Budget Skiing
North America's "Meanest"
Ski Hostels
..Abominable SnowMansion,
Taos
..Grampa Grunts, Jay Peak
..Crested Butte Lodge
and Hostel, Crested Butte
..Avenues Hostel,
Salt Lake City (The Cottonwoods)
..White Mountains Hostel,
Mt.Washington Valley
..Glenwood Springs Hostel,
Roaring Fork Valley
..The
Hostel, Jackson Hole
By Chris Weiss
When it comes to skiing and snowboarding, the hostel is really
the optimal type of accommodation. You’re not going to
spend that much time in your room, so why pay hundreds for it?
And why not stay in the company of other skiers and riders,
swap stories over local brews and trade stash secrets over evening
8-ball. By skimping and sharing a little on the accommodations,
you’ll take an ax to your travel budget and have that
much more money for lift tickets, gear and après ski.
And isn’t that really why you’re traveling to begin
with?
Unfortunately, the idea of hostels—let alone ski hostels—hasn’t
really gained much steam here in the U.S. when compared to other
destinations around the world. But that doesn’t mean hostels
don’t exist. Some of the continent’s most challenging
skier mountains have at least one hostel option where you can
save money, socialize with like-minded skiers and riders and
enjoy some of the best goods in the world. Here are a few places
in the U.S. where you can get it done.
Abominable
SnowMansion, Taos
 Even
if it wasn’t down the street from one of the premier expert
mountains in the country, I’d want to stay in a place
called the Abominable SnowMansion. That just exudes a funky,
good time. The SnowMansion is located in Arroyo Secco, about
8 miles out of Taos Ski Village. Housed in an adobe building
similar to many of the properties around Taos, the pet-friendly
SnowMansion offers everything from private rooms with baths
to bunks that run just $22/night (2010/11). You’ll get
the use of a “restaurant-style” kitchen, as well
as evening entertainment like a common-area pool table and games.
In the summer, the property also has cabins and tipis for rent.
Go
To Abominable SnowMansion, Taos
Grampa
Grunts, Jay Peak
Down the road from Vermont’s
snowiest resort, you’ll find one of its grittiest lodges.
Another spot that just yells fun the minute you read its sign,
Grampa Grunts advertises itself as college student friendly,
but the fact is, it’s a great place for anyone that likes
pristine powder and dirt-cheap prices. It’s located in
Montgomery Center, a small, one-intersection town about 8 miles
from Jay Peak. As far as I’ve seen, this one doesn’t
advertise the fact that it’s a hostel, but with shared
rooms, a community kitchen and bargain basement rates, it’s
hard to call it anything else.
Accommodations are split between shared,
dorm-style rooms and private rooms with private baths. When
I stayed there about five years ago, the décor was quite
eclectic and not what you’d see anywhere else—a
fish tank built into the hallway wall, waterbeds, Tempur-pedics,
mirrors over the bed—it was an interior designer’s
nightmare. I loved it. For an extra 7 bucks a night, you
get a beautiful, all-you-can-eat breakfast; mine included some
type of blueberry-smothered Canadian French toast, eggs and
bacon. Beware though, Grampa sometimes takes the morning off
and you’re on your own. 2010/11 prices start at $35/night.
Go
To Grampa Grunts, Jay Peak (On Myspace)
Crested
Butte Lodge and Hostel, Crested Butte
Arguably Colorado’s gnarliest ski
mountain, Crested Butte is also one of the few to offer a hostel
option. The Crested Butte Lodge and Hostel has everything from
private rooms for families to dormitory bunks. Winter 2010/11
pricing starts at $34/night. The property’s great room
has a big, ‘ol stone fireplace, games, library, guitars
and TV/VCR. The property also offers a full kitchen, laundry
and ski storage to guests, and a small retail shop stocks some
of the necessities and niceties you may have forgotten at home.
The Crested Butte hostel is located in town within walking
distance to shops, restaurants and the free shuttle to the mountain.
Ski packages are available.
