA has good green trails too. What's new and wasn't quite open a month ago is a chairlift that only serves lower mountain green terrain where advanced skiers will have no reason to go.

Note that my crew opt to stay in South Fork, a tiny town on the same side of Wolf Creek Pass as WCSA. Pagosa Springs is a livelier town but if there is a snowstorm then making the drive can be stressful and it's always possible that the pass is closed for a day or so. There are a number of larger houses for rent on VRBO in South Fork. Most are managed by Vacasa so can consider renting directly from Vacasa.

 

[Harvey]

ski trip somewhere out West (flexible on which state) in either the latter half of November or the first half of December.

Calling @TonyC

Tony will have the numbers for this. The odds of good conditions in each part of the west for a specific time of year.

You could still go wrong, but it's worth hearing his input.

 

[PA Ice]

For a western Bachelor Party the best options are Breck, Vail and Park City. This is simple. You want to do some skiing and have some fun. For early season resorts with temperatures and snowmaking fire power these resorts can provide it as well as provide night life.

For an east coast bachelor party ski trip it’s Mt. Tremblant. Hands down. Proximity to Montreal as well as snow making and off hill activities nothing else on east coast compares.

 

[Mike]

Congratulations! This sounds like a great idea, I dunno, Steamboat? They get good early season snow and have a lot of easier terrain.....

 

[tirolski]

Whatabout Reno+Sierras?
Place is almost built for it.

 

[Brownski]

Killington is the clear choice. Don’t make all your friends buy plane tickets.

 

[Adirondack Johnny]

Best thing you could do is go early January for better conditions and stay off any roofs.