# Utah Ski Areas - Compare and Contrast???



## mikec142 (Jan 13, 2016)

Thinking of planning a trip to Utah for mid-March.  I'd love to hear the pluses and minuses of the various ski resorts off of SLC...Park City, Alta, Snowbird, Deer Valley, Canyons, etc.

As an aside, my family and I are mostly east coast skiers, VT and NY with an occasional trip to Tremblant.  We'd love to try something out west that has it all from cruisers to bumps to bowls to trees.  A big plus would be if there were some lower angle stuff too.  Not into the idea of having to launch into a bowl.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Mike


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## skiberg (Jan 13, 2016)

Park City is the place to go. Three ski areas all either connected by bus or lift. Plenty of everything. I am going in March myself and staying in PC. With that being said PC is my least favorite place to ski in Utah. However, with the new interconnect with the Canyons its just Huge. 300+ ski runs! Unless you are a hard core basher you cant go wrong. I am a big Little Cottonwood fan and will spend a lot of time there. However, the town is great and its easy to ski 10 different areas with a rental car from PC.


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## KustyTheKlown (Jan 13, 2016)

Brighton - locals vibe, decent intermediate terrain, kind of short vertical
Solitude - locals vibe with steeper skiing than Brighton
Alta - is for skiers. not really much there if you aren't into the gnar
Snowbird - totally world class. but also not so much there if you aren't into the gnar 
Deer Valley - good if you're made of money and enjoy groomers 
Park City - less gnar than Alta/bird/solitude, variety for a family, great town. less snow than cottonwoods
Canyons - now part of park city. better terrain than park city. relatively low elevation. less snow than cottonwoods
Sundanese/snowbasin/pow mow - haven't been


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## KustyTheKlown (Jan 13, 2016)

Good old Sudanese. Autocorrect on phone. "Sundance"


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## DoublePlanker (Jan 13, 2016)

I would suggest to stay in Park City to get that ski town feel and tons of restaurants.  The skiing around there is going to offer the most variety for your need.

Snowbird and Alta are my 2 favorites but are more geared to experts.  Perhaps a day trip to Alta for you would be fun.

Snowbasin is cool too.  Solitude and Brighton are smaller but nice areas as well.

I have stayed in Park City about 5 times, Alta once and SLC 2x.  Alta/Snowbird is boring to stay there.  Park City or SLC has more to do off the hill.  But Park city will be convenient to the large ski areas offering low angle skiing and the variety you seek.


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## rtjcbrown (Jan 13, 2016)

I agree with staying in park City. Great ski town with lots to do.

 That being said, Park City Mountain Ski resort was a big disappointment. Skis like Killington. Lots of mid size trail pods connected together.

I loved Deer Valley. Best run ski resort I have ever been to. (most expensive too)

Alta is fantastic. One of a kind ,and better overall than Snowbird IMHO.

Solitude was very good, and not too crowded


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## abc (Jan 13, 2016)

mikec142 said:


> As an aside, my family and I are mostly east coast skiers, VT and NY with an occasional trip to Tremblant.  We'd love to try something out west that has it all from cruisers to bumps to bowls to trees.  A big plus would be if there were some lower angle stuff too.  Not into the idea of having to launch into a bowl.


Is this your (and your family) first time out west? Or is it just 1st time to Utah? 

If it's the 1st time out west, keep in mind what you THINK YOU LIKE back east may do a 180 once you're out there. I did. 

Snow condition is different. Terrain is entirely different. So what you like and dislike in the east, you may find you prefer the opposite. 

My 1st trip was to Colorado. I was only an intermediate. But with soft snow and wide open landing... I launched into a bowl on day 2! The grin didn't leave my face till I was at the bottom of the bowl! Finally understood why skiing is an addictive activity! I even bought a t-shirt with "To Air is human". No, I wasn't a teenager. I was in my 30's when I did that.  

For convenience, Park City would be a good base. You can jump on the short local shuttle to Park City or Canyan or Deer Valley. I disagree on Deer Valley being "moneied". It's got good groomer and trees. Not as much open skiing as say, Snowbird. 

Salt Lake City lodging is a lot cheaper though, if you can stomach the daily drive into the mountains. 

You'll have fun on most of any one of them. The exception, as mentioned above, is Snowbird. It really doesn't have much easy terrain AT ALL. Alta is better in that regard, with the balance being a lot of flat area you occasionally got trapped in. 

Also, besides the obvious already mentioned, there're also Powder Mountain and Snowbasin. The latter is often consider the best sleeper of Utah. A nice mix of variety in terrain, low crowd. Both are an hour away from SLC.


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## KustyTheKlown (Jan 13, 2016)

Come on now, deer valley is very specifically designed for, and actively markets to the wealthy


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## thetrailboss (Jan 13, 2016)

mikec142 said:


> Thinking of planning a trip to Utah for mid-March.  I'd love to hear the pluses and minuses of the various ski resorts off of SLC...Park City, Alta, Snowbird, Deer Valley, Canyons, etc.
> 
> As an aside, my family and I are mostly east coast skiers, VT and NY with an occasional trip to Tremblant.  We'd love to try something out west that has it all from cruisers to bumps to bowls to trees.  A big plus would be if there were some lower angle stuff too.  Not into the idea of having to launch into a bowl.
> 
> ...



I live here, so I'd invite you to PM me.  

Based on what you've said you want, I'd say Alta/Snowbird.  

Park City:  huge, but low elevation, confusing trail layout, crowded, and not as much snow.  Also limited expert (real expert) terrain.

Deer Valley:  VERY nice.  Limited expert off piste options.  Amazing service.

Snowbasin:  out of the way, but easy to get to.  No real lodging options or apres ski options. Ogden is a hole.  Posh facilities feel out of place.  Great terrain and great cruising terrain.  Good snow.  

Pow Mow:  really out of the way; more geared for experts and cat skiing.  Very basic facilities.  

Sundance:  old school.  Right now great snow.  Slow lifts, but good for a day or two.  Great expert terrain, laid back, great food, the anti-resort. 

Brighton:  agree on locals.  Great trees and low angle stuff.  Some steeper stuff, but limited.  

Solitude:  weird trail layout, relatively inexpensive, has Honeycomb Canyon.

Alta:  old school vibe, skiers only, great lifts, great snow (best overall), not much traffic.  Great expert terrain, but you have to hike for it.  Great low angle stuff.  

Snowbird:  INSANE expert terrain, best bowl and "big mountain" skiing in Utah, Mineral Basin offers great terrain for intermediates and experts, great lifts, good lodging, amazing scenery, good snow.  Downside is it is very challenging to ski for intermediates and under.


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## abc (Jan 13, 2016)

KustyTheKlown said:


> Come on now, deer valley is very specifically designed for, and actively markets to the wealthy


That doesn't stop the not-so-wealthy to enjoy it without breaking the bank. 

There're a lot of service on offer. Some cost extra money, others not. 

Compare to northeast mountains, Deer Valley's lift ticket is perfectly good value. And the food? You don't have to eat there if you don't want to. But many others would round out their day by eating there. To each their own. 

Each time I go to PC, I treat my hosts who have Canyon passes to lunch (at Canyons). When I went to DV by myself (they're boarders), I realized my lunch at DV was less than those at Canyons (per head). 

The whole Park City trio had gone up market in the last decade, Deer Valley no longer stand out in that regard.


