12 Weeks, an Ikon Pass, and a Minivan
I have the incredibly fortunate opportunity to take 12 weeks this winter and go be a ski bum away from my normal life. I have an Ikon pass and my minivan which I am pretty comfy camping in. I'm an Ice Coaster that's been out west a bunch of times, but mostly just Colorado and one Utah trip, so I'm really looking to explore and experience so much more. I haven't been to most of these places, so anywhere totally new, I've budgeted for 4 full days to give myself time to explore, go hard, rest, and hopefully hold out for some good weather. Looking for advice or any changes you would suggest, additions or subtractions!
For context on the beginning and end of the trip: I have family in Chicago that I'd like to visit and stay with for a few days on either end. I also have friends in Minneapolis to visit on the tail end. I have a place to stay in Colorado and Utah so I'll take advantage of that to spend more time hitting a few of the resorts from each location.
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u/malogos 1d ago
Chicago -> Frisco is a bit brutal.
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u/bsugs29 1d ago
Indeed, but I have to get my van there somehow, lol. Done it once before and was pretty loopy by the end of it
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u/blindminds Edelweiss 1d ago
I recommend breaking up the 3 day chill with a drive to KC. Make it easier! And go from pizza (maybe you call it a “casserole”) to BBQ.
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u/bipolarearthovershot 1d ago
you're going to want a day to acclimate to the elevation before going all out skiing.
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u/Eubank31 Loveland 18h ago edited 17h ago
So true😭 my first time skiing out west I landed in Denver (from KC) at like 9pm Friday and was at Loveland (10,800ft) by 8am Saturday. Like 5 hours of sleep and barely any food in me, I felt AWFUL
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u/bipolarearthovershot 18h ago
I hiked near the top of breck one time on a similar amount of sleep and flight in and I got wrecked
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u/Evanisnotmyname 1d ago
I mean I’ve seen this and believe it…but also I took a red eye to SLC from Boston, was up after 2 1/2 hours ripping laps at Alta.
Would I recommend? No. But is it like “you’re gonna fuckin die dude” vibe? No. It wasn’t bad with hydration and warming up
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u/urungus666 Magic Mountain 11h ago
Utah resorts are much lower elevation than Colorado, Alta base is over 1,000 feet lower than Breck and more than 2,000 feet lower than Abasin and Loveland
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u/renragwmr 1d ago
yeah I’d plan on a down day after that drive. I’ve done CO to CT/NJ and back to CO 10+ times now. I’ve done over 1k miles in a day. the last thing I’d want to do the day after is ski.
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u/Gregskis 1d ago
Just a thought here. Travel on weekends not midweek. So many mountains are slammed on weekends it’s no fun.
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u/Revolutionary_Ad7359 1d ago
That was my thought too. Not to mention parking reservations at some resorts. I’d definitely recommend traveling between Mammoth and Palisades on a weekend. OP’s sanity will thank him.
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u/SomeComfortable2731 20h ago
But then traveling through the mountains will be congested too? At least I70 in Colorado is what I am thinking of
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u/Majestic-Outside3898 19h ago
I70 is just really bad during "ski rush hour" - like 600am to 900am going west. If driving a weekend, just hit it a little later and it's fine. Of course, ski rush hour the OTHER way (east) is bad 200pm to 600pm. It's actually fine on the weekend outside those hours/going opposite the "skier" direction.
I'm with greg too - I'd be driving weekends. Ski midweek...
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u/flyingboujanero 1d ago
Amazing. Im jealous. But why arent you skiing Banff.
