ski destinations I never thought I would consider (Yellowstone Club, Vail)

[2FUNKY]

I'll ski just about anything outdoors and preferably on frozen or mostly frozen water. No artificial surfaces. Don't feel any urge to try indoor skiing or turf/plastic. I've tried grass skiing and done the water ramping. As for indoors, I do enjoy going skating or stick and puck at the local ice plex on a hot summer day or in the fall to get my ski legs back. But for "skiing", it's gotta be outdoors and on snow or water.

[Buster Highmen]

I've tried grass skiing too. It's awesome.

[Dexter Rutecki]

Sure, friends of friends, a note from your mom, just about anything will get you in at the YC. The more the merrier, that's their motto.

Hey, I'll defer to your knowledge on this, but at the EC version of this place (Hermitage Club) it's no real trick to get an extra person in, based on what I've seen (which is limited to when they hosted races and what I heard). If we have four people going, would it really be a stretch for me to say we're going to have five and then we can bring someone else onto the hill? I have no idea if that would work (or why it wouldn't), but it doesn't seem impossible to me.

Isn't that a Carly Simon song?

Man, you're so vain, you probably think this post is about you.

[SumJongGuy]

Guys like you (that's your new avatar right?) are the reason people avoid Vail..

[SumJongGuy]

I've tried grass skiing too. It's awesome.

Place I tried it wasn't even actual grass.. more like dirt and rocks, stumps, etc.. Might be more fun on something more like a golf course quality surface but still hurts like hell to fall..

[Buster Highmen]

Place I tried it wasn't even actual grass.. more like dirt and rocks, stumps, etc.. Might be more fun on something more like a golf course quality surface but still hurts like hell to fall..

Not that kind of grass

[Buster Highmen]

Man, you're so vain, you probably think this post is about you.

We can never know about the meats to come
But we think about them anyway
And I wonder if I'm really with you now
Or just chasin' after some finer day
antipastooah, antipastooah
Is makin' me late
Is keepin' me waitin'
And I tell you how easy it feels to steal the buns
And how right the cheese feels to grab
But I, I rehearsed those words just late last night
When I was thinkin' about how much butter to nab
antipastooah, antipastooah
Is makin' me late
Is keepin' me waitin'
And tomorrow we might not be together
I'm no prosciutto and I don't know nature's ways
So I'll…

[The AD]

Do they have lift tickets there? Or does everyone just get a golden orb to flash?

You just show 'em your AmEx black card and you're good to go.

[Talisman]

Wait, what does that mean? He sat there 50 days and didn't load a single f'ing person on the chair?!

P.S. We had a ski patrol escort too on our cat track run. Big Sky has an agreement with the YC that when Sheddy shuts down they can evacuate people through the YC.

Other than lift mechanics, lifties and patrol no one else loaded the lift according to this guy. I don't remember which lift he said he was stationed on because the lift & trail lay out of YC is foreign to me.

[SumJongGuy]

Not that kind of grass

Oh duh.. 80s and 90s I skied those conditions pretty exclusively.

[SumJongGuy]

Other than lift mechanics, lifties and patrol no one else loaded the lift according to this guy. I don't remember which lift he said he was stationed on because the lift & trail lay out of YC is foreign to me.

Best powder day I ever had in NC hardly any of the resort employees made it to work on time due to roads being kinda bad. From 8:30 to about 10am the main summit lift was just left running with patrols taking turns watching the shut off button.. all self service, ski through the corral and sit down for another lap. Heaven!

Back on topic, every other year I hear that YC is going to shut down for various reasons. Starting to wonder if it's just rumors started in efforts to get more rich people cash..

[Djongo Unchained]

stick and puck at the local ice plex

WTF?

[total_immortal]

Skiing YC will not be an issue, for those of you who wondered how I am planning on doing this (some former fund buddy of one of my friends will let us use his place, I guess). I don't know how it works or what the rules are, but if it's possible I'll see about getting lift tix for some of you weirdos (again, I have no idea if that's even possible, or if guests of guests (like I would be) can bring guests, but I imagine there might be some way to do it--at the least I can meet you guys wherever this place intersects with BS and share my pocket full of breakfast meats with you).

I have been an invited guest to the YC. It was a long time ago but I remember that my friend who knew the person living there had to have the homeowner call the security gate and provide vehicle description and license plate. Then when we got to the gate, they called the homeowner to confirm we were their guests and gave us a pass to put on my dashboard. Never got a lift ticket or anything, our host had a ski-in/out house so we just geared up at his place and skied onto the lift, homeowner didn't even have to join us. We got hassled once by a lifty we knew from Bozeman and she just asked who invited us. Not sure how it works with a friend of a friend of a friend but it wouldn't hurt to try and get some mags up there.

If you can seriously get in the YC do that before bothering with Vail or anywhere else. A YC invite is pretty much a once in a lifetime opportunity (at least for a dirtbag like me). There is a ridge of super gnarly terrain that doesn't see much traffic and has some fun hucks, steeps, all that stuff and it kept me entertained for the day and left plenty of stuff I didn't get to. However, besides that ridge, the rest of the terrain is pretty "meh", mellow, tree-runs and groomers.

Couple a pics...

[snowaddict91]

^Agreed. Skiing the YC would be something I would probably never do otherwise, do that if you can.

[DBdude]

Hey, I'll defer to your knowledge on this, but at the EC version of this place (Hermitage Club) it's no real trick to get an extra person in, based on what I've seen (which is limited to when they hosted races and what I heard). If we have four people going, would it really be a stretch for me to say we're going to have five and then we can bring someone else onto the hill? I have no idea if that would work (or why it wouldn't), but it doesn't seem impossible to me.



Man, you're so vain, you probably think this post is about you.

Isn't the Hermitage done?

[Name Redacted]

Having never skied at the YC, I would recommend that the OP ski at the YC.

[Woodsy]

Brother Dex, Do the YC if you can. Never been but patroller friend @ Big Sky backs up assertions made above and well, do it for the reason a dog licks its nuts. Big sky is rad but not a fun journey from the EC.
Not a big fan of Vail, but Beaver Creek has some great skiing few hit and plenty for your not so great friends, and it all comes together so you see them too. I am there with wifes fam in March for a week.

[Super G]

Yeah no doubt, the YC is so fun.

The terrain is legit, but the sugar shacks are the spot to be.

[Dantheman]

Holy shit, Super G sighting!

[skideeppow]

I have a friend who is an owner at YC, so I ski over there sometimes. Overall mostly intermediate terrain, but like 2funky said, Stein's and those chutes are legit gnar. Some great tree skiing too. Plus super easy connect to Big Sky. Fun place, great food.

I skied there last winter on the way up to King Fischer. Was super sweet. Spent the morning at Big Sky, great terrain there and then they opened the upper stuff at Yellowstone by the afternoon. Groomers at Yellowstone were ridiculous. Lunch at the club was all time.

[Bunion 2020]

I spent 10 weeks on the Y/C patrol back when it was owned by Tim (2002), all we did was ski and occasionally shovel the cornice along the ridge, there were days where the patrol outnumbered the guests, about 2:30 everyday we would get the leftovers from the Upper Mountain restaurant.

Expensive meat on a stick was one of my favorites. It is a much different place now but still damn fun on the right day. The food is ridiculous.