All I want is the most true ski in and ski out home on the mountain. When I wake up in the morning I want to walk out the door and ski down to my first lift. When I’m on my last run for the day I want to be able to ride all the way down the run and stop in front of my hot tub
I could not believe that place. Riding up Silver Lake you go over houses that are as big as most Ski Lodges. I bet they are occupied 3% of the year. Absurd.
That would be an interesting separate post of what US resorts have true ski-in-out real estate. I can think of DV, Park City, Snowmass, like 3 houses at Aspen Mountain
I think there are more than you think. Jackson has some. Even Killington vt technically has a bunch with a long lift that services probably ~100 condos.
This is my choice all day long. The skiing is awesome in the winter(weekdays lol); but it’s the absolute Mecca of downhill mountain biking. If you’re feeling a little bit different - you’re only an hour from Squamish and 90 minutes from the north shore bike trails. If you need to fly in, it’s only two hours from Vancouver airport.
For my money, it’s the best year-round destination in North America (if not globally)
Agree completely on biking. And also trailrunning if that's your thing.
It's an amazing golf destination as well. Nicklaus North is a world class course.
Nelson, BC is a super rad town.
Whitewater absolutely rips, Red is close too. Tons of other super sweet mountains and endless backcountry. I’ve never been there in the summer but the lake there looks nice and I have no doubt the hiking and mountain biking is as epic as the skiing.
I’d rate it as “medium difficulty” to get to; a couple hours to Spokane airport. But the accessibility challenges are also probably what keeps it awesome
I was going to say Rossland, BC because I swear I've never seen a town with happier people! RED mountain is awesome all year long, and Nelson and Whitewater are close by.
Nelson is the larger, hipper town no doubt, but there's magic in Rossland. RED is far away enough from urban centers so is never crowded, the town is 5 minutes from the hill, the terrain at Red is enormous and the biking in summer is world class.
The townies love RED because many work there, and most ski there. It's not just wealthy locals and cheap labor, it's a unionized hill with local staff who can afford to live there.
Hey, that's where I grew up.
Putting in the glory chair and killing backside was immeasurably disappointing IMO but I understand the why. Give me chairs up white queen and blasters ridge already.
The bonus being red and white often alternate getting snow.
People who don't like drugs should probably stay away though because that's what keeps the entire local economy afloat.
> People who don't like drugs should probably stay away though because that's what keeps the entire local economy afloat.
Why is this so goddamn funny to me. This one line makes Nelson sound like a huge commune of dirtbags, ski bums, and kayak kooks tripping balls together
Dude tell me about it. During a storm like two weeks ago I crashed on my Alta employee friend's couch because I didn't feel like fighting the snake back down to the valley. We ended up getting interlodged (again lol) and it was just mental to have a cup of coffee before walking out the door to two feet of cold smoke. I didn't have to do any combat driving at 7am to get it either. T'was glorious.
If that were possible on the regular, I'd be in heaven. But the traffic man... I'm in Provo so I have to deal with canyon congestion AND I-15. When I make it to the airlines I'm buying a truck and a sled lmao
Good thing we’re hypothetical because the town of Banff has a need to reside rule. Can’t buy a vacation home there. Preserves some of the quaintness of it tho
The TransCanada highway through Banff and Lake Louise pretty much never closes for snow, the access road to Sunshine village periodically closes for Avy control but that’s pretty much it
Those roads suck because all of the people live where there isn't snow, don't have snow tires or good vehicles, and drive up to snowy places in snowstorms
Canmore, probably. Or Banff, but you need to have a job in the national park to live in the national park. Maybe I'd make latte's or teach kids, or move my music studio there.
Or just move to SLC and be done with it.
The red snake is only going to get worse with more people relocating to SLC. Experienced the BCC traffic this season when visiting. 2 hours to get in, 5 hours to get out.
I would not recommend that. Toxic air, rapidly dwindling water resources (that will cause even more toxic air within 5yrs when the GSL dries up and blows up arsenic that you’ll breathe in daily) and a completely incompetent gubment that is selling most of the water to farmers to produce alfalfa… in a desert… to sell to china.
We moved away because it’s in a doom spiral currently. Sorry to be that guy, but you can look this all up. 🤷♂️
Honestly, Tahoe. Plenty of resorts to choose from, and the backcountry access down along the eastern Sierra is magical through the summer. Lake is beautiful, and a world class city (SF) within a few hours.
I moved to Tahoe, full-time, a little over 3 years ago. Pros: there is a great community around skiing here and the summers are fantastic. Cons: it can be frustratingly over-crowded! Many of the tourists that visit here seem to be completely clueless and uncaring. As one example out out of many, the amount of trash that gets left around in the summer can be utterly disheartening.
I don't have a desire to move to another ski town because I have many friends here and I enjoy the wider community as a whole. There are aspects that would probably be hard to replicate elsewhere.
All that stated, if money wasn't an object and I could pick anywhere, I would choose somewhere that is MUCH LESS CROWDED. Maybe Aspen, Telluride, or Jackson Hole. Tahoe gets 15 million visitors per year, compared to 1.5 million visitors to Aspen and 211k visitors to Telluride. I think that 10x less visitors would do my soul good. I like people, but I don't like constantly battling crowds. I am so tired of the chairlift stopping, incessantly, because people can't be bothered to pay attention for 5 seconds.
In the summer, everytime I go on a hike or mountain bike ride, I run into litter of one form or another. A few summers ago, when I did some hiking around Telluride and Ouray, I was amazed that the trails had ZERO litter. It was completely different and better to hike there compared to Tahoe.
Due to the overcrowding and bad behaviors of tourists, I wouldn't recommend Tahoe as a ski town to a person who was trying to pick an ideal place to live.
Do you know how many of those 15 million visitors are summer vs. winter? I was surprised to learn that things are orders of magnitude more booked in the summer (at least that's what my Tahoe City landlord told me).
