# Help with Utah plans



## 925hell (Jan 15, 2010)

Hi PF, 

Are you coming out for Presidents day weekend, if so I would definitely get to PC early and do a short day (9 to 12, maybe 1 if you are lucky). You probably will not want to make it your last day. Don't get me wrong, I actually like PC but as most have said on the forum, it gets crowded fast, but the runs are well maintained and the lifts are fast. Do keep in mind that our snowpack is very low and some runs still haven't been groomed so all you have are bumps. You also have to deal with a lot of never-ever's, please don't think me elitest but you will find a good ammount of falling leaves on some runs. 

As for other mountains, depending on your level of skill, Solitude and Brighton have less crowds, but the vertical is somewhat less, if you are looking for longer groomers Brighton is nice Solitudes groomed runs are short and steep except for the summit access which in my mind is a glorified cat track. Solitude has a "family friendly" park so don't expect much Brighton is where the parks are big, burly, and do not suffer fools. Solitudes backcountry/slckcountry access is really the reason it is so popular but some of it is "vacation friendly" with the cat rack down Honeycomb canyon and some of the runs off powderhorn and powderhorn gate(this does not mean in any way that there is a 0% chance of slides or injury/death). Brightons backcountry is just that no avi work. 

Although you didn't mention them Powder Mountain and Snowbasin are also hidden gems. I included them because for the extra 45 minutes in the car it's somewhat relative for good snow. Powder is great especially a few days after a dump with their backcountry access it really is great (you should have avi gear), if your all are not comfortable they have mountain tours pricey but really fun especially if you want some local knowledge without having to be local, when I worked as a concierge I used to send guests up for tours and I never had anyone have anything but a incredible time. The vibe there is also very laid back, mom and pop style. Head up to the top of sunrise lift and if it's windy watch the snowkiters. Snowbasin is the only place most of my european friends will ride I have throughly scared myself on the Olympic runs there. If it snows strawberry is so good you will probably not forget it for a long time. 

Obviously as you can tell I have more experience at Soli and Brighton than Powder and Snowbasin. Regardless any resort is worthwhile. I hope this helps sorry for running off at the mouth. Oh, snowbird the biggest and the baddest and the most crowded. A great mountain it will defintiely challenge you and then some. The bad, massive ammounts of people especially on a powder day, also this road after a dump is gonna be closed for avalanche work, which can ruin your day, if you want to be there early. It will open eventually, some people will go to Soli and Brighton instead, but the mass of people will still be there.

Wow, I haven't written this much since college. See you on the hill.


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## PalmerFreak (Jul 13, 2009)

Thanks for the detailed info 925hell!!

We arrive on 2/6 and go home on 2/10 so no issues with Presidents Day.

For the first time we won't be renting a car for this trip. It's always been a waste of money for us and with the shuttle systems in resort towns we only seem to use it to get to/from the airport. I know that there are shuttle services to the resorts in the Cottonwood canyons so that's why we we're thinking along those lines.

I included Alta on my list but I see that they don't allow boarders so that won't work.

I'll definitely get more info on Snowbasin and Powder Mountain, thanks for the tips.

How do the Utah resorts stack up against Lake Tahoe (Squaw Valley, Heavenly, Kirkwood) and Colorado (Steamboat, Beaver Creek, Breck) in the terms of difficulty level? 

Thanks again for the info. This trip is a little shorter than usual and we don't want to waste a minute.


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## 925hell (Jan 15, 2010)

In further response to you posts, since you are not going to be renting a car, Snowbasin and Powder Mountain would be a logistical and financial nightmare. If you got a shuttle service to and from it would be mucho expensive. If you tried to use the public transport system you would first have to get a shuttle to downtown (20 min)(70.00), then get on the front runner which runs from SLC to Ogden (45 minutes) (9.00), after that you would need to still get another shuttle up to the mountain (35 min)(45.00?) from the Ogden train station and then reverse the order to just get back to PC. 

Here is the website to canyon transport (canyon robbers) Canyon Transportation Ski Shuttle Home Page

A comparison of resorts in CO isn't possible my only experience with CO resorts is mountain biking in the summer.

As always hope this helps.


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

I just got back from my third trip to SLC area in 3 years, so Hopefully I can offer you some help. I've ridden Snowbird, SnoBasin, The Canyons, Brighton, and Powder. I've also listed them, in-order, according to my personal preferance. Each mountain has a different feel, so I wouldn't suggest riding any of the mountains for more than two days! (No more than one day would be needed at Powder, Brighton, or Canyons....IMHO).




