Utah This Weekend - where to ski?

[clg898]

Ok, I am trying to decide where to ski in Utah. I am leaving tomorrow and plan to ski Fri., Sat., Sunday, and a half day on Monday. I haven't thought too much about where to ski until today. I've been to Alta, Snowbird, Solitude, Snowbasin, Deer Valley, and The Canyons. I was thinking about hitting Alta, Solitude, Snowbird (or maybe an Alta/Snowbird combo day), and then maybe Snowbasin or Deer Valley.

Here are the variables going into the decision:

1. Staying in Park City, so we will need to make the drive up the canyons
2. Current forecast calling for substantial storm on Saturday, maybe beginning on Friday.
3. My friend has a buddy in SLC who is a boarder and would like to join us Saturday, so Sat. must be boarder friendly.
4. I really didn't like the Canyons when I was there last, but maybe I just hit it on a bad day.

So, for those of you in know. Where would you go each day?

One other variable that I'm trying to ignore is the half dozen surgical staples that are holding my leg together after my shin found the pointy end of a snowgun stand half buried/obscured by powder along the side Superstar at Killington on Sunday. Just my luck... but like I said, I'm pretending that didn't happen and ignoring the nasty, swollen, painful, gash on my leg.

Will reward your help with plenty of pics and a TR upon my return!

cg

[PWDR8S]

OUCH! That sounds like it hurt!

As for Utah.... there have been a handful of folks just returning from there to help.... also, Freebird now lives out there and would be able to throw in $0.02.

Good luck!

[clg898]

OUCH! That sounds like it hurt!
Good luck!

Let's just say it didn't tickle. I've been reading the TR's with excitment. I can't wait to get out there!

[pulverschwein]

This thread has some useful tips: http://timefortuckerman.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5554&highlight=Cottonwood. Although I've never had a bad time at Canyons, others don't seem so impressed by it either. I'm sure you've checked all the recent TRs from out there. Maybe do a search on Freebird's recent TRs too. Don't let that leg get you down and may you enjoy many face shots!

[Justin]

what about Powder MT? Park City, deer valley and the canyons are all a snooze compared to the rest IMO

[clg898]

what about Powder MT? Park City, deer valley and the canyons are all a snooze compared to the rest IMO

I haven't skied Powder Mt before, but have heard great things. I guess what I am really trying to figure out is which mountain is best: a. the day of a storm and b. the day after, and c. two days after. I have a Subie with AWD rented, but I don't want to sit at the base of LCC or BCC waiting for avi work or for the roads to be cleared. I haven't had a problem in the past, but I've heard that it can happen.

If it's really snowing on Saturday, is it worth leaving Park City? Then, where is the can't miss area one day after the storm? I was thinking that Alta would be a zoo on a Sunday after a storm, so was thinking about heading to Snowbasin (or maybe Powder Mtn.) for fewer crowds, but might hit Solitude or just suck it up, deal with the crowds and go to Alta. Then again, Snowbasin could end up with half as much snow as Alta.

Too many choices!

How does this look:
Arrive Thursday
Friday: Alta and/or Snowbird*
Saturday: ?????? Solitude or Canyons or Park City (weather dependent)
Sunday: Snowbasin
Monday: half day - Solitude or Alta?

*Another question: Is it worth getting the combined Snowbird/Alta ticket? I haven't done it before because each area has plenty to keep me busy. What are the advantages? Am I stupid not to shell out the extra dough for the combined ticket?

[pulverschwein]

best: a. the day of a storm and b. the day after, and c. two days after.
In my experience, Alta and bird get tracked out QUICK, so I like being there on the day of the storm, BUT my worst visibility problems in UT have happened in LCC so I like the trees in BCC (esp Brighton) better at those times.
Day and 2 after: Powder / Basin / Solitude. Much quieter places, but if you look at the TR from the group out there last week you'll see Powder is also ridiculous on the day of the storm.
You're right: avy control is always an issue in both CCs, but you should be able to get an idea of whether it's major by 6 or so via phone or internet.
Finally, Deer Valley hides more pow off trail than almost anyplace you'll find. The combo of limited ticket sales, high prices and fancy folks who prefer corduroy to fluff means it's powderpig heaven til it gets warm.
Enjoy and bring back great pics and TR.

[BeerMouse]

Just came back from there. My 2 cents:

Skip Alta unless you like Kmart/sRiver type yahoos crowding liftlines, trails & fighting you for the snow.