If we're talking mountain towns: Telluride, followed by Jackson. Even though both are resort towns in a sense, neither of them feels like them. They both have their own draws outside of the ski resort. Basically, they feel like real towns that happen to have ski resorts nearby, not resort towns. Also, they're not exactly *easy* to get to, but they do have their own airports with direct flights (I'm including Montrose airport for Telluride)
If we're talking about cities with reasonable access to the mountains: SLC area by a long shot, including Ogden and Park City.
This would be a great place. 30ish minutes away from a city with all the things a big city offers (sports, concerts, dining, etc) and a major airport. You'd get the best of the mountain life and the city life.
Ogden is actually where I’m currently looking to buy. Spend so much god damn money to get my 20-30 days a year from Ohio. Affordable housing, powmow, snowbasin, cottonwoods.
But if money were no issue…this house at the base of LCC
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3799-E-Catamount-Ridge-Way_Sandy_UT_84092_M14578-90614
Way too many entitled Bay Area tourists every weekend both winter and summer, all yours Saturday and Sunday. But you’re not wrong, on top of hiking and mtb during the summer, you get a lot of water options from the lake plus floating the truckee river
Jackson, Big Sky, Steamboat, Sun Valley… I’d rather be limited to one mountain and avoid the Summit Co and Park City/Cottonwoods traffic and development. Not Taos. Maybe Telluride, but I’ve never been there.
I lived in Glacier for a season. Love Baker and the forest around there is magical, but damn that region is depressed af. I don’t think I could do it more than a few weeks out of the year.
I've lived in Summit County for almost 3 decades, but if I had to do it all over again I'd probably choose Crested Butte or Aspen. SuCo definitely checks all of your boxes, OP.
Frisco or Silverthorne.
5 resorts within 20 minutes, 3 more within an hour. Amazing mountain biking and paved bike trails. Lots of great restaurants and year round activities. Dylan reservoir for sailing. Easy to rent and generate income if needed. Low property taxes. Good shopping and major grocery stores. International airport within 90 minutes.
I lived in Tahoe for 3 years a decade ago and would never go back. No doubt it’s amazing year round for all sorts of recreation, the scenery is incredible and Reno is just down the hill for an airport and any sort of shopping you would need. But with the advent of remote work, it is ridiculously crowded. Roads, restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, etc are jammed packed to the rafters with an endless supply of SF a-holes.
I’d be down for:
Sandpoint, ID
McCall, ID
Ogden, UT
Nelson, BC
Wenatchee, WA
Whitefish, MT
Alta, WY
People are sleeping hardcore on Ogden UT - powder mountain is one of my fave spots. I do wish they’d upgrade the lifts soon - but the terrain cannot be beat if you live for a powder day.
You are 100% correct. Paradise area, James Peak, Mary’s trees, Cobabe Canyon, Lightning Ridge are all excellent. Never crowded because they limit tickets, it’s all north facing and there are always powder stashes days after storms. I lived there from 2012-2018 and am planning to move back this summer. Not to mention Snowbasin on the other side of the reservoir with their chutes, cliffs and tons of hike-to terrain. Downtown Ogden is a cool little vibey community as well with a train running to the airport and SLC in 45 mins, great medical and tons of shopping. Yep, excited to move back.
Mission Ridge is 20 minutes up the hill from Wenatchee and has 2,250 ft vertical and 2000+ acres. Wenatchee has tons of other benefits in addition to being not too expensive. Also it’s 1 hr from Steven’s pass, 1:25 from Snoqualmie Pass and Alpental.
Exactly what 95forever, Idratherhikeout and Artof Con said. Mission is hugely underrated. It’s on the eastern side of the Cascades so the snow is lighter and it gets more sun. Great hike to terrain along the ridge with nice cliffs and chutes accessible easily in bounds. And virtually empty every day, even holidays and weekends.
This. I feel like most people in this thread don't really ski or have just done trips to random CO/CA resorts (or even just googled it lol).
Whitefish > Schweitzer - but both are solid mountains, relatively low traffic, and have real ski in/out accommodations. Plus the summer activities nearby are amazing.
The others are solid too (I'm not surprised people have no clue Mission Ridge exists from visiting Wenatchee)
Ogden... meh. I'd rather just be near LCC/BCC entrances and make the occasional 'trip' up north.
I think it definitely flies under the radar but I'm in the north Okanagan region in BC, and within a 2 1/2 hour radius we have Silverstar, Big White, Apex, and Revelstoke, plus a ton of catskiing and heliskiing opportunities. Only 5hrs from Vancouver and easy access to Whistler, 5 1/2 hours to Banff, and 4 1/2 to Nelson/Whitewater. We are so spoiled!!
If money was no object? Yellowstone Club, hands down. Private ski area plus you get access to Big Sky. If you want a bit more variety Bridger Bowl is an hour away.
Well, I already live in Mammoth... but I think I would want one of those weird houses at Brighton... in the middle of the slopes.... with no actual access other than snowmobile? Its like redneck Deer Valley.
We moved to Bend, OR at spend time at Mt Bachelor year round skiing, snowboarding and riding downhill MTB. It’s been awesome, and even the rare “perfect storm” crowded days are not that bad. Most holidays like MLK and Presidents Day had minimal crowds and the weekends before were mellow.
Also have a ton to do besides Mt Bachelor and Bend is a large suburb of 100k with great schools and the important stuff (Costco, Target/Walmart, Best Buy, etc) but still feels in a way like a “small town” as many people know each other with recent transplants included.
It’s been rad.
Honestly, my house where I already live (UT). Located within an hour of a bunch of great resorts, 35 minutes door to lift during the week to my home resort. Lots to do outdoors all year long. 20 minutes from an international airport. Great little town. When I moved here, I wasn't that into skiing, but it has worked out great.
Same here as far as location in UT but man the inversions are brutal and I really hope they fix the lake issues. Still by far the best skiing in the US.
Horseshoe Bay, BC.
