Between JH and Alta/Snowbird, where would you ski bum?

[tranzformer]

I am seriously thinking about taking a semester or even a year off from school to do what I have always dreamed of. After narrowing it down, these are the two resorts that I am considering. I have never been to either and I wouldn't have the chance to go before I went out, so it will be a blind shot. This is where I am going to rely on you guys who have been to both of them and know them like the back of your hands. What say you?

Jackson:
2500 acres of inbounds terrain
111 runs
Vertical drop of 4,139 feet
90% intermediate and advanced (50% advanced)
Nov.-April ski season
Not so close to major airpor or city
More of a ski town?
~460in of snow


Alta/Snowbird:
4700 acres combined
205 runs
vertical drop of 2,020 ft and 3240ft
about 75% intermediate and advanced (35% advanced)
Nov-April ski season
Close to major airport and city
Get a lot of weekend folks from the city
500+in of the best pow in the world??

As you can see it is a real toss up. Can you guys help make the deciding vote.

[Z]

there is no big choice. Just pick one. If you're not BC equipped I may go Alta/Bird.

You can't go wrong here really.

[HyRUPz]

Both ... just kidding.

I took a year off, turned into 8

Good question ... poll worthy?

[alpinepronghorn]

Done both.

I think the snow/skiing is better at Alta. (Don't go to the 'bird. It rains there.) The life is better in JH.

If you're planning on living on-mountain in LCC (at one of the lodges, probably, where you're on the lift 5min after getting out of bed) you're going to earn about 1.50 an hour (they deduct room, board, and a ski pass from your pay.) Also, all the lodges except the Peruvian keep (most) of your tips. The upside is you're living on mountain, and when they shut the road you've got the best skiing in the world to yourself.

On the other hand, you're drinking 3.2 in a mountain valley with the 50 people working in your lodge. So JH has a definate advantage there. And the skiing's not half bad here either... Seriously, though, there's a lot more fun to be had in JH than LCC once the lifts close. Not sure how the paycheck lines up after you rent a place, but then, if you're worried about the money you're probably going into the wrong line of work...

my 2 cents.

[tranzformer]

Basically I am not in it for the money. Just need the season pass covered, board, food, and a little to save up for an occasional equipment upgrade. Other than that, I could careless.

[freshie247]

If Jackson has the best snow totals ever,then Jackson.Other than that,if it's skiing you're looking for,Alta/Bird!

[crashnburn'd]

Other than that, I could careless.

Can you careless? I didn't know you could.

Having only skied and never lived either place, I'd go to Utah.

[tranzformer]

Does anyone have pics that they could add as well?

[fez]

I've bummed in both places, SLC is a little easier to make it happen. You can live in the valley for cheap and an alta pass is (i believe) cheaper than at JH. The powder lasts longer and there is more of it in Utah. The terrain is better at Jackson (especially with OB open now). While Teton Pass rules, there is more easy access touring in Utah.

When I was in Utah i lived down in the valley but worked at Snowbird. We converted a friend's closet in the employee dorm into a bunk bedroom where 4 guys could rack fairly comfortably without our bosses knowing we were up the canyon. If it looked like it was going to snow, the corp would give employees any available rooms (usually the dorm rooms in the cliff) but then they knew you were up there and would make you work to cover employees who didn't make it up the canyon. The Snowbird employee pass had (has?) some pretty annoying limitations (only 4 days a week if i remember, 2 trams and 2 chairs only, plus no employee passes on the tram on busy days). After my time at the bird i decided I would never work for a resort again. Made more sense to get a job and buy my pass.

I'm not sure what the employment situation is like in JH these days, but if you have some restaurant experience you could probably make enough to afford a pass pretty easy without having to work for the man. When I was in JH (96-97) restaurants were starting people at $12/hour to cook if you had minimal experience. Some places will buy your pass if you last the season too. Housing is a bitch in Jackson though. Expensive and not much of it.

But really you can't go wrong either place.

[tranzformer]

I've bummed in both places, SLC is a little easier to make it happen. You can live in the valley for cheap and an alta pass is (i believe) cheaper than at JH. The powder lasts longer and there is more of it in Utah. The terrain is better at Jackson (especially with OB open now). While Teton Pass rules, there is more easy access touring in Utah.

When I was in Utah i lived down in the valley but worked at Snowbird. We converted a friend's closet in the employee dorm into a bunk bedroom where 4 guys could rack fairly comfortably without our bosses knowing we were up the canyon. If it looked like it was going to snow, the corp would give employees any available rooms (usually the dorm rooms in the cliff) but then they knew you were up there and would make you work to cover employees who didn't make it up the canyon. The Snowbird employee pass had (has?) some pretty annoying limitations (only 4 days a week if i remember, 2 trams and 2 chairs only, plus no employee passes on the tram on busy days). After my time at the bird i decided I would never work for a resort again. Made more sense to get a job and buy my pass.

I'm not sure what the employment situation is like in JH these days, but if you have some restaurant experience you could probably make enough to afford a pass pretty easy without having to work for the man. When I was in JH (96-97) restaurants were starting people at $12/hour to cook if you had minimal experience. Some places will buy your pass if you last the season too. Housing is a bitch in Jackson though. Expensive and not much of it.

But really you can't go wrong either place.

So would you recommend Alta rather than the Bird as far as working? I was just looking for something along the lines of cleaning dishes, cooking, or waiting. Just a job that I could work evenings and have the days free.