Powder Mt is FANTASTIC on a powder day & probably a day or two after. No fancy lodges or high speed lifts which keeps a lot of people away. Downside: Not ultra steep but Rainman, Skilas, & I found enough terrain to keep us happy. Heard snowbasin was steeper but much busier and had become deer valley-esque (i.e. golden plates and marble bathrooms for those high income annoying skiiers)

I liked Solitude (A LOT) and Brighton, both get less traffic than Alta/Snowbird so the snow stays fresher longer. Skilas found freshies all day a couple of days after it snowed at Solitude

I'm sure Freebird can give you some good info also

[clg898]

Anyone have any thoughts on Park City vs. The Canyons? If we have to tote along a knuckle dragger :) on Saturday AND it's snowing such that the canyon roads are a mess, we may need to stay in the Park City area. My original thought was to ski Deer Valley b/cs of limited ticket sales and usual weekend crowds, but I just found out today that my friend's buddy who is meeting us on Saturday doesn't know how to turn two planks, so that's out.

FWIW, I liked the bathrooms at Snowbasin... it's all a bit incongruous, you've got this gnarly, untamed mountain, and then this plush lodge. It's pretty cool and my pants didn't get the usual soakage of snowmelt and urine that is so commonly found in ski lodge bathrooms... which is nice.

:)

[M@]

I'd say you best bet for the weekend is Solitude - we were there about a month ago on a saturday and never waited in a lift line. PLus you can traverese to some SWEET powder stashes if you need to. And as mentioned somewhere - the trees rock. MMMmmm... aspens.

I did Alta on a thursday and it was awsome - no lift lines - but pretty much every piece of snow had been skiied on already (this was 5 days post storm) - I made the observation that "If there's snow on it, there's probably tracks on it too." There are some sick skiers out west!

Snowbasin was all about "The Lodge" for me - the terrain was wicked fun - but I remember the lodge the most - it was amazing. That's not why we went though. If you go, make sure you take that little gongala at the very top - it serves some fun terrain, and the start of the 2002 Olympic Downhill course, which is a real eye opener.

Snow basin rocked too in my opinion, TOTALLY huge and steep and the trees still had some of the fresh left a few days post storm.

M@

[Tommy T]

Anyone have any thoughts on Park City vs. The Canyons? If we have to tote along a knuckle dragger :)

I don't usually correspond with people who are willing to consider Deer Valley and I don't have much to add to whats already been said except with respect to this question.

Park City is a big area that offers a lot. Canyons is an attempt by ASC at a salvage job to make a bundle out of the Olympics.

In particular, the boarder can easily access off piste in the Jupiter Bowl and you'll all be hiking to get the stuff off the ridges either way from that lift. Every run on the mountain goes down to access a lift without much traversing at all.

The ski area faces most directions and has bowls, ridges snowfields and trees. As a result it can be good in almost any conditions.

I don't rate it as high as LCC for pure quality of snow (Alta) and lift served test pieces (Snow-Board, I mean -Bird), but you asked for a comparison with The Canyons.

Tommy T.

[Justin]

. Heard snowbasin was steeper but much busier and had become deer valley-esque (i.e. golden plates and marble bathrooms for those high income annoying skiiers)




That's strange, they have the "most acreage per skier in the country" and when I was there my experience backed such claim. It's in the middle of freaking nowhere -- about an hr 1/2 away from PC in the opposite direction of Little cottonwood canyon. When I was there last, it snowed the night before about 8 inches and I was skiing fresh pow all day, we went to Alta the next day, what a disappointment. Every time I go to the bird/alta it's more packed! but i digress... as a side note Snowbasin doesn't have the terrain that LCC has. I certainly wouldn't go as far as to say the skiers are anoying but like Beermouse said, the lodges are something from ritz (the Olympics where there after all)

BTW, i wouldn't get a alta/bird pass you don't have nearly enough time to cover all that ground IMHO.

[Freebird]

Ok I just wrote a reply and it was monstrously long. I don't know how to sum this all up quickly and easily. I'll try.

Alta/Snowbird- Major attitude, tons of skiers, fresh tracks are nearly impossible after 11 am, even during the week, nearly impossible after 9:45 am on the weekends. (lifts open at 9:15 at Alta) Alta definitely has the best variety of terrain in Utah, hands down. It gets the most snow (snowbird, solitude and brighton right on its' heels though) but Alta also sees the second most number of skiers in Utah (Snowbird being the first).