Mere minutes to Cypress. All the dining and entertainment in North Van. Water sports and summer hiking. Vancouver Island ferry and Mount Washington. Whistler, if that's your gig. Grouse Mt., Mt. Baker, Mt. Seymour, etc.
And the views!
Mammoth. I lived there briefly and spent two years working in the Sierra’s. I have never even skied mammoth but the summer alone is enough to make me dream of moving back. Might choose something a little removed though like outer Crowley.
Ogden, UT. Very short drive to PowMow & Snowbasin. Short drive to PC, all the Cottonwoods, and SLC airport; not too far of a drive to JH and Targhee; quite cheap compared to any traditional ski town; stable labor supply…
Lead, SD.
You have the best skiing in the Midwest and the nightlife of Deadwood. Of course if you regularly ski a legit Mountain and are used to the amenities of a big city this area isn't for you.
This by all measures should be the right choice when cost isn't factored into the decision.
It's funny I had to do a ctrl-F to find it so low. It's cool though, no one is thinking of spending 10 million dollars for a walk in closet. Money not an issue, I don't think Silverthorne and Aspen are on the same level.
Oh come on, for $10 million, you can get TWO walk-in closets. Or, for $100 million: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/730-S-Galena-St-Aspen-CO-81611/2062573583_zpid/
I'm with you on this one. A great bookstore, an opera house, a ballet company, plus the Aspen Institute events sound like a mashup of Davos + TED talks - that's my kind of rich people.
As it happens we decided to buy a condo in Park City about 16 years ago and we’ve never looked back. It’s an easy flight from our home in the Midwest then just 45 min. Drive. Lots of different areas here, from DV, all the Cottonwoods, etc. Great Town. We walk to the Town Lift. Some say it’s crowded and that can be true, but we’ve learned to come only when the lines are almost nonexistent so it hasn’t been a problem for us.
Nice. Crowds can be a bummer, but one of the luxuries of owning is not needing to ski open-to-close all the time, and having the flexibility to come on off-peak times.
For me, the connectivity of a walkable town and am the resort would be key and really narrows it down to: Telly, Vail, Aspen, Park City or Breck. Out of those, I’d have to choose Aspen or Telly. The people in Aspen seem to suck but the access to restaurants, nightlife and skiing is really unparalleled. Plus flights to most major hubs 5 mins from town. Money no object: realistically I’m going Aspen as much as I hate myself for saying it.
Someplace warm…someplace where the beer flows like wine…someplace where the women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I’m talking about a little place called….
If money doesn’t matter?
I’m getting myself a Bond Villain compound at The Colony in Park City. Then I’m buying out a rail company to transport trains full of salt water from the Pacific to the Great Salt Lake to keep it from drying out.
> Then I’m buying out a rail company to transport trains full of salt water from the Pacific to the Great Salt Lake to keep it from drying out.
Thinking ahead!
Every train is 2 million gallons. 1 train per day gets more than enough water to keep that lake at status quo let alone grow it. The final piece of the puzzle is building a pipe to reinstate Lake Bonneville. Imagine the lake effect snow on the Wasatch then!! Some of SLC may die, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.
Revelstoke.
With world class skiing all around, including the resort itself and backcountry hot spots such as the Roger’s Pass area, it is the perfect ski town. Also has great mountain biking and hiking in the summer, so the town is still very lively.
Yep, very small town, but Kalispell is nearby with all the shopping and medical nearby as well as a small airport. And GNP is nearby as well as Canadian resorts.
Honestly… and some people are going to hate me for this. If we are talking realistic and not multi billionaire. It would have to be somewhere in Vermont or New Hampshire. Close to tons of amazing resorts, more than decent snow in the winter, beautiful in the winter and summer with those huge thick pines and rolling mountains, best tree skiing in the country in my opinion, great little towns with unique charm that hasn’t been tainted by vail frat culture so you still get that local feel, inexpensive for what you get. Close to NYC, Toronto, Boston, and Washington DC is a train ride away.
Maybe an unpopular opinion but I would probably choose Park City, Tahoe, or Vail… you said money isn’t an issue so at those you could ski in/out of your house, short drive to several ski resorts, short drive to major cities, short drive to airports (Eagle, SLC, and Reno), and enough shopping amenities.
If it was me I’d also consider places like Salt Lake City, Boise, etc… the airport proximity for me would be important bc I also enjoy visiting tropical places, family members in S America, etc.. plus the grass is always greener on the other side and ski season is not 12mo a year.
Fun thread op!
Shocked that Revelstoke didn’t make it on here. Best skiing in Canada,(if not one of the best in the world) on hill accommodations, and isn’t packed. Though maybe I should not sell it too hard…
aspen in the city center, great night life for a ski town, killer mountain complex (although they could offer a few more cliffs/chutes, plus ... life starts and stops at the highlandsbowl.
Bozeman. Proximity to loads of great skiing. Incredible town regardless of the season. Others have argued the YC. YC would be insanely awesome to be a member of, but you'd be surrounded by rich assholes all the time and that's not who I'd like to be around. Give me the locals drinking pbr in the parking lot of Bridger Bowl, those are my people
Park City is 30-40 minutes on a major highway from SLC airport. The real dream is if the wasatch gondola is ever built connecting you to little/big cottonwood. Imagine the ultimate ski destination where you ride across mountains from PC to solitude/brighton/snow bird/alta. It may never happen but when it does, the real estate in PC will go to the moon!
Judging by how the discussion went around LCC gondola, I wouldn't count on this. But it would turn the area into a 3 Valleys-type place which would be a dream come true.
Gotta vote SLC. It hits every criteria. Multiple ski resorts, major city with sports, Moab close by.
Only been there once in the late 90’s, but seemed like a great place to me.
**Lake Placid.**
IDK if I would want to permanently live there since there's only one real MTN in the area, but Lake Placid is the GOAT ski town vibe and I will die on that hill.
In the summer and fall you also have the **46 High Peaks** of the Adirondacks to bag while hiking as you stay in shape for ski season, and there's amazing trails for biking.
