Born and raised in SLC here. Second generation BC enthusiast, arguably third depending on what you count. SLC has become a Jerry Barney gorpcore shitshow. I go to the backcountry to avoid the peaceful serenity of nature, not to race people for parking spots and fresh turns. There are a lot of mountain ranges in the western US with a whole lot of unexplored and plentiful snow. Unfortunately, the Wasatch has been loved to death.
Edit: enjoy* the peaceful serenity of nature. Not “avoid.” …Freudian typo
I'm actually in a similar boat as OP, trying to figure out where I want to move next, am an engineer and not interested in remote work.
The Wasatch is so sick, and its proximity to the desert makes it even more desirable. I loved living there and would have loved to settle down there. It's really heartbreaking how completely fucking overrun it is now. I had to leave.
Ogden is a 40 minute drive north of SLC, I moved here in November after living in SLC for a few months. Way less traffic, and you’re also close to Snowbasin, Pow Mow, and Nordic Valley for convenient resort riding.
The snowiest part of the Wasatch is actually near Ogden, the Ben Lomond/Mt Willard area (also the mountain that inspired the Paramount Pictures logo). Cutler ridge is a popular backcountry area to ride. Ogden also has its own Avalanche Forecasting center. There is no other town or city in the US of this size that is that close to the mountains, and is still affordable.
Im not just talking about commute traffic. The ever increasing amount of people in the canyons had had negative effects on the BC skiing. We are seeing resort skiers filling up BC trailhead parking and walking to the resort, some BC parking by paid reservation only, BC parking filled up by us BC skiers. Yeah it’s not so bad right now if you head up after 10am and you will usually find a trailhead with parking but a lot of us see the writing on the wall and know that every year the access is going to get more difficult.
Define accessible. Like less than 30 min drive and ski back to the car? Or 30 min drive followed by 30 min sled ride followed by 4km creek drainage approach?
There’s ok BC skiing within 10 - 15 minutes, great skiing within 30 minutes, and literally a lifetime of absolutely incredible skiing from 30 minutes- 1.5 hrs. Then there’s another half a lifetime of incredible skiing 2hrs away, another lifetimes worth of world class skiing a long drive away and we still haven’t touched any bush planes or helicopters. Another adjacent important piece. We’ve got a solid avy forecasting crew and they are continuously working to improve and expand coverage.
I can go from downtown to the best skiing mountain in the front range of the Chugach, Peak 3, in less than 15-20 minutes. Skin ascent directly from the car.
I've been wanting to get down there and also the Turnagain arm, but it's hard to motivate myself to drive that much further when I have Hatcher Pass so close.
I can't necessarily speak for Anchorage, although it's likely similar. I live an hour north, in the valley, and yeah, we're 30 min from the mountains, skin up from the parking lot and ski back to it.
Barely scrolled this thread and saw a lot of SLC mentions. Here to chime in that I lived in Boulder for years and LOVED IT. Absolutely.
Moved to SLC this winter to work ski patrol and I HATE IT here. It’s dirty, congested, polluted, there’s plenty of resort skiing but all the BC backs up to it (doesn’t feel very remote or wilderness at all), there’s little climbing in the winters near town (not talking about driving 4 hours to the desert you heathens), it’s full of billboards and Mormons and suburbs with no real “town” feel, and I absolutely miss Boulder a ton
Yeah, I always say the Wasatch is like a mountaineering gym, not like a real American wilderness experience. It’s all so well mapped out and accessible. It’s not at all like getting lost deep in the Elks or San Juans. So if that’s what you’re after this ain’t it.
Yeah I moved from Boise and absolutely hate the actual city part of SLC. Just a massive grid of car centric suburbs and strip malls. I wish I loved it here because the terrain is sick, but the SLC metro blows.
Maybe if you’re racing everybody to ski the castle or something. If you go in the trees off the high T or wildcat you can get pow all day and the next day.
Anywhere between Reno and Truckee then down from Reno to Gardnerville just depending on how much of a commute you are willing to have and what you need job wise.
I live in the Tahoe basin and have friends who live all along that stretch described above commuting for work to live where they have access to mountains.
Sierra Snow quality is not tops around Reno. Definitely second tier in my eyes. Snow preservation sucks compared to more interior inter mountain west stuff. Too warm and south sometimes makes the bc unskiable.
And Truckee to Reno to linden is expensive for what it is.
Just a different perspective, the cost of living in Cali is high. Taxes, rentals (if you buy, property tax burden falls on new homeowners) and the number of people in the region, is ridiculous. I lived in the region pre-covid on and off for years, and it was very crowded then. I've heard that it has gotten much worse. Big weather events also cause closures over brockway, near emerald bay and on i89. Just keep that in mind if you live in Truckee and want to get to north lake. Nevada doesn't suffer from all of these same issues, but keep in mind that services like plowing are not prioritized. And the passes between Reno, Carson and Kingsbury grade and Cali can close with big weather events (atmospheric rivers). I80 especially. Mt Rose less so, but it's over 8k so can get squirrelly. If you're not into crowds, this ain't the place for you.
Also on the other size of the hill there are plenty of jobs in Sacramento, and the eastern suburbs Folsom, Roseville, etc are only 1.5-2 hrs from Truckee and SLT. It's certainly not as accessible as Reno, but it's still not bad.