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## KustyTheKlown (Jan 13, 2016)

I haven't skied DV/PC/canyons since I was 14 with my family. As a 30 year old who loves steep skiing, I haven't had occasion to go back to those places because Utah for me is now all about Alta/bird/Brighton/solitude. My recollection of deer valley is that my mother loved it and it felt "fancy." I don't know how day passes compare but I do know that pc/canyons is cheaper bc epic pass, Brighton is cheaper bc max pass, and Alta/bird cheaper bc Slc superpass. My assumption is that there's a much higher tourist/gaper/Jerry element at deer valley due to its reputation for luxury. Maybe when I'm 50 with a family and money, but right now, no need to ever ski there


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## skiberg (Jan 13, 2016)

I have never skied Sundance, but it sounds like my kind of hill. I think this trip its on the list.


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## thetrailboss (Jan 13, 2016)

KustyTheKlown said:


> I haven't skied DV/PC/canyons since I was 14 with my family. As a 30 year old who loves steep skiing, I haven't had occasion to go back to those places because Utah for me is now all about Alta/bird/Brighton/solitude. My recollection of deer valley is that my mother loved it and it felt "fancy." I don't know how day passes compare but I do know that pc/canyons is cheaper bc epic pass, Brighton is cheaper bc max pass, and Alta/bird cheaper bc Slc superpass. My assumption is that there's a much higher tourist/gaper/Jerry element at deer valley due to its reputation for luxury. Maybe when I'm 50 with a family and money, but right now, no need to ever ski there



Honestly, Canyons/PCMR has WAY more of a gaper factor than Deer Valley.  Deer Valley is old money = laid back and doesn't have to prove anything to you.  Canyons/PCMR is all "new money" and they want to be a$$holes to prove they are rich.  Just my experience.  

And Deer Valley has AMAZING food at a great price.


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## The Sneak (Jan 13, 2016)

Brighton is fantastic IMO.
Really good tree skiing. Good vibe.

Powder mtn is interesting. Gotta hit it during or after a storm to take advantage of its strengths. Cat skiing is an option there.

Snowbasin was okay. I had a nasty fall and slide in the bumps under the John Paul chair, was fine but it scared me. Really swank lodge.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## drjeff (Jan 14, 2016)

And most anyone from the East, who has never been West before, will find the quantity and quality of not just groomers, but also trees and bowl and advanced/expert skiing at Deer Valley to be more than adequate!  And the service is second to none, and makes it very easy to have a GREAT day on the hill!

Next week will be my 10th ski week in Utah.  I will say that I still find the quality and quantity of terrain available at all the Park City area resorts to provide plenty of enjoyment for me and my family, so if the roads aren't great for driving to either of the Cottonwoods or over to Snowbasin, we're not bemoaning by any means the fact that we are skiing at Park City Resort or Deer Valley that day!

Alta is an experience any skier NEEDS to have at some point, it's just a special place.  Snowbird is also world class, but it can be intimidating for some skiers/riders who aren't advanced or higher, especially if you're an "East Coast" advanced skier vs. a "West Coast" advanced skier.  If Brighton or Solitude weren't "sandwiched in between the Park Cty areas and Little Cottonwood Canyon, they'd get more accolades than they do.  And Snowbasin is a great experience both terrain wise (if you're an intermediate/advanced skier the runs off the Strawberry Gondola is about as good a pod of terrain for that level of skier/rider that I think I've ever been on in terms of the combo of vertical, acreage and mid pitch enjoyment factor) and the lodges there are seriously picture worthy!

(I'll post some pictures next week from Park City Resort, Deer Valley and probably Alta   )


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## HowieT2 (Jan 14, 2016)

to me, its all about the snow and for that you can't beat alta/snowbird.  'nothing to do there other than ski but that fine for me.  I happen to like the 'bird over alta but its splitting hairs.
of course if you're going with the family, the wife and kids factor may make pcmr or deer valley a better spot for you.


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## nelsapbm (Jan 14, 2016)

I did this trip 15 years ago now (yikes-seems just like yesterday as I had a blast). Stayed in Park City..skied Canyons, Park City, DV, Alta and Powder Mountain.  I went into the trip thinking I'd love Alta (absolutely did-was my favorite of the trip) and disliking DV. I was wrong about Deer Valley. It was FANTASTIC. Uncrowded. Good terrain. Everyone was super nice. Food was amazing. DV was the biggest surprise of the trip for me. Loved it. 
PC and Canyons was less impressed. I echo what the others have said. I had fun...but I'm not itching to go back there.
Powder Mtn. was great. 
Have a great trip!


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## thetrailboss (Jan 14, 2016)

drjeff said:


> And most anyone from the East, who has never been West before, will find the quantity and quality of not just groomers, but also trees and bowl and advanced/expert skiing at Deer Valley to be more than adequate!  And the service is second to none, and makes it very easy to have a GREAT day on the hill!
> 
> Next week will be my 10th ski week in Utah.  I will say that I still find the quality and quantity of terrain available at all the Park City area resorts to provide plenty of enjoyment for me and my family, so if the roads aren't great for driving to either of the Cottonwoods or over to Snowbasin, we're not bemoaning by any means the fact that we are skiing at Park City Resort or Deer Valley that day!
> 
> ...



Agree with these observations.  I must confess I am spoiled by having all these awesome choices, but I always come back to Alta, Snowbird, and DV personally.


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## DoublePlanker (Jan 14, 2016)

Alta/Snowbird are special places.  By far my favorite places in Utah.  I must say it was quite challenging the 1st time there as an expert east coast skier.  The powder was insane but I had no ability to ski it as a first timer out west.  Now I own western powder skis so its different.

Coming from the East coast as a first timer in powder, it could be challenging to ski snowbird.   For sure, something to experience.  That's why I recommend staying Park City.


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## abc (Jan 14, 2016)

DoublePlanker said:


> Coming from the East coast as a first timer in powder, it could be challenging to ski snowbird.   For sure, something to experience.  That's why I recommend staying Park City.


There's no guarantee it will dump though. In less than a foot of snow, an east coast advance skier may have a better experience in AltaBird over the PC side mountains.


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## ScottySkis (Jan 14, 2016)

If it dumps rent powder skis I learned the hard way. Their website s that predicted can good snow before it comes theht go on pressures systems I went in one and got told to book 3 weeks out and it only snow 100 inches that week was horrible lol

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk


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## drjeff (Jan 20, 2016)

Just another reason to completely avoid the Park City areas. As you can see it totally sucked on the Canyons side of The Park City Resort today ;-) 

It was over my boot tops on my 6'3" frame, run after run after run! This picture *might* of been taken in The Pines tree area off the North side of the Saddleback Express


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## thetrailboss (Jan 20, 2016)

drjeff said:


> Just another reason to completely avoid the Park City areas. As you can see it totally sucked on the Canyons side of The Park City Resort today ;-)
> 
> It was over my boot tops on my 6'3" frame, run after run after run! This picture *might* of been taken in The Pines tree area off the North side of the Saddleback Express



Looks great! I would've much rather preferred to of been skiing there today then sitting in mediation all day like I was. Start

Truth is I am a closet Canyons fan. While a lot of people don't like it, whenever I've gone I've been able to find some good terrain and I've gotten to know my way around the mountain. Unlike Snowbird or Alta you have to ski this place in sections.

Is it my first choice ski area in Utah? No. But is it a nice change of pace? Absolutely.

Besides that my phone was ringing off the hook with text messages about Little Cottonwood Canyon opening and closing for avalanche control work today. It would've been a real mess for you up there today.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## drjeff (Jan 20, 2016)

thetrailboss said:


> Looks great! I would've much rather preferred to of been skiing there today then sitting in mediation all day like I was. Start
> 
> Truth is I am a closet Canyons fan. While a lot of people don't like it, whenever I've gone I've been able to find some good terrain and I've gotten to know my way around the mountain. Unlike Snowbird or Alta you have to ski this place in sections.
> 
> ...