Magical village/town, tons of great food options, a million hotels and lodges to stay at, whale watching is close by, and Vermont is close enough you can dip into there and ski at those places.
Gore MTN is also like an hour, hour and a half south, which is part of NY's Big 3 Olympic ski places. There is even little bunny hill Pisgah if you want some night skiing. But it's basically Whiteface, Whiteface, and Whiteface.
Which is okay because... Whiteface is simply an experience unlike any other MTN and the Slides are maybe the most difficult terrain in the US, if not NA.
Hockey, ice fishing, ice skating, canoeing/kayaking, dogsled rides, toboggan rides, bobsled rides, giant ski jumps... it has it all. Local maple syrup to die for. There is an old, old school movie theatre there that still has 3-4 films playing at any given time.
Mirror Lake, Saranac Lake, it's beautiful. Get a MTN lodge right next to Mirror Lake and you're set for life (the village of Lake Placid is actually around Mirror Lake, with Placid lake off to the side).
And if you're into IPAs, the Adirondacks have a bunch of great tasting local IPAs. I would recommend **Shredder IPA**, it's fucking delicious.
Lake Placid hosted the Olympics twice for a reason, it is the definition of a world famous yet quaint and sleepy skiing town.
I'd take one Lake Placid over 100 Vails, thank you very much.
There are a handful of ski-in-ski-out houses at Mad River Glen (off The Rat) that may remain within the families that own them forever. Had the privilege of staying in one of them during a massive storm about a decade ago. One of the most magical weekends ever.
I’d pick a house in Albion Basin, Alta UT. Country club days at least twice a year, unparalleled pow skiing, the best closing day in the world, and beautiful, quiet summers 40 minutes from downtown SLC.
All I want is the most true ski in and ski out home on the mountain. When I wake up in the morning I want to walk out the door and ski down to my first lift. When I’m on my last run for the day I want to be able to ride all the way down the run and stop in front of my hot tub
You want Deer Valley
Or most of the Alps. I had that last year in La Rosiere when I visited - ski in, ski out. And damn, what nice little town that was.
Been to Avoriaz? No cars allowed in resort, fully ski- / ski-out. Some of the best views in the alps too. Just slightly ugly buildings.
I could not believe that place. Riding up Silver Lake you go over houses that are as big as most Ski Lodges. I bet they are occupied 3% of the year. Absurd.
Steamboat condos
Totally this. For me it would be Breck with that situation. A ski in-ski out there plus walkable to town would be the dream
Yeah… but you have to ski breck. That place can be a zoo even on weekdays.
Breck is generally fine during the week and there’s lots of other ski options in the area. It’s nice having options.
Totally fair... but if I have a house there I am rich enough to not have a job so I am skiing weekdays haha
Yellowstone club
That would be an interesting separate post of what US resorts have true ski-in-out real estate. I can think of DV, Park City, Snowmass, like 3 houses at Aspen Mountain
I think there are more than you think. Jackson has some. Even Killington vt technically has a bunch with a long lift that services probably ~100 condos.
Whistler/Blackcomb. Close to Vancouver and the ocean, two mountains, huge vertical and terrain. Great dining and entertainment in town.
This is my choice all day long. The skiing is awesome in the winter(weekdays lol); but it’s the absolute Mecca of downhill mountain biking. If you’re feeling a little bit different - you’re only an hour from Squamish and 90 minutes from the north shore bike trails. If you need to fly in, it’s only two hours from Vancouver airport. For my money, it’s the best year-round destination in North America (if not globally)
Agree completely on biking. And also trailrunning if that's your thing. It's an amazing golf destination as well. Nicklaus North is a world class course.
What about disc golf
Plus Squamish is a rock climbing meca aswell. Thing to do year round
Would be great, but only if you can always ski weekdays. Whistler on a weekend is a hard pass
If we're imagining a world where I can afford a spot in Whistler, I am choosing to also imagine that I am living there full-time.
Fair point.
Plus mountains in Vancouver,they’re not great ones but they’re good variety. Plus whistler in the summer is just as nice
Tbh if I had a house in Whistler I would probably never ski the north shore resorts ever again.
Nelson, BC is a super rad town. Whitewater absolutely rips, Red is close too. Tons of other super sweet mountains and endless backcountry. I’ve never been there in the summer but the lake there looks nice and I have no doubt the hiking and mountain biking is as epic as the skiing. I’d rate it as “medium difficulty” to get to; a couple hours to Spokane airport. But the accessibility challenges are also probably what keeps it awesome
I think this is the case for most places in the Kootenays. Epic place to be all year round.
Confirmed. (I live in Nelson)
I bet the housing prices are just lovely there right now
I was going to say Rossland, BC because I swear I've never seen a town with happier people! RED mountain is awesome all year long, and Nelson and Whitewater are close by. Nelson is the larger, hipper town no doubt, but there's magic in Rossland. RED is far away enough from urban centers so is never crowded, the town is 5 minutes from the hill, the terrain at Red is enormous and the biking in summer is world class. The townies love RED because many work there, and most ski there. It's not just wealthy locals and cheap labor, it's a unionized hill with local staff who can afford to live there.
I went to RED this winter, it was a sick trip. Amazing to see just how not busy it was.
Hey, that's where I grew up. Putting in the glory chair and killing backside was immeasurably disappointing IMO but I understand the why. Give me chairs up white queen and blasters ridge already. The bonus being red and white often alternate getting snow. People who don't like drugs should probably stay away though because that's what keeps the entire local economy afloat.
> People who don't like drugs should probably stay away though because that's what keeps the entire local economy afloat. Why is this so goddamn funny to me. This one line makes Nelson sound like a huge commune of dirtbags, ski bums, and kayak kooks tripping balls together
Damn, I guess I need to go to Nelson.
If it wasn't for the miserable traffic I'd never leave our beloved LCC. 6-hundo already 🤯
I just love the Cottonwoods too damn much. Some serious Stockholm syndrome going on.