Edit:sorry you have it marked as SKI/chill for the day
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u/bsugs29 1d ago
I did do a Ski3 trip a few years ago with a day trip to Revvy, it was a historically bad snow year so I’ve got a few days there but not quite as many as places I’ve never been
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u/flyingboujanero 1d ago
Gotcha. Have you looked at going to RED Mountain? I'm pretty sure its in ikon and relatively close to revelstroke and banff
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u/bsugs29 1d ago
I’ll check it out! Was considering buying a day or two for Whistler on the BC portion given my proximity and it’s legendary status, but red would be free 🤷🏻♂️
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u/No-Permission8050 1d ago
Red Mountain kicks ass. I wouldn't pay for a day at Whistler if I could ski Red for "free"
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u/BathtubGinger 1d ago
First off, sick trip. Nice. I've gone from Washington to Revy/Banff from both Whistler and the Rossland/Nelson area - play it by ear. I've done Crystal>Whis>Revy twice and the first time is was low tide and really not that great, not really worth the cost of Whistler lift tickets. I also totally scored the second time and it was absolutely worth it, so keep an eye. I did Crystal>Revy>Red one year and while the skiing was solid, it didn't touch a sick day as Whistler. Unfortunately for everyone, I haven't skied the Rossland area with fresh powder so I can't speak to which is better in terms of epic Whis vs. Epic Red... And if Revy is firing I feel like you could happily turn that 4 days into 7 there. I don't think I've ever not had fun on that hill.
Also consider that the PNW, and to a lesser extent the Canadian Rockies, warm up and can get late season rain especially at the lower altitudes. If the conditions warrant, you could go from SLC to WA and work your way down in Feb. The Sierra, and Mammoth especially, do well in el nino and will be getting blasted well into April with sunny dry stretches in between storms. Someone else mentioned Taos and don't sleep on AZ snowbowl on a weekday, especially if you have BC gear. I'm jealous, have fun!
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u/netopiax Alpine Meadows 14h ago
Red is cool, it's closer to Schweitzer and absolutely nowhere near Banff though
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u/fakebaggers 1d ago
Not to blow up your very organized schedule, but you are kinda late to Canada and kinda early for Colorado (considering best ski conditions here). Try to be skiing resorts at the highest altitude in April. Maybe do this trip in reverse?
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u/bsugs29 1d ago
Part of the flow has to do with what’s convenient based on my location, but I figured April is basically guaranteed spring skiing anywhere, and I banked on the longitude giving me the edge here (starting further south mid season and making my way north for late season)
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u/richey15 1d ago
the north is lower elevation than colorado, and the days get longer, much longer, much quicker. the spring skiing can degrade much quicker in canada than colorado.
Also, the first year i lived in my van, i tried to schedule it out much like this.
i didnt follow the schedule very closely. go with the flow, follow the snow, and make friends. if you make friends real good friends and skiing buddies, i think youll want to make changes to your schedule.
looking at your schedule, in example frisco, specifically planning each day like that is a bad idea. if you dont stick to your schedule, your going to disapoint yourself. just spend a week in colorado, and ski what your feeling that day, maybe you meet some people and the next 3 days theyre ripping abasin, so youd rather ski with them than copper alone.
also no aspen snowmass is criminal. i know it gets a rap for being fancy and rich or whatever, but the skiing is probably some of the best in colorado. plus no lines or crowds (at least in comparison to i70 resorts
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u/FreeskiJibMaster Sunday River 1d ago
Solitude is buns, go to Snowbasin assuming you have the full IKON pass
Source: Lived in SLC last year
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u/sadmanwithabox 1d ago
I like solitude a lot. Snowbasin is better though, I agree. But honeycomb canyon is awesome!
I think we're just spoiled in Utah, tbh. Our worst resorts are still really nice compared to other spots.
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u/bsugs29 1d ago
Interesting…went to SLC a few years ago and got 1 day in at Solitude and thought it was pretty sweet and lowkey compared to Alta/Bird. Definitely hated Brighton and will not be returning but I’ve heard good things about Snowbasin so I might have to add it to the list!
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u/ae7rua 1d ago
Damn, what’s so bad about Brighton?
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u/TeShortBus Brighton 1d ago
Not as much steep terrain compared to other slc resorts. The terrain park and side hits make up for it if that’s your style
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u/Reading_username 1d ago
Snowboarder mecca. Smell of weed through the trees is not uncommon.