PalmerFreak said:


> For the first time we won't be renting a car for this trip. It's always been a waste of money for us and with the shuttle systems in resort towns we only seem to use it to get to/from the airport. I know that there are shuttle services to the resorts in the Cottonwood canyons so that's why we we're thinking along those lines.


I would suggest reconsidering this. I understand the wonders of having shuttle transpo, but it soooo limits where you can go and when. We were in SLC last weekend, had a car, and were able to (landing at 11:00PM Thursday Night and Departing 5PM Monday Afternoon) ride Brighton, the Canyons, SnoBasin, and Snowbird. There is no feasible way we could have pulled that off without a car. And, as I said, the best two spots were the farther-away places. If we didn't have the car we wouldn't have been able to drive to Snowbird and get the only Fresh pow of the weekend (4-5 inches) until 2 and then drive to the airport to catch our flight. Utah car prices aren't nearly as expensive as Denver prices......we paid 91$ for our 4-day rental. Check sidestep.com for good prices on simple cars. Ask for chains.




PalmerFreak said:


> I'll definitely get more info on Snowbasin and Powder Mountain, thanks for the tips.


Unless they get killer snow, I'd balk on Powder. They have slow lifts, are way out-of-the-way, and 1/2 of their boasted terrain is snow-cat accessed (added fee) or, as stated before, require avy gear. Snobasin is on the way towards Powder and offers one HELL of a varied terrain!



PalmerFreak said:


> How do the Utah resorts stack up against Lake Tahoe (Squaw Valley, Heavenly, Kirkwood) and Colorado (Steamboat, Beaver Creek, Breck) in the terms of difficulty level?


I can relate to Kirkwood and Breck. Brighton/Solitude are small versions of Breck. Some Steeps, some trees, some groomers, some Aspens.

Snowbird is a Kirkwood-esque mountain, only BIGGER. Most snow in the area. Kill yourself chutes, wide-open bowls, decent lift system, and just ooohhh sooo yummy! It is hard to explain the Bird, you just have to experience it and search-around a bit. This place is much better when more snow has fallen, so the rock terrain can be covered. With the elevation (11000ft) it is the one that gets the few inches of freshies when the other resorts are still offering corn or mashed taters.

Snobasin has some huge steeps from rock chutes to Pine glades with all sorts of slope to them. There are some fun middle runs. Then, again, as stated, the Strawberry area is AWESOME!!!! Imagine dropping off the top of the IMperial Express at Breck off the back (Whale's Tale) and then into the aspen area of Vail's Back Bowls, then having a gondola take you back up to do it again. A gondola ride, by the way, that may be the most beautiful/picturesque lift ride you ever experience! The resort buildings, themselves, are beautiful, too. Very pleasant staff....hell, even the lifties are trained to ask for your skis or board to load them onto the gondola for you. I know this is a little over-the-top, but for a vacationer...though I denied their offer, its cool to have that offer made.

Canyons. Well, I pledged to never go back. I would never go back, not because they are all that awful, but because the other two places are that much more enjoyable. We managed to bring a girl with us to Snowbasin, on Sunday, who hadn't left the Canyons/Park City because she had been going there since she was a kid. (Her folks have a place in PC). She refered to Snobasin as Gorgeous, Beautiful, Amazing, and the most fun she has had riding in a long time.......granted, some of that was due to the company she was in. 

So, this is a post that is both a short recap of my trip and a response to your questions. After mediocre riding, at best, at Brighton and the Canyons, the vacation was saved by a sunny day at Snobasin on sunday and a snowy day on Monday at Snowbird.


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## david_z (Dec 14, 2009)

thx for tip on sidestep.com - much better rental car rates than I was finding elsewhere.


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## PalmerFreak (Jul 13, 2009)

Hello neednsnow and thanks for the awesome post!!

We've already paid for our transportation from the airport to The Canyons so were stuck with that. We may rent a car for a day and try to hit one of the other resorts though. 

From the reviews that I've seen Snowbird gets pretty crowded but we'd be going there on a Tuesday so maybe it wouldn't be all that bad. Snowbasin sounds great as well. Which of the two has better snow right now? We like groomers so do either have an edge in this department?

