# Utah Resorts



## T.J. (Aug 28, 2007)

a buddy of mine was out there for 12 days a few years ago so he had the time to cover a lot of resorts. he said park city was by far the worst with crowds and stuff. compared it to killington on a weekend. he said everything else - brighton, snowbird, solitude, powder, etc were awesome.


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## NYinfamous2k2 (Aug 5, 2009)

park city, snowbasin , powder mt, canyons, whats up, I did a Utah trip last year, sick trip, awsome snow. the Resorts I went to were Park city, Snowbasin, Powder Mt and the Canyons. I hated Park City, it was crowded everything I could find was all gromed so tight it was almost iced over. just didnt like the vibe there definately felt like I was back i Vermont at killington and I went there to escape that sh!t. Snowbasin was the second day and it DUMPED that day i mean an insain amount making every run anywhere untouched pow. they had some SICK natural halfpipes there thats just part of the mountain, a good mix of groomers to back country. Next was powder MT. it rained some that morning before we left so when we hit it, it was somewhat crusted over, but we could see it had alot of potential. not many runs more just go where you want to go feel, a few nice little cliff drops , all in all a good fun layed back mountain. Last was the Canyons. LOVED the canyons , mountain was Hugh, great run, groomers , backcountry was official, I have no complaints about the canyons at all, every where we went we found a sick new spot or run, def find the lift "9990" it takes you up to the highest point i believe and the drops and pow up ther is just amazing. all in all utah is sick, best powder I have ridden so far.


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## Guest (Aug 18, 2009)

Yea...I went there last season (with NyInfamous2k2 , so I hit all those same resorts. I hated Park City too, it SUCKED. It was icey and the vibes just completely sucked. Most expenisive lift ticket in Utah and the worst mountain. Utah is basically all backcountry and lots and lots of powder. If you dont like back country riding, you may want to consider Colorado instead. Anyway, my favorite day was Snowbasin, just cause it dumped there that whole day and it was something like out of the movies. But my favorite mountain was the Canyons. It was HUGE. Not the highest peak, nothing like Colorado, but the runs were miles long. My main picture for this forum is me at Powder Mountain. Just like NyInfamous2k2 said, you gotttttta hit the 9990 lift. Its intense, and the signs before you get on the lift is like EXPERT ONLY BEWARE DOUBLE DIAMONDS ONLY. But go anyway. Dont be intimidated by all of it. They were actually setting off dynamite to cause avalanches all day when we went, and it was only during the last hour of the day they finally opened it up. When you get to the top, these are the signs :






Here are some pictures from Snowbasin:







Also, VERY IMPORTANT.

***When you get there MAKE SURE you rent a truck that has 4 wheel drive. Me and my BF are the kind of people that live on the edge and loves an adrenaline rush, but we were never so shook up driving anywhere before. The night we got there and had to drive to our room it was dumping outside and it was real exciting until we started driving. It accumulated about 6 inches of snow in MAYBE an hour tops. And the people there are used to driving in that so they were all speeding past us and all that. On the way there we saw like 3 cars on the side of the road, one truck looked like it was about to flip over any second cause it was swaying back and forth so much. Also, if you dont have 4 wheel drive and its snowing, your not allowed to drive unless you have chains on your tires. Me and my BF were gonna rent a car to save $$$ but at the last second decided on a truck. Thank God we did!! Here is a picture the first night we were trying to get to our hotel:






And that was only the first half hour it started snowing. It got worse then that. 

Its no lie that Utah has the best powder your ever gonna ride. Enjoy your trip...your gonna have so much fun!


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Holy crap infamous girl! Resize that photo!!!

640X480 is standard bulletin board size.

Ow my eyes hurt...


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Thanks infamous!!!


