Where to ski for cheap in the Phoenix Arizona Area?

[escmanaze]

Hi Everybody,

I have a brother in Chandler and his wife is bugging him about getting a boat etc. His reservation is thinking about where he could actually ski that might have good water if it is public or might not cost him his whole 401k if it's private. Can I get some of the Arizona ballers to chime in on some places I can recommend him looking into for finding a place where he can get some good water so he can justify buying a boat? Thanks in Advance.

[MattP]

His wife is bugging him about getting a boat?? Well that's unusual but great to here! Best of luck to him finding a spot to ski.

[LakeOneSkier]

Sprint Mountain Lot for Sale

 

Not too far from Chandler.

[escmanaze]

@LakeOneSkier Thanks for the tip. Now the only question I have left - What is wrong with that place? An acre for $75K? Up here in Utah, even at the lakes way out of town, you are still at a $300k minimum, and they aren't even an acre!!!

 

So it sounds too good to be true. Is it? Or is that just how it is in Arizona?

[ntx]

@escmanaze . market is different in different parts of the country. Google 6 ski haven. Private 2 lake site with two community boats.

[escmanaze]

@ntx It looks like that lake is in Texas. Sorry if I'm being dumb, but I think I'm missing what you are trying to tell me.

[ntx]

@escmanaze sorry you got confused. You are questioning the 75K cost for a acre in AZ (asking "what is wrong" and "so it sounds too good to be true") vs the cost in Utah. My point was, that depending on what part of the country you are in, the cost IS very different. What a ski lot cost in Utah is different than AZ. The cost does not mean there is anything wrong with it.

[LakeOneSkier]

@escmanaze , you should contact Susan @ waterskiarizona.com

 

We've looked into Lakeside and Spring Mountain, hoping to move south once the kid is out of school.

[foxriverat]

How long has spring mountain been around? I found this link from 2008 and no homes built there yet. I would have to wonder why.

[Dacon62]

Some of these sites are a bit remote. Meaning that once your done skiing there isn't much else to do close by.

Nice to have shopping, restaurants and some other entertainment nearby so the family can do other things without having to drive an hour.

 

[MISkier]

Don't forget the yearly water fees. I seem to recall they are something like $4000-$5000 annually. That can be a deterrent to some.

[mwetskier]

i haven't looked at lake access in az in many years but when i did i found that some places had ' gate key ' memberships for $1000 to $1500 a year. so you show up and launch your boat, ski and go home. don't forget to take your boat with you when you leave.

[MMHUTKA]

Firebird is in Chandler if you don't mind salt water and college kids

[The_MS]

The words cheap skiing and Arizona can not be put in the same sentence.

[escmanaze]

@ntx Ok, now I understand what you are saying, thanks. I am just very surprised to see a huge price difference in waterski real estate when there isn't a huge difference in regular real estate between SLC and PHX.

 

@mwetskier that would sound like a great deal. I will have him check around on that too.

 

@MMHUTKA salt water in the middle of AZ? WTF? That seems really weird. Other than that though, he has college age kids, so probably wouldn't be bothered by that, so then it's a matter of trying to get the saltwater to not destroy his boat I guess, and the price seems pretty reasonable.

 

@MS That is the fear I'm seeing. Apparently water is pretty tough to come by down there. ;)

[swc5150]

Agreed, Spring Mtn is in a remote area. It would be a pretty good commute to the city.

 

Firebird is big time salt. You feel like you're hauling *** out there, which makes it tough on hacks like me.

[Ilivetoski]

Would the salt water not damage your ski and boat...? Would seem to me that would be a deterrent to skiing there over how the water skis

[skispray]

Yes, boats need to be pulled out of the water and washed with at least soap and water after every time in Firebird. The salt water isn't great for the engines either. It helps a lot to trailer the boat to a nearby freshwater lake and spend a day boating to get fresh water running through the water intake and over the hull. Some have installed closed loop water systems so that salt water isn't running through their systems. It definitely takes more work but can be managed.

 

Skis and skiers need to be rinsed after every use. The salt can cause fin block screws to seize so it's also good to loosen things up and rinse them out occasionally.

[hemlock]

Just curious, but any chance this Spring Mountain property is on reserve land?

[Onside135]

Regarding salt water, you have to do what you have to do to ski. Those who regularly operate in salt water seem pretty used to the cleanup work. Even so, I think it is hard on things like fin boxes and binding parts, but @"Mateo Vargas" could say better.

 

That said, I think a previous thread about Firebird claimed it to be saltier than average and extremely hard on equipment.

[bigskieridaho]

@escmanaze I picked my Malibu up out of AZ. It was in Crystal Point and you can see where the salt was on it. The minerals build up over the years and turn the water into brackish.... My boat was washed out and thank goodness never ran in firebird. The outer lake communities are your best bet for the money, Crystal is $2M or more if any houses are for sale.

[escmanaze]

@bigskieridaho Just curious, as Crystal point is absolutely way out of the budget, but are you saying that Crystal point has a fairly high saline content percentage as well?

[bigskieridaho]

@escmanaze not even close to Firebird, but as the water has evaporated over the years at Crystal, the salt deposits build up more and more. That what happens in that extreme heat. Luckily my boat was at SunTen in Utah for about 5 years of its life and then at Crystal for about 3 years.

[UWSkier]

@escmanaze I live in Chandler also and ski public water. It's about a 45 min drive but if you're on the lake early mid-week, you can get some phenomenal open water sets. Did your brother ever buy a boat?

 

As it were, my most reliable ski partner has decided to move to another state. I'm looking for like-minded loonies to ski through the winter and next summer.

 

I'll supply the boat. I have a Malibu Response with StarGazer and ZBox.

 

If you think your brother would want to start getting out, please PM me.

[escmanaze]

@UWskier sorry I missed your tag, I am glad you sent that followup message. I'm going to send him your info and start working on him. He might be a bit of a tough sell in the beginning, but he could also be easily addicted with just a couple tries and then becomes a really good riding buddy. He used to be my #1 snowmobiling buddy up here in Utah, and my snowmobiling life just ain't been right ever since he moved south. I'll forward the stuff and let's keep in touch.

[bassfooter]

Saltwater isn't that big a deal for your equipment or boat with a little extra care and rinsing, like @skispray and @Onside135 said. The water in Thunderbird, however, is far more corrosive than seawater. A buddy of mine has had his boat in both and he said it's night and day.

[swc5150]

Firebird takes salt to the next level. I was vacuuming salt out of my car after a set there.

[swc5150]

@UWSkier I’m playing a concert in Scottsdale Fri Jan 4, but flying in the night prior. If you need a driver on that fri, I’ll have all day with nothing to do:)