I know The Canyons is on lots of people's "don't bother" list, but just like you TB, I have a closet liking of it! It took me a bunch of days and snow conditions to figure out what pods deliver, but there are some really good pieces of terrain in between lots of traversing!!

Like the picture of one of the South side chutes off of Supercondor that me and my kids enjoyed on Tuesday! ;-)


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## thetrailboss (Jan 20, 2016)

drjeff said:


> I know The Canyons is on lots of people's "don't bother" list, but just like you TB, I have a closet liking of it! It took me a bunch of days and snow conditions to figure out what pods deliver, but there are some really good pieces of terrain in between lots of traversing!!
> 
> Like the picture of one of the South side chutes off of Supercondor that me and my kids enjoyed on Tuesday! ;-)



Love Supercondor. Long runs. No lines.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## drjeff (Jan 20, 2016)

thetrailboss said:


> Love Supercondor. Long runs. No lines.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone



And that's where my ride along from the "groomer porn" thread went - 6 laps up Apex Ridge and then down Boa!


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## Funky_Catskills (Jan 20, 2016)

PowMow is the place to be...


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## abc (Jan 20, 2016)

I'm one of those who typically suggest "not to bother" with Canyons. My friends, who have Canyon season passes for many years, would kill me (or at least throw me out to the street)!

I know the Canyons reasonably well and enjoy skiing there myself. But for those who haven't been to the area before, it's really not the best choice. As mentioned, it's a lot of long traverse to get from one sector to another. And unless you know what each sector is like, you can wind up wasting a lot of time just moving about rather than enjoying the terrain they have to offer.


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## thetrailboss (Jan 21, 2016)

drjeff said:


> I know The Canyons is on lots of people's "don't bother" list, but just like you TB, I have a closet liking of it! It took me a bunch of days and snow conditions to figure out what pods deliver, but there are some really good pieces of terrain in between lots of traversing!!
> 
> Like the picture of one of the South side chutes off of Supercondor that me and my kids enjoyed on Tuesday! ;-)



That's a favorite area of mine.


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## DoublePlanker (Jan 21, 2016)

abc said:


> I'm one of those who typically suggest "not to bother" with Canyons. ...



Complaining about any Utah skiing is just 'First world problems'.

Renting powder skis for east coast skiers is a great idea.  I have done that and it makes a world of difference.  I converted to purchasing Western powder skis.  But if you don't have them, renting is a great option.


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## TheArchitect (Jan 21, 2016)

DoublePlanker said:


> Complaining about any Utah skiing is just 'First world problems'.
> 
> Renting powder skis for east coast skiers is a great idea.  I have done that and it makes a world of difference.  I converted to purchasing Western powder skis.  But if you don't have them, renting is a great option.



I'm planning my first ever trip out west (Alta) and have wondered if I should rent "western" skis.  I have Kastle MX88's (which I love and ski very well on) but don't know if they'd be the right choice for someone who has never skied powder.  I'm an advanced eastern skier, if that matters at all.  What do people recommend, stick with the MX88's or rent?


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## thetrailboss (Jan 21, 2016)

TheArchitect said:


> I'm planning my first ever trip out west (Alta) and have wondered if I should rent "western" skis.  I have Kastle MX88's (which I love and ski very well on) but don't know if they'd be the right choice for someone who has never skied powder.  I'm an advanced eastern skier, if that matters at all.  What do people recommend, stick with the MX88's or rent?



For this season I'd recommend a fatter rockered ski in order to enjoy the goods at Alta.  I also recommend Utah Ski and Golf:  http://www.utahskigolf.com/

They also sell (slightly) discounted Alta tickets.


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## TheArchitect (Jan 21, 2016)

Thanks for the reply.  Out of curiosity, what makes a fatter rockered ski your recommendation for this season?  What would it be for a typical year (if this year is atypical)?


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## thetrailboss (Jan 21, 2016)

TheArchitect said:


> Thanks for the reply.  Out of curiosity, what makes a fatter rockered ski your recommendation for this season?  What would it be for a typical year (if this year is atypical)?



Because we have deep snow this year (so far).  We've been in a drought for several seasons...below the 500" average.  Last year was abysmal with NO snow between January and April.  No joke.

So we're now atypical from the recent typical of a drought.  Or we are now back to average.


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## Edd (Jan 21, 2016)

Unless we're talking about deep, fresh pow, it's not like he'll be screwed on a pair of MX88s. Pretty versatile skis by all accounts.


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## thetrailboss (Jan 21, 2016)

Edd said:


> Unless we're talking about deep, fresh pow, it's not like he'll be screwed on a pair of MX88s. Pretty versatile skis by all accounts.



True.  Also consider that I have a quiver so I can be particular as to what skis I prefer.


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## KustyTheKlown (Jan 21, 2016)

88 is narrow for utah. especially this year. he'll have noticeably more fun on something >100. i bring my kastle bmx 118s for western excursions.

i gotta give some respect to solitude after skiing it for the first time on monday. the summit, evergreen, and honeycomb canyon are totally badass areas. very little mandatory hiking (aside from top of evergreen), and lots of gates all over the place offering easy traverse access to the steep and the deep. much more sustained vertical than brighton. its no alta/snowbird, but it has earned its place as my 3rd favorite wasatch ski area. (1. snowbird, 2. alta, 3. solitude, 4. brighton, 5. park city/canyons, 6. deer valley, haven't skied snowbasin, sundance, and powmow).


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## thetrailboss (Jan 21, 2016)

KustyTheKlown said:


> 88 is narrow for utah. especially this year. he'll have noticeably more fun on something >100. i bring my kastle bmx 118s for western excursions.
> 
> i gotta give some respect to solitude after skiing it for the first time on monday. the summit, evergreen, and honeycomb canyon are totally badass areas. very little mandatory hiking (aside from top of evergreen), and lots of gates all over the place offering easy traverse access to the steep and the deep. much more sustained vertical than brighton. its no alta/snowbird, but it has earned its place as my 3rd favorite wasatch ski area. (1. snowbird, 2. alta, 3. solitude, 4. brighton, 5. park city/canyons, 6. deer valley, haven't skied snowbasin, sundance, and powmow).



Nice.  Your timing was very good.


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## Edd (Jan 21, 2016)

Solitude is a delight. Mellow crowds with great terrain, and a well designed resort. Very easy to deal with.


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## thetrailboss (Jan 21, 2016)

Edd said:


> Solitude is a delight. Mellow crowds with great terrain, and a well designed resort. Very easy to deal with.



Why do you say it is well designed?  The lift layout is terrible IMHO.  Especially if you want to ski Honeycomb a lot.  Granted they just realigned the Summit Lift such that you could feasibly do laps in two instead of three lifts.


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## Edd (Jan 21, 2016)

Sorry, I was thinking more about the base area. I'd have to ponder the lifts a bit, but I do remember the backside being a pain, access-wise.


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## KustyTheKlown (Jan 21, 2016)

thetrailboss said:


> Why do you say it is well designed?  The lift layout is terrible IMHO.  Especially if you want to ski Honeycomb a lot.  Granted they just realigned the Summit Lift such that you could feasibly do laps in two instead of three lifts.



interesting perspective. i actually came in to say how i loved the "circuit" layout. it felt like a really natural way to ski the place and allowed me to keep bouncing back and forth between the honeycomb and summit terrain, sort of combining the two runs into one big run. 

summit chair>honeycomb lap>return chair>quick groomer>powderhorn chair>parachute/middle slope>summit chair

honeycomb would get tracked out so fast if they had a lift up the center of the runout to somewhere along the traverse


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## thetrailboss (Jan 21, 2016)

Edd said:


> Sorry, I was thinking more about the base area. I'd have to ponder the lifts a bit, but I do remember the backside being a pain, access-wise.



