Westbound Boarder

2010 has come and (almost) gone (Happy New Year’s Eve!) and looking back on the ups and downs, there is one Shredolution that Danielle and I set out to accomplish last year and far surpassed – visit at least 2 new snowboard resorts in 2010.  In 2010 alone, we visited more than 25 resorts between the two of us, so we sat down to rank our favorites.  It was a rather difficult thing to do, considering we liked each and every resort for very different reasons, but after debating for a few hours, we finally narrowed down our favorites in order of ranking.  Our list is below!

1. Vail: The best thing about Vail is that it literally has everything. How is that possible? This resort is MASSIVE (well over 5,000 ski-able acres!!!). They have a great ski/snowboard school, tons of groomers, over 30 lifts granting access to bowls, chutes, back-country, tree runs and more. They even have multiple terrain parks for each and every skill level with almost too many features to hit. It is all of this versatility that makes Vail our number one resort to visit, as there is something for everyone!  Insider Tip: One thing is also for sure, if you can handle the double blacks, head directly back to Blue Sky Basin. Be sure to give yourself time to get back there as it is quite the treck, but is is soooooo worth it. (Learn More)
2. Mammoth: It is big, versatile and has something for everyone. (Learn more)
3. Heavenly: If your idea of a fun day riding is shredding groomers until you can’t shred no more or hanging at the local dive bar after a long day of riding, then Heavenly is most certainly not the resort for you.  If you have always longed for Vegas to build a mountain-themed casino, on the other hand, then Heavenly may be just your style.  Heavenly is a super fun resort, but only if you take the time to travel off the beaten path.  While the groomers and parks are nothing to brag about, Heavenly has some of the best tree runs around; a perfect place to ride if you love shredding neverending pow and exploring interesting places.  But let’s not forget the nightlife – unlike most mountain resorts, Heavenly is one of the few that sits right on a landmine of Vegas-style Casinos.  It’s the perfect resort to take a trip to if not everyone in your group has their sights set on riding.
4. Cerro Cathedral: After a long, snowy winter riding, what more could you ask for?  More snowboarding, of course!  Cerro Cathedral, located in Bariloche, Argentina, is the place to go if you want to experience both killer riding and the fun, local Argentinian culture.  Their backcountry terrain is unreal, and there is so much to explore beyond groomed runs.  And the best part?  Their season runs during our summer, so you can literally snowboard all year round if you are so inclined.
5. Breckenridge: If there’s one word we could pick to describe Breckenridge, it would be, well, awesome?  Breck has some of the best terrain parks, and even some great terrain (if you can manage to move yourself outside their parks).  One of the coolest things about Breck, though, is that everyone on the “who’s who of snowboarding” list rides here, has ridden here, or plans to ride here later this season.  You can literally sit at the top of the park for hours and just watch people ride through – it seems as if everyone who rides at Breck is pro! (Or maybe just everyone who is pro rides at Breck?)  Combined with a laid-back atmosphere, high profile events and fun nightlife, Breck offers the complete package. (Learn more)
6. Snowbird: A Steep, deep, powder hounds heaven. Snowbird is not a place for the beginner, as there is not really any easy way down the hill. My favorite part of this resort? They don’t waste away Utah’s, ‘best snow on earth,’ with the dreaded groomers. Snowbird has everlasting powder and a one-of-a-kind tunnel that takes you through the mountain on a conveyor belt to the backside of the mountain, a must see when you visit Snowbird. Insider Tip: the Snowbird Tram increases the price of your lift ticket, but does not give you access to additional terrain (assuming the other lifts taking you to the top are open). Not too exciting so save your extra cash and just buy the day pass sans Tram access.
7. Alyeska: Located in Alaska only 30 minutes from Anchorage, this resort is mellow, full of light fluffy powder and has literally the hands down best view from the top of a resort. A real package deal, and with lift tickets only running $60 bucks, it is budget friendly, too.
8. Mt. High: It may be small, and the snow may slightly resemble a small, flowing creek anytime past noon, but this resort’s got character.  Located only 45 minutes to an hour outside of LA, Mt. High is LA’s hidden gem.  It’s often overshadowed by Big Bear, but IMHO, this resort knocks Bear out of the park – it’s closer, it’s mostly straight highway driving (unlike the windy road to Bear that can take 2 hours or more to get down), and its terrain parks are just as good, if not better.  And the best part?  If you so desire, you could ride hard in the morning and still be on the beaches by 1.  Now that’s the life! (Learn more)
9. Timberline: Located at our home base Mt. Hood, Timberline will always hold a special place in our hearts. Compared to it’s direct competitor, Mt. Hood meadows, Timberline boasts INCREDIBLE terrain parks, virtually no lift lines and it is open all year (yes, even all summer). A must visit on your trip to Hood, especially on the weekends when Mt. Hood Meadows has the long lift line fever.
10. Solitude: This is one of the most underrated resorts we have been too. As Utah is packed full of top rated resorts (over 11 within an hour of the SLC airport), Solitude does not have the street cred. it deserves. With versatile terrain including tree runs, amazing steeps, powder stashes and natural cliff drops, Solitude really has something for all riders (yes, they even have the groomers). On top of the excellent terrain, Solitude has a laid back vibe and nearly no lift lines.

