1

I have been to a lot of those places in winter (but not as a skier, sadly). They are truly very good. But in terms of very specialist advice, have you looked at the various Ski USA and Ski Canada forums? Might get more useful info there.

2

Are you willing to rent a car to access less well known resorts and or lodging ? carracar

3

Yes, we are happy to rent a car if it makes things easier!

4

What month are you planning to ski ? The last few seasons that has made a world of difference as to where to go . I've seen deep powder in Canada in December & corn in the Sierra in May in the same year. Good luck !

5

We are planning on being there in January - February.

Thanks!

6

Plan on a upper class "ski bum" tour of Colorado resorts...BY Lodging in support towns such as Dillon & Glenwood Springs...Avoid lodging in the fantasy "ski villages" Lift tickets should cost less mid week...On weekends, drive to other Resort complexes...Utah,Oregon & Northern California ... Ski & see the Western US as well...carracar

7

It's a little hard to follow exactly what you want to do. Do you intend to spend the full 6-8 weeks skiing, with no stops at other places (e.g., national parks, old mining towns, etc.)? If I had 6-8 weeks off in Colorado, Utah, and California, I'd spend at least some of that time exploring the beautiful scenery and unique culture.

Also, are you trying to choose one place where you'll be for 6-8 weeks? If so, then you obviously want to choose somewhere that has multiple resort options; you'll get bored skiing on the same mountain after 2 weeks (if not 1 week). That militates in favor of Colorado, specifically the Vail/Beaver Creek/Keystone/Copper/Breckenridge area (all about 30 miles of each other). If you have a rental car, you could visit many of the other resorts in CO that are only a few hours' drive away (Aspen/Snowmass, Telluride, A-Basin, Steamboat).

You say you want a "young and vibrant lifestyle," but you don't want to spend an arm and a leg. The unfortunate truth is that the closer you are to the base of the resorts -- where the "young and vibrant lifestyle" is centered -- the more you will pay. If you are willing to stay off the base, you'll save a lot more in money. You can drive into the base villages at night; most areas will also have some sort of bus system that circulates to the off-base areas. The best towns for nightlife are Vail and Breckenridge.

We always used to stay at the Comfort Inn near Beaver Creek -- it gets the job done, is very reasonably priced, and there's a bus right outside that will take you to the slopes. However, that's not very honeymoon-ish, and also, if you're going to be somewhere for 6-8 weeks, or even more than 1 week, you're better served by finding a condo, which will feel more like a home and let you cook on your own (thereby saving money). Unfortunately, I don't know any websites for Colorado condos, but I'm sure there are many resources that make renting a condo pretty straightforward. January-February is the "low" season during the winter months (except for holiday weekends, like MLK Day in January and President's Day in February), so you should be able to find some good values, especially if you tell a condo owner you're looking for a long-term rental of several weeks. The "real people" towns around Vail and Beaver Creek are Avon and Edwards; around Breckenridge, it's Dillon and Frisco. You'll find cheaper accomodation there.

I've skied Colorado resorts, Whistler/Blackcomb, and Heavenly. You can't go wrong with the CO resorts. Whistler/Blackcomb is fantastic skiing as well, but I think for 6-8 weeks you're better served by having all the CO options. Heavenly was beautiful in terms of natural scenery (Lake Tahoe, obviously), but I thought the skiing was only okay. The lift system on the mountain drove me crazy -- lots of catwalks and flat terrain to get places. The other resorts in the area are also not as "user friendly" -- Squaw Valley, for example, has amazing skiing, but it is far more advanced, and there's no village nightlife to speak of.

Oh, and yes, the Epic pass is a great bargain if you intend to ski the covered resorts a lot; however, my understanding, though it very well could be wrong, is that you need to buy an Epic pass before the ski season begins, and they only have a limited amount. Meaning, you can't just buy one the week before you plan to go. I could be wrong about this -- but just a warning that you should check up on this.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

8

OP, Was advice here, not "young and vibrant" 'enuff to warrant a expression of thanks ???...carracar