Their base is very nice.  I imagine that there is some logic to their lifts...mainly preventing folks from lapping certain areas too quickly in order to preserve snow conditions or something...but I thought that they wasted two nice new HSQ's by having them unload very close to each other instead of, say, replacing the triple on looker's left with one of them.


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## thetrailboss (Jan 21, 2016)

KustyTheKlown said:


> interesting perspective. i actually came in to say how i loved the "circuit" layout. it felt like a really natural way to ski the place and allowed me to keep bouncing back and forth between the honeycomb and summit terrain, sort of combining the two runs into one big run.
> 
> summit chair>honeycomb lap>return chair>quick groomer>powderhorn chair>parachute/middle slope>summit chair
> 
> honeycomb would get tracked out so fast if they had a lift up the center of the runout to somewhere along the traverse



That's what I wonder their intent was....to keep traffic down.


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## TheArchitect (Jan 21, 2016)

Thanks to all of those who commented on the ski choice for Alta.


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## BenedictGomez (Mar 8, 2016)

Very helpful thread, thanks for the info to all who posted.    Finding the vast array of choices are completely overwhelming.


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## thetrailboss (Mar 8, 2016)

BenedictGomez said:


> Very helpful thread, thanks for the info to all who posted.    Finding the vast array of choices are completely overwhelming.



BG, feel free to PM me for more specific guidance.


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## 4aprice (Mar 8, 2016)

The front 4 and Pow Mow are my choices.  We tend to hit BCC a lot.  Brighton is best if any kind of weather comes in.  Hard Coin is unbeatable when every time you come up the chair your previous runs tracks are gone.  Being out in the open can be no fun in a Rockies snowstorm.  Honeycomb is incredible if your there at the right time (ie Avalanche control has done their work).  Catherine's and Devils Castle along with the Wildcat area @ Alta.  Of course the Bird just has drops all over the place.  April 1st can't come fast enough.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## crank (Mar 8, 2016)

Regarding skis, No reason to go fat unless there is powder.  If so I agree with fat rockered skis.  What does 100mm buy you in average conditions?  Nothing.

Park City/Canyons is great, big, fun, tons of intermediate skiing, enough expert skiing, but is the most crowded.  We skied SLC region areas over the holidays with almost no lift lines whatsoever and kept hearing horror stories about 20+ minute lines over at PC.

DV is very nice and a great place to experience.

Snow Basin for great terrain and lodges, but often has crappy snow... Go if it gets some.

Though all areas are fairly close, storms can bless one area with abundance while practically skipping one that is just 10 miles away.  I always go where the snow is.

Solitude, uncrowded family area with some great terrain.

Alta is my favorite and has a lot of easy skiing mixed in with a lot of expert terrain.  Traverses yes.  A must ski.

Snowbird can be intimidating but also has great expert and plenty of intermediate terrain as well.  Can be frenzied and full of testosterone on powder days.

Powder Mountain is my second favorite to Alta.  I would not call it an experts mountain by any means...lots of low angle terrain and very open trees, perfect to introduce an intermediate or advanced skier to powder and tree skiing.  So much acreage and so few skiers that you can find fresh tracks there a lot easier than Snowbird or Alta.  Also very laid back, old school and friendly... the new owners have not done much more than put in a new road at the top where they want to build expensive houses.

Brighton, I have never been... heard it has great tree skiing.  Maybe next season!

If I were there on a family vacation I would base in Park City for the ambience  and easy access to skiing.  Hardcore skiers can find good deals renting timeshares up at Snowbird on CL and other online outlets but dining and grocery  shopping options are very limited .  Lots of very reasonable hotel and motel options in Sandy and SLC itself if you don't mind driving a half hour or so to the hills and staying in a bland urban setting. This is what we did over the holidays and it worked out well.  

For Powder Mountain and Snowbasin you should just make the drive from wherever else you are staying... though I think it would be fun to rent an isolated house or condo at Pow Mow and just chill there for a week.


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## thetrailboss (Mar 15, 2016)

Bump.  

I think that I was asked about closing dates for the resorts here in Utah.  Just got an Email from Ski Utah saying the following:

March 20th:  Nordic Valley
April 3rd:  Beaver
April 10th:  Snowbasin, Deer Valley, Park City, Powder Mountain
April 24th:  Alta

Snowbird: no closing date


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## 4aprice (Mar 15, 2016)

thetrailboss said:


> Bump.
> 
> I think that I was asked about closing dates for the resorts here in Utah.  Just got an Email from Ski Utah saying the following:
> 
> ...



Report on Epic was that they are shutting down Peruvian and the Tram early this year.  Don't know why and certainly Gad and Little Cloud would be enough for me but thought that was interesting news.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## thetrailboss (Mar 15, 2016)

4aprice said:


> Report on Epic was that they are shutting down Peruvian and the Tram early this year.  Don't know why and certainly Gad and Little Cloud would be enough for me but thought that was interesting news.
> 
> Alex
> 
> Lake Hopatcong, NJ



Yes they are shutting down the Tram and Peruvian Side for replacement of the Tram cables:  http://www.snowbird.com/tramcables/

They are open daily until May 13th and then weekends only after that point.


----------



## jimk (Mar 16, 2016)

crank said:


> Regarding skis, No reason to go fat unless there is powder.  If so I agree with fat rockered skis.  What does 100mm buy you in average conditions?  Nothing.
> 
> Park City/Canyons is great, big, fun, tons of intermediate skiing, enough expert skiing, but is the most crowded.  We skied SLC region areas over the holidays with almost no lift lines whatsoever and kept hearing horror stories about 20+ minute lines over at PC.
> 
> ...



Good post from Crank.

Only been to Brighton once, but liked it a lot.  Several spots on mtn have great scenic views.  It's smallish compared to some of the bigger names, but everything is served by their handful of HSQs so you can get a lot of vertical.  It is known to be favored by boarders and has various parks, but a great spot for skiers too with moderate crowds usually.  The bulk of the place is very accessible to upper intermediates and low experts.  The Millicent terrain provides some double black diamond terrain and hike-to challenges.  They tell me if you do the big hike above Millicent there is top tier extreme terrain.

This season I have six days over in PC/DV area and six days at Snowbird.  All the stuff Crank said is pretty much on target.  PC is now huge and provides great "resort skiing", lots of intermediate exploring and enough pockets of double black diamonds for most folks.  Clearly, it is the place to stay if you want ski town ambiance and après ski.  The top elevation of 10k at PC (9500 at DV) vs 11k at Snowbird does make a difference as LCC and BCC pick up a lot of small storms the lower resorts don't and are less vulnerable to rain events, but in the middle of a good season this isn't a show stopping differential. 

The lunches at DV IMPRESSED this confirmed brown bagger and I didn't even try the really good stuff.  I had a bratwurst one day and a hot dog on the other.  They come with a choice of about ten free toppings.  When you load a $9 hotdog (dinner size dog) up with chili, two pieces of bacon, sauerkraut, mushrooms, grilled onions, gourmet relish, cheddar cheese, and more it fills the plate.  If you split the huge $5 order of fries with a buddy you have a lot of tasty food for $11.50...about the same as a burger and fries at Five Guys, but in a gorgeous lodge and mtn setting.