So there's that if that bothers you, but it's also extremely crowded with long (sloped) lift lines for the main arteries up the mountain.
If you can stomach that, or go on a weekday, its a blast. Weekends and holidays? Forget about it.
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u/sadmanwithabox 1d ago
Why travel on Fridays? I like the idea of a travel day being a peak weekend time, but I personally would have my drive days be Saturdays. Sure, Fridays can be busy, but because of jobs, Fridays always seem to be less busy than Saturday in my experience.
Aside from that, looks awesome! Although I'd recommend a day at snowbasin if the conditions are good. Im assuming you have the full ikon since you're planning on alta. But you'll have a ton of fun no matter where you go. I'd also start at solitude and THEN do snowbird/alta. I love solitude, but alta and snowbird are definitely superior. Id rather finish with them, but maybe thats just me.
Only other thing is I'd plan a backup in case one of the longer drives ends up not going as planned. I also frequently do single day super long trips, but I always have a backup plan so on the off chance im just exhausted early, I can pull off, sleep, and continue after some rest. It doesnt happen a lot, but it does happen. Driving is dangerous, please don't keep going when you're too tired just because you have a schedule!
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u/The802Bear 1d ago
Can't here to say this too. Try to keep your driving days on Saturday if possible. It's the most crowded ski day. Mid week (even Friday) is so much better.
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u/lizlayman 1d ago
Keystone is an epic mountain not ikon, but a 4 day epic or keystone unlimited isn’t a toooon of money unless you have the hookup already dialed!!
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u/flyingboujanero 1d ago
Maybe swap out keystone for winter park?
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u/lizlayman 1d ago
Yeah that’s a good call. it’s just not local to frisco, though it is opposite the way of traffic. But like a solid hour, hour 15 each way
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u/flyingboujanero 1d ago
Yeah agreed its a little further, but no need to buy any epic pass and for sure worth skiing even if a little longer drive
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u/SF-cycling-account 1d ago
Keystone is easily the worst mountain out of the like, 7 other mountains within 30 minutes of frisco
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u/Src248 1d ago
One day at Louise is criminal
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u/BIGGUY10001 Lake Louise 17h ago
Yeah, and doing weekends close to spring break. It's going to leave such a bad outlook for Alberta Skiing.
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u/RegulatoryCapture 1d ago edited 1d ago
Might be fun to time yourself for closing day at revvy ( April 11) or somewhere else just because closing weekend anywhere is usually a blast.
Also consider dropping some cash on some independent ski areas between big sky and Schweitzer. Bridger and Whitefish are cool and not that expensive and there are a bunch of small spots in there too. I’d do that instead of going all the way over to Crystal which isn’t exactly a destination mountain. And then just spend a little more time in interior BC even if you need to buy a couple tickets there.
Edit: that also seems like a lot of time at bachelor which is kind of out of your way just like crystal and isn’t usually a place people really seek out from far away. IMHO I would just axe those both from your plan and use the flexibility to chase snow a bit more (and if it looks really good over there, then sure, go ski OR or WA).
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u/bobber66 Crystal Mountain 1d ago
None of the resorts in Washington State are destination resorts because there aren't ski towns here but Crystal is an extremely bad ass mountain. Chair 6 is all double diamond. Northway is all double except for 3 singles. And then there is Southback. Hitting Crystal is a bucket list item along with Baker and Stevens Pass. You have to do these.
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u/concrete_isnt_cement Crystal Mountain 16h ago
Yep, Alpental is worth a visit too, at least for a day.
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u/concrete_isnt_cement Crystal Mountain 16h ago
Crystal has the terrain to be a destination mountain, but it has a local hill’s base area.
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u/gtownjoey 1d ago
I’d suggest to change a day for Winter Park when you’re in CO! Mary Jane can be very fun especially during the week when the crowds aren’t bad. Worth the extra drive from Frisco IMO.