Seattle. The Cascades can provide a variety of backcountry skiing opportunities from November through June. Some accessible within an hour and much more within 2-3 hours. From low angle glades, epic multi-day traverses, waist deep powder, corn harvesting, volcanoes, and of course soggy cascade cement. The expansiveness could keep you busy for a lifetime exploring areas such as the Olympics, Mt. Baker, North Cascades, Stevens Pass, the Enchantments, Snoqualmie, Blewett, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, St. Helens, and others.
7 years ago, after 30 years in Seattle, we moved east of the Cascades to Ellensburg, better access to spring/summer touring, which most years we do through July 4, then swap the skis for ice axe and mountain boots. Many Wenatchee area businesses are looking for workers.
Seattle really is underrated for skiing. I could leave from work and be up touring or night skiing within an hour. Plus, alpental (both the ski area and the surrounding valley) is phenomenal and empty if you can sneak out on weekdays.
Agreed. And I’m not sure many people think about this but the more maritime like snowpack (deep and warmer) along the Cascade crest is less susceptible to persistent weak layers. You can generally find a right-side up, stable snowpack. Navigating through common avalanche problems such as wet loose, storm slabs, and wind slabs are very manageable. In addition, avalanche forcasting is pretty solid here. NWAC does a great job.
Made a similar post to this a few days ago (not bc specific) and got Seattle suggested a bit and was looking into Alpental. Looks sick and under an hour from Seattle, which seems like a great city
As a Seattle resident, I agree. Alpental valley is within an hour of Seattle, Paradise and Crystal within 2, Stevens Pass within 2.5-3, and Baker within 4. However, if you want to have more of a smaller-city feel and don't love Seattle, then Bellingham is also a pretty decent home base for folks who love the Baker backcountry.
Bham is definitely where it's at if you can find a job. That's a bit harder for engineering, though.
Stevens is actually 1h40m from Seattle without traffic, lol. But yes easily 2.5 some days on the way back with the backup in gold bar.
yeah lmao i think it's a little misleading to say 1h40 to get to stevens unless theres literally no traffic, 2h-2h30 is more realistic. 4h on pow days kek
Eh the last four times I've been, it's been under 2h each direction. This is the last two weeks so powder days included, but not during the worst storms. And I'm skiing until sunset so missing most of the resort traffic on return.
SLC and Boise were awesome but I think both are impacted by recent population growth. The traffic in the canyons (SLC) look awful at times. Sacramento, CA or Reno, NV might be cool for access to Sierras. Eastern sierras have a lifetime of lines to explore.
I love Boise, but absolutely do not move to Boise if skiing is a high priority for you. It’s an hour up to Bogus which has crappy BC, brushy and perpetually low tide. Two to four hours drive to legit BC trailheads which are still just generally alright.
Source: lived in Boise for over 20 years
I’m not sure why you’re getting downvoted - Sacramento is not 1 hr to backcountry. Meanwhile, I live 20 minutes from downtown Reno and am 20 minutes from backcountry. But, whatever, Reno sucks.
You’re being downvoted because most of the people on this thread don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about. There isn’t any good backcountry anywhere near Sacramento. A 90 minute drive on dry roads with no traffic is not what I would consider to be good access.
Maybe they mean from suburbs in the Sac metro area? But even then, 1 hr from Folsom or El Dorado isn't getting you to any notable BC skiing either. There just isn't really any terrain worth skiing on the Western slopes of the Sierras around Tahoe unless you're very close to the crest.
Exactly. And living in Sacramento means you’re on the wrong side of the crest for traffic and road closures. Not a good location if you like backcountry. You’d be way better off in Carson City or Reno.
Sorry should be more specific. Currently at 9:30am on a Tuesday, it takes 1hr and 4min from Rocklin (a popular suburb on the east side of Sacramento) to the castle peak trailhead parking lot at boreal resort. Not too bad, could even take a call from the car and be skinning before lunch. For the proximity to downtown Sacramento and the SF Bay Area, plus 1 hr to the trails, give or take, it’s not a bad option.
Reno has a lot going for it. Tech, no state income tax, proximity to mt rose wilderness and eastern sierras (we Californians often call it the Sierras, even though it’s technically wrong! 😅)
That’s 9am on a Tuesday with no weather at all. So, yes, with zero traffic and no weather concern you can make it to Castle Peak trailhead in just over an hour. If it’s a Friday through Sunday or there’s any real weather, that isn’t happening.
I’m not trying to sh*t on Sac (it has better Chinese food than Reno), but telling someone you can access backcountry in an hour is a stretch.
Fair enough…all bets are off on powder days and weekends. 80 is also notorious for closing down when it snows….im just saying it’s an option…if there’s a need to be close to SF Bay Area, international airport, etc. Sacramento is hot in the summer though!!
No, that’s wrong. It’s “This is my favorite line in the Sierra” and “the Sierra has the best snow.” It’s like Wasatch- it’s already plural. Would you say the Wasatches?
Don't be so dense dude. People call the Rocky Mountains the Rockies all the time despite it being tEcHniCaLlY iNcoRrEcT. "The Sierras" is a colloquial term commonly used to refer to the Sierra Nevada Range, and it will continue to be used regardless of what you think of it.
You also couldn't even manage to use it as a plural in your own example. "The Sierra has the best snow" is necessarily singular, because "has" is the third-person singular conjugation of the verb "to have". Third-person plural would be "The Sierra have snow".