Snowbird is bada$$.  I left that place every day with jelly legs.  There isn't a whole lot of effortless cruising, esp if Mineral Basin is not an option due to low viz, baked snow, or big lift lines.  I am still learning to pace myself on the tougher frontside terrain at Snowbird.  When I do I can enjoy it more.  Hard chargers can ski to their heart's content here on top tier expert terrain with some of the best snow in the US.  I have spent a total of 23 days in Utah area this winter and I'm blown away by the microclimate of the Wasatch.  Going back again in early Apr.  SLC itself can feel like Southern California while 25 minutes away they are having an 18" snow storm in LCC.  In between the big dumps, LCC and BCC catch little 2-3" snows several days a week all winter long that no one even talks about, meanwhile the 500" annual snowfall average piles up.

I was kind of underwhelmed by Powder Mtn the only day I was there, but as Crank says it can be a great place to first experience some of Utah's charms;  trees, deep powder, side country cat runs, etc.


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## xwhaler (Aug 11, 2016)

Bump
Starting the process of planning a Utah trip for this coming winter. We are thinking March to hopefully have the best shot at great conditions.
I've been to Alta/Bird 20 yrs ago with my family (I was in HS at the time so just skied/slept) and loved both mtns.

We are thinking of the Salt Lake Ski pass which allows us days at Alta/Bird, Brighton, and Solitude.
Will be a group of 5-6 of us all solid skiers. A few of us (myself included) may do Wed-Sunday and ski 3-4 days. 
Other guys (those not married and w/o kids!) may be going for an entire week.
We are on a budget so staying slope side in Deer Valley is not in the cards this trip.

Couple questions:
1) Does the 4 mtn ticket I mentioned sound like a good idea? 

2) Stay closer to the mtns in a condo or grab a room in downtown SLC? Having stuff to do at night is of interest to us but we are not going to party or look to be out all night. A bar/place to grab food and a hot tub would honestly be sufficient.

3) Rent a car or use the bus?


----------



## abc (Aug 11, 2016)

xwhaler said:


> Bump
> Starting the process of planning a Utah trip for this coming winter. We are thinking March to hopefully have the best shot at great conditions.
> I've been to Alta/Bird 20 yrs ago with my family (I was in HS at the time so just skied/slept) and loved both mtns.
> 
> ...


.
.
.


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## KustyTheKlown (Aug 11, 2016)

the bus is really easy if you dont want to spend the money on a car. remember you should have 4wd to get up and down the canyon in snow. its not super treacherous, but i wouldnt want to do it in a chevy cavalier. check out the TURO app. basically airbnb for cars. way cheaper than renting an suv from enterprise etc


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## 4aprice (Aug 11, 2016)

xwhaler said:


> Bump
> Starting the process of planning a Utah trip for this coming winter. We are thinking March to hopefully have the best shot at great conditions.
> I've been to Alta/Bird 20 yrs ago with my family (I was in HS at the time so just skied/slept) and loved both mtns.
> 
> ...



Will be out the week of the 20th, let me know if your going that week.  We pretty much stick to the front 4 with a side trip to PowMow if people desire or DV if we can find bargin tickets.   Between those areas you will have more then enough to ski.  

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## SIKSKIER (Aug 11, 2016)

Powder Mt should be on your list.


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## thetrailboss (Aug 11, 2016)

xwhaler said:


> Bump
> Starting the process of planning a Utah trip for this coming winter. We are thinking March to hopefully have the best shot at great conditions.
> I've been to Alta/Bird 20 yrs ago with my family (I was in HS at the time so just skied/slept) and loved both mtns.
> 
> ...



Here's my take:  

Couple questions:
1) Does the 4 mtn ticket I mentioned sound like a good idea? 

*It is a good idea and a good value.  Just make sure that you understand how the passes work--can you ski the same place more than once, etc.*



2) Stay closer to the mtns in a condo or grab a room in downtown SLC? Having stuff to do at night is of interest to us but we are not going to party or look to be out all night. A bar/place to grab food and a hot tub would honestly be sufficient.

*Let's be honest, there is NOTHING really for nightlife in the canyons.  Given that they all are so close to downtown SLC, and there are lots of lodging options, stay in SLC.*

3) Rent a car or use the bus?

*Rent a car but tell the rental agency that you need snow tires and are going into the Canyons.*


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## xwhaler (Aug 11, 2016)

Very helpful everyone. I'm sure I will be back with a bunch more questions as we get closer to booking this.


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## RISkier (Aug 11, 2016)

I just saw this thread come back to life. I don't know if it's the best deal but the 4 resort super pass is a decent deal. You might find slightly better prices at some of the local ski shops. If you're staying in SLC I'd probably agree with the suggestion to stay in the Sandy area. Lots of inexpensive lodging, quite a few restaurants, etc. It is like a suburb with strip malls, car dealerships, etc. Doesn't feel like a ski resort. But getting a place near the roads to the Cottonwoods Canyons would probably less expensive and more convenient than staying downtown. I think rent a car. If there are a few of you, chip in and rent an AWD vehicle. It will really give you a lot more flexibility in terms of travel to the ski resorts and dining. If you like Mexican food, I think the Red Iguana is fantastic. They have 7 or 8 different moles. Really special, IMHO. It's close to the airport. I've heard good things about the Blue Iguana as well, but have not tried it. If it's raining on in the Valley, don't despair, the skiing will probably be amazing. Have fun.


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## Tin (Aug 11, 2016)

xwhaler said:


> Bump
> Starting the process of planning a Utah trip for this coming winter. We are thinking March to hopefully have the best shot at great conditions.
> I've been to Alta/Bird 20 yrs ago with my family (I was in HS at the time so just skied/slept) and loved both mtns.
> 
> ...



You're forgetting the two biggest questions for our trip...

1. What days/times can booze be bought?
2. Do Mormon hookers do anything aside from the missionary position?


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## machski (Aug 11, 2016)

Tin said:


> You're forgetting the two biggest questions for our trip...
> 
> 1. What days/times can booze be bought?
> 2. Do Mormon hookers do anything aside from the missionary position?



Go up to Ogden then and hit Powder and Snowbasin.  No Mormon issues that I could see two weekends ago when I was out there.


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## jimk (Aug 12, 2016)

Personally, I much prefer renting a car so as to have control over my schedule during a vacation where I am commuting to a number of different ski mtns.  Since there will be several of you to split costs it should be cheap.  If there is a huge price difference between 2wd car and 4wd SUV you might reserve one of each weeks/months in advance at lowest price you can find and watch weather reports.  When your day of travel arrives you can decide which to actually rent when you get to SLC airport.  If you go with a 2wd and there's a surprise storm, buy some cheap chains or ride the bus that day.  There is rarely serious snow in SLC downtown/airport/suburbs.  

There is a dive bar with good, cheap garlic burgers near base of Big Cottonwood Canyon called The Cotton Bottom Inn.  Check it out if that's your kind of thing:  https://gutbombs.wordpress.com/2013/09/17/local-yokealz-cottonbottom-inn-salt-lake-city-garlic-burgers/

The Lone Star Taqueria is also in the same vicinity of Cottonwood Heights and is a good and cheap (and very informal) little place to eat. Can be especially nice to dine outside there on a mild spring ski day.  They have cold draft or bottled beer.  https://www.yelp.com/biz/lone-star-taqueria-salt-lake-city-2  If it's 50 degs at the ski mtn that day, it can easily still be 70 degs at 530PM at this little taco joint in the burbs.


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## KustyTheKlown (Aug 16, 2016)

Ugh. SLC friend lost his job and is taking a new one in SF. Bye bye insanely cheap Utah access. Hello hotels and rental cars.


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## thetrailboss (Aug 16, 2016)

KustyTheKlown said:


> Ugh. SLC friend lost his job and is taking a new one in SF. Bye bye insanely cheap Utah access. Hello hotels and rental cars.



Wow, that sucks.  The drive from the Bay to Tahoe suuuuuucccckkks.