I'm a little confused about The Canyons. I've seen great reviews about the resort and bad reviews for Park City Mountain. We're staying at the base of The Canyons and thought that we'd spend at least two days there. I'm hoping that it will be good and worth our time.

One other question, and this may be a little harder to answer: Do any of the resorts that you mentioned face west so that when the sun comes up the trails are bathed in beautiful sunlight? We went to Whistler two years ago and had to traverse a lot of acreage to get to the 7th Heaven area to get out of the shadows.

Thanks again and I look forward to reading your reply!!


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## Magnum626 (Dec 31, 2009)

A few years back a group of 6 of us went to Utah and the consensus was that we like the Canyons better than PC. Most of us were intermediate riders and it seemed like the Canyons had better overall terrain and was easier to 'get around' the mountain. At least for me PC felt more wide than long which required frequent rides on the lifts to get to the other side. Other people may differ from my opinion however.


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

PalmerFreak said:


> Hello neednsnow and thanks for the awesome post!!
> 
> We've already paid for our transportation from the airport to The Canyons so were stuck with that. We may rent a car for a day and try to hit one of the other resorts though.
> 
> ...


So, looking at the stats, the Canyons seem pretty healthy. I didn't hate the resort, I just liked the others better. You get some good sun-drenching on the lower 1/2 of the Strawberry side of Snowbasin. Also, you can get some good sun-softening in Snowbird's Mineral Basin. The good snow is surely falling on most of Utah, with 20 in Bird and 13 in Canyons, and 11 in Basin over the last 2 days.


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

also, check-out pairpass.com the vouchers are good after the lifts close at smokies pub


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## david_z (Dec 14, 2009)

good deal but *Note:* Offer is only available 1/4/10 to 2/11/10 and must be used by 2/11/10. This product can only be used by two separate individual on the same day...

go-utah.com has Canyons lift tickets for $62/day

http://www.go-utah.com/The-Canyons-Discount-Lift-Tickets/


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

david_z said:


> good deal but *Note:* Offer is only available 1/4/10 to 2/11/10 and must be used by 2/11/10. This product can only be used by two separate individual on the same day...
> 
> go-utah.com has Canyons lift tickets for $62/day
> 
> The Canyons, Park City Utah Ski Resort - Discount Lift Tickets



OP said his trip would be in early February. I considered any time before 2/11 as early February, otherwise it would be mid-february.


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## david_z (Dec 14, 2009)

no worries - just clarifying for anyone else perusing the thread.


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## PalmerFreak (Jul 13, 2009)

Hello all,

Thanks for the links guys. I could have gotten a two day pass to The Canyons for $102.00 on Liftopia if I would have pulled the trigger on Tuesday and now the offer is gone...... :-(

We'll be in PC from 2/6 - 2/10 so the link to go-utah may come in handy.


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

PalmerFreak said:


> Hello all,
> 
> Thanks for the links guys. I could have gotten a two day pass to The Canyons for $102.00 on Liftopia if I would have pulled the trigger on Tuesday and now the offer is gone...... :-(
> 
> We'll be in PC from 2/6 - 2/10 so the link to go-utah may come in handy.


pairpass can get you a lift ticket for you a burger for you and a beer for you, and a lift ticket for her, a slice of pizza and salad for her, and a beer for her.....for 119. Go utah will hit you 124 for the two tickets, absent the beers and burgers.....and they're good through your trip.....just saying.


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## PalmerFreak (Jul 13, 2009)

neednsnow said:


> pairpass can get you a lift ticket for you a burger for you and a beer for you, and a lift ticket for her, a slice of pizza and salad for her, and a beer for her.....for 119. Go utah will hit you 124 for the two tickets, absent the beers and burgers.....and they're good through your trip.....just saying.


Thanks for the tip!! We're going to book the "Pairpass" right away.


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

The way I was pushing that Promo, you'd think I was getting a cut of profits or something like that, sheesh. Nope. =)


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## CaptT (Sep 23, 2009)

neednsnow said:


> The way I was pushing that Promo, you'd think I was getting a cut of profits or something like that, sheesh. Nope. =)



I just wanna warn you....one more dig on Powmow, and we're not friends anymore.....