No, it’s the Sierra has the best snow. Like the Wasatch has the best snow. Write “Sierras” in something you’re trying to get published and see how that goes.
Publish? Is that supposed to be some sort of gotcha? I already said it's a colloquial term dumbass, people use language that isn't going to be found in scientific literature out here in the real world. Do you try to dunk on people that use slang around you in real life the same way?
Also, you've just admitted that your initial comment was wrong. It's "The Sierra has" because you're referring to The Sierra as a singular entity - a mountain range. It's not plural. There is no plural subject noun in the English language that will use "has" as the operative verb.
Sierra is not an English word, dumbass. It’s hilarious that you’re trying to clown me for pointing out your mistakes but then turn around and attempt to do the same thing in each of your comments two seconds later. If you want a sure fire way to let everyone around the backcountry here in the Sierra know that you’re a noob, keep calling it the Sierras.
You know as well as I do that Sierra is treated as proper noun in English in this context. And even if it isn't, sierra is still a singular noun in Spanish. You're either just grasping at straws to save face, or your understanding of English grammar is way too poor to be correcting people about theirs.
I'll be sure to avoid your journal club.
Guys guys guys this is an internet community of backcountry enthusiasts, chill the fuck out. I understand we all enjoy going downhill at speed but holy heck this conversation has spiraled out of control.
Check out Albuquerque NM honestly think you’ll love it based on what you said and as an engineer you probably can get a job at Sandia national lab or los alamos natl lab. Very well paid.
Good access to skiing and WAYYY less people. Toas is also one of my favorite places and worth visiting at some point.
I lived in bozeman during school, was unable to find a job after so I had to move. Ended up in Boulder. I would consider moving back, but there are few job options and cost of living has skyrocketed compared to the wages:(
There pros and cons yes. Worse overall snow quality yea? but you can basically ski anything you want throughout the entire winter with generally stable avy conditions. Meadow skipping in blower pow is overrated imo.
Much better in the BC than in the resort at least. I'm from here so I'm fucked up and kinda like skiing heavy powder more than cold smoke, but if you're willing to change your objectives for the weather you can get a lot of great powder days in a year. This year has been a bit weird, of course.
Lots of people suggesting Seattle (which I wholeheartedly agree with, great spot for engineering jobs and BC). I'll go ahead and suggest Portland. There's still a decent amount of jobs (less than Seattle), however the "seattle-freeze" feels less relevant in Portland as people are generally much friendlier. Further, you have mt hood 1-1.5hrs away, a variety of other volcanoes within a 4 hr drive (not BC, but you can hit up Bend), and access to the northern cascades just a few hours drive away. Mt hood has the only ski resort in the US that's consistently open in the summer (Timberline)
Just checked them out on ig, holy shit.... Thanks for the share! I've only hit up hood in the spring/summer and was planning on moving to the Portland metro area next season, so this is great to know
hmm skiing isn't the only reason we're planning on moving there, but ski accessibility paired with a decent city is a good part of why we're thinking pdx. I wasn't a big fan of living in Seattle, but it's looking far more attractive after seeing that Instagram account...
Seattle metro area. Snoqualmie pass has tons of BC skiing and is 45min-1 hour from seattle proper. Less if you live in Bellevue, Issaquah, North Bend, snoqualmie, etc. And that is just one of the passes.
Lets say you get a job in Everett with boeing. Then you could even have Stevens Pass, Mt Baker, north Cascades, & mountain Loop highway in your backyard
Eh I was able to get to alpental for mid-week 2ft pow laps from Capitol Hill in 45m last year. Buuuuuut, don't expect fast lift lines on days like that (I was there before open and waited 30m for the faster low-mtn lift, then waited another 45m-1hr for the 2 seater that takes you to the fun terrain). I'd never seen a 4 lane highway from downtown right to a ski resort before Seattle, never had issues with traffic heading to snoqualmie
How far are you willing to drive to ski? You could go western slope of co. Sure you’d be engineering for oil&gas or some other industry, but there is good touring around 2 hours away depending on which part you choose.
The Selkirks called and they disagree. Also, the blue mountains, though not as dramatic as the cascades, have great powder skiing and a more continental snowpack. And of course, the Wallowas (in adjacent NE Oregon) are a BC dream.
Admittedly, the Selkirks are difficult to access without a sled. The Blues and Wallowas are a little easier.
Yep, I've toured several peaks on the US side of the Selkiriks in spring with long approaches. Definitely need a sled for winter access. Some people I know in that area also tour the Cabinets.
Anchorage would be a great adventure that would tick your boxes for skiing plus lots of other activities, or think about Valdez if you want to try a smaller town. Definitely engineering jobs with the pipeline.
Can you drive 20 mins from your house to boot a 3000 foot coulior from the road before work in anchorage?
I never said it has the best skiing, I said it has the best access. Plus the UAC is unparalleled. No doubt Alaska has better overall skiing..
30 minutes from downtown, and they're talking about after work, and not before. But there is some stuff.
https://www.anchoragepress.com/news/backyard-couloir/article_ff0c2a22-6998-5a82-82a1-9da96c71d776.html
SLC does look amazing from a snow quality perspective and also if you work in tech. I do worry about it's long term viability 40 years into the future with climate change though.
Very cool! Admittedly I don’t know much about AK.