[Core Shot]

Jackson.
Done it several times now, so I'm kinda biased.
My reasoning: terrain, trees, steeps, gnar, chutes, and some of the best most easily accessed sidecountry.
Reason for Alta: Pow. Cheaper ticket.

------
Added reason for JH this year: last year of the big red Tram (maybe).

BTW, I just checked for you, and a full season pass at Jackson Hole is now:
ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE DOLLARS !!!!!

[alpinepronghorn]

an alta pass is (i believe) cheaper than at JH.

Uh...yeah. JH seaon pass goes for $1,945, Alta for $999. And at Alta they have a student rate of only $579. Can't even get a weekend warrior for that price... So if you're in JH, you're pretty much working for the mountain (or someone with a hook up; some of the restaurants will get you discounts) if you want a pass.

[fez]

So would you recommend Alta rather than the Bird as far as working? I was just looking for something along the lines of cleaning dishes, cooking, or waiting. Just a job that I could work evenings and have the days free.

Honestly i would recommend neither. The lodges in Alta seem to really take advantage of their employees and Snowbird treats you like a tolerated nuisance. But at least at the Alta lodges the pass is a full pass, they don't drug test, and you are living up in the canyon. Also, I don't know how the senority system works in the lodges in Alta, you could end up with a whole mess of breakfast/lunch shifts and still not see a whole ton of skiing. If it were me, I would get a job in the valley and commute to ski.

[alpinepronghorn]

If it were me, I would get a job in the valley and commute to ski.

I see Fez's point; working in the Canyon can be a pain. But if you're not going to live and work on-mountain, with ski-in ski-out and a free pass, I'd go to Jackson. It's a full on ski-bum life working up at Alta, with all the benefits and drawbacks. I'm really glad I did it for a year, but I wouldn't do it again.

I've never lived in the valley, so can't speak to what that's like...maybe the inversion's not so bad?

[Rusty Nails]

Europe???

[Woodsy]

Jackson hole is a ski town.
Salt Lake is a small city with good skiing nearby.
I would move to Jackson and get the whole experience.
shorter season though and less employment opps.

[MacDaddy]

Mammoth

Did it in 86/87 would do it again

[descender]

I really think consistent snow is the most important factor in determining mountain fun and Alta/Bird seems to do well in that area.

Whistler should be considered too.

[Shin-to-Win]

tranzformer = manchild of AKMP '04 and Glademaster

Settle down little man. Think then post. My brain is cramping from all your stupid questions this week. Don't make me place a call to the angry whelk!!

Shinjuku Motherfucker!! You are drown!!

[wookalar]

I'd do Utah

If I get to hide in the mtns again, that's where I'm going....

[tranzformer]

tranzformer = manchild of AKMP '04 and Glademaster

Settle down little man. Think then post. My brain is cramping from all your stupid questions this week. Don't make me place a call to the angry whelk!!

Shinjuku Motherfucker!! You are drown!!

wooooo, chill out dude. I thought this was a community for us to help each other.

[Shin-to-Win]

Oh, did I say that out loud . . . Don't mind me, I'm just a grumpy old man who is pissed that I will be missing the action this weekend at Crystal.

Keep us posted when you upgrade from those gnar gnar 174cm K2 5500's.

[flowtron]

I did 4 years living up in Alta, at the P-Dog, and 2 years living down in SLC. The lodge scene can be a bit rough sometimes, but if you are there purely for the skiing and find a crew of people who are there for the same reasons, (not hard to do) you can make it happen. If you want the whole Aspen Extreme skiing+nightlife scene, by all means go to JH. If you want to ski a whole crapload of snow until 5 minutes before your work shift, or 5 minutes after you work, then put down some beers and a few b-rips with your friends and go to sleep so you can get up and ski the next day, give Alta/Bird a go. It is by far the easiest, best plug-in ski bum set up around. You can show up with $400 bucks for your initial pass deposit and you are good to go. Screw that $1900 shit, thats offensive.

[Big Blue]

After having done it, I would not recommend working at one of the lodges. Yeah, you live at the base of the lifts, but what good does that do you when you are working a morning shift on a powder day? You are their bitch. But, if you do decide to do it, remember this. According to UT state law, any job that includes housing as part of the job must give you 30 days to vacate that housing if you are fired. So, you do have the option of getting hired, working til say mid-feb, then get fired (don't do anything illegal or you'll get run out of town) and staying there until mid-march living for free. Fuck, why didn't I think of this before?

[flowtron]

Yeah, you live at the base of the lifts, but what good does that do you when you are working a morning shift on a powder day? You are their bitch. But, if you do decide to do it, remember this. According to UT state law, any job that includes housing as part of the job must give you 30 days to vacate that housing if you are fired. So, you do have the option of getting hired, working til say mid-feb, then get fired (don't do anything illegal or you'll get run out of town) and staying there until mid-march living for free. Fuck, why didn't I think of this before?

That whole "working on a powder day" thing is played. What comes around goes around. Sometimes you get hosed by a storm, sometimes you get hooked up. I don't think anyone is scheduled for every morning, unless they are a 40yr old alcoholic line cook who doesn't ski.
I'm not so sure about that 2nd bit about housing either. It seems like everyone I've seen get fired up there is out in a day or two no ifs ands or buts. Plus the lodges still officially own your pass in most cases and they turn it off or cancel it.