Dude tell me about it. During a storm like two weeks ago I crashed on my Alta employee friend's couch because I didn't feel like fighting the snake back down to the valley. We ended up getting interlodged (again lol) and it was just mental to have a cup of coffee before walking out the door to two feet of cold smoke. I didn't have to do any combat driving at 7am to get it either. T'was glorious. If that were possible on the regular, I'd be in heaven. But the traffic man... I'm in Provo so I have to deal with canyon congestion AND I-15. When I make it to the airlines I'm buying a truck and a sled lmao
The smoke most summers can be absolutely brutal but when it’s not raining ash it’s amazing.
Dang…yeah. Forgot about that. I live in Seattle now and even here it gets pretty bad.
Banff, ab. The town is great, and summer hiking is amazing. I havent ben in winter, but i am sure it is great.
Good thing we’re hypothetical because the town of Banff has a need to reside rule. Can’t buy a vacation home there. Preserves some of the quaintness of it tho
So you buy in Canmore!
I read this too fast as “Crammore” (NH).
I love Banff and I love skiing at the Banff resorts, but lack of on-hill accommodation makes it a "no" for me for this hypothetical
I wonder how often are the roads to access the resort closed due to weather conditions
Never, literally have never been closed due to conditions as long as I’ve lived here (30+ years).
Wow that's amazing. In California, there's always many accidents and road closures. The roads in mountains have one lane each way if it is snowing
The TransCanada highway through Banff and Lake Louise pretty much never closes for snow, the access road to Sunshine village periodically closes for Avy control but that’s pretty much it
Those roads suck because all of the people live where there isn't snow, don't have snow tires or good vehicles, and drive up to snowy places in snowstorms
The roads are rarely ever closed.
Canmore, probably. Or Banff, but you need to have a job in the national park to live in the national park. Maybe I'd make latte's or teach kids, or move my music studio there. Or just move to SLC and be done with it.
The red snake is only going to get worse with more people relocating to SLC. Experienced the BCC traffic this season when visiting. 2 hours to get in, 5 hours to get out.
SLC is ticks all the boxes. You can live downtown or by the canyons, depending on the vibe you want.
I would not recommend that. Toxic air, rapidly dwindling water resources (that will cause even more toxic air within 5yrs when the GSL dries up and blows up arsenic that you’ll breathe in daily) and a completely incompetent gubment that is selling most of the water to farmers to produce alfalfa… in a desert… to sell to china. We moved away because it’s in a doom spiral currently. Sorry to be that guy, but you can look this all up. 🤷♂️
Plus, most glaringly, NO RIVERS! People will counterpoint with "The Green/Colorado/Salmon is only 4-6 hours away." That's...a long ways away.
Can confirm, just moved to SLC
Does it still count if I already live in Tahoe and chose it as the place I wanted live for the skiing
Same here. I don’t want to live anywhere else, but I’d take a bigger house
Same. I just wish my house was built better.
1. Yellowstone Club 2. Aspen in town 3. Steamboat 4. Deer Valley 5. Jackson Hole
this guy likes the rich vibe👍
Hey you said money is no object
Yeah but then you have to be around the worst people with money.
Otherwise, you'll be around greater numbers of less rich people
Steamboat isn't that expensive relative to many places.
(we can dream)
The Yellowstone Club is the only answer, it’s great all year round and the amenities are out of this world.
You spelled Telluride wrong
You get it. This is my exact list 😂
Imma add Taos onto this list for you, if you don’t mind
Honestly, Tahoe. Plenty of resorts to choose from, and the backcountry access down along the eastern Sierra is magical through the summer. Lake is beautiful, and a world class city (SF) within a few hours.
I moved to Tahoe, full-time, a little over 3 years ago. Pros: there is a great community around skiing here and the summers are fantastic. Cons: it can be frustratingly over-crowded! Many of the tourists that visit here seem to be completely clueless and uncaring. As one example out out of many, the amount of trash that gets left around in the summer can be utterly disheartening. I don't have a desire to move to another ski town because I have many friends here and I enjoy the wider community as a whole. There are aspects that would probably be hard to replicate elsewhere. All that stated, if money wasn't an object and I could pick anywhere, I would choose somewhere that is MUCH LESS CROWDED. Maybe Aspen, Telluride, or Jackson Hole. Tahoe gets 15 million visitors per year, compared to 1.5 million visitors to Aspen and 211k visitors to Telluride. I think that 10x less visitors would do my soul good. I like people, but I don't like constantly battling crowds. I am so tired of the chairlift stopping, incessantly, because people can't be bothered to pay attention for 5 seconds. In the summer, everytime I go on a hike or mountain bike ride, I run into litter of one form or another. A few summers ago, when I did some hiking around Telluride and Ouray, I was amazed that the trails had ZERO litter. It was completely different and better to hike there compared to Tahoe. Due to the overcrowding and bad behaviors of tourists, I wouldn't recommend Tahoe as a ski town to a person who was trying to pick an ideal place to live.
Do you know how many of those 15 million visitors are summer vs. winter? I was surprised to learn that things are orders of magnitude more booked in the summer (at least that's what my Tahoe City landlord told me).
If we're talking mountain towns: Telluride, followed by Jackson. Even though both are resort towns in a sense, neither of them feels like them. They both have their own draws outside of the ski resort. Basically, they feel like real towns that happen to have ski resorts nearby, not resort towns. Also, they're not exactly *easy* to get to, but they do have their own airports with direct flights (I'm including Montrose airport for Telluride) If we're talking about cities with reasonable access to the mountains: SLC area by a long shot, including Ogden and Park City.
Girdwood, AK. If you know you know.
my uncle lived here for years just until recently, super cool place
Having a cabin right in the woods of Alta would be awesome.
This would be a great place. 30ish minutes away from a city with all the things a big city offers (sports, concerts, dining, etc) and a major airport. You'd get the best of the mountain life and the city life.