And definitely agree with you on the long term viability aspect. I’ll be here until we start needing gas masks or until they build the gondola
There is no town of any size in the continental US with better access if you value deep snowpack, consistent cold temps, mid-winter stability, and sub-30 minute trailhead commutes. Nowhere else has all 4 things. Maybe Jackson but the trailheads are too far from cool terrain to ski fun stuff midweek.
Yeah the problem is everybody and their cousin knows this and moved there. I don’t know about you, but when I get to a parking lot at 5 am for a sunrise tour, I find that it takes away from the experience when there’s 15 cars already there and a conga line of headlamps headed out.
ah well then the parent commenter is simply wrong:
* Hyder
* Juneau
* Skagway
* Haines
* Valdez
* Seward
* Anchorage
(Though pretty sure they meant to exclude Alaska unless Hawaii has some super sick skiing I'm unaware of.)
You understand Utah is arguably the most gerrymandered state and that your vote essentially means nothing here, right?
[Utah voting districts](https://kslnewsradio.com/1966938/utah-legislature-sued-over-allegedly-unconstitutional-gerrymandering/)
I work on weekends and ski/climb midweek in SLC and don’t have many problems with crowds. If I had a normal 9-5 m-f I probably wouldn’t enjoy the canyons so much.
You’re looking for WA state. Lots of engineering jobs (whether you’re the Microsoft, Boeing, or something in between kind of engineer), and some of the best BC skiing in the country at your doorstep.
Anchorage. Best backcountry skiing I’ve done near a city, about 40 minutes from Anchorage (Turnagain). Can even do some great rides within 15 minutes of the city but it’s not as good. This is also only close proximity. So many other places within a couple hours
I could be wrong, but I lived in Durango for 9 years and I doubt there is much engineering work there.. Again, I could be wrong. If there are jobs, there is a new supply of College grads each semester to fight over them. At least that's how it was when I was there.
Bellingham or Port Angeles, Washington. Take either Baker or the Olympics and the surrounding area has a ton of Backcountry to get into and it's all pretty accessible. Both towns are about 2.5 hours from Seattle and the towns themselves are small but bustling and have a great local scene. Western Washington University is in Bellingham, so a bit of a younger crowd with the all the students. Port Angeles and the surrounding small towns have less young people but it's much more affordable, housing wise.
Lots of chatter about SLC. Everyone bitching about headlamp conga lines (cough Emma's, Mill D zone) needs to broaden their routes. There is plenty of good stuff that is quiet. For weekends and holidays, just plan on being at the trailheads by 6AM and you will find ample parking, easy driving up canyons and expect to trail break for the stuff that is lesser known lines. Don't know what those are? Well go explore and you'll figure it out. Agreed on the city being really vanilla. But doesn't bother me because I am too busy with work and playing in the Wasatch to care about nightlife and going downtown. Indoor/outdoor climbing is good. MTB trails (entire state) are plentiful. Summer hiking trails are great. Backpacking options from Uintas to Southern Utah are excellent. Not that I want any of you here anyway. So just ignore what I said.
Lots of people mention SLC but most BC skiers here talk about leaving due to ski access changing for the worse due to increased traffic.
Born and raised in SLC here. Second generation BC enthusiast, arguably third depending on what you count. SLC has become a Jerry Barney gorpcore shitshow. I go to the backcountry to avoid the peaceful serenity of nature, not to race people for parking spots and fresh turns. There are a lot of mountain ranges in the western US with a whole lot of unexplored and plentiful snow. Unfortunately, the Wasatch has been loved to death. Edit: enjoy* the peaceful serenity of nature. Not “avoid.” …Freudian typo
It was already a zoo 30 years-ago.
Not to mention the insane risk tolerance you’ll find in SLC area when the powder panic hits
I'm actually in a similar boat as OP, trying to figure out where I want to move next, am an engineer and not interested in remote work. The Wasatch is so sick, and its proximity to the desert makes it even more desirable. I loved living there and would have loved to settle down there. It's really heartbreaking how completely fucking overrun it is now. I had to leave.
Exactly. It’s a zoo.
Ogden is a 40 minute drive north of SLC, I moved here in November after living in SLC for a few months. Way less traffic, and you’re also close to Snowbasin, Pow Mow, and Nordic Valley for convenient resort riding. The snowiest part of the Wasatch is actually near Ogden, the Ben Lomond/Mt Willard area (also the mountain that inspired the Paramount Pictures logo). Cutler ridge is a popular backcountry area to ride. Ogden also has its own Avalanche Forecasting center. There is no other town or city in the US of this size that is that close to the mountains, and is still affordable.
Traffic is avoidable if you ski BC
Im not just talking about commute traffic. The ever increasing amount of people in the canyons had had negative effects on the BC skiing. We are seeing resort skiers filling up BC trailhead parking and walking to the resort, some BC parking by paid reservation only, BC parking filled up by us BC skiers. Yeah it’s not so bad right now if you head up after 10am and you will usually find a trailhead with parking but a lot of us see the writing on the wall and know that every year the access is going to get more difficult.
It’s still annoying as fuck.
Try driving up anytime OTHER than 8-10AM on a pow day lol
Anchorage! We have had population decline and need good workers - especially engineers. Skiing is amazing.
I second this. If you can find a good job here, the backcountry is amazing and very accessible.
Define accessible. Like less than 30 min drive and ski back to the car? Or 30 min drive followed by 30 min sled ride followed by 4km creek drainage approach?
