Ski In Ski Out TS Resort

[roach Member Find all posts View Profile Close roach]

I am wanting to take my kids to a ski in or ski out resort in January 2012 and hit the slopes. I have found a few TS locations on RCI that are ski in, ski out, or serviced by a lift or gondola that look great, however I wanted better info to make my decision. Does anyone know of any nice resorts that will fit my desires??? Please share any TS resort suggestions or recommendations.

Is there a list somewhere that names all resorts with easy skier access? I could join II to see different resorts. Would this be worthwhile just for this trip? I don't care where the resort is located. I just want to show the kids a mountain (not a hill) with easy skier access. Cheap lift tickets, deep powder, no lift lines, free shuttles to and from a nearby airport, complimentary meals, and several long blue runs would all be nice too!

Mark

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

I am only familiar with Park City, but here's what I can tell you:

There are a few places at the Canyons (Westgate and Grand Summit), but they have more of a ski valet to/from the gondola than an actual "ski out."

The Marriott at Park City also has "ski in," if you cut across the pool area (not technically allowed but everyone does it) but you have to walk a little bit to get to the Gondola from the hotel (though it's really close).

There are a few places in town very near the "town lift," an old chair lift that will take you to the main Gondola area at Park City Mountain. Closest are the Marriott Summit Watch and the Park Hotel. The latter is a charming historic hotel with old-fashioned furnishings - it is managed by Trading Places International and is your easiest trade of the places I've listed.

What timeshare do you own that you would be trading? Prime winter at a high end ski resort will not be easy, and you can forget about cheap lift tickets and the other deep discounts you are looking for in the major destinations like Park City and Colorado. There are more "local" mountains around, but you'd have to drive quite a ways to get to them.

[jancpa Member Find all posts View Profile Close jancpa]

Tahoe Seasons in South Lake Tahoe, CA is located at the foot of the ski lifts. The Heavenly Valley Gondola is next door to the Marriot timeshare in town.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Tahoe Seasons in South Lake Tahoe, CA is located at the foot of the ski lifts. The Heavenly Valley Gondola is next door to the Marriot timeshare in town.

Tahoe is a good destination and has a variety of mountains with more reasonable lift ticket prices. There are also plenty of timeshares in the area, but again you'll have to drive from most of them. The Ridge Tahoe has a number of different resort codes/buildings, and there is either a shuttle or short drive to a gondola on the Nevada side of Heavenly. There used to be a lift directly from the resort but I don't think it's operational any longer. The ski school is on the California side, where Tahoe Seasons is. From Tahoe Seasons, you would still have to walk across the parking lot to the lifts, if memory serves. Also worth checking, though still a short drive to Heavenly, is the Lake Tahoe Vacation Resort. My guys stayed there and really enjoyed it. They may have a shuttle to Heavenly, worth checking.

[dwmantz Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dwmantz]

We're owners on the east coast at Wyndham's Bentley Brook which is slope side at Jiminy Peak ski area. Our kids learned to ski there and we still come back even with the choice of other bigger areas with more vertical. I'd say the whole family are huge fans!

[roach Member Find all posts View Profile Close roach]

Thanks for the responses thus far. I had not considered Tahoe, but I will add those resorts to my list. Please keep the recommendations coming.

Glitter,
I own with Bluegreen and have 2 good trading weeks. Both pull around 148,000 available units. I thought either would get me what I want. I can also use RCI Points, but I would rather exchange. The "Mormon Mountain" ski areas are all nice. We were there a few weeks prior to their hosting the Olympics. Raintree has 2 condos near Park City that I am considering. It is good to know there are others with easy ski access.

Mark

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Thanks for the responses thus far. I had not considered Tahoe, but I will add those resorts to my list. Please keep the recommendations coming.

Glitter,
I own with Bluegreen and have 2 good trading weeks. Both pull around 148,000 available units. I thought either would get me what I want. I can also use RCI Points, but I would rather exchange. The "Mormon Mountain" ski areas are all nice. We were there a few weeks prior to their hosting the Olympics. Raintree has 2 condos near Park City that I am considering. It is good to know there are others with easy ski access.