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## burritosandsnow (Nov 22, 2008)

powders the shit but its "hominess" may catch some folks off guard .. better to tell them the negatives and see if they can deal with them vs building it up in their heads and have it let them down ... im the same with brighton .. especially when talking about the park .. the park there is fun but not the most chiseled well manicured park like say northstar or breck its a little more organic for sure haha


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## CaptT (Sep 23, 2009)

Let's be honest....Powder is more half-assed hillbilly then homey....lol....that's why I love it sooo much


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

Remember, there is a difference between local and touron. I am a touron, for sure......hopefully a little more down-home touron than many other tourists, but when I fly into Denver, SLC, Seattle, or Reno, I want to get the most bang for my buck. 

I understand and love the back-woodsiness, I learned at Blue Knob in PA, waaaay hick! PowMow is great, but it really is in the middle of nowhere, with limited lift speed, and quite a run-out. Also, I was really disgusted by the fact that they brag over 5G in acreage, but less than 1/2 of that is servicable with your lift ticket. People say it is cheap, but take a day-pass(58) and add one cat run (15) and you are looking at a $73 day of riding....thats not much cheaper! CapT, I understand that you value PowMow, and if I lived 30 minutes from it, I'd love it too. Unfortunately, though, I aint Utarded. I have to earn my turns by flying across the country and gambling that there might be snow. Powder may have snow much longer than the more heavily visited resorts, but I wasn't a fan. 

Similarly with Brighton. One of the locals we met on Thursday night Swore by Brighton, to the point that I was convinced to hit it up as our first resort on Friday. Top-to-Bottoms runs were finished relatively quickly, and it was Super Skied off, everywhere. Even Stash areas were pretty beat. When we were night skiing, I actually said to my buddies "I feel like we're back in the Poconos, only a little bigger. Three years ago, I swore to never ride the Poconos, again. 

Basin was such a safer bet, and we all know that if anywhere is going to get snow in Utah, the first place to get hit and the biggest dumps will (9 times out of 10) be atop little cottonwood. I'm a believer in the Bird!

So, I hope this doesn't dismantle our friendship. I had a blast with you on Thursday and when I make it back out to Utah, I'm sure we'll do some riding. I just figured I'd explain my perspective as not an offensive perspective, just one of efficiency.

That being said, I will NEVER Again go back to Canyons and I'll take everyone's word for it and Never Ride Park City.....unless it is free and she is REALLY HOT!


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## david_z (Dec 14, 2009)

neednsnow said:


> I have to earn my turns by flying across the country and gambling that there might be snow.


Ditto. That sh*t gets expensive. 



neednsnow said:


> That being said, I will NEVER Again go back to Canyons and I'll take everyone's word for it and Never Ride Park City


I can understand staying away from PCMR, but i'm gonna hit it at least once, mid-week so hopefully it won't be crap. But curious to know what you disliked about Canyons?


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

david_z said:


> Ditto. That sh*t gets expensive.
> 
> 
> I can understand staying away from PCMR, but i'm gonna hit it at least once, mid-week so hopefully it won't be crap. But curious to know what you disliked about Canyons?


Conditions, the lift system, poor snow. I've heard people say "on a powder day, that place is great"......well, so are Basin, The Bird, Solitude, Brighton, POW, and PC. Hell, I'd assume Wolf is kinda amazing on a Powder Day. But as far as the Canyons go, if I had my options, I'd hit Basin or Bird. I just feel like the pitch, chute, and bowl feel of Bird and Basin are tastier than that of Canyons. Again, unless I was staying in PC and the snow was killer. Then, what the heck?


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## david_z (Dec 14, 2009)

word. my only experience at Canyons was with about 9" of fresh overnight.

staying in downtown PC this February, so for the most part, Canyons and PCMR are the easiest options for us.


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## Magnum626 (Dec 31, 2009)

I liked the Canyons over PC when I went with a bunch of friends. We were getting over 8 inches each day and the natural terrain felt more 'fun' at Canyons. PC just felt very resort like with short runs and many lifts needed just to get to the other side of the mountain. Last time I was at the bird it was in March and was icy in the morning and slushy by the days end. Loved the bowls even though there wasn't much pow left. It was nice mid morning.

I'll be out in Utah 3rd week of Feb....can't wait.


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## david_z (Dec 14, 2009)

Magnum626 said:


> I'll be out in Utah 3rd week of Feb....can't wait.


Third week in February like 2/15 thru 2/22? Me too.

As we get closer to that date I'm going to start a thread in the "Meet ups" section here and see who all wants to hook up and ride. Or party. Or both.