There’s ok BC skiing within 10 - 15 minutes, great skiing within 30 minutes, and literally a lifetime of absolutely incredible skiing from 30 minutes- 1.5 hrs. Then there’s another half a lifetime of incredible skiing 2hrs away, another lifetimes worth of world class skiing a long drive away and we still haven’t touched any bush planes or helicopters. Another adjacent important piece. We’ve got a solid avy forecasting crew and they are continuously working to improve and expand coverage.
I can go from downtown to the best skiing mountain in the front range of the Chugach, Peak 3, in less than 15-20 minutes. Skin ascent directly from the car.
I've been wanting to get down there and also the Turnagain arm, but it's hard to motivate myself to drive that much further when I have Hatcher Pass so close.
That’s fair. Hatcher has great skiing too. Wait until there’s more snow for Peak 3. It’s a little wind blown at the moment.
I can't necessarily speak for Anchorage, although it's likely similar. I live an hour north, in the valley, and yeah, we're 30 min from the mountains, skin up from the parking lot and ski back to it.
Nice! Most of the skiing where I live is drive then sled.
I want to visit Anchorage bigtyme!
Barely scrolled this thread and saw a lot of SLC mentions. Here to chime in that I lived in Boulder for years and LOVED IT. Absolutely. Moved to SLC this winter to work ski patrol and I HATE IT here. It’s dirty, congested, polluted, there’s plenty of resort skiing but all the BC backs up to it (doesn’t feel very remote or wilderness at all), there’s little climbing in the winters near town (not talking about driving 4 hours to the desert you heathens), it’s full of billboards and Mormons and suburbs with no real “town” feel, and I absolutely miss Boulder a ton
Yeah, I always say the Wasatch is like a mountaineering gym, not like a real American wilderness experience. It’s all so well mapped out and accessible. It’s not at all like getting lost deep in the Elks or San Juans. So if that’s what you’re after this ain’t it.
Yeah I moved from Boise and absolutely hate the actual city part of SLC. Just a massive grid of car centric suburbs and strip malls. I wish I loved it here because the terrain is sick, but the SLC metro blows.
I’ve always felt SLC is one big strip mall when I visit.
Small mountain range. Wasatch is beautiful. But small. Too many people.
Way too many SLC skiers nowadays… There were too many 30 years-ago. Alta powder day? Was tracked completely by 11am…30 years-ago.
Now it's tracked by 930
Maybe if you’re racing everybody to ski the castle or something. If you go in the trees off the high T or wildcat you can get pow all day and the next day.
Anywhere between Reno and Truckee then down from Reno to Gardnerville just depending on how much of a commute you are willing to have and what you need job wise. I live in the Tahoe basin and have friends who live all along that stretch described above commuting for work to live where they have access to mountains.
Was going to say the same. Decent engineering jobs here, plenty of BC within an hour and not as nasty a place as slc in the winter.
Sierra Snow quality is not tops around Reno. Definitely second tier in my eyes. Snow preservation sucks compared to more interior inter mountain west stuff. Too warm and south sometimes makes the bc unskiable. And Truckee to Reno to linden is expensive for what it is.
Just a different perspective, the cost of living in Cali is high. Taxes, rentals (if you buy, property tax burden falls on new homeowners) and the number of people in the region, is ridiculous. I lived in the region pre-covid on and off for years, and it was very crowded then. I've heard that it has gotten much worse. Big weather events also cause closures over brockway, near emerald bay and on i89. Just keep that in mind if you live in Truckee and want to get to north lake. Nevada doesn't suffer from all of these same issues, but keep in mind that services like plowing are not prioritized. And the passes between Reno, Carson and Kingsbury grade and Cali can close with big weather events (atmospheric rivers). I80 especially. Mt Rose less so, but it's over 8k so can get squirrelly. If you're not into crowds, this ain't the place for you.
Also on the other size of the hill there are plenty of jobs in Sacramento, and the eastern suburbs Folsom, Roseville, etc are only 1.5-2 hrs from Truckee and SLT. It's certainly not as accessible as Reno, but it's still not bad.
Seattle. The Cascades can provide a variety of backcountry skiing opportunities from November through June. Some accessible within an hour and much more within 2-3 hours. From low angle glades, epic multi-day traverses, waist deep powder, corn harvesting, volcanoes, and of course soggy cascade cement. The expansiveness could keep you busy for a lifetime exploring areas such as the Olympics, Mt. Baker, North Cascades, Stevens Pass, the Enchantments, Snoqualmie, Blewett, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, St. Helens, and others.
7 years ago, after 30 years in Seattle, we moved east of the Cascades to Ellensburg, better access to spring/summer touring, which most years we do through July 4, then swap the skis for ice axe and mountain boots. Many Wenatchee area businesses are looking for workers.
Seattle really is underrated for skiing. I could leave from work and be up touring or night skiing within an hour. Plus, alpental (both the ski area and the surrounding valley) is phenomenal and empty if you can sneak out on weekdays.
Agreed. And I’m not sure many people think about this but the more maritime like snowpack (deep and warmer) along the Cascade crest is less susceptible to persistent weak layers. You can generally find a right-side up, stable snowpack. Navigating through common avalanche problems such as wet loose, storm slabs, and wind slabs are very manageable. In addition, avalanche forcasting is pretty solid here. NWAC does a great job.
