SLC

[Timeless]

How does getting tickets at Canyon Sports go down? Can I get a multi day pass there, or is it just a they get so many tickets per day type thing?

 

I'm going to get 4 days of riding and was planning on just sticking to Snowbird since everything I've heard about it says its huge and diverse. Are solitude/brighton places I should really consider giving some attention, or will Snowbird keep me plenty busy for 4 days?

 

www.canyonsports.com

 

You can get multi-day (2 from 5) tickets for snowbird. If you are going to ride for 4 days then snowbird will keep you busy / happy but you really should try some of the others, especially Brighton.

 

Snowbasin is a bit of a drive but worth it, has a good mix of terrain and is bigger than it first feels.

[Quickturns]

This is actually timely for me as I am heading out to SLC Dec 4-5. As I only have half a day on the 4th I was planning to hit the Canyons and then stay in Park City and ski PC on Friday. It seems as though no one is a fan of PC though. What is the take on the Canyons? The nice thing is that PC and the Canyons give you a free ticket if you ski on the day you land. Any bit of savings helps...

 

I could also ski the Canyons, stay in Sandy and hit Alta or Snowbird on Friday. It seems as though everyone on the tread is leaning to SB, why is that? What are types of terrain are people skiing there?

 

Also, how much of an impact does the altitude have?

[Dan-]

It's different for everyone, but I've never had a problem with it, unless you want to hike. Then you will get your ass kicked in a hurry. Just remember to drink a lot of water and stay hydrated. Utah's mountains aren't super high, i think most are around the 8-9k range.

[AtomicSkier]

There is one in Manhattan too, forgot the name though.

Churrascaria Plataforma. Highly recommended!

[SkiUtah]

The altitude hits everyone differently. Coming from the east living at less then 200 feet then going to SLC at 4200 feet and staying on the benches around 5500 feet takes me about a day to acclimate. I'm 55 and overweight.

 

I have a townhouse just outside LCC. Six miles from Snowbird. Search Google maps: "9009S 3605E 84093" or Canyon PlaceTownhouse

 

Its open 1/6/09 to 1/21/09 as of today.

 

Their license plates read: "Best Snow on Earth". Woud the government lie?

[method9455]

This is actually timely for me as I am heading out to SLC Dec 4-5. As I only have half a day on the 4th I was planning to hit the Canyons and then stay in Park City and ski PC on Friday. It seems as though no one is a fan of PC though. What is the take on the Canyons? The nice thing is that PC and the Canyons give you a free ticket if you ski on the day you land. Any bit of savings helps...

 

I could also ski the Canyons, stay in Sandy and hit Alta or Snowbird on Friday. It seems as though everyone on the tread is leaning to SB, why is that? What are types of terrain are people skiing there?

 

Also, how much of an impact does the altitude have?

 

The Canyons (Park West), Park City

[romemadman]

i suggest skipping park city to ride, i personally would suggest snowboasin, does not get crowded but is farther from SLC than other resorts.

[Timeless]

I've been to PCMR 3 times, first time was great, 2nd was mediocre due to crowds, 3rd was bad but mostly 'cos the weather was pretty awful.

 

Never tried the Canyons, looks interesting but reviews seem mixed, I can't imagine it's much different to PCMR as it's so close.

 

Snowbasin was different, but good.

 

Solitude just doesn't float my boat for some reason I can't put my finger on. I've had great days there but given the choice I'd be at Brighton.

 

Brighton is great, very under-rated, best tree skiing I've seen.

 

Snowbird is scary for an (advancing) intermediate like me, no place for people that are not 150% comfortable on any double black in PA. If you are not a confident skier / rider of steeps you will have a miserable time here. I know this because a took a couple of work-mates there and they still haven't forgiven me. One of them who considered himself a good skier refuses to come out west with us this year if we go back.

 

Alta sucks balls.

 

I would really like to try Powder Mtn next time I go out.

 

If I had 4 days in Utah:

 

Brighton

Powder Mtn

Snowbird

Snowbird or Brighton depending how I felt.

 

Someone said the Utah peaks are in the 9k range, most if not all are over 10k but if you stay in SLC and drive up everyday then you shouldn't have any problems.

 

Go and have fun.

[DHarrisburg]

That is no longer true. http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/264943/

 

Just because the law changed doesn't mean that bars stopped pouring shitty drinks.

[Johnny Law]

Just because the law changed doesn't mean that bars stopped pouring shitty drinks.