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

A couple of notes about those signs at the top of 9900. That is a backcountry access point. The slopes are not patrolled, bombed, or any other type of control. It is easy to ride the slackcountry there and loop back into the resort, but it comes with the danger. If you don't know how to read avalanche conditions, have a beacon, shovel, probe, and know how to use them, I don't recommend going out that gate. It's deadly. Two years ago a snowboarder lost their life back there, and they have had several close calls. You need to know what you are doing, especially with the sketchy Utah snow pack. It's only slightly better than what is found in Colorado and tends to rip with deeper fractures when it slides. If you choose to go back there, realize it can have very serious consequences if you read it wrong. Don't take it lightly.


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## Guest (Aug 18, 2009)

killclimbz said:


> A couple of notes about those signs at the top of 9900. That is a backcountry access point. The slopes are not patrolled, bombed, or any other type of control. It is easy to ride the slackcountry there and loop back into the resort, but it comes with the danger. If you don't know how to read avalanche conditions, have a beacon, shovel, probe, and know how to use them, I don't recommend going out that gate. It's deadly. Two years ago a snowboarder lost their life back there, and they have had several close calls. You need to know what you are doing, especially with the sketchy Utah snow pack. It's only slightly better than what is found in Colorado and tends to rip with deeper fractures when it slides. If you choose to go back there, realize it can have very serious consequences if you read it wrong. Don't take it lightly.



Yea for sure. When we were there, a few snowboarders got caught in an avanlanche real bad and luckily, they all made it out. I never suggest going off designated trails unless you REALLLLLY know what you are doing and have all the right avalanche equipment. 9990 is an amazing designated run, there really is no need to go off the trail. I just wanted to give you an idea of how incredibly serious it is there. I actually meant to add that into my above post. When you get to the top, and you look over on the other side of the gate, it is tempting to go that way but just stick to the designated run. You wont be dissappointed.


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## TMXMOTORSPORTS (Jun 10, 2009)

UTAH....Canyons..
AWSOME Place...went last year for eight days straight..year before six days straight...Funny 9990 lift..my buddy, daughter, her BF and myself rode up..went down Fright Gully..lost everyone..had to wait on everyone..specially daughter, she was a pissed off chick the rest of the day...made us sware never to take her up that lift again...she thought she was going to die:laugh::laugh:

Def recommend the resort...

Park City SUX...$$$$$$$ lift tickets and way crowded...bonus on the night ridin...

Have pics can upload later...


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## TMXMOTORSPORTS (Jun 10, 2009)

NYinfamous2k2 said:


> park city, snowbasin , powder mt, canyons, whats up, I did a Utah trip last year, sick trip, awsome snow. the Resorts I went to were Park city, Snowbasin, Powder Mt and the Canyons. I hated Park City, it was crowded everything I could find was all gromed so tight it was almost iced over. just didnt like the vibe there definately felt like I was back i Vermont at killington and I went there to escape that sh!t. Snowbasin was the second day and it DUMPED that day i mean an insain amount making every run anywhere untouched pow. they had some SICK natural halfpipes there thats just part of the mountain, a good mix of groomers to back country. Next was powder MT. it rained some that morning before we left so when we hit it, it was somewhat crusted over, but we could see it had alot of potential. not many runs more just go where you want to go feel, a few nice little cliff drops , all in all a good fun layed back mountain. Last was the Canyons. LOVED the canyons , mountain was Hugh, great run, groomers , backcountry was official, I have no complaints about the canyons at all, every where we went we found a sick new spot or run, def find the lift "9990" it takes you up to the highest point i believe and the drops and pow up ther is just amazing. all in all utah is sick, best powder I have ridden so far.


Gotta Pickle...
I think we met U and your chick..when were at the Canyons...


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## NYinfamous2k2 (Aug 5, 2009)

really... its definately possible, cuz my girl seems to talk to everyone lol. heres a pic of us there so you might recognize us.


