Brad Tuttle, who wrote "In Search of the Perfect Ski Village" in the November issue of Budget Travel magazine, will be online to answer your questions about planning a ski vacation. Brad answered your questions Tuesday, October 26, at 12pm EST. Brad Tuttle is Associate Editor at Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine. He grew as a good Catholic boy in northern New Jersey and received a degree in English from Villanova University in 1995. After college, he drove cross-country, did the “backpack Europe” thing for several months, then moved to Colorado for a year of volunteering at a homeless shelter, interspersed with snowboarding, camping, and hiking when opportunities arose. Returning to the East Coast, he went to work at STA Travel’s Greenwich Village office, where he met his future wife. He left STA for a series of newspaper jobs in New Jersey, and in 2000 received a graduate degree in journalism at Columbia University. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Newsday, and American History, among other publications, and has been a part of the AFBT team since April 2001.
Click here to read Brad's article on skiing.
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Brad Tuttle: OK folks, let's get started. Someone was nice enough to turn down the heat in my office to get me in the spirit for our chat on skiing. Let the questions begin.
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Wellington, FL: Tell me about The Canyons, Utah.
Brad Tuttle: Let’s start with the terrain: it’s the biggest of the resorts in the Park City area, 3500 acres, 3000-plus vertical rise, which is pretty darn huge. Overall the terrain isn’t as challenging as Snowbird or Alta (Canyons doesn’t get as much snow as them either), but an expert skier will probably have more fun at Canyons than he or she would at Park City or Deer Valley, which are flooded with cruisers that are perfect for intermediates. Canyons’ trails are spread out over a bunch of different peaks, and it’s not all that easy to bop back and forth between them. As for the resort area around the Canyons, they’re totally going for the upscale market, copycatting the Deer Valley-country club type atmosphere. There are a few ritzy hotels and restaurants right at the Canyons, but most of the action is a few miles away in Park City. Most people stay right around Park City, and in the course of a week ski there, the Canyons, and manage to dip over to Snowbird, Alta, Solitude, Snowbasin, Brighton, or another of the greater Salt Lake City ski resorts. They’re all within about an hour of the airport, they’re all blessed with great snow, and each has a little different personality.
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Fairfield, CT: What are your thoughts on a summer ski trip to New Zealand? Is the skiing there worth the long flight and travel expenses?
Brad Tuttle: I love, love, love New Zealand, went there on my honeymoon a couple years ago, and even went skiing. That said, I wouldn't go there just to go skiing. You're from the East Coast, so the airfare alone would cost over $1,000. The skiing is decent, and can be great at times, though the snow is generally not as reliable as in Colorado or Utah. Most of the ski resorts are just little old school ski associations, with a lodge resembling a mobile home at the bottom. It's just skiing, no glitz, no "resort" for the most part. Queenstown is probably the area you'd want to go to, with a half-dozen or so ski hills within an hour. That said, if skiing is just part of the reason you want to go to New Zealand, go for it. Don't bother with bringing your ski gear either. Most ski hills will rent you skis, boots, poles, even ski pants and jackets if you need them. Plus, you can rent all that gear, pay for a lift ticket and lunch for less than what a lift ticket alone costs at many ski resorts in the U.S.
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St. Paul, MN: Hi Brad! My father was an avid skier until his eyesight started to fail. I've hear that some ski resorts offer ski guides for blink skiers (he's almost blind at this point). Any idea how I can find out more about these types of programs?
Brad Tuttle: Here are a few sources: www.dsusa.org (disabled sports association); ussa.org (U.S. ski association); and usaba.org (blind sports association). They should all have good recommendations for your father. They have some great programs out there these days. Good luck!
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Boston, MA: I look for the ski area with the best consistent snow without snowmaking, such as Alta and Snowbird. What area in Europe would you recommend?
Brad Tuttle: Europe can be iffy. Friends of mine hit St. Moritz in mid-January a couple years back and there wasn't a snowflake to be found. You never know with the snow, and no one wants to go all the way over to Europe just to ski on man-made snow they could have found in Killington or Stratton. In Europe as in the U.S., altitude is the key for making sure you'll have good snow (and even with the higher resorts, nothing's guaranteed). So the safest bet is the resort with high elevation, and a big vertical drop. Even if the village is all brown, the mountain will at least be white on top. Try Zermatt in Switzerland, Chamonix, in France, and just over the border from Chamonix in Italy, Courmayeur.