 

Hahah so true

 

 

Park City is weak, It lacks the terrain and snow you came to Utah for.

 

Canyons has the 9990 and Murdock stuff which is good and alot of access to the BC options. Bottom line though is they aren't what you came to Utah for.

 

Powder is a totally different type of place, if you like amenities and can't actually drive your car in the snow you aren't going to like it. Additionally their terrain is huge but with only a couple of lifts, for most stuff you are going to have to work to get there.

 

Twice I've been left at the end of the day for maybe an hour waiting for Woody (still love ya Dog), additionally its the kind of place where lifties are asleep in the house while a sheave wheel is literally coming apart as you ride. Personally I love the joint and hope it somehow can retain alot of its charm with the development and BS.

 

BCC/LCC is as close as you can get to heaven on earth.

 

Altitude shouldn't really effect anyone who isn't massively out of shape....

Edited November 14, 2008 by Johnny Law

[DHarrisburg]

Altitude shouldn't really effect anyone who isn't massively out of shape....

 

Ha, you're going to catch some shit for this one.

[snorovr]

Altitude effects different people to different degrees, sometimes it has nothing to do with what kind of shape you're in. Over the summer I was in Whistler with a friend from PA who had never been west, and he was messed up when we got to the top because he wasn't used to going 4000 feet in 15 minutes. I've never seen someone get it as bad as he did, and he is in awesome shape.

[Johnny Law]

Ha, you're going to catch some shit for this one.

 

Come on though, you live there you know what I'm saying. Its not the Andes, you aren't at 13k and the overwhelming majority never hike farther than from the car to the lifts.

 

Where not talking about the fit 20 year old guy that shows up to a 14er and gets real altitude sickness. I'm talking about persons that could probably use to lose a few pounds and who have to work 5% harder and have serious trouble doing it.

 

Really fit people do get real AS (most studies actually find that fit people are more at risk) but that isn't what where talking about here. UT resorts top out at like 10k.

Edited November 14, 2008 by Johnny Law

[Dan-]

Altitude effects different people to different degrees, sometimes it has nothing to do with what kind of shape you're in. Over the summer I was in Whistler with a friend from PA who had never been west, and he was messed up when we got to the top because he wasn't used to going 4000 feet in 15 minutes. I've never seen someone get it as bad as he did, and he is in awesome shape.

 

 

Actually they say the better the shape you are in, the worse the altitude will affect you if your not accustomed to it.

[Dan-]

That makes no sense..

 

 

thats because you didn't think about it first.

[Johnny Law]

That makes no sense..

 

Its really simple, in a lower oxygen environment your lungs and heart need to adjust in order to continuing providing you body what it needs. Fat people, smokers, people who's heart and lungs are used to making adjustments have no problem with this.

 

I'm a smoker, essentially for some period during and after a smoke my body is in a state of Hypoxia, essentially my heart and lungs have to do more work because I'm getting less oxygen per breath than normal. Clearly you can see how this is functionally the same as operating in a lower oxygen environment.

 

Generally very fit 20-30 year old males are most prone to real altitude sickness, for whatever reason their body simply does not adjust. Less oxygen gets to their system and things go downhill real fast. Telluride I know has a chamber for people who have altitude sickness, essentially you bring them down and then back up hopefully their body gets its act together and their fine.

[AtomicSkier]

Its really simple, in a lower oxygen environment your lungs and heart need to adjust in order to continuing providing you body what it needs. Fat people, smokers, people who's heart and lungs are used to making adjustments have no problem with this.

 

I'm a smoker, essentially for some period during and after a smoke my body is in a state of Hypoxia, essentially my heart and lungs have to do more work because I'm getting less oxygen per breath than normal. Clearly you can see how this is functionally the same as operating in a lower oxygen environment.

 

Generally very fit 20-30 year old males are most prone to real altitude sickness, for whatever reason their body simply does not adjust. Less oxygen gets to their system and things go downhill real fast. Telluride I know has a chamber for people who have altitude sickness, essentially you bring them down and then back up hopefully their body gets its act together and their fine.

 

Telluride was definitely one of the higher places I've skied. No altitude sickness there, but I was also 210 and out of shape when I skied there, not the in-shape 173lbs I am now, but at least JH is a lot lower.