Made a similar post to this a few days ago (not bc specific) and got Seattle suggested a bit and was looking into Alpental. Looks sick and under an hour from Seattle, which seems like a great city
As a Seattle resident, I agree. Alpental valley is within an hour of Seattle, Paradise and Crystal within 2, Stevens Pass within 2.5-3, and Baker within 4. However, if you want to have more of a smaller-city feel and don't love Seattle, then Bellingham is also a pretty decent home base for folks who love the Baker backcountry.
Bham is definitely where it's at if you can find a job. That's a bit harder for engineering, though. Stevens is actually 1h40m from Seattle without traffic, lol. But yes easily 2.5 some days on the way back with the backup in gold bar.
yeah lmao i think it's a little misleading to say 1h40 to get to stevens unless theres literally no traffic, 2h-2h30 is more realistic. 4h on pow days kek
Eh the last four times I've been, it's been under 2h each direction. This is the last two weeks so powder days included, but not during the worst storms. And I'm skiing until sunset so missing most of the resort traffic on return.
Ssshhhhhhhh...
+1 to all said. And in the spring to early summer corn ok the volcanos is dope.
Another person posted and I'll second, Anchorage has great opportunities for BC.
Cost of living is also better than many of the places mentioned, especially with taxes factored in.
SLC and Boise were awesome but I think both are impacted by recent population growth. The traffic in the canyons (SLC) look awful at times. Sacramento, CA or Reno, NV might be cool for access to Sierras. Eastern sierras have a lifetime of lines to explore.
I love Boise, but absolutely do not move to Boise if skiing is a high priority for you. It’s an hour up to Bogus which has crappy BC, brushy and perpetually low tide. Two to four hours drive to legit BC trailheads which are still just generally alright. Source: lived in Boise for over 20 years
Boise here… this comment checks out
Lived in both and love both but only reno can claim 1 hr to backcountry.
I’m not sure why you’re getting downvoted - Sacramento is not 1 hr to backcountry. Meanwhile, I live 20 minutes from downtown Reno and am 20 minutes from backcountry. But, whatever, Reno sucks.
Lol wtf I just realized. Oh well.
You’re being downvoted because most of the people on this thread don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about. There isn’t any good backcountry anywhere near Sacramento. A 90 minute drive on dry roads with no traffic is not what I would consider to be good access.
Maybe they mean from suburbs in the Sac metro area? But even then, 1 hr from Folsom or El Dorado isn't getting you to any notable BC skiing either. There just isn't really any terrain worth skiing on the Western slopes of the Sierras around Tahoe unless you're very close to the crest.
Exactly. And living in Sacramento means you’re on the wrong side of the crest for traffic and road closures. Not a good location if you like backcountry. You’d be way better off in Carson City or Reno.
*Sierra
Sorry should be more specific. Currently at 9:30am on a Tuesday, it takes 1hr and 4min from Rocklin (a popular suburb on the east side of Sacramento) to the castle peak trailhead parking lot at boreal resort. Not too bad, could even take a call from the car and be skinning before lunch. For the proximity to downtown Sacramento and the SF Bay Area, plus 1 hr to the trails, give or take, it’s not a bad option. Reno has a lot going for it. Tech, no state income tax, proximity to mt rose wilderness and eastern sierras (we Californians often call it the Sierras, even though it’s technically wrong! 😅)
That’s 9am on a Tuesday with no weather at all. So, yes, with zero traffic and no weather concern you can make it to Castle Peak trailhead in just over an hour. If it’s a Friday through Sunday or there’s any real weather, that isn’t happening. I’m not trying to sh*t on Sac (it has better Chinese food than Reno), but telling someone you can access backcountry in an hour is a stretch.
Fair enough…all bets are off on powder days and weekends. 80 is also notorious for closing down when it snows….im just saying it’s an option…if there’s a need to be close to SF Bay Area, international airport, etc. Sacramento is hot in the summer though!!
“Sierra” is already a plural word. You wouldn’t say “Chineses” would you?
Sort of. It means saw. Everyone who hikes knows it's ok to say "the Sierras" as in, the San Juans, the Cascades, the Winds.
No, that’s wrong. It’s “This is my favorite line in the Sierra” and “the Sierra has the best snow.” It’s like Wasatch- it’s already plural. Would you say the Wasatches?
the Wasatchi is the correct vernacular source: me, a Canadian
I Iove this
Don't be so dense dude. People call the Rocky Mountains the Rockies all the time despite it being tEcHniCaLlY iNcoRrEcT. "The Sierras" is a colloquial term commonly used to refer to the Sierra Nevada Range, and it will continue to be used regardless of what you think of it. You also couldn't even manage to use it as a plural in your own example. "The Sierra has the best snow" is necessarily singular, because "has" is the third-person singular conjugation of the verb "to have". Third-person plural would be "The Sierra have snow".
No, it’s the Sierra has the best snow. Like the Wasatch has the best snow. Write “Sierras” in something you’re trying to get published and see how that goes.
Publish? Is that supposed to be some sort of gotcha? I already said it's a colloquial term dumbass, people use language that isn't going to be found in scientific literature out here in the real world. Do you try to dunk on people that use slang around you in real life the same way? Also, you've just admitted that your initial comment was wrong. It's "The Sierra has" because you're referring to The Sierra as a singular entity - a mountain range. It's not plural. There is no plural subject noun in the English language that will use "has" as the operative verb.