For more “Best of 2010″ posts, check out The Top 10 Easy Tricks to Learn Before 2010 Ends and Top 10 Safety Tips to Remember.

The snow is falling and the lifts are calling our names. With opening weekends all around the West, I wanted to give a few shout-outs. We have got Timberline who closed for the summer early September and opened for Winter early Oct. No contest, Mt. Hood wins. We have Mammoth, Snowbird, Brighton and Breckenridge all opening THIS week and Heavenly & Squaw Valley shortly behind opening next week. No matter how you swing it, we have got most resorts opening within the next week…Hello snowboard season!

Breckenridge

Mammoth

After a somewhat extended winter season, with many mountains out west receiving several feet of fresh pow in the middle of April, spring riding conditions have finally snuck up on us.  Personally, spring is my favorite time to ride.  As people begin to trade their boots for booties, the resorts are much less crowded, the vibe is super fun and chill, and the weather is great!  But there is one thing to always remember while shedding your outer layers and heading up to the slopes on a 60 degree SoCal day – sunblock.

Now, I always like to add a personal touch to my stories here on Westbound Boarder, so in an attempt to pepper some personal experience into this post I decided to embark on a mission of great detail – to head to Mammoth Mountain on a sunny, 60-degree spring day… sans sunscreen.  It was purely research! (Ok, so I simply forgot… so what?)  Hence… the photo to your right.  That’s right, I got goggle burn.

Yes, I’m sure you have read it many times in magazines, books and blogs; while sun is great and goggle burn is sorta cool, it does, in fact, cause damage to your skin, and the rays dispersed on the slopes can be much worse because they are reflected off the snow, actually magnifying the damaging effect.  This is why it is vital to always wear sunblock when you ride, especially on sunny spring days.

Despite my advice above and thousands of reports proving that the sun’s effect on skin is, in fact, damaging, many of you will probably ignore my advice and attempt to attain the infamous goggle tan anyway.  After all, we all know only legit riders rock the goggle tan, right?  So if you really feel like you must sport the goggle tan, below are some do’s and don’ts for achieving the perfect goggle tan:

DO

• Wear at least some form of sun protection to protect from UV rays and skin damage. SPF 15 will do just fine. Even better if sunscreen is already infused in your daily moisturizer. I really like Aveno Positively Radiant daily moisturizer (but beware, it’s SPF 30 – aka, not great if you’re going for the dark, defined goggle tan, as this will slightly lengthen the time it takes to achieve goggle tan perfection).
• Sport your goggles while eating lunch, without your hat and helmet on. This will prevent strange shapes and strap lines from appearing on funky places on your face, ultimately creating a nice, clean, and smooth goggle tan.
• Wear goggles, not sungasses.  Goggle tan = cool; 80′s Sunglasses tan = WTHWYT (What the heck were you thinking?!)

