{"id":39381,"date":"2018-10-19T08:12:23","date_gmt":"2018-10-19T15:12:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=39381"},"modified":"2025-01-10T13:24:19","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T21:24:19","slug":"why-you-should-plan-this-winters-ski-trip-right-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/why-you-should-plan-this-winters-ski-trip-right-now","title":{"rendered":"Why You Should Plan This Winter\u2019s Ski Trip Right Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

You know the signs: Ski films on tour, all the latest skis and boards on store shelves and early flakes on distant peaks. Winter is coming. If you\u2019re planning a ski trip for this season, now\u2019s the time to score the best deals and ensure availability at your favorite mountain spot or new-to-you destination. <\/span><\/p>\n

But if you book a ski trip months in advance, you take one major risk: You have no idea what the snow conditions will be like. So we asked the experts\u2014a meteorologist, industry leaders in winter travel and a well-traveled pro skier\u2014for their tips on how to book ski trips in advance and still (nearly) guarantee good snow.<\/span><\/p>\n

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First step: Decide where you want to go this winter, then book it\u2014and soon.<\/p><\/div>\n

First, the hard truth about scheduling powder days. \u201cThere are zero guarantees,\u201d said Joel Gratz, a meteorologist and founder of<\/span> Open Snow<\/span><\/a>. He relies on historic patterns to pick destinations with healthy annual snowfall that get acreage open early. \u201cEven if there\u2019s not a lot of new snow while you\u2019re there, the base should be good. And you\u2019ll have plenty of terrain to ski.\u201d A trusted Gratz resource? The website<\/span> Zrankings<\/span><\/a>, which uses historical snowfall factors in a statistical analysis of 220 North American resorts. Some of the site\u2019s top-ranked resorts include Jackson Hole, Snowbird, Alta and Vail\u2014all good bets for a solid mid-winter snowpack.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now consider your travel needs. For Evan Reece, CEO of<\/span> Liftopia<\/span><\/a>, which sells discounted lift tickets to 250 North American resorts, price isn\u2019t the only factor in choosing a ski destination. \u201cWhat place is most right for me?\u201d he asks before trips. \u201cWho am I going to ski with? What type of experience am I looking for?\u201d For groups with mixed ability levels, he looks for varied terrain accessed from a single lift. \u201cYou can still hang with people who may not ski as well as you,\u201d he said. For example, California\u2019s Alpine Meadows and New Hampshire\u2019s Attitash both feature summit chairs that access both intermediate and expert trails.<\/span><\/p>\n

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You’ve booked your trip and the snow has arrived. Now it’s time to pack a whole bunch of bags.<\/p><\/div>\n

After the legwork, commit\u2014ASAP. \u201cIf your dates are set, book as early as possible. It\u2019s not 100 percent guaranteed that you\u2019ll see a better deal,\u201d says Dan Sherman, chief marketing officer for<\/span> Ski.com<\/span><\/a>, which offers vacation packages to 120 resorts in North American, Europe, South America and Japan. \u201cAnd you get your first choice. There\u2019s a finite amount of lodging and a finite number of airline seats going into smaller airports.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With travel plans locked, build an itinerary that preps mind and body to maximize each ski day. \u201cWhen I\u2019m on the road, I have a morning ritual,\u201d said Michelle Parker, a pro skier who stars in a new web series, Originate<\/a>. \u201cI make coffee and do a 15-minute yoga session. Waking your body up is important to keep everything aligned and loose.\u201d Two vital items on her packing list: a lacrosse ball to roll out knotted muscles and running shoes so she can exercise on days she\u2019s not skiing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Michelle Parker on a trip in the Sierra Nevada backcountry. (Photo Credit: Christian Pondella\/Red Bull Content Pool)<\/p><\/div>\n

More pro tips? For storm chasers, opt for an airport central to multiple resorts\u2014try Salt Lake City, Denver, Reno, Boston or Spokane. Then check Liftopia or the ski area\u2019s website in advance for discounted rates on lift tickets\u2014buying from the ticket window the morning of will be the most expensive price. While Parker books a year in advance for backcountry lodges and cat- or heli-skiing, savvy planning can still nab you a bucket-list trip for this coming winter. \u201cIf you\u2019re on the East Coast, Europe is so accessible right now,\u201d Sherman said of transatlantic airfares.<\/span><\/p>\n

Want to book early but also have the security of trip insurance, in case you need to cancel? <\/span>Buy trip insurance and you can be <\/span>reimbursed for your non-refundable travel arrangements if you need to cancel at the last minute. <\/span><\/p>\n

So make your travel plans, then sit back and wait for the snow to fall. \u201cYou\u2019re only going to have one best day ever, and there are a lot of complicated factors that go into that\u2014weather, crowds, road closures, wind,\u201d said Gratz. \u201cKeep it in the realm of, \u2018This could be fun, let\u2019s see what happens.\u2019 Expectations are the biggest detriment to whether you have a good time or not.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You know the signs: Ski films on tour, all the latest skis and boards on store shelves and early flakes on distant peaks. Winter is coming. If you\u2019re planning a ski trip for this season, now\u2019s the time to score the best deals and ensure availability at your favorite mountain spot or new-to-you destination. But […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":39501,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[727,1539,364],"internal-tag":[1683],"class_list":["post-39381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-snowsports","tag-latest-posts","tag-packing-lists","tag-snowsports","internal-tag-pre-redirect-snowsports"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/why-you-should-plan-this-winters-ski-trip-right-now","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Why You Should Plan This Winter\u2019s Ski Trip Right Now","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/why-you-should-plan-this-winters-ski-trip-right-now","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/why-you-should-plan-this-winters-ski-trip-right-now"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Rinckenberger_031616_0876.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Rinckenberger_031616_0876.jpg?fit=1500%2C998"},"articleSection":"Snowsports","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michelle Flandreau"}],"creator":["Michelle Flandreau"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["latest posts","packing lists","snowsports"],"dateCreated":"2018-10-19T15:12:23Z","datePublished":"2018-10-19T15:12:23Z","dateModified":"2025-01-10T21:24:19Z"},"rendered":"