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## Guest (Aug 18, 2009)

No I dont talk to everyone. Only people that look interesting. And thanks for putting the worst picture of me up there lol. I look freakin bald cause my face mask haha


Anyway, for the person asking about Utah...here are some more pics I found of those signs I was talking about for 9990:






I dont know why we didn't take any of the run! We were so excited when we got up there we forgot. Ahhh....that was so much fun I hate the summer


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

NyInfamous'Girl said:


> Yea for sure. When we were there, a few snowboarders got caught in an avanlanche real bad and luckily, they all made it out. I never suggest going off designated trails unless you REALLLLLY know what you are doing and have all the right avalanche equipment. 9990 is an amazing designated run, there really is no need to go off the trail. I just wanted to give you an idea of how incredibly serious it is there. I actually meant to add that into my above post. When you get to the top, and you look over on the other side of the gate, it is tempting to go that way but just stick to the designated run. You wont be dissappointed.


And don't get me wrong. There is fantastic slack country and back country in Utah. On my four day trip out there last season I did a grand total of two runs inside a resort. The rest was all bc riding. There are some amazing runs to be had by leaving the boundary's. Again, you need to have some knowledge as to what you are doing.

This video was from our trip to Utah last season. The terrain was accessed from the top of the one of the resorts. Can ya guess which one?


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## Guest (Aug 18, 2009)

Great video! Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm......Im guessing 9990, but if so that has to be through that back gate off the designated area cause I remember it looking a bit different when I went down it?? It also reminds me a littttttle of some areas we hit in Powder Mountain.

Now I wanna know!! Which one is it???


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Keep guessing...


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## NYinfamous2k2 (Aug 5, 2009)

cool video , I wish the skier got more footage of the boarders tho


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## Guest (Aug 18, 2009)

I give up....

Even the BF doesn't know 

What is it??? I only watched the video like 3 times


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

NYinfamous2k2 said:


> cool video , I wish the skier got more footage of the boarders tho


Well, he's the one that invested in the POV1 camera, so it's his show. I might get the new POV if things work out this fall. I am impressed with the quality of video you can shoot with those and the wide angle lens is great for making sure you get the shot.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

NyInfamous'Girl said:


> I give up....
> 
> Even the BF doesn't know
> 
> What is it??? I only watched the video like 3 times


What? There are only like 6 other resorts in all of Utah... :laugh:

You could just name 'em all.

I'll play nice. It's accessed from Snobasin. Which out of all the resorts I've been to, is the one I prefer the most. 

We got a couple more vids. Mostly ski action again, since it was Tom's POV. We all rode the terrain though, on what ever weapon of choice.

This one is from Maybird Gulch which is a little West of Snowbird. It took about an hour to split up to the ridge we dropped in on. Overall it was a fairly mellow skin in and we could have done it quicker. Then again we were on vacation and were enjoying the scenery.

The other is from the Ben Lomond Peak area which is just West of Powder Mountain. We ended up doing Cutler Ridge as getting all the way back to Ben Lomond would have taken another hour at least probably two. We needed to get back to Ogden to pack our bags and catch our flight. It was still a pretty sweet day. 

Overall it was a great change up from Colorado and also made me really appreciate some of the super sweet backcountry I have in my backyard. Not that the BC was bad in Utah. Quite the opposite. It was also super sweet, just of a different flavor.


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## NYinfamous2k2 (Aug 5, 2009)

killclimbz said:


> Well, he's the one that invested in the POV1 camera, so it's his show. I might get the new POV if things work out this fall. I am impressed with the quality of video you can shoot with those and the wide angle lens is great for making sure you get the shot.


oh yea I heard great things about those cameras, and the picture quality looks awsome. I would definately pick one up if I wore a helmet. but thats not going to happen lol. and I dont think clipping it onto my goggle strap would work out to good.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Actually they have a attachment made for goggle straps that work fine. That way you can clip it onto your goggles with a helmet on or not. Unfortunately Tom didn't have that attachment...


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## Guest (Aug 18, 2009)

killclimbz said:


> What? There are only like 6 other resorts in all of Utah... :laugh:
> 
> You could just name 'em all.
> 
> ...