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Houston, TX: What ski areas do you recommend that are affordable for the New Year's holiday weekend.
Brad Tuttle: This is always a popular question, and no one ever likes the answer. There are no ski deals during the Christmas-New Year’s period. The one exception is if a resort doesn’t have snow – then they’ll wheel and deal, but why would you want to go if they don’t have good snow? Another question mentioned a condo for 4 people in Squaw Valley costs $600 a night, and there’s a 5-night minimum around that time. Sounds fairly typical to me. Lots of restaurants and bars in ski towns have New Year’s parties, and to get in you have to pay of cover of $50 and up. You’ll always pay less if you aren’t slopeside. Renting a condo 15 or 20 minutes from the slopes could easily cut your lodging bill in half. (Still, even these condos will be charging their highest rates of the year during the Christmas-New Year’s time.) If you really want to go then, book early (like now). That goes for lodging and airfare – both are going to cost you. The other route is to go skiing at the mountains that don’t really have a big village at the bottom. These places – I’m thinking of “day resorts” such as Wolf Creek, CO, and Powder Mountain, UT specifically – aren’t “destination resorts” so they don’t pull in skiers from around the country during this time period. But again, you’ll obviously have to stay a little bit away from the lifts. Yet another option: head north, to Canada, where the exchange rate helps brings costs down a little. Whistler is about as expensive as most places in the U.S., so for value I really like the resorts in British Columbia’s Okanagan area (Big White, Silver Star). You fly into Vancouver and the drive to the Okanagan’s not too bad. Go to www.hellobc.com for more info about skiing there. If your kids don’t go back to school until mid-January, it’s a no-brainer: hit the slopes after New Year’s, from say Jan 4-10. Things will cost less and slopes will be far less crowded.
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Towson, MD: Hi, Where would be the best place (domestically or internationally) to and learn how to snowboard? I'm in my mid-twenties, very athletic and looking to add a winter sport to my collection of other athletic pursuits.
Brad Tuttle: Wherever's convenient. All you need to learn to snowboard is a gently sloping hill and snow, simple as that. I learned how to ride on the hills of a farm in Vermont, and at a little hill by a grade school in New Jersey. I'm not recommending you do either of those, but there's no sense in paying big bucks for a huge resort when all you're going to use is the little baby hill. If you're athletic and can take a beating for a couple days, you'll pick up snowboarding right away. Take a lesson, get a few pointers, then go off and play. If you want a really good ski school (or snowboard school, as it is), some places are more geared for boarding than others. Stratton in Vermont has a good rep (and they even have a free bunny lift, which is great, considering their lift tix are over $70).
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Albany, NY: What is the cheapest way to go on a European ski vacation with 2 children (ages 6 and 8). They're good skiers so that isn't a problem.
Brad Tuttle: Go with a package that includes air, transfers, lodging, and lift tickets. For a family sharing the same room, you can often pay $600-$800 a person for a full week, and it's almost always cheaper than trying to do it yourself. Try www.ski-europe.com, www.adventuresonskis.com, www.skimoguls.com, or even generic Europe vacation specialists such as www.go-today.com.
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Chicago, IL: What do you think the best 3 ski destinations are in North America?
Brad Tuttle: For the overall ski resort experience—great ski runs, nightlife, charm, the whole deal -- I'd have to say Vail and Whistler for sure, and the third spot I'd divide between Squaw Valley, Aspen, Jackson Hole, and Big Sky, MT.
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Cleveland, OH: What western ski areas offer the best value for your money?
Brad Tuttle: The ones you've never heard of: a few examples are Powder Mountain, UT, Wolf Creek, CO, and a trio of resorts in Montana: Lost Trail Powder Mountain (lift tix are $25!), Bridger Bowl, Montana Snowbowl. So many resorts have been gobbled up by big corporations, and when they are, the village gets nicer, newer lifts come in, and prices go through the roof. It's the smaller holdouts, where the resorts may seem a little old school (I'd say quaint) where you find good value.
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Gardendale, AL: We are planning a ski trip to Breckenridge. We are looking for romance, atmosphere and we are on a budget. Any suggestions? We have not made reservations yet, but planning to go in January.
Brad Tuttle: Check out www.summitchamber.org — it's the county's tourism site, and it lets you search for lodging based on town, price, and style of accommodations. You'll save a bunch if you stay just outside of Breckenridge, in towns such as Dillon or Silverthorne (these places are also centrally located to other resorts in Summit County, such as Keystone and Copper Mountain). Also, check out the Breck area's sites, www.gobreck.com and www.breckenridge.com. When you're dealing with a condo operation or hotel, ask them if they have any deals that include lift tickets. Almost all of them do.
