my son and i went skiing in Big sky,Bridger bowl and Red lodge just this past holiday season and it was great. i know what you mean by cost but it was something that i was willing to do.we just brought our own food(sandwiches,chips,etc,) with us and driving the accord was not much of a problem gas wise. i tried diamond runs too but i ended up on my *** 3/4 down,still figuring it how todescend on them but i'll get them eventually. the tree part,not done it yet,although my son tried but he ended up hugging one of them his alright though...

 

One of the last times I went I had the pleasure of running with a snowboarder that was offered a full sponsorship from burton but couldn't do it.... he pushed my limits BIG TIME and I almost wound up around a tree more than once just trying to keep up with him, it's a rush but I swore I was going to get injured...

 

I use to ski from ages 8-16. I was pretty good and could do most runs. Then I got into snowboarding from 16-22 and was alright. I haven't snowboarded in 3 years now. Lift tickets go too expensive (52 day pass) and so did gas. I'll probably start up in a few years and maybe try those skiboards.

 

well at least it sounds like you survive that run, hopefuly someday you could get back to it.seems like you enjoyed it then.

 

Skiing and wakeboarding year round in florida!
I haven't done snow since I was a teen. I stood at the top of a ski slope north of Denver and totally lost the cajones for it. This was what my friends were calling "bunny slopes" and the dang thing was almost vertical for the first 2-300 hundred yards, then went into a sort-of super g like run, then another short vert section.I did make the run, but I'mnever snowboarding again.(unless I find these mysterious "bunny slopes" that actually are for beginners!)
I loved cruising the trees in long not-too-steep powdery hills.
Also, the shacks in the woods had an inordinate number of fully hot girls smokin' KGB!![8D]WOOHOO! My kinda sport!

 

i've only been skiboarding for 3 years and thats being a once a year skier,cuz i'm stationed in WA. (navy) so i can only go once during leave periods(i live in eastern montana).except for this last year(winter'07) but i'm trying to go skiboarding here in WA. and taking advantage of the military discounts. i tried snowboarding once,i did okay,but this 5 year olds passing by me (while i was learning to snowboard)with their skis really got me challenged,so then i tried skiboarding and i was hooked!i'd probably try snowboardingagain someday just to seehow well i could do itbut i do not see it happening in the future... maybe. ckebottle ihope you do try skiboardingcuz you might really like 'em.

 

that didn't happen to be Winter Park did it??? aka Mary Jane and Parsons bowl



also the price thing ..... the second time I went to WP, CO I went with my last gf .... it was like 500 for the flight, 500 for the hotel across the street from the hills and 500 for the lift tickets!!! Maybe a little less, but the rest was pretty cheap. around here, I pack lunch and either way, I wear an aquapack so I never really have to stop (hence all of the cardio workouts)

 

its in a city called "iron mountain" right on the border between the upper penn. of michigan and wisconsin. its always a blast, because every is so... nice... up there. you dont feel like some anonymous skiier like at the big resorts. According to my dad (who used to be real big into skiing) its atmosphere is alot more like the ski resorts of colorado, etc. I think its because most of the people are more canadian than american
Last year i went with a friend who was new to skiing, and while he was at his ski lesson i just kind of skiied around by myself. I rode up the lift with a guy who went there opening day in 1954, and talked about how there was only 1 lift back then, and you could get a lift ticket + a bus ride back and forth for 75 cents!

 

i am going to learn to snowboard in the near future. the arizona snowbowl is 15 minutes from my house.

 

You aren't by chance over at Ft. Lewis are you? Ironic but I'm from NW Montana and was mobilized through Ft. Lewis and have a good friend that is stationed there right now... What part of E. Montana?