Are the any Ski Areas left out West that havent been ruined?

HornPorn

HornPorn

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Over the last 30 years, all the ski towns I am familiar with out West have been overrun by 2nd homes of the rich and liberal, and no longer hold the quaint charm they once did. Looking to put roots down and maybe buy some land near a place that hasnt been ruined yet. I used to think Whitefish, MT was that place, but it's been overrun as well. Open to Alaska as well.

Any recommendations? Feel free to PM
 
If they ain’t been wrecked yet they will be soon.

Not sure how long ago you thought whitefish was ‘the place’, but it’s been wrecked for a long, long time.

There are still a lot of small hills in rural communities that are great though. But those hills and locales typically don’t offer the amenities that the bigger hills offer.
 
Wingnutty said:
If they ain’t been wrecked yet they will be soon.

Not sure how long ago you thought whitefish was ‘the place’, but it’s been wrecked for a long, long time.

There are still a lot of small hills in rural communities that are great though. But those hills and locales typically don’t offer the amenities that the bigger hills offer.
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Late 90s when I saw my favorite Colorado town getting crowded is when I thought Whitefish might be the next place to look.

Yeah, small hills are good too. Just something with 3-5 lifts to keep my wife happy. I'll prob look at buying some land within 45 min of there
 
Alaska has the same problems as anywhere else. The town of girdwood is not affordable for most and those that live there have their pie and don't want any development to happen. I think i paid 17.00 for a twix bar and a lemonade last year. Could definitely be worse though, parking is still free.
 
Most have been "discovered" to some extent. Small hills generally can't handle much influx due to limited infrastructure and staff so they seem busy. The small ski mountain that I frequent is generally pretty quiet but it's becoming common to see adventure vans full of out of area crews looking for the "last stash of powder and a chill vibe" 🤮
 
To the OP, I don’t want to come across as a jerk, but asking for advice on undiscovered towns/areas so that you can move there is about the same as asking for someone to tell you a specific place to kill a big bull.

Also, anywhere within close proximity of a ski area or rivers that have trout in them are major draws for certain demographics and have been “discovered” for decades.

These days, even smaller ski areas around the west suffer from crowds trying to escape the experience of skiing at larger resorts. The other issue for small ski areas is that most of them are pretty boring due to limited terrain and marginal snow conditions / short seasons. Sure, you may have fun for day or two or a big storm may hit just right, but essentially there’s a reason most small ski areas stay small.

Lift service skiing is popular for a reason, but recently backcountry skiing has exploded due to what resort skiing has turned into. My advice would be to change your expectations about finding an “undiscovered” location because they really don’t exist.
 
3forks said:
To the OP, I don’t want to come across as a jerk, but asking for advice on undiscovered towns/areas so that you can move there is about the same as asking for someone to tell you a specific place to kill a big bull.
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LOL. Don't be so dramatic. A list of all ski resorts in the US is easily found....I was just asking for which ones would be recommended. Show me where a list of "specific places" to kill a big bull can be so easily found.....and please send in a PM ;)
 
HornPorn said:
Late 90s when I saw my favorite Colorado town getting crowded is when I thought Whitefish might be the next place to look.

Yeah, small hills are good too. Just something with 3-5 lifts to keep my wife happy. I'll prob look at buying some land within 45 min of there
Click to expand...

Buy a place in White Sulphur Springs, Montana. Showdown is a great hill.
 
If you talk to anyone who has lived in a ski town for a while, they will say its been ruined and wasn’t like what it was when they moved there. You just got to find a place that you like and tolerate the people who are there. Holiday seasons are always going to be a zoo, so plan accordingly.
 
Spoonbill said:
If you talk to anyone who has lived in a ski town for a while, they will say its been ruined and wasn’t like what it was when they moved there. You just got to find a place that you like and tolerate the people who are there. Holiday seasons are always going to be a zoo, so plan accordingly.
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Yep, I lived in 2 different Colorado ski towns back before many of these posters were even born. One within a 90 min drive of Denver, and another one to the SW that was a real gem. I still go back to them occasionally to see my friends and bowhunt in the nearby units, but can't see myself living in either place. Even back then we didn't really ski on the weekends due to all the front range folks clogging everything up
 
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