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## KustyTheKlown (Aug 16, 2016)

thetrailboss said:


> Wow, that sucks.  The drive from the Bay to Tahoe suuuuuucccckkks.



Yeah he's really unhappy. He was there for a year and made a really nice life for himself. Dawn patrols before going to work at a very nice professional job. He truly had the best of both worlds. I'm bummed for him and for me. And now that he's near Tahoe, max pass doesn't make a lick of sense so it's unlikely we get any/many days together


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## abc (Aug 17, 2016)

KustyTheKlown said:


> Yeah he's really unhappy. He was there for a year and made a really nice life for himself. Dawn patrols before going to work at a very nice professional job. He truly had the best of both worlds. I'm bummed for him and for me. And now that he's near Tahoe, max pass doesn't make a lick of sense so it's unlikely we get any/many days together


He should just stay in Utah and look for a job there. 

SF is expensive, for good reason. There's life beyond skiing. There're a lot of nice things going on that most people enjoy. That's why it's so expensive to live there, because people WANT to be there. Except, skiing isn't it. Why pay a premium and endure the stress to get something you don't want?


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## KustyTheKlown (Aug 17, 2016)

yea, he tried. he's been out of work for over two months now. i dont think he was looking for a job in SF so much as he was looking for a job in his field. he was an in house lawyer for a start up peer to peer lending service, and now he's gonna be an in house lawyer for another peer to peer lending service. we know each other because we were both in house lawyers in the banking industry in nyc for the same company before he pulled the utah trigger.


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## mriceyman (Aug 17, 2016)

thetrailboss said:


> Wow, that sucks.  The drive from the Bay to Tahoe suuuuuucccckkks.



Did it once.. Don't remember it being that terrible


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## abc (Aug 17, 2016)

KustyTheKlown said:


> yea, he tried. he's been out of work for over two months now. i dont think he was looking for a job in SF so much as he was looking for a job in his field. he was an in house lawyer for a start up peer to peer lending service, and now he's gonna be an in house lawyer for another peer to peer lending service. we know each other because we were both in house lawyers in the banking industry in nyc for the same company before he pulled the utah trigger.


Does the specialty get so nitchy? There's got to be other finance related in house lawyer job in Salt Lake?

On the other hand, SF is really a nice place to work and live. So depends on how much he values skiing. I would move to SF in a heartbeat if I got a BETTER job offer.



thetrailboss said:


> Wow, that sucks. The drive from the Bay to Tahoe suuuuuucccckkks.





mriceyman said:


> Did it *once*.. Don't remember it being that terrible


That's the key. You can get lucky once, or several times. But you only need to get unlucky ONCE. You'll understand.

When you live there, it's only a matter of time you get hit by the sucky incidents. And a matter of how often. 

Don't get me wrong, the skiing is way better than the east coast. But the drive can seriously suck.


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## KustyTheKlown (Aug 17, 2016)

yea, it removes his ability to ski every day. no hiking and skiing before work in sf


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## xwhaler (Sep 3, 2016)

We are getting close to booking our trip.  3 days on the SLC super pass likely doing Snowbird, Solitude and then one of Alta/Brighton.   I've been to Alta before so wouldn't mind seeing Brighton.  
We are then going to do a flexible Liftopia day...likely Pow Mow


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## 4aprice (Sep 6, 2016)

xwhaler said:


> We are getting close to booking our trip.  3 days on the SLC super pass likely doing Snowbird, Solitude and then one of Alta/Brighton.   I've been to Alta before so wouldn't mind seeing Brighton.
> We are then going to do a flexible Liftopia day...likely Pow Mow



Not that its bad otherwise, but Brighton is a great place to be if storm skiing, thats where it really shines.  Tight (by western standards) trails and tree skiing are really fun there in the Snake Creek. My son and I had some awesome days in Hard Coin during storms.  The Evergreen area over on Millicent is good for that too. Always go there when it storms, there's a lot to be said for the ability to see. Pow Mow's great too.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## BenedictGomez (Sep 7, 2016)

xwhaler said:


> We are getting close to booking our trip.  *3 days on the SLC super pass likely doing Snowbird, Solitude and then one of Alta/Brighton.   *I've been to Alta before so wouldn't mind seeing Brighton.
> We are then going to do a flexible Liftopia day...likely Pow Mow



You might want to wait to buy tickets at least until you see the WM offering this year.

I got a Powder Mountain tic, a Solitude tic, and a Snowbird BOGO all for......I think I paid $35.   So basically I got tix to Solitude and PM for $17.50 each, as well as saving ~$80 at Snowbird.


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## xwhaler (Sep 7, 2016)

You went to a WM movie out there to snag the deals or found someone selling online?


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## ThinkSnow (Sep 11, 2016)

KustyTheKlown said:


> yea, he tried. he's been out of work for over two months now. i dont think he was looking for a job in SF so much as he was looking for a job in his field. he was an in house lawyer for a start up peer to peer lending service, and now he's gonna be an in house lawyer for another peer to peer lending service. we know each other because we were both in house lawyers in the banking industry in nyc for the same company before he pulled the utah trigger.


 an out of work lawyer.  what could possibly be worse ( or more unnecessary)?


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## ThinkSnow (Sep 11, 2016)

Oh crap, I didn't list all my ski days


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## Harvey (Sep 15, 2016)

I didn't read all 8 pages, sorry if this has been pointed out previously:

When you "compare" something you do "contrast." Compare includes contrast.  

It's like saying "put the silverware on table and the forks too."


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## ScottySkis (Sep 16, 2016)

Utah better I think.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk


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## BenedictGomez (Sep 16, 2016)

xwhaler said:


> *You went to a WM movie out there to snag the deals or found someone selling online?*



Online.  And it was easy.  Bought a few, one for me, one for the gf.  Huge $$$ savings.  

Did it for Solitude tix & Snowbird BOGO, but wound up skiing Powder Mountain for free too for the helluvit since we had a rental car.

This year's offering isnt as good, Snowbird is the same, but Solitude is only good for certain dates, though it's a home run if it's the date's you're going.

http://www.skinet.com/warrenmiller/events/abravanel-hall


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## xwhaler (Sep 16, 2016)

BenedictGomez said:


> Online.  And it was easy.  Bought a few, one for me, one for the gf.  Huge $$$ savings.
> 
> Did it for Solitude tix & Snowbird BOGO, but wound up skiing Powder Mountain for free too for the helluvit since we had a rental car.
> 
> ...



Good stuff.  Hadn't even thought of hitting up CL or eBay for these but it makes sense.  Thanks


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## BenedictGomez (Feb 17, 2017)

Didnt want to start a new thread to ask a simple question.....

Thinking about organizing an Easter ski trip again this year, since Easter is late it eliminates a lot of places that close early.  Whistler and Banff are probably at the top of the list, but I havent ruled out Utah again.  Only problem is it seems Alta, Park City/Canyons/Deer Valley all close Easter day.   I hear Alta has a nice habit of "bumping out" that closing day to later in April if the snow holds (which it will this year), but if not, that would solely leave Snowbird, which is nice, but I'd love some variety.

 I'm wondering if anyone knows whether Park City / Canyons does the same as Alta and might close later than Easter day, or if you can set your watch by a hard close on Easter day for Park City / Canyons even if the conditions are absolutely phenomenal?


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## 4aprice (Feb 17, 2017)

BenedictGomez said:


> Didnt want to start a new thread to ask a simple question.....
> 
> Thinking about organizing an Easter ski trip again this year, since Easter is late it eliminates a lot of places that close early.  Whistler and Banff are probably at the top of the list, but I havent ruled out Utah again.  Only problem is it seems Alta, Park City/Canyons/Deer Valley all close Easter day.   I hear Alta has a nice habit of "bumping out" that closing day to later in April if the snow holds (which it will this year), but if not, that would solely leave Snowbird, which is nice, but I'd love some variety.
> 
> I'm wondering if anyone knows whether Park City / Canyons does the same as Alta and might close later than Easter day, or if you can set your watch by a hard close on Easter day for Park City / Canyons even if the conditions are absolutely phenomenal?