Mark

Mark,

The Raintree at the Canyons is gorgeous, but I would be surprised if RCI gets many (or any for that matter) prime winter deposits. Those are new and mostly used by owners in prime season. They did finally install the chairlift from there up to the plaza at the Canyons. I own at the other Raintree property, Park Plaza, and have used it almost every year or traded it with SFX. It is a very nice property with a free shuttle to Park City Mountain (and I think Deer Valley), as well as anywhere in town, but is a little over a mile from the mountain so not ski/in/out. The one bedrooms are very spacious and have two full baths. There are very few two bedrooms on the property. In RCI you are more likely to pull places like Park Regency and Sweetwater (neither of which I would recommend), but I'd be curious to see how you do with an ongoing search this far ahead. There are also a few resorts at Snowbird that might be obtainable if that interests you -- lots of powder, fewer crowds, but not much in the area to do other than hit the mountain. Snowbird is gorgeous, though.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

We're owners on the east coast at Wyndham's Bentley Brook which is slope side at Jiminy Peak ski area. Our kids learned to ski there and we still come back even with the choice of other bigger areas with more vertical. I'd say the whole family are huge fans!

My kids used to love Jiminy Peak, and our stay at BB afforded them the most freedom in the area in terms of activities and ski in/out.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Thanks for the responses thus far. I had not considered Tahoe, but I will add those resorts to my list. Please keep the recommendations coming.

Glitter,
I own with Bluegreen and have 2 good trading weeks. Both pull around 148,000 available units. I thought either would get me what I want. I can also use RCI Points, but I would rather exchange. The "Mormon Mountain" ski areas are all nice. We were there a few weeks prior to their hosting the Olympics. Raintree has 2 condos near Park City that I am considering. It is good to know there are others with easy ski access.

Mark

If you can utilize Select Connect there is decent availability at Shell Vacation Clubs Mountainside Lodge in Whistler which is pretty much ski in/out. Studio Loft sleep 6.

WorldMark Red River New Mexico is ski in/out with ski school on site.

[JimmyD Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JimmyD]

I could join II to see different resorts. Would this be worthwhile just for this trip? I don't care where the resort is located. I just want to show the kids a mountain (not a hill) with easy skier access. Cheap lift tickets, deep powder, no lift lines, free shuttles to and from a nearby airport, complimentary meals, and several long blue runs would all be nice too!

Mark

That's all you want?

LOL

Good luck, I guess I'll keep reading because I want that too!

[oc24 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close oc24]

Is Breckenridge on your list? Lots of skiing and lots of properties - also has a nice town area for various non-skiing activities.

[mshatty Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close mshatty]

Worldmark Red River, 30 feet from the lift.

[x3skier Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close x3skier]

Is there a list somewhere that names all resorts with easy skier access? I could join II to see different resorts. Would this be worthwhile just for this trip? I don't care where the resort is located. I just want to show the kids a mountain (not a hill) with easy skier access. Cheap lift tickets, deep powder, no lift lines, free shuttles to and from a nearby airport, complimentary meals, and several long blue runs would all be nice too!

Mark

The Steamboat Grand in Steamboat Springs is not ski in ski out but they do have a storage area right next to the base area where you can keep your boots and skis. Steamboat is very highly rated as a family friendly area and a good place for intermediate skiing along with the famous trees. The Grand used to be RCI but I do not know if it still is. Shuttle to the Airport is NOT free but there is direct flights from several cities like Chicago, Atlanta and Newark.

Cheers

[akparsa Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close akparsa]

Steamboat Grand is RCI Points

I see availability in RCI Points for Steamboat Grand. Occasionally a 2 bedroom pops up, and often a studio is available.

[roach Member Find all posts View Profile Close roach]

Whistler Maybe?

Lawren,
I do have access to Select Connections, but I heard negative things about Mountainside Lodge's accomodations at an update, something like it was the worst of the Shell resorts. I also was told (wrongly) that it was a few miles from the ski area, so I had not really considered this resort. After looking at reviews online and finding it on Google Earth, I am reconsidering. Despite a few poor reviews, it looks very nice. A BG reservationist said it was a one minute walk to the slopes, which Google Earth confirms. They also have availability for this ski season, hopefully a sign that it will be available next year. Current cheap airfare to Seattle has me rethinking our Boyne plans for this year, but the kids need another year to hone their skills before we try a big mountain. Also, Boyne lift tickets are free for one of my kids. Anyway, I will need a year to work on my Canadian accent, ay.

Jimmy,
That's not all I want, but it is a start. I am still hoping that someone pm's me a location that has all of that stuff, but I am not holding my breath.

I am still considering and researching other locations. Thanks for all the replies.

Mark