Ahhhhh snowbasin!! I was there. My favorite resort I have ever been too  It was like a dream when I was there!! Unfortunately, Powder Mtn. didnt look like it did for you when I was there. It was like a hard cover over powder cause it rained the night before. Utah really is great. All this talk and videos and all that has me wanting to go back so bad! Speaking of enjoying the scenery in Utah...I enjoyed it so much one time in The Canyons and I was zoing out on the lift just admiring it all and I didnt realize we were actually at the top and it was time to get off, so at the last second I jumped off the lift and it was too late...my board just came out from under me and I face planted right into the only patch of ice in Utah...literally...and I got a big fat black eye and a bruise about 9 inches long and 4 inches wide on my hip. It was really hilarious I must say. I didnt know whether to cry or laugh when I got up hahaha. Everyone was laughing so I just did too

That cam does take really great videos for sure. 

Where are you from anyway?


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Well, if it rained I'm sure snowbasin sucked too. No getting around that. Powder Mountain is a pretty fun hill, not very steep overall, but lots of terrain and it's not a very high use area. Especially compared to the other areas in Utah. Ben Lomond Peak is not actually part of the resort. It's the ridge line that lies directly above Eden. There is a city park there called North Park (I believe) that you start in and make your way up Cutler ridge to Ben Lomond. That was the second time I have been. The first time I didn't get to summit Ben Lomond because of avalanche danger, the second time was because we just didn't have the time to get it done and make our flight. The closest ski lift is about 5 miles away.

I live in the Denver metro. So the front range circus resorts are the areas closest to me. Though I spend most of my time riding in the backcountry these days. Mostly on Berthoud and Vail Passes in this area. There are a lot of other spots I also hit but those are two of the best and most frequented.


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## Guest (Aug 18, 2009)

Nooooo it didnt rain at Snowbasin! Far from rained. But the night before Powder Mtn it did. Powder Mtn definitely looked like it had a lot of potential, but we just went at a bad time. Great videos!


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

What I mean is that if it rained at Powder Mountain it most certainly rained at Snobasin. You just didn't happen to be there on that day. A fresh dusting of snow will make those rain crust memories go away quickly. Powder Mountain just happened to be you choice for that day. The time I rode there was during a pretty intense snow cycle. Over 60 inches fell while we were there. Each day we were waking up to snow totals of around 15". So Pow Mow was living up to it's name. 

Powder one day, rain the next. That is what can happen with lower elevation resorts.


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## donm3ga (Apr 5, 2008)

After doing some research, I have chosen to take my friends to Powder Mountain.

How is the night life there, if there is any at all?


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

donm3ga said:


> After doing some research, I have chosen to take my friends to Powder Mountain.
> 
> How is the night life there, if there is any at all?



None to non-existent. There is also "nada" in between. 

A couple of things. If you stay in Ogden you have about a 20 minute drive (maybe 25) to Powder Mountain up Ogden Canyon. There are bars (no longer social clubs!) in Ogden that get fairly lively. Also, Snobasin is about the same distance up Ogden Canyon as Powder Mountain. It's a different feel and also worth a visit. 

If you decide you and your group can hang out and make their own party, Eden is a good place to stay. It's something like 4 miles to Powder Mountain from Eden as it sits at the base of the mountain ridge that Powder Mountain is on. There is a little grocery store right there to get your supplies. As far as alcohol goes, import it, or plan hitting a state run liquor store in Ogden to get the real stuff. Weird hours at those. Snobasin is a 10-15 minute drive from Eden.

3rd, even if you stay in Northern Ogden, don't use Ogden Pass to get to Powder Mountain or Snobasin. It's a short drive to Ogden Canyon and it's a much better maintained road. Ogden Pass has falling rock and tends to have a lot of rock debris on the road. Every time I have driven over it, I've been glad to get out of the rock band areas.