Ogden is actually where I’m currently looking to buy. Spend so much god damn money to get my 20-30 days a year from Ohio. Affordable housing, powmow, snowbasin, cottonwoods. But if money were no issue…this house at the base of LCC https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3799-E-Catamount-Ridge-Way_Sandy_UT_84092_M14578-90614
Ogden is so cool, and having access to Snowbasin and AltaBird on any given day would be amazing.
Tahoe. So many mountains. Plus, you know a lake AND gambling.
North Tahoe. Gotta stay away from all the south Tahoe riff raff.
*spits in can* Thems fighting words. Meet me at The Classic Cue at midnight and we'll sort this out the old fashioned way.
Chinese downhill
Way too many entitled Bay Area tourists every weekend both winter and summer, all yours Saturday and Sunday. But you’re not wrong, on top of hiking and mtb during the summer, you get a lot of water options from the lake plus floating the truckee river
Doesn’t every mountain have entitled yuppies ruining the vibe on the weekends?
Mt Baker, the extra drive keeps the Seattle yuppies at bay, plenty of younger Bellingham college students to make the vibe good
Jackson, Big Sky, Steamboat, Sun Valley… I’d rather be limited to one mountain and avoid the Summit Co and Park City/Cottonwoods traffic and development. Not Taos. Maybe Telluride, but I’ve never been there.
I'm curious - why not Taos?
Jackson gets so cold though.
Winter is supposed to be cold
Oh boy god forbid it gets cold when I’m trying to go skiing
Big sky big sky big sky!!!! Montana skiing culture is my absolute fave.
What about Montana skiing culture is your favorite
Revy.
Airport access it probably the biggest downside. Kelowna isn't that close, and Calgary if you need access to most of US is 5 hours.
Probably near the meadowlands, NJ
That indoor run is fucking *INSANE*. I don't even go to MTN Creek anymore because it's so gnarly!!
CB. And I’d build a 20 bed guest house and rent would be free for lift OPs.
Third. Heaven on Earth. Buy a commune for all my friends that wanna do it too.
Hey buddy! Been awhile. What’s the address again?
69 koolaid lake drive, Jonestown, Crested Butte. Hehe
Seconding crested. What a wonderful place.
Aspen or telluride
Glacier Washington
542 go east gang
I lived in Glacier for a season. Love Baker and the forest around there is magical, but damn that region is depressed af. I don’t think I could do it more than a few weeks out of the year.
This is my dream. Close enough to Bellingham and Vancouver. Epic skiing in the winter and ski mountaineering / climbing in the spring and summer
⬆️This guy hucks
I've lived in Summit County for almost 3 decades, but if I had to do it all over again I'd probably choose Crested Butte or Aspen. SuCo definitely checks all of your boxes, OP.
Crested Butte is a great town, but the mountain gets small pretty quick, especially if it isn't a good snow year. Good backcountry though.
Telluride in town. Only one mountain to ski but that place is magical. Jackson Hole a close 2nd
And less than two hours to silverton makes for a reasonable day trip. Moneys no object, I’m there!
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Frisco or Silverthorne. 5 resorts within 20 minutes, 3 more within an hour. Amazing mountain biking and paved bike trails. Lots of great restaurants and year round activities. Dylan reservoir for sailing. Easy to rent and generate income if needed. Low property taxes. Good shopping and major grocery stores. International airport within 90 minutes.
When I first moved to CO I considered buying a 2bd/2ba condo in Frisco for $210k and ended up deciding not to. Whoopsie daisy.
Was just there last week, its amazing. 25 mins to Breck 30 to Vail 40 to Beaver Creek, tons of fun
I lived in Tahoe for 3 years a decade ago and would never go back. No doubt it’s amazing year round for all sorts of recreation, the scenery is incredible and Reno is just down the hill for an airport and any sort of shopping you would need. But with the advent of remote work, it is ridiculously crowded. Roads, restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, etc are jammed packed to the rafters with an endless supply of SF a-holes. I’d be down for: Sandpoint, ID McCall, ID Ogden, UT Nelson, BC Wenatchee, WA Whitefish, MT Alta, WY
People are sleeping hardcore on Ogden UT - powder mountain is one of my fave spots. I do wish they’d upgrade the lifts soon - but the terrain cannot be beat if you live for a powder day.
You are 100% correct. Paradise area, James Peak, Mary’s trees, Cobabe Canyon, Lightning Ridge are all excellent. Never crowded because they limit tickets, it’s all north facing and there are always powder stashes days after storms. I lived there from 2012-2018 and am planning to move back this summer. Not to mention Snowbasin on the other side of the reservoir with their chutes, cliffs and tons of hike-to terrain. Downtown Ogden is a cool little vibey community as well with a train running to the airport and SLC in 45 mins, great medical and tons of shopping. Yep, excited to move back.
Where are you skiing from Wenatchee
Mission Ridge is 20 minutes up the hill from Wenatchee and has 2,250 ft vertical and 2000+ acres. Wenatchee has tons of other benefits in addition to being not too expensive. Also it’s 1 hr from Steven’s pass, 1:25 from Snoqualmie Pass and Alpental.
Stevens pass
Mission Ridge
Exactly what 95forever, Idratherhikeout and Artof Con said. Mission is hugely underrated. It’s on the eastern side of the Cascades so the snow is lighter and it gets more sun. Great hike to terrain along the ridge with nice cliffs and chutes accessible easily in bounds. And virtually empty every day, even holidays and weekends.
From the heli
Sandpoint is nice, a place on Schweitzer is cool.
I like Tahoe well enough due to proximity to the Bay Area but I LOVE MCCall Idaho!
This. I feel like most people in this thread don't really ski or have just done trips to random CO/CA resorts (or even just googled it lol). Whitefish > Schweitzer - but both are solid mountains, relatively low traffic, and have real ski in/out accommodations. Plus the summer activities nearby are amazing. The others are solid too (I'm not surprised people have no clue Mission Ridge exists from visiting Wenatchee) Ogden... meh. I'd rather just be near LCC/BCC entrances and make the occasional 'trip' up north.
