Not that I have done it; but as I am nearing my 30th birthday, am somewhat regretting not ever doing what you are about to do... you should probably become a ski-bum in a more remote / non-weekend trip ski resort that is not near a city. I think these resorts allow you to quickly become a "local" faster, have a more community feel, and allow you to get the goods without the crowds... but one that still offers good nightlife. To that extent, I think you should seriously consider any of the Western Colorado ski-towns (Steamboat, Crested Butte, Telluride) not the ones closer to Denver that get mobbed (like Breckenridge or Vail) or some other gems like Jackson Hole, WY; Big Sky, MT; or Mammoth, CA. The reality is that you should pick the resort that offers the best of the type of skiing/boarding terrain that you love. Crazy steeps - pick jackson or Crested Butte; awesome trees - pick Steamboat; good all around mountain and some ridiculous storms cycles with killer dumps - Mammoth. Variety with several mountains in the same area - Tahoe/Aspen. Can't wait to hear what you pick!
Book your trip to Snowmass immediately - you will not be disappointed. The mountain is very large, so even with many skiers around, the place is not crowded, and you will find very few liftlines, if any. I think going during this time is also prime because it is after Christmas and New Years Holiday week and before MLK weekend.. so you couldn't pick a better week in January (for crowd free skiing). Naturally later in the month you might be guaranteed better conditions as snow bases increase into the season, but all in all -should be a good time! Also - most of the Colorado skier traffic sticks to resorts closer to Denver (Breckenridge, Keystone, Winter Park) - so you might just find the place all to yourself. Enjoy!
Not that I have done it; but as I am nearing my 30th birthday, am somewhat regretting not ever doing what you are about to do... you should probably become a ski-bum in a more remote / non-weekend trip ski resort that is not near a city. I think these resorts allow you to quickly become a "local" faster, have a more community feel, and allow you to get the goods without the crowds... but one that still offers good nightlife. To that extent, I think you should seriously consider any of the Western Colorado ski-towns (Steamboat, Crested Butte, Telluride) not the ones closer to Denver that get mobbed (like Breckenridge or Vail) or some other gems like Jackson Hole, WY; Big Sky, MT; or Mammoth, CA. The reality is that you should pick the resort that offers the best of the type of skiing/boarding terrain that you love. Crazy steeps - pick jackson or Crested Butte; awesome trees - pick Steamboat; good all around mountain and some ridiculous storms cycles with killer dumps - Mammoth. Variety with several mountains in the same area - Tahoe/Aspen. Can't wait to hear what you pick!
Source: SIck of the real world... destined to become a ski bumBook your trip to Snowmass immediately - you will not be disappointed. The mountain is very large, so even with many skiers around, the place is not crowded, and you will find very few liftlines, if any. I think going during this time is also prime because it is after Christmas and New Years Holiday week and before MLK weekend.. so you couldn't pick a better week in January (for crowd free skiing). Naturally later in the month you might be guaranteed better conditions as snow bases increase into the season, but all in all -should be a good time! Also - most of the Colorado skier traffic sticks to resorts closer to Denver (Breckenridge, Keystone, Winter Park) - so you might just find the place all to yourself. Enjoy!
Source: Crowds at Snowmass during January?