Discount lift tickets for Powder Mountain and Snobasin can be purchased at most snowboard/ski shops in Ogden.


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## legallyillegal (Oct 6, 2008)

Alta is a great resort.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

legallyillegal said:


> Alta is a great resort.


Hahaha! And you are a dick!


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## snowvols (Apr 16, 2008)

when did they become bars? When I was in SLC in December we went to a social club, or is that just in Ogden? I was pissed powder mtn opened the day we had to leave and it was the one place I wanted to hit.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Utah this summer got rid of the social club fees. They enacted a couple of other retarded rules, but you don't have to pay or fee or be sponsored now to visit a social club. So they are now bars which are all just the old social clubs.


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## burritosandsnow (Nov 22, 2008)

yes powder mtn is in the middle of nowhere .. or at least it is if you dont really want to rent a car ... if you are looking to not rent a car you need to either stay in park city ( more cash needed ) or stay in midvale/murray/sandy area at the base of the cottonwood canyons... the cottonwoods are the home of Brighton/Solitude in Big Cottonwood and Snowbird in Little Cottonwood. Staying here will give you access to the Utah Ski Bus Line ( which operates mid Dec to Mid march ) and will get you from in town to the resort for a few bucks each. Theres a motel six about 2 miles from my house that has a ski bus stop across the street from it and a Super 8 about 4 miles away that has a ski bus stop down the block. The super 8 is also in a very commercial area with tons of restaurants a brew pub and national chain stores. Some other folks from this site have stayed there and most agree its not the hilton but it does get the job done. 

Brighton is always a good place to take a large group of mixed ability people because its one of those type of resorts that everything funnels down to a group of lifts at the bottom. This lets folks go on areas of their own ability but you are able to all meet back up at the lifts whenever you want to. Solitude is like that to a smaller extent as well where Snowbird is a little more spread out.

for ski in ski out you are really looking at either staying at a resort or staying in park city. there are tons of homes for rent during the season in p/c and with that many folks it actually may be a better option than a hotel. if you did 50 bucks each a night with 15 folks youre looking at having 750 to spend per night thats a pretty good vacation house up there. you can take the bus to the canyons ( the park city bus line is free haha) its about a 10 minute ride from downtown p/c to the base of the canyons. if you choose to ride at park city you can literally walk out the door and onto runs from some rentals but none are really too far from the base. the canyons however is pretty expansive and would probabaly be more of a ok we all meet here for lunch in 3 hours kind of things vs staying together. powder mtn also has tons of condos but its a haul to get here from the airport and youd have to pack everything in like food etc cause once you are there theres nothing to do haha ( other than a shit ton of amazing terrain)

We have no more "social clubs" those laws were finally over turned this spring so now its a bar just like everywhere else you go... finally!

Hit me up if you have any other specific questions ill be happy to help out..


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## neednsnow (Nov 30, 2007)

donm3ga said:


> After doing some research, I have chosen to take my friends to Powder Mountain.
> 
> How is the night life there, if there is any at all?


My Two Cents: Powder Mountain isn't even worth 2 cents when it comes to night life. We were up that way last January, after hearing tons and tons of good things. PM was a decent mountain to ride, but we hit poor snow conditions. We did snowbasin the next day and the left-over snow was much healthier at SB than PM. I also liked the terrain at Snowbasin a little better, too. I think the super slow bottom to top lift at PM really bugged me. 

Keep in mind that Powder Mountain boasts huge ridable terrain. While the lift-serviced area is decent in size (though less than Snowbasin), there is front-side riding to a road-side shuttle, or you have to pay extra to have the snocat take you to other terrain. What I am saying is that since you have less-than intermediate riders you'll most-likely be doing a lot of lift-serviced riding. There is only one high-speed chair. Also, a chunk of that lift-service terrain is tow-rope/surface lifts. I'm no super-star rider, but when I was an intermediate, those tow-ropes intimidated me. Actually, a few years ago, I rode the Breck Peak-8 tow-rope up the hill on my stomach because I fell 1/2-way up the mountain but maintained my grip on the t-bar. 