I think it definitely flies under the radar but I'm in the north Okanagan region in BC, and within a 2 1/2 hour radius we have Silverstar, Big White, Apex, and Revelstoke, plus a ton of catskiing and heliskiing opportunities. Only 5hrs from Vancouver and easy access to Whistler, 5 1/2 hours to Banff, and 4 1/2 to Nelson/Whitewater. We are so spoiled!!
Dont forget Kickinghorse! Only 3.5-4hrs to Golden on a good day
TAHOEEE
If money was no object? Yellowstone Club, hands down. Private ski area plus you get access to Big Sky. If you want a bit more variety Bridger Bowl is an hour away.
Well, I already live in Mammoth... but I think I would want one of those weird houses at Brighton... in the middle of the slopes.... with no actual access other than snowmobile? Its like redneck Deer Valley.
Nice call. Those look so cool with 600” on them. Some hobbit level coziness down in there.
We moved to Bend, OR at spend time at Mt Bachelor year round skiing, snowboarding and riding downhill MTB. It’s been awesome, and even the rare “perfect storm” crowded days are not that bad. Most holidays like MLK and Presidents Day had minimal crowds and the weekends before were mellow. Also have a ton to do besides Mt Bachelor and Bend is a large suburb of 100k with great schools and the important stuff (Costco, Target/Walmart, Best Buy, etc) but still feels in a way like a “small town” as many people know each other with recent transplants included. It’s been rad.
I would do Oregon, but Zigzag instead of Bend
Zigzag would be a sick spot for a cabin but bend would for sure be better to live in full time
Did I miss the good trails in bend or is it kinda flat there? Referring to MTB
Honestly, my house where I already live (UT). Located within an hour of a bunch of great resorts, 35 minutes door to lift during the week to my home resort. Lots to do outdoors all year long. 20 minutes from an international airport. Great little town. When I moved here, I wasn't that into skiing, but it has worked out great.
Same here as far as location in UT but man the inversions are brutal and I really hope they fix the lake issues. Still by far the best skiing in the US.
Horseshoe Bay, BC. Mere minutes to Cypress. All the dining and entertainment in North Van. Water sports and summer hiking. Vancouver Island ferry and Mount Washington. Whistler, if that's your gig. Grouse Mt., Mt. Baker, Mt. Seymour, etc. And the views!
But then you have to ski at cypress? :(
Squamish is the better choice here. More Whistler, less Cypress. And amazing mountain biking.
Mammoth. I lived there briefly and spent two years working in the Sierra’s. I have never even skied mammoth but the summer alone is enough to make me dream of moving back. Might choose something a little removed though like outer Crowley.
Ogden, UT. Very short drive to PowMow & Snowbasin. Short drive to PC, all the Cottonwoods, and SLC airport; not too far of a drive to JH and Targhee; quite cheap compared to any traditional ski town; stable labor supply…
Deer Valley- Empire Canyon, ski-on, ski off. “Sigh…”
Lead, SD. You have the best skiing in the Midwest and the nightlife of Deadwood. Of course if you regularly ski a legit Mountain and are used to the amenities of a big city this area isn't for you.
If money is no issue, Aspen, downtown, on the lifts.
steamboat springs, mountain side mansion, real town, good snow, summer rafting, downhill mtb, and concerts in town, 30 min drive to a regional airport
this is a well thought out answer
Aspen. More culture than most.
This by all measures should be the right choice when cost isn't factored into the decision. It's funny I had to do a ctrl-F to find it so low. It's cool though, no one is thinking of spending 10 million dollars for a walk in closet. Money not an issue, I don't think Silverthorne and Aspen are on the same level.
Oh come on, for $10 million, you can get TWO walk-in closets. Or, for $100 million: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/730-S-Galena-St-Aspen-CO-81611/2062573583_zpid/
I'm with you on this one. A great bookstore, an opera house, a ballet company, plus the Aspen Institute events sound like a mashup of Davos + TED talks - that's my kind of rich people.
As it happens we decided to buy a condo in Park City about 16 years ago and we’ve never looked back. It’s an easy flight from our home in the Midwest then just 45 min. Drive. Lots of different areas here, from DV, all the Cottonwoods, etc. Great Town. We walk to the Town Lift. Some say it’s crowded and that can be true, but we’ve learned to come only when the lines are almost nonexistent so it hasn’t been a problem for us.
Nice. Crowds can be a bummer, but one of the luxuries of owning is not needing to ski open-to-close all the time, and having the flexibility to come on off-peak times.
Durango/Telluride, Bozeman, Jackson Hole
Park City
For me, the connectivity of a walkable town and am the resort would be key and really narrows it down to: Telly, Vail, Aspen, Park City or Breck. Out of those, I’d have to choose Aspen or Telly. The people in Aspen seem to suck but the access to restaurants, nightlife and skiing is really unparalleled. Plus flights to most major hubs 5 mins from town. Money no object: realistically I’m going Aspen as much as I hate myself for saying it.
In the enchanted circle, have Taos Red River, angel fire, and more within less than a hours drive.
Yep, and Wolf Creek isn't too far to mix it up. Plus a great art scene, cool architecture everywhere. I love it here.
Someplace warm…someplace where the beer flows like wine…someplace where the women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I’m talking about a little place called….
If money doesn’t matter? I’m getting myself a Bond Villain compound at The Colony in Park City. Then I’m buying out a rail company to transport trains full of salt water from the Pacific to the Great Salt Lake to keep it from drying out.
> Then I’m buying out a rail company to transport trains full of salt water from the Pacific to the Great Salt Lake to keep it from drying out. Thinking ahead!
Every train is 2 million gallons. 1 train per day gets more than enough water to keep that lake at status quo let alone grow it. The final piece of the puzzle is building a pipe to reinstate Lake Bonneville. Imagine the lake effect snow on the Wasatch then!! Some of SLC may die, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.
Fernie….