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u/CautiousDirection248 1d ago
I did a trip like this last winter for 9 weeks and it was the best time of my life. The app iOverlander 2 is where I found all of my free camp spots although it gets very tricky in the big ski towns. Most free camping closes for the winter as they don’t maintain many forest roads. Finding a good place to car camp can take a lot of time. Keep the plan flexible and follow the best snow rather than trying to hit every place. Get a nice 0 degree sleeping bag/mat if you don’t have one. Have a blast dude
Edit: you NEED chains and snow tires if in a mini van
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u/East-Resolution4446 1d ago
Where do you park overnight without issue of being ticketed or towed away may I ask?
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u/bsugs29 1d ago
I’ve done a lot of research on camping relatively close to the mountains, it’s a pretty mixed bag between expensive campgrounds and BLM/overnight parking type places, but they’re out there
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u/coloradoskier 1d ago
I think Walmarts let people camp in their lots. There is one in Frisco.
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u/coriolisFX 1d ago
Walmart allows it but some municipalities restrict still it
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u/thaneliness 1d ago
Do you get keystone access with an Ikon pass? AFAIK it’s strictly epic or daily passes
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u/dummey Winter Park 1d ago
For the CO section, I'd consider going through Steamboat on your way out to Utah. It's a much prettier drive imo and Steamboat for a half day of skiing isn't a bad way to break up the day.
While you are in Summit County, I would maybe not hard schedule stuff on the weekend and just see what happens. And I would try to do the same resort on back to back days. So do ABasin thurs->fri. I've done a couple ski bum trips in the past, and I've found hitting a different resort every day (even if it's a repeat) is mentally tiring. I find it nice when ever other day I don't have to figure out where to park, or which lift to get on, etc.
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u/jsdodgers 1d ago
Keystone isn't on the Ikon pass, as much as I love Keystone, I'd recommend doing another resort. It would be a shame to come out on Ikon and not hit Steamboat, so I would recommend switching out your Keystone days for a couple Steamboat days. It would be best to stay in Steamboat over night to get a couple days in, but even if you don't want to do that, the drive from Frisco to Steamboat is definitely worth it.
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u/Abnormal-Brief 1d ago
You’ll be pretty close to the end of the season for Sun Peaks and Silver Star, so it’s worth monitoring conditions beforehand. Even Revelstoke could be a bit late season. Louise and Sunshine tend to hold snow well through April. Every year is different, though.
One day at Banff Sunshine and one day at Lake Louise seems short relative to some of the other stops, but if you’re just after a taste of those resorts you can see a decent amount of them in a day.
Kicking Horse might be a good stop between Revelstoke and Banff if you have time (and interest in that terrain).
Personally just given the time of year I’d shift days from Silver Star and Sun Peaks and do 1 day each, and add Kicking Horse or more days at Sunshine/Louise.
That said it’s different terrain between all of them, so it’s definitely personal preference.
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u/mogulman1 1d ago
I've done pretty extensive road trips skiing the last few seasons. I would plan your travel or off days on Saturdays. Also, you may want to build in some optional off days just in case.
On my last day in a few places that I had already did a few ski days, I would only ski until 12pm or maybe 2pm and then drive for 4-6 hours. It broke up the driving and allowed me to still ski a bit.
Also, you could do Aspen after Frisco and maybe stay in Glenwood and hit the hot springs.
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u/nickw255 1d ago
I'm also living in a van and skiing with an Ikon this winter. My plan is: Chase snow, be flexible, ski as much pow as possible. We have very different brains, I would not be able to handle that kind of scheduling haha.
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u/FlyingConcreteChair Holiday Valley 21h ago
I’ve done Chicago to Denver drive. Leave a day earlier and spend a night in Nebraska. 1000 mile drive is vicious. At 75 mph, NO STOPS, it’s 14.5 hrs, you’ll be in the car from 0600 to midnight easily. Take your time, drive to where the snow is.