I would think Snowbird would be the only option at that point.  Its certainly big enough that you wouldn't lose interest but its also a very unforgiving mountain if you are going with others with differing levels of skill.  Colorado's mountains are a little higher and because of proximity to Denver might go past proposed closing dates.  I'm trying to head to Winter Park/Mary Jane the weekend after Easter which is their listed closing weekend.  Of course both A Bay and Loveland will be open.  You could also stay in the Denver metro as its not a bad drive to the resorts and the I-70 madness would be over at that point.  Hotel rates will have dropped too so getting something up near the resorts probably would not be hard or expensive.  Flight from Newark to Denver are usually cheaper then to SLC as well.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## deadheadskier (Feb 17, 2017)

Mammoth should get a look.  Their base at the summit right now is over 300"


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## mriceyman (Feb 17, 2017)

deadheadskier said:


> Mammoth should get a look.  Their base at the summit right now is over 300"


23' last month will do that.. insane


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## thetrailboss (Feb 17, 2017)

BenedictGomez said:


> Didnt want to start a new thread to ask a simple question.....
> 
> Thinking about organizing an Easter ski trip again this year, since Easter is late it eliminates a lot of places that close early.  Whistler and Banff are probably at the top of the list, but I havent ruled out Utah again.  Only problem is it seems Alta, Park City/Canyons/Deer Valley all close Easter day.   I hear Alta has a nice habit of "bumping out" that closing day to later in April if the snow holds (which it will this year), but if not, that would solely leave Snowbird, which is nice, but I'd love some variety.
> 
> I'm wondering if anyone knows whether Park City / Canyons does the same as Alta and might close later than Easter day, or if you can set your watch by a hard close on Easter day for Park City / Canyons even if the conditions are absolutely phenomenal?



Alta is open daily until the last weekend of April normally.  Then they reopen one last weekend with limited operations.

Edit:  wow.  They ARE closing early this season.  Weird.  April 16th is their last day of daily operations.  Glad I have an Alta/Bird pass.


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## jimk (Feb 17, 2017)

Believe there is quite a bit of precedent for Alta to extend their season in good snow years.  But maybe only for weekends after Apr 16, 2017.  Suggest you contact the resort directly and see if someone will give you a prognosis on that?  Might have to plan for Alta on weekends and Snowbird during the week.  Good news for you, last season Snowbird shut down the tram relatively early in the spring to make repairs, but kept various chairs running.  Believe this year the tram should run as long as they remain open and there's demand for it.  
I will be at Snowbird in early April.


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## thetrailboss (Feb 17, 2017)

jimk said:


> Believe there is quite a bit of precedent for Alta to extend their season in good snow years.  But maybe only for weekends after Apr 16, 2017.  Suggest you contact the resort directly and see if someone will give you a prognosis on that?  Might have to plan for Alta on weekends and Snowbird during the week.  Good news for you, last season Snowbird shut down the tram relatively early in the spring to make repairs, but kept various chairs running.  Believe this year the tram should run as long as they remain open and there's demand for it.
> I will be at Snowbird in early April.



Snowbird has been heavily marketing their "longest season in Utah" line, so they will be open until the bitter end.  Tram will run.


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## BenedictGomez (Feb 22, 2017)

4aprice said:


> Colorado's mountains are a little higher and because of proximity to Denver might go past proposed closing dates.  I'm trying to head to Winter Park/Mary Jane the weekend after Easter which is their listed closing weekend.  Of course both A Bay and Loveland will be open.



Looks like lodging in the Winter Park area can be found absurdly cheap too.  Is there a lot of stuff to do on the non-ski days and good restaurants etc... in that area?



jimk said:


> Believe there is quite a bit of precedent for Alta to extend their season in good snow years.  But maybe only for weekends after Apr 16, 2017.  Suggest you contact the resort directly and see if someone will give you a prognosis on that?



I think so too.  I tried to contact Vail for the answer to my question of whether Park City/Canyons is historically a hard Easter close each year or if they sometimes extend it - I thought it was a simple, straightforward question, but I received a total lawyerly non-answer. LOL.  If all things were equal and they extend another week I'd probably go back to Utah because lodging in Park City is quite affordable and there's plenty of ancillary stuff to do.   

The good news is, it's too soon to book an Easter ski trip anyway, so I have some time to figure this out.


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## 4aprice (Feb 22, 2017)

BenedictGomez said:


> Looks like lodging in the Winter Park area can be found absurdly cheap too.  Is there a lot of stuff to do on the non-ski days and good restaurants etc... in that area?



I've actually never stayed in Winter Park but there is a little town there.  I was in Dillon last April and while not crowded it wasn't shut down either.  Can't speak for operations such as snowmobiling etc.  I will stay in Denver (free) and drive, its only like 70 miles and I-70 traffic is a non factor in April.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## dlague (Feb 22, 2017)

4aprice said:


> I will stay in Denver (free) and drive, its only like 70 miles and I-70 traffic is a non factor in April.



Spot on!


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## dlague (Feb 22, 2017)

BenedictGomez said:


> Looks like lodging in the Winter Park area can be found absurdly cheap too.  Is there a lot of stuff to do on the non-ski days and good restaurants etc... in that area?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The Vail resorts closed down towards the end of April and that is a pretty hard date.  I asked why and locals said that is because of a migratory pattern.


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## thetrailboss (Feb 22, 2017)

dlague said:


> The Vail resorts closed down towards the end of April and that is a pretty hard date.  I asked why and locals said that is because of a migratory pattern.



Migratory pattern of green backs that is........


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## abc (Feb 22, 2017)

thetrailboss said:


> Migratory pattern of green backs that is........


Yep! 

It's a well-known thing that ski areas close when the skiers migrate down to the valley en mass, which is typically much earlier than the snow on the mountain migrated into the river.


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## 4aprice (Feb 23, 2017)

deadheadskier said:


> Mammoth should get a look.  Their base at the summit right now is over 300"



Was going to make the comment that its too early for Mammoth.  Memorial Day should be rockin there.  Just read a blurp that Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows are shooting for the 4th of July this year.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## Smellytele (Feb 23, 2017)

BenedictGomez said:


> I think so too.  I tried to contact Vail for the answer to my question of whether Park City/Canyons is historically a hard Easter close each year or if they sometimes extend it - I thought it was a simple, straightforward question, but I received a total lawyerly non-answer. LOL.  If all things were equal and they extend another week I'd probably go back to Utah because lodging in Park City is quite affordable and there's plenty of ancillary stuff to do.
> 
> The good news is, it's too soon to book an Easter ski trip anyway, so I have some time to figure this out.



Easter is a bad pinpoint because the target moves. Easter can fall anytime between late March and late April.


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## BenedictGomez (Feb 23, 2017)

thetrailboss said:


> Migratory pattern of green backs that is........



LOL



Smellytele said:


> Easter is a bad pinpoint because the target moves. Easter can fall anytime between late March and late April.



Agreed.  I also find it unusual because many schools have either the week before or the week after off, so I would think it profitable to extend the season to the week AFTER Easter and close the following Saturday, but apparently this is not so given the plethora of western resorts that use Easter as their Closing Day.  

Check out this list, for instance, a large cohort of western mountains use Easter or thereabouts as the end.  Makes post-Easter vacation planning a bit challenging.