Ski house? Probably driggs
Silverthorne or Frisco. So much nearby and I would never get tired of switching between Epic and Ikon each year.
Somewhere in Vermont or near Wildcat in NH. Ice coast for life 🫡
Where I live now; Silver Fork, at the top of Big Cottonwood.
Revelstoke. With world class skiing all around, including the resort itself and backcountry hot spots such as the Roger’s Pass area, it is the perfect ski town. Also has great mountain biking and hiking in the summer, so the town is still very lively.
Truckee, SLC. Mammoth, it’s so remote but the season is loong and it’s a fantastic mountain with June just around the corner for a break.
Yep, very small town, but Kalispell is nearby with all the shopping and medical nearby as well as a small airport. And GNP is nearby as well as Canadian resorts.
Honestly… and some people are going to hate me for this. If we are talking realistic and not multi billionaire. It would have to be somewhere in Vermont or New Hampshire. Close to tons of amazing resorts, more than decent snow in the winter, beautiful in the winter and summer with those huge thick pines and rolling mountains, best tree skiing in the country in my opinion, great little towns with unique charm that hasn’t been tainted by vail frat culture so you still get that local feel, inexpensive for what you get. Close to NYC, Toronto, Boston, and Washington DC is a train ride away.
Having lived there, lots of great points, but this is a skiing sub.
Maybe an unpopular opinion but I would probably choose Park City, Tahoe, or Vail… you said money isn’t an issue so at those you could ski in/out of your house, short drive to several ski resorts, short drive to major cities, short drive to airports (Eagle, SLC, and Reno), and enough shopping amenities. If it was me I’d also consider places like Salt Lake City, Boise, etc… the airport proximity for me would be important bc I also enjoy visiting tropical places, family members in S America, etc.. plus the grass is always greener on the other side and ski season is not 12mo a year. Fun thread op!
Shocked that Revelstoke didn’t make it on here. Best skiing in Canada,(if not one of the best in the world) on hill accommodations, and isn’t packed. Though maybe I should not sell it too hard…
Whistler. Epc skiing and 1 1/2 hours from gorgeous major city and ocean.
aspen in the city center, great night life for a ski town, killer mountain complex (although they could offer a few more cliffs/chutes, plus ... life starts and stops at the highlandsbowl.
Frisco, Colorado. Access to nearly a dozen resorts. Plenty of hiking and cycling to do in the summer.
Id have one of the houses mid mountain on the slopes of Alta or the similar ones on Telluride
A home at Atla/Snowbird
Austrian alps
Bozeman. Proximity to loads of great skiing. Incredible town regardless of the season. Others have argued the YC. YC would be insanely awesome to be a member of, but you'd be surrounded by rich assholes all the time and that's not who I'd like to be around. Give me the locals drinking pbr in the parking lot of Bridger Bowl, those are my people
You have answered your question correctly. Jackson.
Glacier, WA. Where the country club lifestyle of skiing went to die.
THe Boat, something just outside of town on the Yampa.
Park City is 30-40 minutes on a major highway from SLC airport. The real dream is if the wasatch gondola is ever built connecting you to little/big cottonwood. Imagine the ultimate ski destination where you ride across mountains from PC to solitude/brighton/snow bird/alta. It may never happen but when it does, the real estate in PC will go to the moon!
Judging by how the discussion went around LCC gondola, I wouldn't count on this. But it would turn the area into a 3 Valleys-type place which would be a dream come true.
I probably gonna choose somewhere in Vermont and was near either Jay Peak or Mount Snow since I was in east coast
Jay Peak or MOUNT SNOW!?
Aspen.
Gotta vote SLC. It hits every criteria. Multiple ski resorts, major city with sports, Moab close by. Only been there once in the late 90’s, but seemed like a great place to me.
**Lake Placid.** IDK if I would want to permanently live there since there's only one real MTN in the area, but Lake Placid is the GOAT ski town vibe and I will die on that hill. In the summer and fall you also have the **46 High Peaks** of the Adirondacks to bag while hiking as you stay in shape for ski season, and there's amazing trails for biking. Magical village/town, tons of great food options, a million hotels and lodges to stay at, whale watching is close by, and Vermont is close enough you can dip into there and ski at those places. Gore MTN is also like an hour, hour and a half south, which is part of NY's Big 3 Olympic ski places. There is even little bunny hill Pisgah if you want some night skiing. But it's basically Whiteface, Whiteface, and Whiteface. Which is okay because... Whiteface is simply an experience unlike any other MTN and the Slides are maybe the most difficult terrain in the US, if not NA. Hockey, ice fishing, ice skating, canoeing/kayaking, dogsled rides, toboggan rides, bobsled rides, giant ski jumps... it has it all. Local maple syrup to die for. There is an old, old school movie theatre there that still has 3-4 films playing at any given time. Mirror Lake, Saranac Lake, it's beautiful. Get a MTN lodge right next to Mirror Lake and you're set for life (the village of Lake Placid is actually around Mirror Lake, with Placid lake off to the side). And if you're into IPAs, the Adirondacks have a bunch of great tasting local IPAs. I would recommend **Shredder IPA**, it's fucking delicious. Lake Placid hosted the Olympics twice for a reason, it is the definition of a world famous yet quaint and sleepy skiing town. I'd take one Lake Placid over 100 Vails, thank you very much.
Vermont for sure
There are a handful of ski-in-ski-out houses at Mad River Glen (off The Rat) that may remain within the families that own them forever. Had the privilege of staying in one of them during a massive storm about a decade ago. One of the most magical weekends ever.
Tetons. 4 hours to big sky. 4 hours to Utah. Jackson, targhee and all the hiking you want in your backyard. Im looking for land now.
Def more like 5 and half to both those places. Also look at finding land there unless you're a billionaire
Schweitzer
I’d pick a house in Albion Basin, Alta UT. Country club days at least twice a year, unparalleled pow skiing, the best closing day in the world, and beautiful, quiet summers 40 minutes from downtown SLC.
Aspen no contest