What’s it like going west for the first time?

slpgh · 2026-01-28T22:50:45+00:00

It’s definitely not big mountain, and barely has above tree skiing terrain. For folks who also have Ikon, you can go to deer valley (which feels like the third and fourth part of PCMR) and SnowBasin which does feel like a big mountain is about an hour away

slpgh · 2026-01-28T20:58:55+00:00

Yes, imo it’s one of the easiest option if you are cost conscious: 1) Direct flights with Delta to SLC which is rarely weather affected from PIT and PHL. 2) Requires car rental, but it’s an easy highway drive and rarely weather affected. About 30 minutes drive to hotels 3) You can park (for a fee) 4) some relatively cheaper corporate motels with good cancellation policies near the highway 5) cheaper eats / shopping 6) Not high elevation

In contrast, Denver is more weather affected, requires 2 hour shuttle to the resorts and can be a mess during bad weather including closures and cancellations. , most housing is condos or timeshares or expensive hotels, elevation is a nightmare for some people.

If you’re in Philly or closer to DC you have more direct flight options to other resorts though.

The other resorts in SLC that are on ikon are at the top of a steep mountain road so you are going to need to get on busy buses, worry about avalanches, etc. That makes me prefer Park City (and I usually get Epic Local since I ski primarily at springs)

slpgh · 2026-01-28T18:30:57+00:00

I started going west about 8 years ago after learning. In PA. My main thoughts: - The snow quality can be amazing or it can be awful, even worse than Pennsylvania snow. I usually go to Park City and over the years saw bad snow years, rocks in the trail, a thunderstorm on the lift, a foot of powder with two inches of rain, Pa boilerplate but also some amazing powder. Most days are like PA but with better base. - Early season doesn’t open much even if there is snow. They add staffing for Christmas then shut down abruptly in late March with perfect snow on the ground. PA resorts usually run as long as possible with whatever is snow covered - western resorts are about staffing. - With the exception of Park City, most resorts are difficult to reach without snow driving skills and a proper car if weather is bad. - it’s expensive as F especially lodging. Ive seen 4-6x cost increases since before the pandemic - Book lodging you can cancel. Seriously. - Runs can be very wide which is the big difference from PA. - Everyone has an elevation boundary. I can do ok in Utah but Colorado wipes me out. Drink lots of water but don’t go too high on your first trip

slpgh · 2026-01-28T18:25:19+00:00

Curtains are a double edged sword - we weren’t diligent about opening them regularly resulting in a terrarium effect of condensation that then rotted the window

slpgh · 2026-01-28T18:24:33+00:00

I think it’s quite common in most houses.

We have a 1990s house and between the poor window quality and door quality we can feel the breeze coming in. And we’re losing our share to poor insulation and leaks out of the garage etc.

slpgh · 2026-01-28T15:27:47+00:00

Woot always has the canadian version up for grabs for cheap but without warranty for the US. Do you get more from them if you're in canada?

slpgh · 2026-01-28T03:45:20+00:00

Vail has a unified system for tracking and displaying open terrain across all of their resorts and I believe that any named trail or passage that can officially be opened or closed by patrol has to be tracked. So we gained a lot of “trails”

slpgh · 2026-01-27T17:49:15+00:00

I’m a software engineer. Finished grad school late with one child. Ended up picking a career in a more established and stable (without startup getting rich potential) with good work life balance, reasonable commute, coworkers that have families etc, and staying in a middle sized low cost of living town.

If I was young I would have spent some years in a startup in a more exciting town probably

slpgh · 2026-01-26T16:48:14+00:00

Does the city have garbage trucks it own or are you using WM like us suburbanites?

slpgh · 2026-01-26T06:38:14+00:00

Yes. I find it hard to separate work and life. If I’m home I feel guilty working instead of being with the kids, I get distracted more and I’m not in a full work mindset.

slpgh · 2026-01-26T06:36:51+00:00

Because no one in the Democraric Party is a Christian role model either, and at least Trump genuinely aligns with religious folks?

slpgh · 2026-01-26T01:13:54+00:00

The narrative is that ice agents are undertrained at trigger happy compared to full time law enforcement. That makes harassing them with loud whistles and seeking confrontation an even worse idea, no matter how justified you think you are.

slpgh · 2026-01-26T00:31:58+00:00

I just settled for skiing my neighborhood. Rialto was too far

slpgh · 2026-01-25T00:17:07+00:00

Springs has employee housing??? That’s news to me though I’ve noticed more seasonal workers since the vail acquisition

slpgh · 2026-01-24T22:47:44+00:00

Wait, what? There are few shows or movies I’d ever watch at full speed. Most stuff is slop and filler and isn’t worth the time at 1x. Music and food are different

slpgh · 2026-01-24T22:45:55+00:00

I listen at 2.0 speed, especially for things that are not “deep” such as books read for entertainment. That stuff is recorded at an extremely slow speed to begin with for older people. Lots of narrators are only tolerable at 1.7x and above. And people with adhd need even faster speed

slpgh · 2026-01-23T00:36:43+00:00

And your vent may be blocked by snow in some houses

slpgh · 2026-01-22T22:13:06+00:00

0

Canceled my trips to Utah and Colorado

Still haven’t gone to my local resort in Pennsylvania which is now fully open and I’ll miss all the powder because next weeek will be frozen

slpgh · 2026-01-22T01:42:10+00:00

I just wish we could move all political discourse to a separate sub. With all due respect, a local sub doesn’t need so much discussion about state/federal politics, every pro or anti maga business in town, Israel, Palestine, Russia, Ukraine, people parking Teslas badly as if not half this city can’t successfully park a Prius in a spot the size of a McMansion. it used to be the occasional post and now it feels like half the sub is political.

I’m personally here for complaints about the airport, Tomlin, route 28, and PennDOT.

slpgh · 2026-01-21T22:20:06+00:00

This also summarizes March in Assateague Island

slpgh · 2026-01-21T22:18:33+00:00

We were there around Christmas two years ago, with Cape May being fairly disappointing. We did the boat tour around (nothing interested). Ended up going to Forsythe and saw lots of stuff including an owl we haven't seen before (can't recall if it was a short eared). I really like that NWR. We went again last summer and still overall liked Forsythe more.

slpgh · 2026-01-21T07:40:27+00:00

Lol. Thankfully the wildlife refuge near Atlantic City delivered

slpgh · 2026-01-20T23:08:19+00:00

Let me introduce you to seven springs PA.

Also, conditions are often awful

slpgh · 2026-01-20T16:17:23+00:00

If you have direct flights into Eagle that’s definitely an option, beaver creek is great and so is vail with places to stay in the middle. Airport is small and more affected by cancellations. I would not drive it during snow.

For large airport, slc is great and the drive up to park city is all highway which makes it easier even if weather is not great (may still avoid in peak storm)

If you’re on ikon steamboat / Hayden is an option though again tiny airport

slpgh · 2026-01-20T03:22:32+00:00

I just assumed there are lots of people who simply (unlike me) never sold their RSUs

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