# Skiing; California VS Utah VS Colorado VS Vermont



## CaboBayCaptain1297 (Mar 19, 2016)

Which do you think is the best US state for skiing out of these four? 
Personally, I'd rank them like this;

1. Colorado
A little bias for my home state, but CO does offer a huge quantity of ski resorts across the state. Telluride, Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone, Steamboat Springs, you name it. I'd say the skiing itself is a tossup against UT, but the whole package and options list is definitely number 1. The best ski resort restaurants are located in CO, (my favorite being Ticiono in Beaver Creek). The towns also are great to explore, and have a nice Alpine feel to them, and are really clean, too.
Yes, CO resorts are often crowded, but think about it. Even after UT hosted the damn Olympics, CO is still the ski capital of the United States. Most folks in the east coast still think of CO before UT or even sometimes VT when they think of skiing. No other state offers a huge mix of quantity and quality of its resorts as CO, which is why people still come to the state year after year to ski despite the crowds, which is why it is Number 1.
Also, many of these resorts contain their own airport, so you don't have to fly into DEN (just make sure to watch the weather so they don't close though). 

2. Utah
When it comes to accessibility and convenience, UT wins hands down. The resorts, unlike the ones in CO, do not have their own airport, but they don't need it, they are all an easy drive from SLC, a bigger airport that has much fewer closures and delays than not only CO resort airports such as ASE and EGE, but even DEN. The skiing itself is as good, if not, better than CO, especially in Alta or Snowbird. Also, the snow is also really dry, and the state does claim itself as having the Greatest Snow on Earth.
The reason UT is lower than CO is because it heavily lacks in quantity compared to CO, pretty much all the ski resorts in UT are situated east of SLC, and not spread out across the state. Also, although Park City and Alta are nice towns, they're not as nice as the ski towns in CO, and the restaurants there can't hold a candle to the ones in CO. Many go to SLC for the nightlife, but I want an Alpine, not a Metropolitan, experience when going skiing.
Still, UT is the second best state for skiing in the US, and definitely one I would highly recommend.

3. California
CA comes second in quantity behind CO. Most of CA's resorts lie in the Sierra Nevadas, usually around Lake Tahoe, with the exception of resorts such as Kirkwood or Mammoth. They also do get a lot of great snow, and are pretty big in acreage. South Lake Tahoe also has its own airport, and the northern ski resorts such as Sugar Bowl and Boreal are a close drive from RNO (Reno, NV). If you want a gambling nightlife after skiing, Reno would be the ideal choice. 
CA is a great skiing place, but it does lack quantity compared to CO, and quality compared to both CO and UT. The ski towns are much smaller, with the exception of South Lake Tahoe, and the snow definitely lacks in comparison to CO and UT. As for the restaurants there, there is better quantity and quality than UT, but not as good as CO. 
Still, CA is still highly recommended, and is the third best state for skiing. 

4. Vermont
Okay, when it comes to North American skiing east of the Rockies, VT wins hands down. The top 7-10 best resorts in the US east of CO are all located in VT, and more people live in the east coast than the west coast, which is why VT is so highly often brought into the discussion. 
However, although VT skiing is very good and definitely the best east of the Rockies, it's a huge gap. The snow conditions are much worse than the ones in the Rockies or Sierra Nevadas, and the towns have much less to offer, I definitely don't think VT compares to CO, UT, or CA when it comes to skiing. Sorry to say it.
But hey, as I said before, if you want to ski in the east, VT should definitely be your choice.

So what is your vote?


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## Elisa Artista (Aug 23, 2016)

Bias or not, I agree that Colorado would win as the favorite state for skiing among both amateurs and aficionados, because of the amount of choices you have. I'll grant you that some of the Colorado skiing towns are cut off from major thoroughfares , but that's part of their charm. Vermont is nice for east coasters like myself, but I think of Colorado for when you want a true ski vacation.


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## telepariah (Jun 20, 2011)

Those are the best towns. Telluride, Crested Butte, and Steamboat. Even Aspen. But I'm a bit of a backcountry snob and for that, it depends on the season or what you want. Want big, steep, accessible lines you can ski all winter? Utah by a long shot. Colorado has long, flat approaches. But I would argue we have the best snow quality. For big spring lines in the most perfect corn, it's California though if we get a lot of snow in Spring we can rival California. Utah not so great once the melt is on, but California and Colorado have great, long corn seasons. I skied last Sunday and dove nekkid into an icy glacial lake (those pictures NSFW). Here are some pictures from the current season (though my season never ends really).







Clear Creek County backcountry: my first turn of the new season, November, 2015








Clear Creek County backcountry: my INTP friend said it was really fucking cold, December, 2015








Rocky Mountain National Park: me hitting a tree while in the air, April, 2016 (that hurt for a long time)








LaPlata Peak: my ESTP friend just off the summit of Colorado's fifth highest 14er, June, 2016

I wish I could put more than 4 but this will have to do. It's been a great year--excepting the 6 weeks I was out after hitting that tree. 8^o I still have an active streak of skiing every month for several years, though I don't really count or feel bad if I miss a month once in awhile.

P.S. if this was a ski site, I would say Utah just to keep people out of CO but this is PerC and we're among friends. ;-)


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## telepariah (Jun 20, 2011)

Oh... and another thing about those towns. They have the best mountains! And I wasn't going to say Silverton because it's not a resort, but it is the most badass mountain in North America.


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## Wolf (Mar 20, 2016)

I've skiied/snowboarded in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, they were all great. 

Personally I'd rank them as: Colorado > Utah > New Mexico


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## Wellsy (Oct 24, 2011)

Mars


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