Solitude/Brighton- The two best ski days I've had this year were at these two places. Brighton has a ton of attitude too, but it's the adolescent punk attitude of "look at us the wrong way, we'll start a fight." (as witnessed by Rider Steve and I- right in the lift line, right in front of us. I'm not talking about verbal exchanges, I mean fists and elbows) Solitude is a world away from anywhere else in either cottonwood canyon. Fresh tracks all day, hardly a soul on the mountain, very little attitude. Go skiing, do your thang (hope you get some face shots), have a great day.

I haven't been to Snowbasin/Powder but I've heard nothing but great reports. Snowbasin has considerably more vert (3000 ft) than anywhere in the cottonwoods (except Snowbird- also 3000), and there are definitely fewer people there. It is over an hour from SLC however.

PC area: I've only been to the Canyons, and I hated it. It was Killington of the west. DV is known for perfect grooming, perfectly spaced race bumps, not allowing snowboarders (along with Alta, Taos and MRG), and also very well known for their $78 lift ticket. PC would be my suggestion for the PC area.

Any interest in BC, or Slackcountry? If so, then Alta is the place. TONS of it accessible from there, and while there are tons of Alta skiers doing the same, there's enough out there to not get tracked out. Everything accessible from Solitude and most from Brighton is also accessible (often easier) from Alta. Plus there are places like Snake Creek Canyon which really is only accessible from Alta, the backside of Devil's Castle which will dump you below SNowbird's Mineral Basin... There's just tons.

I'd def bring your avy and touring gear if you got it, just so you can access the slackcountry if you want to. Often I'll just take a run into slackcountry territory just to get away from weaving through people, and then go back to the lifts after that. The line that defines a true lift riding day and a true hiking day have blurred for me. I usually find myself doing both in the same day. Besides, it's easier to have that last dance with mary jane when you're on the other side of your employer's boundary ropes.

So much for it being short.

[Freebird]

That's strange, they have the "most acreage per skier in the country" and when I was there my experience backed such claim. It's in the middle of freaking nowhere -- about an hr 1/2 away from PC in the opposite direction of Little cottonwood canyon. When I was there last, it snowed the night before about 8 inches and I was skiing fresh pow all day, we went to Alta the next day, what a disappointment. Every time I go to the bird/alta it's more packed! but i digress... as a side note Snowbasin doesn't have the terrain that LCC has. I certainly wouldn't go as far as to say the skiers are anoying but like Beermouse said, the lodges are something from ritz (the Olympics where there after all)


If it's snowing, snowbasin might not be a bad trek from PC. I haven' driven it though so I don't know, but it might be better than the LCC road or the BCC road. LCC road is definitely the worst of them all. BCC has a much nicer road and the paths cover it much less frequently.

I'm just reitterating my earlier and everyone else's statement: Altabird is a seriously packed area. Alta can be very enjoyable mid week, but it can also be packed with people who are too sick to go to work.


BTW, i wouldn't get a alta/bird pass you don't have nearly enough time to cover all that ground IMHO.
EXACTLY! Too big to cover in one day (and do it justice).

Beermouse had previously said that they skied fresh pow after an 8 inch storm at Snowbasin... (and again that won't happen at Alta. It'll be tracked with only occassional shots after lunch.) but it reminded me of this; don't assume that Alta gets more, that's not always true. I found my way to Alta one day when we got 8 inches or so (which turned out to be a great day...) however I talked to one of my co-workers who's husband went to snowbasin that day (they'd received 6 inches the day before, and were only expecting another 3-5 by the time the storm was done) .... well they showed up to ANOTHER 17 inches overnight, and then ANOTHER FOOT throughout that day. OVER 30 inches in less tahn 24 hours at Snowbasin while Alta was grovelling in their 8 very tracked out inches...

Oh and yes fancy shmanchy at Snowbasin's buildings. BUT, less skiers, good snow, and almost (but not quite) as much vert as NY skiing.

[skibumnh]

I'll sum it up quick for you,

Alta/Bird day of storm for the steepest gnar and the crowds. You have to do it if youre in town for only 3 days, no question.

Solitude for some great terrain day after, plenty of fresh lines left, and umm, solitude. no one else skis here. I love this place.

Pow mow for fresh tracks 3 to 5 days after a storm, awesome terrain features (a typical run off of paradise lift could go like this: short steep chute, out to 5 or 6 consecutive low angle cliff hucks, into perfectly spaced dear-god-trees-dont-grow-like-this birch glades, to the cat track. Ride the lift back up, look at your lines "like a kid who looks at their turds" because no one else has skiied your run yet, and do it again. If you want steeps, find your way to the poma and follow the ridgeline into cobabe canyon. There are some 55-60 degree shots that defy physics and hold 30" of snow quite easily.