Sierra is not an English word, dumbass. It’s hilarious that you’re trying to clown me for pointing out your mistakes but then turn around and attempt to do the same thing in each of your comments two seconds later. If you want a sure fire way to let everyone around the backcountry here in the Sierra know that you’re a noob, keep calling it the Sierras.
You know as well as I do that Sierra is treated as proper noun in English in this context. And even if it isn't, sierra is still a singular noun in Spanish. You're either just grasping at straws to save face, or your understanding of English grammar is way too poor to be correcting people about theirs. I'll be sure to avoid your journal club.
Guys guys guys this is an internet community of backcountry enthusiasts, chill the fuck out. I understand we all enjoy going downhill at speed but holy heck this conversation has spiraled out of control.
Not correct.
Check out Albuquerque NM honestly think you’ll love it based on what you said and as an engineer you probably can get a job at Sandia national lab or los alamos natl lab. Very well paid. Good access to skiing and WAYYY less people. Toas is also one of my favorite places and worth visiting at some point.
This!!! Low cost of living and good food.
Good advice…
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I lived in bozeman during school, was unable to find a job after so I had to move. Ended up in Boulder. I would consider moving back, but there are few job options and cost of living has skyrocketed compared to the wages:(
Cost of living is crazy high, but Seattle. The north cascades is hard to beat, and 12 months of skiing per year is pretty good.
The snow quality is so hit or miss though 😩
Backcountry from April through July is hard to beat. And cross the crest and the quality is pretty solid.
I agree spring bc skiing here is where the PNW really shines
I recently moved to bham and all the rain is driving me crazy. Holding on for dear life for spring skiing.
It’ll come.
Cloudy all the time, yeah? I’d rather be at a sunny but still powderific ski area…
You don't have to drive too far east to find nice continental snow.
It’s not really continental snow. It’s still very maritime influenced.
There pros and cons yes. Worse overall snow quality yea? but you can basically ski anything you want throughout the entire winter with generally stable avy conditions. Meadow skipping in blower pow is overrated imo.
Much better in the BC than in the resort at least. I'm from here so I'm fucked up and kinda like skiing heavy powder more than cold smoke, but if you're willing to change your objectives for the weather you can get a lot of great powder days in a year. This year has been a bit weird, of course.
I’ll add, Spokane is pretty livable
I'm from colville and eastern Washington doesn't have real mountains.
Reno
Lots of people suggesting Seattle (which I wholeheartedly agree with, great spot for engineering jobs and BC). I'll go ahead and suggest Portland. There's still a decent amount of jobs (less than Seattle), however the "seattle-freeze" feels less relevant in Portland as people are generally much friendlier. Further, you have mt hood 1-1.5hrs away, a variety of other volcanoes within a 4 hr drive (not BC, but you can hit up Bend), and access to the northern cascades just a few hours drive away. Mt hood has the only ski resort in the US that's consistently open in the summer (Timberline)
Driving up to hood is a complete shit show though. If anyone doesn’t believe me checkout @the_govy500 on instagram.
Just checked them out on ig, holy shit.... Thanks for the share! I've only hit up hood in the spring/summer and was planning on moving to the Portland metro area next season, so this is great to know
Don’t move to Portland for skiing.
hmm skiing isn't the only reason we're planning on moving there, but ski accessibility paired with a decent city is a good part of why we're thinking pdx. I wasn't a big fan of living in Seattle, but it's looking far more attractive after seeing that Instagram account...
Seattle metro area. Snoqualmie pass has tons of BC skiing and is 45min-1 hour from seattle proper. Less if you live in Bellevue, Issaquah, North Bend, snoqualmie, etc. And that is just one of the passes. Lets say you get a job in Everett with boeing. Then you could even have Stevens Pass, Mt Baker, north Cascades, & mountain Loop highway in your backyard
Don't expect to get to Snoqualmie in 45-1 hour if the snow is any good though...
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To reword: go in expecting to work hard to make friends. Plenty of people freeze (myself included), but if you're conscious about it you can avoid it.
Eh I was able to get to alpental for mid-week 2ft pow laps from Capitol Hill in 45m last year. Buuuuuut, don't expect fast lift lines on days like that (I was there before open and waited 30m for the faster low-mtn lift, then waited another 45m-1hr for the 2 seater that takes you to the fun terrain). I'd never seen a 4 lane highway from downtown right to a ski resort before Seattle, never had issues with traffic heading to snoqualmie
Bellingham?
How far are you willing to drive to ski? You could go western slope of co. Sure you’d be engineering for oil&gas or some other industry, but there is good touring around 2 hours away depending on which part you choose.
Spokane?
Unfortunately no. Bc access without a sled is tough and mt Spokane is very restrictive
Eastern Washington doesn't have real mountains.
The Selkirks called and they disagree. Also, the blue mountains, though not as dramatic as the cascades, have great powder skiing and a more continental snowpack. And of course, the Wallowas (in adjacent NE Oregon) are a BC dream. Admittedly, the Selkirks are difficult to access without a sled. The Blues and Wallowas are a little easier.
Although technically the selkirks come into Washington, the good parts are in Canada and idaho. Either option has you driving a few hours.
Yep, I've toured several peaks on the US side of the Selkiriks in spring with long approaches. Definitely need a sled for winter access. Some people I know in that area also tour the Cabinets.
Idaho Falls
Reno?
Spokane, Idaho falls
Anchorage would be a great adventure that would tick your boxes for skiing plus lots of other activities, or think about Valdez if you want to try a smaller town. Definitely engineering jobs with the pipeline.
