January 27, 2009 E-MAIL PRINT

Know the nuances for Western vacations

by Tony Chamberlain/

Salt Lake City puts you about 30 miles from some excellent skiing at areas such as Deer Valley. (photo: Tony Chamberlain)

Salt Lake City puts you about 30 miles from some excellent skiing at areas such as Deer Valley. (photo: Tony Chamberlain)

If you’re making travel plans for a destination ski resort, be sure to factor in all the travel that’s involved.

For example, the plane ride to Denver and Salt Lake City are about the same duration. You might argue the differences in skiing and riding qualities, nightlife and such. But here’s a real difference:

The new Denver Airport (20 miles east of the city) leaves you about 115 miles from Vail, about 80 miles from the nearest skiing. Salt Lake City puts you about 30 miles from some excellent skiing at Park City, Deer Valley and The Canyons.

But the distance is not the only point. I-70 into Colorado ski country can feel like a death-defying ride to altitudes of 11,000 feet through the Continental Divide. Given some bad weather, and the trip can be a real problem.

Not so the trek from Salt Lake City along I-80 to Park City. So, if you consider a rental car extension of your plane travel, such differences are real. Incidentally, there are shuttles from the airports into the mountains, but in the case of a long ride it can add significantly to the cost of the trip.

Once at a new (and possibly intimidating) ski destination — let’s say Jackson Hole, Wyoming — if you feel less than a match for the mountain, get studious with the trail map. Don’t deny yourself access to the top, where the breathtaking views are. Even if you’re a beginner, most double-black-riddled steeps offer a green bailout — a traverse, usually a road that switchbacks down.

Or, the alternative many people don’t like to deal with, is taking the gondola back down the mountain. But in most cases, it is well worth the effort to get to the top and ride back down. OK, so it isn’t skiing or boarding, but it’s still fun.

While studying this new area, make some time to talk with the ski patrol. With trail map in hand, ask them for specific solutions to your problem, namely: How can a lower-level skier enjoy this steep terrain? There’s almost always an answer.

We Easterners are usually used to a solid bottom under our skis. When you hit that soft stuff called deep powder, well-known in the West, don’t panic. The tendency is to lean back too far as a bailout.

While skiing powder does call for a slight unweighting of the tips, lean too far back and you lose control of the skis. Also, if you brought your stiff New England ice skis, you’re starting at a disadvantage and may want to rent some fat powder skis. Best advice: Take a private, one-hour lesson.

If you’re going to a high-elevation resort from basically sea level, pay attention to the caveats you will see in many sources. Altitude-related maladies are real and can be debilitating. My wife once lost most of a gorgeous ski day at Aspen when she had to go back to bed to nurse a migraine headache on the first day of a vacation.

Different people adjust differently to such altitude differences, and in some cases you just have to wait it out. But the old bromides of drinking lots of water, avoiding alcohol and taking stairs and inclines slowly can help.

Also, at the hotel, order a humidifier for the night. High-altitude air atmosphere is extremely dry, can cause sore sinuses and even nosebleeds, and can certainly interfere with sleep. Pumping moisture into the bedroom air overnight is a huge help.

Must-do preparation in high-altitude ski country: layered clothing that you can peel down and pull up easily, lots of high-density sunblock, lip balm, and Polaroid lenses. (These are self-explanatory, but again, the ravages of sun in high altitude and reflecting off the snow can really threaten skin and eyes).

If you are a relative newcomer to skiing and the high-country vacation, the greatest wedge you have against intimidation and the newness of it all is that old Boy Scout motto: Be prepared. Study the trip. Put the information on your side.

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