[Quickturns]

I don't know if I buy the logic, but I do like the answer. Usually I am reasonably fit, but I am still recovering from ACL surgery in June and my cardio fitness is a bit pathetic at this point. I don't plan on hiking on this trip. More of an opportunity to explore so I know where to go when I come back for a longer stay.

 

These will be my first days on skis this winter so I don't plan on charging it too hard. I certainly want to maximize the amount of terrain that I am able to ski though, so I appreciate the tips on the early season conditions.

 

What is the likelyhood of the roads into Alta/SB being closed due to storms? Not too bad as it is too early in the season? I think I read somewhere that people had to leave Alta mid-day because the road was closing. I could imagine the opposite, where you couldn't get in from SLC in the morning due to a heavy snow overnight. I just wouldn't want to get stuck. Legit concern or not?

[Dan-]

As far as the roads being closed. It depends on if it snows, and how much, and at what time of the day.

[rummy]

As far as the roads being closed. It depends on if it snows, and how much, and at what time of the day.

 

True story-- Big Al's father died while at SLC one year. I volunteered to skip skiing that day to take him to the airport for a flight home. I took the rest of the crew up to Solitude that morning, and agreed to pick them up after my trip to the airport. It was snowing all day and the road up the canyon was being plowed regularly. On my trip up the canyon to pick them up around 3:30 there was about 8" on the road and snow was still coming down hard. Three times I had to avoid head-on collisions by out of control idiots, twice by getting into the passing lane and once by hanging in the gutter. I just kept my foot on the gas, if I would have hit the brakes I'm sure I would have crashed. When I got to the Solitude parking lot, I was shaking--I also had to check my skivvies for brown spots. The rest of the crew were all smiles however, because of the 18" of powder they skiied in all day. On the trip back down the canyon I didn't leave the parking lot until I could follow a plow/sand truck the entire way.

 

 

rummy

[SkiUtah]

True story-- Big Al's father died while at SLC one year. I volunteered to skip skiing that day to take him to the airport for a flight home. I took the rest of the crew up to Solitude that morning, and agreed to pick them up after my trip to the airport. It was snowing all day and the road up the canyon was being plowed regularly. On my trip up the canyon to pick them up around 3:30 there was about 8" on the road and snow was still coming down hard. Three times I had to avoid head-on collisions by out of control idiots, twice by getting into the passing lane and once by hanging in the gutter. I just kept my foot on the gas, if I would have hit the brakes I'm sure I would have crashed. When I got to the Solitude parking lot, I was shaking--I also had to check my skivvies for brown spots. The rest of the crew were all smiles however, because of the 18" of powder they skiied in all day. On the trip back down the canyon I didn't leave the parking lot until I could follow a plow/sand truck the entire way.

 

 

rummy

 

The canyon roads usually only close for two reasons: avalanch control or avalanch across the road. They may close for ten or twenty minutes occasionally for snow plowing in real heavy snow. I've heard every once in a great while it's taken a day or two to open the road because of a gigantic avalanch slide across the road.

It's the primary reson there were no olympic venues at the LCC BCC ski resorts.

 

When it is snowing hard up the canyon a sheriff's officer may be stationed at the entrance to the canyons to make sure you have snow tires or chains and four wheel drive.

 

 

 

New staging area

[Johnny Law]

What is the likelyhood of the roads into Alta/SB being closed due to storms? Not too bad as it is too early in the season? I think I read somewhere that people had to leave Alta mid-day because the road was closing. I could imagine the opposite, where you couldn't get in from SLC in the morning due to a heavy snow overnight. I just wouldn't want to get stuck. Legit concern or not?

 

Go early in the morning like 5am and you can beat a mandatory road closure, I leave the question of driving in it up to you. Bonus is you are one of 100 people skiing until the road opens.

 

I was interlodged only once so it doesn't happen all that often but essentially you have to hang out in the lodges for awhile until UDOT can clear the avy danger, I have heard stories of people staying over night but haven't actually meet anyone it has happened to. Honestly if it happens you should just be stoked about the snow.

[method9455]

Whats up with the snow this year? I know it will come eventually but I'm starting to get nervous. Nothing on the 15 day of any consequence. If you are planning a trip at what point do you decide to go elsewhere? I haven't put money down but I figure if there is still no snow 2 weeks before my trip, there won't be enough snow to make it worth the money.

[DHarrisburg]

It was pretty bad but it snowed last weekend and I guess it's puking at Brighton right now.

[Johnny Law]

Have faith the Great Salt Lake shall provide...