Anyone have an opinion, these are by far and away the best places to ride in the TC metro?

I would echo much of what Bernwern has to say, though differentiating among the Twin Cities-metro areas is a bit like comparing fleas from the top of a ladder.

I like the feel of Wild. I know some of the managers and one of the owners. It's good a good terrain park, if that's your thing. But its halfpipe has in past seasons (I was not there this season) left something to be desired--not steep enough and not maintained very well.

In the same vicinity is Trollhaugen. I've heard that in recent years it has surpassed Wild for freestyle terrain, though again, that's dated information. It's also a further drive from anywhere in the cities than Wild.

Buck Hill is tiny, though they added a couple of runs last season. It has four things going for it:
1. Two high-speed chairs (or at the last, four quads)
2. The best halfpipe around (I play in the pipe on occasion, but it's best served by a rope, which I hate)
3. It's very, very accessible to anywhere from, say, I-94 south.
4. You can buy a midday outing, week days, for only $10. It gives you 3 hours, which is more than you will need.

Bad  news: It's very small.

Welch Village: I haven't been there  on a regular basis in years. Compared with Afton, its runs are generally steeper but shorter. If you like cruising (or doing what passes for that around the region), go to the Highlands section of Afton. If you like to challenge yourself with "steeps," go with Welch. I have not tried Welch's new "back bowl," which is 30 acres they opened this season. But I'd like to try it sometime.

At any area, if you plan to ride regularly, buy a pass. This is more true of Welch than anywhere else. Its daily prices are looking at $50, which is, well, remarkable.

Hyland Hills is rather small, but if you live in Minneapolis or one of its close-in western or southern suburbs, it's worth checking out. But expect it to be packed.

Since all the areas have roughly 300 vert and are similarly small (Afton is easily the largest; they claim 250 acres), your driving distance may be the most important factor in determining where to hang out.


[Edited by Graysontrays01 on 4/13/2009 at 2:04 PM]

afton is nice because its big if your focused more on shredding up the slopes, but the snow kinda sucks. if you want a nice terrain go to hyland in bloomington. it has a killer park with some sick jibs and nice sized jumps and there snow is really nice.

Posted by bernwern

Well, I am a transplant from Eau Claire, but have been here over 3 years.  I have been to Welch (but not since they opened more terrain), Wild Mountain, Buck Hill, and Afton Alps.  I have had a season pass to Afton Alps for 3 years now....I know alot of the lifties, bartenders, snow making crew, and mountain hosts....all pretty nice and friendly.  But that alone isn't what cements Afton as my choice....

 

1) Afton has the most terrain (by acres) of any other resort nearby.  This makes busy days seem less so compared to others.

2) While not the largest, Afton is damn close to the others nearby for vertical.

3) Afton has 2 magic carpets and 18 chair lifts...this disperses the crowd decently on busy days.

4) Afton has 3 chalets, 2 of which have a bar (important to me, but not everyone)

5) Afton doesn't care when we bring our own beer in.  They even let my friends park their RV there for the weekend (very nice).

6) Afton has great snow-making ability, chich they are expanding every year (currently done with year 2 of a 5 year plan).  The speed and quality of their machine made snow has greatly improved over the past 2 years.

 

Welch, Buck, Hyland, and Wild are smaller in terrain, and also in lifts.  Buck hill is worthless, IMO....way too small in every regard.

 

Ultimately you need to weigh what is important to you in a resort.  Afton meets my needs the best out of those around the metro.  I hope my list helps you make your decision.

 

-B

Posted by nitrorox21

personally i think aftons a pain in the ass because all their parks are so spread out it takes a while to get from one to the other.

i just never have been a big fan of afton its always to crowded when i am there and in my opinion its just a little overrated. and i just dont like the snow. simple as that.

This thread almost made me want to cry.  I'm a Bay Area native/Tahoe rider headed to the U for grad school in the fall and was hoping to track down a solid local resort.  I was reading up on what Bernwern had to say about Afton and thinking, "Hey, this doesn't sound so bad."

Then I saw Grayson write about 300 vert and 250 acres claimed.  Boreal, the smallest resort in Tahoe, and the one everyone bags on, claims 500 vert and 380 acres.

Wooo!

Seriously though, how far are most resorts from the metro area?  And are there any bigger resorts within maybe a 4 hour drive?

Edit:
Alright, saw that Afton is only about 45 minutes from where I'll be living, which is not bad at all for someone used to drive 3.5+ hours to ride.  Still, anything bigger that's perhaps within a 3-4 hour drive?

Also, what are driving conditions generally like thereabouts? Would I be ok in a sedan with all-terrain tires, or would I need to invest in decent chains? Would it be worthwhile to bring out a 4-wheel drive car (I can probably switch rigs with my brother for a few years).

[Edited by kimchijajonshim on 7/31/2009 at 4:52 AM]

Bigger resorts?!  Ha!  Just a 14 hour (guessing) drive North and south to Colorado is all it takes to get to a bigger resort. 

If you go sedan, get snow tires.

Thanks for the heads up, man.  I'll let you know about the 4-pack, I'm going to check in with them to see if they have a student discount for passes.

Hey I'll jump in as #4, should have the cash early\mid next week!

Posted by bernwewern

 

1) snow-making: quality, capacity, and speed are all top-notch.  Anyone saying Afton's snow sucks has not been there since they started the 5-year snow-making improvement project.  Ride it, and you will laugh at Hyland and Buck Hill, even Welch or Wild have no shot.