*2016/2017 Winter Season Opening & Closing Dates:*

Alta : April 16, 2017
Arapahoe Basin : Unknown, but May/June
Beaver Creek : April 16, 2017
Breckenridge : April 23, 2017
Brighton: April 16, 2017
Crested Butte: April 9, 2017
Deer Valley: April 16, 2017
Grand Targhee: April 16, 2017
Heavenly : April 16, 2017
Jackson Hole: April 9, 2017
Keystone : April 9, 2017
Kirkwood : April 16, 2017
Lake Louise: May 7, 2017
Loveland : May 8, 2017
Northstar : April 16, 2017
Park City / Canyons : April 16, 2017
Powder Mountain : April 9, 2017
Snowbird : Unknown, but May/June
Solitude: April 16, 2017
Steamboat: April 16, 2017
Sun Valley: April 17, 2017
Taos: April 2, 2017
Telluride : April 2, 2017
Vail : April 23, 2017
Whistler : May 22, 2017
Winter Park : April 23, 2017


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## 4aprice (Feb 23, 2017)

BenedictGomez said:


> LOL
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I'm always amazed that places like Jackson Hole and Telluride close so relatively early,  especially with the weather in the Rockies in April, but the fact is they run out of customers.  But, even when it's down to Loveland and A Bay there's still a ton to ski.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## snoseek (Feb 23, 2017)

4aprice said:


> I'm always amazed that places like Jackson Hole and Telluride close so relatively early,  especially with the weather in the Rockies in April, but the fact is they run out of customers.  But, even when it's down to Loveland and A Bay there's still a ton to ski.
> 
> Alex
> 
> Lake Hopatcong, NJ



My guess its because those two in particular are places people go to take full week winter vacations and are pretty isolated from the masses...specifically Telluride. I've got tride as one of the places I might spend next winter but early April sort of hurts, but then again come April I usually have the itch to go do shoulder season stuff and set up my summer work season so in a way its a bonus.


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## BenedictGomez (Feb 23, 2017)

4aprice said:


> even when it's down to Loveland and A Bay there's still a ton to ski.



I started taking a hard look at Winter Park last night as the skiing seems pretty good and the lodging within 10 minutes is very cheap.  And then I could hit Loveland and A-Bay one day each for some variety.  Only negative is I'm not sure if there's much to do in the Winter Park area on the rest days, but I'll keep looking.  Others in the running are Whistler, Banff, and Utah again, I imagine something in CA that stays open too.


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## snoseek (Feb 23, 2017)

BenedictGomez said:


> I started taking a hard look at Winter Park last night as the skiing seems pretty good and the lodging within 10 minutes is very cheap.  And then I could hit Loveland and A-Bay one day each for some variety.  Only negative is I'm not sure if there's much to do in the Winter Park area on the rest days, but I'll keep looking.  Others in the running are Whistler, Banff, and Utah again, I imagine something in CA that stays open too.




Its not cheap but snowmobiling is popular in that area. Also RMNP is fairly close for a hike/snowshoe. The valley in general is sleepy compared to Summit but it makes for a relaxing vacation. I'm a huge fan of the mountain....I like it better than any of Vails property in state but that's just me.


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## 4aprice (Feb 23, 2017)

snoseek said:


> Its not cheap but snowmobiling is popular in that area. Also RMNP is fairly close for a hike/snowshoe. The valley in general is sleepy compared to Summit but it makes for a relaxing vacation. *I'm a huge fan of the mountain....I like it better than any of Vails property in state but that's just me*.



No pain, No Jane.


Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## 4aprice (Feb 27, 2017)

Just saw a blurp, 145 " otg near Brighton.  That's just gaudy.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## thetrailboss (Feb 27, 2017)

4aprice said:


> Just saw a blurp, 145 " otg near Brighton.  That's just gaudy.
> 
> Alex
> 
> Lake Hopatcong, NJ



Better believe it!  The road up at Brighton last week:


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## slatham (Feb 28, 2017)

Smellytele said:


> Easter is a bad pinpoint because the target moves. Easter can fall anytime between late March and late April.



Keep in mind too that many Eastern/Urban school systems have time off for Easter AND Passover. Often times they coincide, with Easter  first followed by Passover week, or vise versa (this year its Passover, then Easter Sunday 4/16).

Last year Easter was in late March while Passover was the last week of April, so I doubt it played a role in closing dates for most areas. This year I am sure it did.


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## slatham (Feb 28, 2017)

Question, if one were thinking of booking Solitude for the Easter/Passover break of April 8-15th, how last minute could this be done? Thanks for any insight.


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## SnowRock (Feb 28, 2017)

May as well throw this here... first Bird trip for me this week. Somehow have not skied Utah in all my years... had to cancel a trip once due to that whole work thing.  Looks like we will be sunny and dry from our arrival Thursday till Monday. 

Any advice on how to attack the mountain with what looks like a few days for google tanning after a great cycle this past weekend/week? I'll be the lone sideways slider with two skiers. I like steep and technical a bit more than my compadres, but I have ridden places like whistler and jackson with these guys and we are all happy/comfortable getting into most terrain.


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## andrec10 (Feb 28, 2017)

SnowRock said:


> May as well throw this here... first Bird trip for me this week. Somehow have not skied Utah in all my years... had to cancel a trip once due to that whole work thing.  Looks like we will be sunny and dry from our arrival Thursday till Monday.
> 
> Any advice on how to attack the mountain with what looks like a few days for google tanning after a great cycle this past weekend/week? I'll be the lone sideways slider with two skiers. I like steep and technical a bit more than my compadres, but I have ridden places like whistler and jackson with these guys and we are all happy/comfortable getting into most terrain.



Start with Mineral Basin, then the cirque and then the road to Provo and the Rasta Chutes. That way, you can "warm" up in Mineral basin, plus the sun starts over there early.


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## 4aprice (Feb 28, 2017)

slatham said:


> Question, if one were thinking of booking Solitude for the Easter/Passover break of April 8-15th, how last minute could this be done? Thanks for any insight.



Probably fairly easily if you don't have to stay up at the resort, however by that time the Utah Transit busses probably will have shut off.  Trailboss may have different info but I remember them shutting it down at the end of March.  Its hard for me to guess how many beds are up in that village, I've been in it, but not really explored it.  There's a small hotel/motel up at Brighton but probably really hard to get into.  Rent a car and stay in the valley, I would think you could get away fairly cheaply.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ


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## goldsbar (Feb 28, 2017)

andrec10 said:


> Start with Mineral Basin, then the cirque and then the road to Provo and the Rasta Chutes. That way, you can "warm" up in Mineral basin, plus the sun starts over there early.



+1


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## SnowRock (Feb 28, 2017)

Thanks.. gives me another reason to study up the trail map.


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## thetrailboss (Feb 28, 2017)

Well, you will be in heaven at Snowbird.  The skiing and riding is off the hook.  Agree with the strategy of starting in Mineral Basin and working the lines there.  Your friends can ski groomers or something tamer while you hit it and meet them at the lift.  Be sure to get into Bookends.  Also be sure to check out the steeper lines of Dog Kennel Chutes (under the MBX), Chamonix Bowl, and White Diamonds.  It is all filled in nicely.  

Be sure to do the Baldy Hike.  About 10 minutes for some great lines.  

Cirque--lots of good stuff.  

Hit Little Cloud Bowl and Rasta, Hoopie's, and Old Ladies.  

Gad 2: great trees and snow.  If you don't mind hiking, do the gates and check out the stuff on looker's left of Gad 2.


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## SnowRock (Feb 28, 2017)

Thanks Trailboss definitely excited for the first trip out there. This week already feels long.


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