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## Magnum626 (Dec 31, 2009)

Ooops actually last week probably from 23rd on...


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## david_z (Dec 14, 2009)

no worries. with my luck, it will start dumping pow on 2/22. just in time for me to go home...


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

david_z said:


> no worries. with my luck, it will start dumping pow on 2/22. just in time for me to go home...


Nope, that was my luck last week! You'll be fine.


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## david_z (Dec 14, 2009)




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## TMXMOTORSPORTS (Jun 10, 2009)

I will be in staying in Park City 3/1to3/9 can not wait!


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## zakk (Apr 21, 2008)

I'll be in Utah 2/25 - 2/28 but I'll be at Pow Mow where the gods ride.


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## david_z (Dec 14, 2009)

zakk said:


> I'll be in Utah 2/25 - 2/28 but I'll be at Pow Mow where the gods ride.


Right on. we'll be in PC for 6 days. Gonna check out Pow and maybe another one of the non-Park City mountains, too.


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## CaptT (Sep 23, 2009)

neednsnow said:


> So, I hope this doesn't dismantle our friendship. I had a blast with you on Thursday and when I make it back out to Utah, I'm sure we'll do some riding. I just figured I'd explain my perspective as not an offensive perspective, just one of efficiency.



No...it really doesn't I just have to harass you a little.....we will ride unless it's shitty snow and you want me to go where I have to pay....I am kind of a cheap bastard...lol


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

CaptT said:


> No...it really doesn't I just have to harass you a little.....we will ride unless it's shitty snow and you want me to go where I have to pay....I am kind of a cheap bastard...lol



20 Bucks the snow was better, last monday at Bird than at Pow Mow! =) There will be a return trip, for sure.


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## CaptT (Sep 23, 2009)

neednsnow said:


> 20 Bucks the snow was better, last monday at Bird than at Pow Mow! =) There will be a return trip, for sure.



I am pretty sure we were both riding in comparable shit snow....lol.....I dropped in some aspens on Monday for what I thought was good snow, ended up seeing sparks flying off my board:thumbsdown:....so I then went to the bar....I find myself doing that more often then not.....


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## PalmerFreak (Jul 13, 2009)

My wife and I just got back from Park City and had a great time!! Just wanted to thank all that offered suggestions and links - especially "925hell" and "neednsnow".

Arrived in Park City this past Saturday and hustled over to Park City Mountain - used the Quick Start program and got free lift tickets by showing our boarding passes - and it kinda sucked. Low light conditions and it was warm. Most of the runs were pretty skied out by the time we got on the mountain and we didn't have much fun. 

With more of the same type weather we did the touristy stuff on Sunday and stayed off the mountain.

Monday was bluebird and Tuesday was very similar and we had a great time both days at The Canyons. Hit up some really tasty advanced intermediate runs - Apex Ridge, Sidewinder, and the top of Pipe Dream - and all kinds of groomed blues. My wife really struggled with Apex Ridge and avoided all of the double blues after that. Had a great meal at Zona Rosa on Mainstreet and some good beer at the Wasatch Brew Pub and Brewery.

I'll try to post some pictures a little later.

There were some areas that were a little thin, and other areas were a bit icy, but we're from the Midwest so that stuff doesn't bother us so much.


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

PalmerFreak said:


> My wife and I just got back from Park City and had a great time!! Just wanted to thank all that offered suggestions and links - especially "925hell" and "neednsnow".


Good Stuff! :thumbsup: Hopefully David_Z gets a little fluff.


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## david_z (Dec 14, 2009)

what is this I hear about free lift tickets at PCMR if you present boarding passes?

We arrive mid-day on Monday, we were planning on hitting Brighton for twilight but if I can score free tix at PCMR I'll do that instead and save Brighton for the next day.


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## david_z (Dec 14, 2009)

scratch that, quick start program not valid after 2/12 until end of march. looks like I have to convince the other guys that I'm going to Brighton on Monday. If they don't like it, they can get drunk in the lodge.


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## bbissell (Mar 8, 2009)

david_z said:


> scratch that, quick start program not valid after 2/12 until end of march. looks like I have to convince the other guys that I'm going to Brighton on Monday. If they don't like it, they can get drunk in the lodge.


I am arriving in parck city on the 24th and was jazzed about a free day. Oh well it will still be fun cant wait to get up there!


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