Here's my shout out from Utah.
www.skiutah.com
Most resorts here are scheduled to open by Nov. 20. By Christmas break there's usually around 70 inches of snow. There are 4 resorts within 30 min of Salt Lake City, and more in Park City about an hour away. I don't know about Colorado, but Utah had a bit of a slow season last year and some resorts have lowered prices. Utah is the premier destination for the light fluffy powder that you can't find back east.
Here's my breakdown:
Salt Lake/Park City
Brighton: the main local resort, really cheap, not that great, lots of snowboarders. Super cheap $20 night skiing with coupons
Solitude: Really an underrated resort. I skied there throughout my childhood. Fewer crowds and decent in size
Snowbird: Bigger, better terrain, the backside doesn't usually have a lot of snow by Christmas.
Alta: Everyone tells me it's the best, skiers only. I've never been.
Park City: Great family resort, lots of terrain, holds events a lot, crowded and not too dificult
Canyons: Gigantic resort, overpriced, crowded, but worth it on a powder day if you get their early to wait in line. Park city doesn't get as much snow as the Salt Lake resorts, but everything will be open by Christmas.
Deer Valley: Probably the most expensive. I did construction on the resort surveying the ski runs and they are pretty nice, but I've never skied there.
Northern Utah
Snowbasin: great resort, really big, really beautiful, on the pricy side, but great powder
Powder mountain: Best backcountry powder in the state but small resort. You don't need a ticket to ski down the backside and a bus picks you up at the bottom and hauls you back up to the resort for free usually just locals
Nordic Valley: good for only beginners
Beaver Mountain: A resort run by cowboys that really only serves the Logan area, not big, some backcountry, lots of snow.
Southern Utah
Brian Head: Fun little resort with lots of natural bowls and jumps. not very technical, not the best snow, attracts Californians, but lots of memories there.
Elk Meadows: Never been, but better snow than Brian head, and it has recently been bought out since I heard.
Outside of utah, I've really enjoyed Grand Targhee in Wyoming on the back side of the Tetons. They tend to have good deals without the crowds (another thing you don't get back east). I've looked into the Colorado resorts and I'm sure there good, but the price always discourages me from leaving Utah.
Best spots to ski out west.
Best spots to ski out west.