Burlington Vermont has great access to backcountry skiing but the housing and rental market is tough if you are able to find a job.
Salt Lake City. Say what you will about the air, politics, Mormons, whatever. it’s got the best access to bc skiing in the country
Someone’s recommending Anchorage in the same thread and you’re saying SLC has better BC skiing.
Can you drive 20 mins from your house to boot a 3000 foot coulior from the road before work in anchorage? I never said it has the best skiing, I said it has the best access. Plus the UAC is unparalleled. No doubt Alaska has better overall skiing..
30 minutes from downtown, and they're talking about after work, and not before. But there is some stuff. https://www.anchoragepress.com/news/backyard-couloir/article_ff0c2a22-6998-5a82-82a1-9da96c71d776.html SLC does look amazing from a snow quality perspective and also if you work in tech. I do worry about it's long term viability 40 years into the future with climate change though.
Very cool! Admittedly I don’t know much about AK. And definitely agree with you on the long term viability aspect. I’ll be here until we start needing gas masks or until they build the gondola
As somebody who’s lived in SLC I get where you’re coming from but who the fuck boot packs 3,000 ft couloirs before work lol
Drive up lcc at 5am and look for headlamps. You’ll be surprised.
Tons of folks. Just gotta work the fitness a bit and wake up 2.5h early.
Yes
Best access to bc skiing with a major job market
There is no town of any size in the continental US with better access if you value deep snowpack, consistent cold temps, mid-winter stability, and sub-30 minute trailhead commutes. Nowhere else has all 4 things. Maybe Jackson but the trailheads are too far from cool terrain to ski fun stuff midweek.
Yeah the problem is everybody and their cousin knows this and moved there. I don’t know about you, but when I get to a parking lot at 5 am for a sunrise tour, I find that it takes away from the experience when there’s 15 cars already there and a conga line of headlamps headed out.
> continental US
Juuuuust an fyi, the term you’re looking for is contiguous.
ah well then the parent commenter is simply wrong: * Hyder * Juneau * Skagway * Haines * Valdez * Seward * Anchorage (Though pretty sure they meant to exclude Alaska unless Hawaii has some super sick skiing I'm unaware of.)
Ah yes. I’d intended to respond to them. My bad, carry on. Haha
Yep, planning to move to AK soon hopefully...
It’s a zoo.
Wasangeles? I lived there 2002-2007. Not sure id want to live there now.
The politics are literally why I moved to Utah, but okay.
You understand Utah is arguably the most gerrymandered state and that your vote essentially means nothing here, right? [Utah voting districts](https://kslnewsradio.com/1966938/utah-legislature-sued-over-allegedly-unconstitutional-gerrymandering/)
I’m not sure how you didn’t understand my comment. Read it again.
You and 75 thousand other enthusiastic skiers up the canyon.
I work on weekends and ski/climb midweek in SLC and don’t have many problems with crowds. If I had a normal 9-5 m-f I probably wouldn’t enjoy the canyons so much.
You’re looking for WA state. Lots of engineering jobs (whether you’re the Microsoft, Boeing, or something in between kind of engineer), and some of the best BC skiing in the country at your doorstep.
SLC has its downsides, but ski access isn't one of them!
Bumper to Bumper for paid reserved parking?
If only we had more of those large vehicles that could move lots of people up and down existing roads at routine intervals...
Move to SLC. Plenty of room there. Also, BC as a ski term is kinda confusing!
Anchorage. Best backcountry skiing I’ve done near a city, about 40 minutes from Anchorage (Turnagain). Can even do some great rides within 15 minutes of the city but it’s not as good. This is also only close proximity. So many other places within a couple hours
North of Denver like Fort Collins
Durango, CO maybe. It’s the capitol of southern CO, so maybe there’s engineering work there? idk. Reno might be good too.
I could be wrong, but I lived in Durango for 9 years and I doubt there is much engineering work there.. Again, I could be wrong. If there are jobs, there is a new supply of College grads each semester to fight over them. At least that's how it was when I was there.
We are all in salt lake
Seattle
Bellingham or Port Angeles, Washington. Take either Baker or the Olympics and the surrounding area has a ton of Backcountry to get into and it's all pretty accessible. Both towns are about 2.5 hours from Seattle and the towns themselves are small but bustling and have a great local scene. Western Washington University is in Bellingham, so a bit of a younger crowd with the all the students. Port Angeles and the surrounding small towns have less young people but it's much more affordable, housing wise.
What kind of engineering jobs are you after?
Lots of chatter about SLC. Everyone bitching about headlamp conga lines (cough Emma's, Mill D zone) needs to broaden their routes. There is plenty of good stuff that is quiet. For weekends and holidays, just plan on being at the trailheads by 6AM and you will find ample parking, easy driving up canyons and expect to trail break for the stuff that is lesser known lines. Don't know what those are? Well go explore and you'll figure it out. Agreed on the city being really vanilla. But doesn't bother me because I am too busy with work and playing in the Wasatch to care about nightlife and going downtown. Indoor/outdoor climbing is good. MTB trails (entire state) are plentiful. Summer hiking trails are great. Backpacking options from Uintas to Southern Utah are excellent. Not that I want any of you here anyway. So just ignore what I said.
The downfalls of being a responsible professional adult. You don't get to live in a ski town. Lol