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San Diego, CA: We are just beginning to take our children skiing. Last year we skied Northstar at Tahoe and were impressed with the ski school. What other western resorts are known for quality instruction for 6-10 year olds?
Brad Tuttle: My son's only 1, so I'm not as on the ball on this issue as I'd like to be. But I've heard great things about Deer Valley in Utah and Grand Targhee in Wyoming.
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Lexington, KY: I am a brand new skier. Where in the Alps would be the best place for a second-time-on-skis-person? Thank you
Brad Tuttle: Probably not, though you could still have a ton of fun. But if you're uneasy on skis, you're going to want to stick to the easy terrain, which is usually at the bottom of the hill -- not up near the top, where the best views will be. I'd recommend getting a few more runs under your belt. The moment you can handle the intermediate trails, head over to Europe. You'll enjoy it a lot more if you can see the whole mountain.
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Anonymous: Where is the best place to ski if a wild nightlife is also a factor?
Brad Tuttle: Read my article posted on the site today. Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, is the place to go. For something closer to home that's got the party atmosphere - and I don't know where your home is, Anonymous - try Whistler, Vail, Aspen, Squaw Valley, and in the East, Killington.
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Birmingham, AL: Hi Brad, I have always planned my group's (10-14 people) ski trips (CO, MT so far) and have gotten great deals searching out airfare and accommodations separately. The average length of the trip is usually 5 nights/4 days of skiing and we have averaged around $600 pp for air/lodging. Do you think I could get a better deal with a travel agent or doing a package with the ski resort or should I continue to do it on my own?? Thanks!
Brad Tuttle: It’s impossible to say without the specifics. It usually comes down to airfare. If you can book a flight for cheap on your own, it usually isn’t that difficult to find a reasonable place to stay, or go for a lodging/lift ticket package that so many ski area hotels and condos offer. But the air can be pricey. The only way to know if you’re getting a deal is to crunch the numbers. A good travel agent should be the way to go, but unfortunately some travel agents don’t do anything you can’t do yourself (and they typically add in a service charge).
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Corpus Christi, TX: Can you recommend an affordable ski area that offers beginning to intermediate skiing for two adults and kids ages 10 & 15 that does not require extensive driving from an airport, offers casino action nearby and won't break the pocketbook? What is the best source for finding discount deals...ski resorts, travel agents, travel websites, local ski area publications?
Brad Tuttle: Casino action? The answer’s gotta be the Reno-Lake Tahoe area (www.renolaketahoe.com). Within an hour or so of town, there are 18 ski resorts and I’d estimate in the neighborhood of a gazillion slot machines. Lots of the casinos offer lift ticket and lodging deals if you want to stay right in Reno. For more peace and quiet- and scenery that’s a heckuvalot more beautiful - stay closer to the lake. There’s no need for beginners and intermediates to hit the big-time slopes of Kirkwood, Heavenly, or Squaw Valley. All you want is a decent ski hill that’s affordable, so I’d recommend some of the smaller resorts: Homewood, Donner Ski Ranch, and Alpine Meadows are a few examples. As for the question of finding deals, they can come from anywhere and everywhere. I can’t say that one source is the best. You’ve gotta shop around at all those sources you mentioned, and I’d add in that the local visitors bureaus (such as renolaketahoe.com) and state-sponsored ski tourism sites (such as skiutah.com) tend to be great resources.
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Lakeland, FL: What are good ski resorts for early season skiing (specifically December)?
Brad Tuttle: Utah and Colorado typically have the most consistent snowfall, though some locals would argue with that statement. Looking up the snowfall stats gives an indication, but it's no guarantee they'll be freshies when you arrive. You're fairly safe in Colorado at Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin, and Vail. In Utah, at Snowbird and Alta. In the Pac Northwest, at Mt. Baker. And just because they make so much good snow artificially, in the Northeast you're fairly safe at Killington, Stratton, Okemo, all in Vermont.
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Anonymous: Hi Brad, is there any good skiing in Nebraska?
Brad Tuttle: Absolutely!!!!! But you're asking about cross-country skiing right? Sorry, things don't get much flatter than Nebraska, so I can't in good conscience qualify anywhere there are "good skiing." Nebraska's best skiing is several hundred miles west of the border, in Colorado or Wyoming.