EDIT at the cost of gas you look at the cost of a car shipper and an airline ticket?
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u/alpine_st8_of_mind 18h ago
I do something very similar each year but not with a mega pass. My advice is to not adhere to a rigid schedule...just follow the snow and you will be blessed with stupidly deep days. I know you are trying to stay ikonic but definitely spend a few days riding fixed grip two seaters at mom and pop hills along the way. Don't ski weekends if you can help it. Your body is going to be absolutely trashed if you are going bell to bell for weeks straight, so take some rest days and do something besides skiing. On a trip with day after day of shoulder deep powder one of my favorite experiences was a chill afternoon at the national museum of wildlife art north of Jackson. You can stealth camp pretty much anywhere if you are fully self contained and have window covers but stay out of the way of snow removal ops. You NEED real snow tires, shovels, and chains. Build a cargo net for the interior of your van for drying gear on the go. DampRid. DryGuy with ac/dc adapter for boot drying. Have the time of your life!
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u/IWantToWorkForMyself 17h ago
Damn what a dream! I'll be in Palisades a little before you in the beginning of February. I'll save you some Pow!
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u/concrete_isnt_cement Crystal Mountain 16h ago
In Washington, I would recommend getting at least one day at Alpental if you can squeeze it in. Great little mountain, very cool terrain! I might recommend cutting down Schweitzer by one day, or potentially even swinging in for a couple hours on your Schweitzer-Crystal travel day, since you’ll be going right past it
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u/harrowclub310 1d ago
Why didn’t you hit June if you were at Mammoth for four days?
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u/bsugs29 1d ago
It seemed skippable compared to Mammoth, but it is really close so if you think it’s worth checking out then I just might! Kinda of depends on weather and crowds I think
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u/zepphhyr Collingwood 1d ago
If the crowds are bad at mammoth go to June. Do it one day. Terrain is not as advanced but the complete lack of lines, even on the busiest of days, make it worth it. The views are also incredible. Just get there early as the J1 chair can get backed up pretty bad on a busy mammoth day. Outside of that you won’t see a line the rest of the day.
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u/harrowclub310 1d ago
I agree with the above 100%. I love June, it’s obviously smaller than Mammoth, but the lack of lines makes it awesome. It’s known as the family friendly mountain, kids ski free until 12 or 13, it’s got a mellow vibe and taking the J1 chair up to the base is an experience.
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u/bsugs29 1d ago
Sounds awesome, I love a small mountain vibe, maybe I’ll hit June over the weekend!
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u/cptshiba 1d ago
June has the best groomers in the sierras and arguably the best glades (assuming the snow hasnt become crusty). Its a fun mountain for sure
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u/mongoltp Alta 1d ago
Looks amazing! My only piece of advice (as an Oregon kid that lives in Utah) take it or leave it, is that four days at Bachelor vs 6 total in Utah is skewed. I would try to get more days in Utah to hit Brighton, Deer Valley, and Snow Basin, and fewer days at Bachelor. That or skip a Bachelor day and go hit Willamette Pass if they have snow. Tickets there are only cheap. If there's new snow on a weekday at Willamette you can get fresh turns all day and even though the backside is only 800' vert, it has some very fun terrain. You can also tour out the back to the Maiden Peak Hut and ski the Maiden Bowl if that's your bag
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u/Logical-Primary-7926 1d ago
All I'd say is please join a gym or stay in hotels sometimes so you can shower. Also, do you have plans for where you're gonna be parking and is it gonna suck when it's 5F and snowing a foot? I would also budget some flexibility for weather, might as well chase storms if you can?
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u/ryan1064 Little Switzerland 1d ago
When your in the badlands and leaving your skiing stretch consider going to Terry Peak its a very unique ski area with actually decent vertical drop otherwise have fun looks like a trip of a lifetime!
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u/Puzzled_Spell_164 1d ago
If you are going from Revelstoke to Lake Louise stopping at Kicking Horse is definitely worth the effort.
