Skiing Confidential: Know Your Snow, Take a Lesson, Have Fun

For skiers over the age of 50, novice or expert, snow matters. The quality of the white stuff, from powdery flakes to a crusty glaze, can turn our ski experiences from epic to dud in no time.

But snow quality is just one element to consider when deciding to take a day trip or a snow sport holiday. Overcrowded resorts can crash a ski buzz faster than former USA Olympian Lindsey Vonn can earn a medal in the downhill. We end up swapping time on the slopes for long, cold waits in lift lines. And, let’s be honest, the cost of skiing — which varies greatly depending on place, packages, demand and more — may give us pause as we calculate a vacation budget. Yet, when everything comes together as seamlessly as a snow crystal, a ski holiday dazzles.

I did not take up skiing in earnest until I was 35, when I became smitten on my first run at a Lake Tahoe, California, resort now known as Palisades Tahoe. I was teaching middle school at the time, and I would prioritize my recreation budget for trips to various ski areas the way a beach person might save for sojourns to Hawaii or Mexico.

I’ve since skied at more than 50 areas in North America — enjoying the alpine air, diverse terrain, adrenaline and many après-ski celebrations with friends and family. At 60 I’m still loving it, which is why I encourage those with interest at any age to give it a try or keep it up.

Even now, I’m often too giddy to sleep well on the eve of a ski day. But at Utah’s Alta resort last winter I had full-blown insomnia as I watched a steady snowfall blanket Little Cottonwood Canyon less than 30 miles from downtown Salt Lake City, where the resort of Alta sits. Snow comes down here in sizable dumps often measured in feet, not inches.

My fondness for ski-only Alta (no snowboards) goes beyond snow though. I stay at Alta Lodge, as homespun an experience as you’ll find this side of the Swiss Alps. It isn’t only that I can put on my skis and head straight to the slopes from my door (ski-in/ski-out); Alta Lodge includes breakfast and a four-course dinner within the room charge, which adds a familial vibe to the dining experience. I’ve met countless guests who’ve become friends over dinner and gone on to schedule ski vacations together for years.

Whether at Alta or any other of 523 operating ski resorts in the U.S., I like to ski-in/ski-out because it takes stress off my back and knees. There’s no slip-sliding across an icy parking lot in clunky ski boots or panicked parking in a rapidly filling lot. Alta and neighboring Snowbird, touted as one of America’s top 15 budget-friendly ski resorts by travel website TripsToDiscover.com, offer several such ski-in/ski-out lodging options, as do many destination resorts. But check a resort’s website or call reservations to determine room rates, which may change by the day.

That’s the beauty of skiing in Utah: You have options. The Wasatch Mountains, for example, have 17 ski areas, some within a one-hour drive of Salt Lake City. Some that are further from the city have lower ticket prices and more convenient parking, so I love supplementing a couple of days at a big resort with day trips to Snowbasin, Powder Mountain or Sundance. This tactic can be employed in other areas of the country such as the Colorado Rockies, New York and Vermont — regions that are blessed with multiple resorts of every size. Booking a room or short-term homestay in Salt Lake or on the western side of Denver may also save on lodging costs, though it means getting up early, potential weather delays, and, of course, the parking.

With nearly half of all trails rated for beginner and intermediate skiers, New Mexico’s Taos Ski Valley offers options for all skill levels.

Bradd Guenser

I love driving toward out-of-the-way ski areas, glistening winter jewels that often rise out of nowhere. Several of my favorite places to ski in the West possess exceptional snow conditions, thanks to their location within arid environments, and they have smaller crowds. They’re also considered “budget-friendly” by TripsToDiscover.com. Central Oregon’s Mt. Bachelor offers the rare opportunity to ski or snowboard 360-degrees off the top of a (dormant) volcano. Like Bachelor, in Bend, Oregon, the snow in Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico, has drier air that leads to lighter snow.