As for nightlife, we did Eden one night. It was decent, but the drive to and from sucked. One bar had three different rooms and a band, and another was more of a club scene. (where the obvious fight broke-out). The remaining days we did the extra 30 minute drive to Park City for the fun and festivities. It was during the Sundance film festival, so it was worth the trek. 

So, if you are going with hard-core mountain heads who are all about nothing than riding and drinking at the condo, go for PM. If not, put some extra consideration on where you plan on staying. Either way, the riding in Utah is great. I did Snowbird (another AWESOME hill) later in the season and loved that resort!

+++Edit: If you are looking for the similar to Breckenridge town feel you are not going to get that in Eden at the base of PM. Hell, even Frisco and Dillon (Colorado) have more going on than Eden. Powder Mountain is a gem, but for a varied group trip, I wouldn't suggest it.+++


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## PalmerFreak (Jul 13, 2009)

Thanks for all of the tips and insights guys and gals.

My wife and I are going to Park City in February and HAD planned on spending a day or two at Park City Mountain. Since we're staying at the base of The Canyons I think we'll spend a little more time there and maybe try to get to Snowbasin. Any other recommendations?


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## Guest (Aug 22, 2009)

Definitely suggest NOT wasting your time and money on the Park City resort...

But whatever you can do it if u want, your just gonna be really dissappointed


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## PalmerFreak (Jul 13, 2009)

NyInfamous'Girl said:


> Definitely suggest NOT wasting your time and money on the Park City resort...
> 
> But whatever you can do it if u want, your just gonna be really dissappointed



Do you mean any Park City resorts or Park City Mountain resort specifically? I haven't seen anything bad mentioned about The Canyons around here but maybe I missed something.


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## Guest (Aug 23, 2009)

PalmerFreak said:


> Do you mean any Park City resorts or Park City Mountain resort specifically? I haven't seen anything bad mentioned about The Canyons around here but maybe I missed something.


Oh Im sorry! I meant to say the Park City Mountain specifically. The Canyons is insane!!! By far my favorite mountain. Just the Park City Mountain, thats the one that sucked. Powder Mtn, The Canyons, Snowbasin, everything else in Utah is great. Just stay away from Park City....Expenisive and icy. Its like boarding out East.


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## PalmerFreak (Jul 13, 2009)

NyInfamous'Girl said:


> Oh Im sorry! I meant to say the Park City Mountain specifically. The Canyons is insane!!! By far my favorite mountain. Just the Park City Mountain, thats the one that sucked. Powder Mtn, The Canyons, Snowbasin, everything else in Utah is great. Just stay away from Park City....Expenisive and icy. Its like boarding out East.


Thanks for the clarification!! We're definitely looking forward to this trip and you guys have helped quite a bit.


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2009)

PalmerFreak said:


> Thanks for all of the tips and insights guys and gals.
> 
> My wife and I are going to Park City in February and HAD planned on spending a day or two at Park City Mountain. Since we're staying at the base of The Canyons I think we'll spend a little more time there and maybe try to get to Snowbasin. Any other recommendations?


Canyons will be fun because it's huge, but if you're coming to Utah you really need to experience "the greatest snow on earth." With that being said, take a day and go to Snowbird. Snowbird consistently wins awards for being one of the best resorts in North America. Not to mention it receives an average annual snowfall in excess of 500 inches! Canyons receives 355 inches on average for comparison. Also, Solitude and Brighton are both great. The Park City area resorts (Canyons, Park City), have their pluses, but do not compare to the snow you get at Snowbird, Brighton, and Solitude. 

Here's a map to reference:
Ski Utah: The Greatest Snow on Earth - Maps

I'd be glad to answer any questions you have. I've been riding in Utah since I was 13, minus a couple years when I lived in Colorado.


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