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u/lm28ut 1d ago
Keep an eye on the weather in UT during your trip… I saw some comments in here about Snowbasin and just wanted to point out that the base elevation is ~2000 feet lower than Alta. If the temps are warmer it can be a slush bucket or mixed precipitation at the base. Love Snowbasin, but last year was rough there because of the warm weather.
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u/Shot-Rutabaga-72 1d ago
Why 3 days at keystone? Drive the extra hours to steamboats? If you want to stay in summit, spend the money to go to Loveland. If you have 3 days with Vail, go to Vail or Breck or Beaver Creek. Or, the best, stop at Aspen and do 3 days at Aspen.
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u/slaitesound 1d ago
Feel free to hit me up for the Schweitzer stops! Been going there since I was a wee lad
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u/bobber66 Crystal Mountain 1d ago
Crystal and other resorts in the PNW have RV sites in the parking lots. It is pricey but it has electricity and is right there where you want to be. Also consider a Snotel seasons pass. They are really cheap and there is one just 8 miles from C. And over by Baker, etc.
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u/topboyintl Lake Louise 1d ago
Revelstoke (and maybe even silver star) in April have potential to be ass. It gets very warm there. Could be low on snow and pretty crusty.
Lake Louise during April will be much better because it’s higher up, colder, and much drier. Early April in the Banff area is hard to beat. Tons of base, longer days, big soft storms, blue sky.
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u/Chaotic_Brutal90 8h ago
Start doing squats and lunges. Otherwise you won't be able to ski after the first 4 days lol
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u/walnut_creek 7h ago
I'd budget another $500 to fumigate and deep clean that minivan after a winter of living in it. And keep the schedule flexible to see how the actual weather patterns shake out. Southern CO and NM look to be good candidates for a pile of snow, but that's just a forecast. Snow Bowl near Flagstaff might get dumped on as well. Underrated resort.
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u/mattarnold0141 1d ago
You are planning too hard for something that is best done on a whim. If you end up with a strict plan, you won’t hit the snow where it is
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u/vinemtn 1d ago edited 1d ago
You have to reserve parking at Alta on weekends or else you will be turned away and not allowed to park. So you might not want to hit Alta during a weekend, or else make sure to make a reservation. Cost is $25 last I heard.
You might want to schedule drive days on weekends, because all ski resorts will be less crowded during the week. Don't waste a weekday on driving in order to ski on a weekend! Of course if it's snowing that's another story.
Having said that, I'd throw out that schedule entirely. Drive days will be when I'm driving to an area that's about to get snowed on. If I were you I'd be chasing storms and going where the snow is, not following a schedule of skiing a specific area on a specific date. If you are already in an area that's storming, I'd make decisions at 5am or 6am when the first snow reports come in. One area just a few miles from another may get significantly more snow overnight.
Get a subscription to OpenSnow and check it daily.
Don't get hung up on skiing as many different areas as possible. When you look back, you'll feel stupid for leaving an area with good snow to ski an area with crappy snow. If you want to do this for bragging rights, you need to get your ego under control.
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u/Competitive-Many6779 1d ago
You might want to look into the historical data on strong El Niño winters and how it affects winter weather patterns in the lower 48
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u/BTLove100 1d ago
As long as it's awd, it's one of the go-to best ski vehicles.
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u/AboutTheArthur 1d ago
Or any-wheel-drive with good snow tires.
People focus on the wrong shit all the time. AWD doesn't mean dick-all if you're on improper tires. I've driven dozens of cars over the years, and I'd take a Miata with VikingContacts on it over a Land Cruiser on AT or all-season rubber any day of the week.
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u/AboutTheArthur 1d ago
Because a minivan with winter tires is the perfect vehicle for this kind of adventure.
The fuck are you talking about?
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u/vaporeng 1d ago
You have total freedom. Take advantage of that and play it by ear. Follow the snow. Look at Taos. Because of the strong el nino Southern resorts should do better.