East Coast Ski Resorts vs. West Coast Ski Resorts

East Coast ski resorts have long been known for their down to earth, family minded atmosphere. Many east coast resorts have legions of die hard, loyal skiers who have been skiing there for decades. Locals who live within driving proximity of their favorite resort flock to it, giving many east coast resorts a very welcoming, unpretentious vibe. This is one of the main differences between east coast resorts and west coast resorts. East coast resorts are much more locally centric and place much more an emphasis on attracting locals. This is probably due to the fact that east coast resorts are much smaller in terms of overall mountain size which entails that fewer skiers end up going to east coast resorts. Because east coast resorts attract fewer skiers every year than there west coast counterparts, local skiers make up a much larger portion of their skier totals which means a greater portion of their profits as well. West coast resorts on the other hand don't need to place such a high emphasis on attracting locals because they make up a much smaller percentage of their skier totals and thus a much smaller percentage of their revenue. Due to the decreased local presence and vibe at west coast resorts, the atmosphere at most west coast resorts is much different. The atmosphere at most west coast resorts is much more tourist oriented and profit driven. This makes perfect sense as west coast resorts have much more to offer which means more tourists will go to those resorts. The biggest draw for west coast resorts is the skiable in bounds and backcountry terrain, as well as the snow quality and quantity. Another attractive feature of most west coast resorts are the mountain towns that surround them. Many of these mountain towns feature high end shopping, luxury accommodations, and fine dining which appeal to the affluent clientele who go to these resorts. These additional attractions are part of what people in the ski industry refer to as apres ski. East coast resorts have almost no apres ski, while west coast resorts tout it.

 

Skiing in the East vs. Skiing in the West

Skiing in the Northeast versus skiing out West can be very different from one another. For one thing, the resorts are very different. In general the resorts and mountains in the Northeast are much smaller in comparison with the ones out West. In the West you have mountain ranges such as the Rockies, Sierra Nevadas, and Cascades that dwarf the Green and White Mountains in the East. Because the West has much larger mountains, the resorts are obviously much larger as well. With bigger resorts and greater in bounds skiable terrain come other differences. The bigger resorts in the West tend to attract larger crowds than the ones in the East which means bigger base and mid mountain lodges are required to accommodate the greater quantity of skiers. Due to the larger crowds at Western resorts, gondolas are seen much more frequently. Gondolas are able to efficiently and conveniently transfer eighty to a hundred skiers up the mountain at a time. They're ubiquitous throughout most Western resorts, but are only featured at one East Coast resort, Jay Peak. Since most Western resorts are much larger in terms of the sheer size of the mountain, the associated mountain town is also usually much larger. Western ski resorts are world renown for having some of the best nightlife in towns that are both welcoming and vibrant. East Coast resorts can't even come close to matching there west coast counterparts in this comparison. When a well versed skier thinks about famed western ski towns names such as Aspen, Tahoe, Jackson Hole, and Salt Lake City come to mind. These four towns also share something distinctly western which is unparalleled powder and backcountry terrain. This is probably the biggest difference between west coast skiing and east coast skiing. At east coast resorts you'll never find deep, airy powder, and are much more likely to hear the piercing, grating sound of skis sliding on ice. You'll also never be able to ski any of the sprawling, expansive backcountry terrain that west coast resorts have to offer.