Go
To Crested Butte Lodge and Hostel
Avenues
Hostel, Salt Lake City (The Cottonwoods)
Not necessarily a ski hostel proper,
but a hostel in one of America’s great ski cities, the
Avenues Hostel is one of the cheapest on this list with prices
starting at just $18 ($20.34 with tax) per night for a
dorm. There are also semi-private and private rooms. The hostel
is within walking distance of downtown restaurants, shops and
attractions like Temple Square. The UTA bus is one block away
and you’ll be able to catch a ride to the four SLC-area
resorts of Brighton, Solitude, Alta and Snowbird, four of the
snowiest resorts in the country. Amenities include two full
common kitchens and a great room with big screen TV.
Go
To Avenues Hostel, Salt Lake City
White
Mountains Hostel, Mt. Washington Valley
Located in Conway a town in New Hampshire’s
Mt. Washington Valley, the White Mountains Hostel is a farmhouse-turned-hostel.
Bunks start at $23 ($24.35 with tax) and the hostel offers private
family rooms for up to five starting under 60 bucks. That price
will includes a self-serve kitchen and free Wi-Fi in the library.
The Mt. Washington Valley is home to seven ski resorts. Those
that like their snow served with no frills should consider Wildcat.
Or, if the conditions allow, hike up the ever-temperamental
Mt. Washington to the east’s most infamous backcountry
bowl: Tuckerman Ravine.
Go
To White Mountains Hostel
Glenwood
Springs Hostel, Roaring Fork Valley
Glenwood Springs isn’t necessarily
a weighty name in the ski world, but when it comes to skimping,
there are two terms every ski traveler should know: public transportation
and $18 beds. Glenwood Springs Hostel gives you both. Unlike
just about every other ski resort town in Colorado, Glenwood
is accessible via Amtrak from cities like Denver and Chicago.
Once in town, you can take advantage of bus transportation on
the free RIDE Glenwood, the Sunlight Ski Shuttle and greater
Roaring Fork Valley line. The $5 ski shuttle stops at Glenwood-based
Sunlight Mountain Resort, an admittedly modest Colorado resort
with 470 acres. Sunlight is packed full of glades, though, and
also advertises the steepest run in Colorado: the 52-degree
Heathen. If you want to branch out, the Roaring Fork Valley
bus will take you on 40-minute ride to Aspen, where you’ll
step it up with four more famous resorts.
Back at the hostel, you’ll find yourself smack in the
heart of Glenwood Springs, within walking distance to dining,
shops and the namesake hot springs pool. Inside you’ll
have access to a kitchen and music room. If you’d prefer
a private room, prices start at just $25. And if 18 bucks a
night ain’t cheap enough, they even offer multi-night
deals like 4 nights for $50.
Go
To Glenwood Springs Hostel
The
Hostel, Jackson Hole
 If
you’re presumptuous enough to take the name “The”
anything, you’d better back it up with top-of-the-category
performance. Being located at the base of what’s easily
argued as the U.S.’s most hardcore expert mountain is
the right start. And given that “The” Hostel’s
amenities are second to none in this category, we’d say
that it earns its simple, genre-encompassing name.
Room options include private, two-person king rooms—and
by king they’re talking two twins shoved together and
sheeted up—private rooms for three or four, and bunk rooms.
Prices start at just over $28/night for a bunk in the early/late
season. Or, bring three friends and you can stay in the private
quad room for under 20 bucks each ($77/night). The community
rec room has all the staples: pool, ping pong, foosball, fireplace
and board games. You’ll even find a ski waxing area to
prepare yourself for the next day. It’s no wonder the
U.K.’s Guardian voted this one among its top
5 ski hostels in the world (yeah, that world includes the Alps,
too).
Go
To The Hostel
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After working the 9
to 5 grind for about five years, Chris Weiss escaped to
the Rockies where he could snowboard, mountain bike and
hike without so much interference from life. A couple
of years of working in the tourist industry was enough
to inform Weiss that it was time for something more rewarding.
He combined his love of the outdoors with his love of
the written word and now freelances wherever he can. Weiss
has written for Bomb Snow, Trails.com and a variety of
other print and Web magazines dedicate to all forms of
outdoor foolishness. |
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