DON’T

• Wear your goggles in a tanning bed. That’s pretty lame. Okay, no, it’s really lame. Tanning bed goggle tan = way not hardcore.
• Use sunless tanner to half-ass your goggle tan.  Not only is it not hardcore, its also kind of weird.  Fake face tan = NOT a real goggle tan!
• Take a photo and photoshop in a goggle tan.  If you’re going to go that route, you may as well photoshop in Shaun White, while you’re at it.  If people don’t believe you and Shaun are shred friends, they probably won’t believe your photoshopped goggle tan either.
• Use a magic marker to draw on a goggle tan.  Hate to break it to ya, but I think people will notice.  And stare.  And possibly laugh.  Hey, if you pass out and wake up the next morning with a magic marker goggle tan (can we call it a mmgt?) that’s a different story.  But a mmgt on purpose?  Leave it to the 3-year-olds.
• Take goggles from kids. That’s just wrong; bring your own damn goggles.

It looks like El Nino brought us SoCal folks a belated Christmas present.  Due to the massive amount of snowfall it has seen this spring, Mammoth Mountain today announced it would be extending the 2010 spring season to July 4, 2010.

Throughout the duration of the season, Mammoth has received more than 41 cumulative feet (493 inches), with more than three of those feet falling in the first week of April.  Mammoth currently has a base depth of 11 to 15 feet, making this season the best since 2005/2006 when Mammoth saw more than 50 feet of fresh pow.

And the moral of this blog post is?  Get your bum (and board) up to Mammoth.  ASAP!

Again, as always, our favorite links of the week.  Check ‘em out and leave a comment with your faves!

• Ride With Vito: After a fab debut on TV show Dancing with the Stars, pro snowboarder Louie Vito’s bringing action sports to the living room’s of millions.  Now, Louie will be auctioning off a day of riding with him as a fundraiser plus a whole premium get-up, Lat34 reports.  Girls, get those bidding dollars ready!  The fundraising package will go to benefit the Park City Snowboard team.
• Shaun White is Awesome: Shaun’s so cool that Red Bull built him his own personal half pipe (and Web site to go along with it).  Check out Project X on ESPN.
• Win A Trip To Mammoth: Matix Clothing and Ride Snowboards are giving away an all-expense trip for two to Mammoth Mountain, complete with a set-up from Ride (my second favorite brand of snowboards!)  The contest runs until November 23, so be sure to enter here!
• What Will Tourism Look Like in 2023? One initiative called “Tourism 2023,” recently profiled in Fast Company, is attempting to find out.  What do you think tourism to ski resorts will look like in 2023?

Danielle already summed the season pass prices of the PacNW so take a gander if you are in the market. Lookin for a resort in California? Well look no further! We have the most popular resorts season pass prices summarized right here. Take a look for yourself:

Southern California Mountain Resorts

• Mt. Baldy – $699 (Adult), $375 (13 – 21)
• Mountain High – $299 through Oct. 31
• Big Bear (Bear Mountain and Snow Summit) – Ride at 2 resorts for the price of one.  Season passes range in price depending on what type you get.  Options include:

• Midweek (M – F) – $299 (Adult), $249 (13 – 21) through Nov. 29
• Midweek plus Sunday – $399 (Adult), $319 (13 – 21) through Nov. 29
• Anytime – $699 (Adult), $599 (13 – 21) through Nov. 29
• Night – $149 (Adult), $79 (13 – 21) through Nov. 29

Central and Northern California Mountain Resorts

• Mammoth Mountain – $576 (Adult), $432 (13 – 18)
• Sierra Summit – $369 (Adult), $329 (13 – 18) before Nov. 30
• Badger Pass – $229 (Adult), $199 (13 – 18) through Oct. 31

Lake Tahoe

• Heavenly – $369 (Adult), $299 (13 – 18) (Not valid blackout dates)
• Diamond Peak – $454 (Adult), $209 (College), $188 (15 – 17) plus midweek and beginner separate pricing
• Mt. Rose – $333 before Oct. 1
• Northstar-at-Tahoe – $699 (Adult), $399 (13 – 22), $259 (College) Pass also valid at Sierra-at-Tahoe
• Alpine Meadows – $799 (Adult), $499 (Adult with blackout dates), $299 (13 – 18) before Sept. 30
• Squaw Valley – A variety of different packages, from $649 (Adult) and $499 (13 – 22)

Do you ride somewhere in California not mentioned here? Let us know, we would love to hear about what mountain you call home.