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Chicago, IL: My friends and I - approximately 10 of us - are thinking of a week long ski trip at the end of March/early April. Is skiing still good around that time? We are not sure where we should go - Denver, Aspen, Vail, etc. Any place you suggest in Colorado that is affordable, but also provide us with some options?
Brad Tuttle: I answered one like this on our site's message boards just last week, so I'm going to cheat and cut and paste that answer here:
It's not too late to go then, and in fact, you'll get a better deal compared to a few weeks earlier or going for prime weeks like Christmas-New Year's.
All the ski resorts pretty much stay open until Easter. There's plenty of snow for them to stay open later than that, but most close down because of lack of interest. Prime time for snow to be falling is February and early March, but there's a decent chance of fresh powder in late March and early April as well. There's a good chance of getting those trademark blue-sky days too at this time of year. In any event, there's no shot of it raining like there is in New England in early spring.
Every resort -- including the pricey places like Vail and Aspen -- will offer some kind of package with condo or hotel and lift tickets. If you're going with a few people, it's usually cheapest to go this route. Just check their websites for offers. The ski resorts of Summit County, including Breckenridge, Copper Mtn, and Keystone, are closer to Denver, and you'll pay a bit less than at Vail. If you book a package to any of these places, the lift ticket that comes with it is usually valid at several ski mountains, so you can sample 3-4 in the course of a week. Booking lodging far in advance is not that important for a trip this late in the season (unless it's over Easter, which is when things can get booked up -- I'm not sure when Easter falls in '05). But you'll want to book airline tickets by like mid-January, maybe even earlier if you're trying to fly directly into Eagle, which is closest to Vail. Tix to Denver are a little easier to come by, since it's a big airport and there are plenty of seats.
As always, being flexible helps for finding the best deals on flights. If you really want Vail and you're cool with waiting things out until the last minute, check out www.vailonsale.com. The site has lots of last minute deals on condos -- sometimes you get 50 percent off the normal rate, but only if you book within a few weeks of going. If you want a package with everything -- flights, lift tix, car rental, etc. -- ask a travel agent or check out sites such as www.ski.com, www.skithewest.com, or www.skimoguls.com. But know that booking a package like these folks offer isn't necessarily going to net you the best deal. Sometimes finding a cheap flight and condo deal separately is the smarter way to go. And if it's possible, plan your ski days to be during the middle of the week -- the slopes will be less crowded, and you'll have a much better time. For more info on Colorado ski resorts, go to www.coloradoski.com.
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Anonymous: Where is the best skiing places in Utah? I've just moved here in January and I live near Salt Lake City and Sundance. Could you give me an address? Thanks.
Brad Tuttle: For value, Powder Mountain, Solitude, Brighton, Alta, and Beaver Mountain. For a real village, try Park City. For experts, go with Alta, Snowbird, or Snowbasin. For the upscale pampered experience, hit Deer Valley, the Canyons, or Sundance. But if you're in Salt Lake City, try them all eventually. They're all within an hour or so of you, and of the airport, which is why the area is so great for skiers flying in.
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Hartford, CT: My son was born 2 1/2 years ago. Since he was born I've only skied 12 days (before that I would ski 20+ days a year). I'm looking forward to teaching him to ski but is 2 1/2 too soon to introduce him to skiing? I don't want to push it.
Brad Tuttle: Not to plug our magazine or anything, but take a look at our Dec/Jan issue, which should be available on newsstands by mid-November. It has an article with questions about when a child is ready for skiing (and for ski lessons). I've help teach my nephews to ski recently, and believe me, you don't want to push it. For fun one day, put the boots on him and let him walk around in the living room. Then add some skis and make a game out of it. For the first couple days on the snow, be happy if he's out there for an hour without crying or complaining that he's cold. Let him be the one who wants to do it, not you pushing him into it. Approach it in the same way you would a day of sleigh riding or making snowmen -- basically you're just playing in the snow. Very few kids have the strength or coordination to actually be able to make consistent turns before they're 4 or so, so don't expect him to be hot on your tracks soon. But you'll be shocked at how quickly they get good -- by age 6, he could be handling the blue runs with no problem. And best of all, kids bounce back from just about any fall on the snow. It helps that they're so close to the ground.
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Brad Tuttle: Well, that's it for me folks. Thanks for having me. Pray for snow, and I'll see you on the lifts.
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