Going to Utah for first time, lots of questions

[method9455]

Hey,

 

So I'm going out to Utah for Spring Break next year. Sunday March 25th - Saturday the 30th, skiing most likely Mon/Tues Thurs/Fri, maybe Wednesday but I bet a break will be appreciated. My girlfriend is going to college in Hawaii, I'm on the east coast flying out of Newark, so airfare is going to be a bitch, plus one of us will have to wait for the other so most likely no skiing that first sunday, or the saturday. Both of us are advanced riders for east coast conditions - ie no problem with any of the trails at Blue, Mountain Creek. I ride anything in Tremblant/Stratton/Mount Snow/Hunter (the only mountains I've been to north of PA/NJ) but she's never really had a shot at powder. I ride park, she does a few rails and jumps but like the smaller stuff at Blue not really anything over a 15 foot jump or a 20 foot rail. We'll be staying in bounds (considering she won't even see snow this winter beforehand).

 

I've researched a lot and decided on either Brighton or Park City. We're both 18 so no rental car.

 

One guy at my ski shop goes out to Utah all the time and he says he loves Brighton/Solitude, becuase Park City is over priced. BUT he does almost all of his stuff out of bounds, so he hikes out of Brighton/Solitude, which have good backcountry access I know. But I won't be doing that, and it looks like Brighton has much less vert and acrage compared to Park City. Any comments on that? Steeper groomed runs will probably be what we're looking for, and some powder thrown in. Definatlely skipping any begginer runs so looking for lots of runs that are like the blacks on the east coast, without the ice, which one has more terrain like that?

 

The second consideration is lodging. Brighton has a baseside room for 125 a night with lift ticket included, Park City has an resort room for 140 a night with lift tickets included, its 2 blocks from the lift. Thats about the distance I'm used to staying at Tremblant, and a walk is fine, so that is kind of a wash. However I think the room at Park City has a fireplace which is a big bonus to dry the equipment out since we'll be riding 4/5 days. So thats kind of a wash.

 

However the guy at work warned me food was mad expensive in Park City. Is that true, or can you get by on less? Plus I'm worried there doesn't look like there is any town at Brighton. While I'm not worried about finding clubs or nightlife really, it would be nice to have something to walk around a little for dinner since we won't have a car. What is the area around Brighton like?

 

Final question, can you take public transit from one mountain to the other? No matter where I go I'm going to spend one day at the other.

 

Sorry for the long post, its my first trip out west, its a hell of a lot of money, and the first time I get to see her in a lot of months (already in Hawaii) so I want to make it a good trip. Thanks for any advice.

[gcleary47]

i'm moving to park city in october. i'll try to past info for you as i get it

[Dan-]

I know Utah has a good public transportation system. Im not sure if you can get from one mountain to another, but if you can get to SLC you can definatly get to most of the mountains from the sytem there.

[method9455]

no steeze don't worry we get that one alot. just to put that to bed before the thread gets hijacked about it, we've been together for a long time, but me being in delaware, her in hawaii, in college, we know thats not going to work out so we're single now ( i just can't get my mindset off calling her my girlfriend), we just talk a few times a week, but i can do whatever i want at college, so we have no expectations, thus nothing ot fight over. Our going to Utah is 99.99 percent certain. Assuming we're both still breathing in March, we'll be there. Hell we already have $1500 each saved seperately from everything else just for this vacation. (Yea she snowboards well AND pays for things - come on I'll still be with her in March thats too good to be true)

 

The rest day is more likely the only day we won't ride first chair to last chair, more likely an afternoon ticket and i'll ride park and she can cruise short runs so we can catch up, don't worry I wouldn't waste a day away like that. My Tremblant trip I did 5 days straight first chair to last chair, actually we were literally first chair 3 days, and we would bring our lunch up on the last chair, snowboard down 100 feet or so, wait till the lift shut down and everyone was down, and go for an empty hill run down to the base area - but I'm not sure how her legs will be with 2 months of not snowboarding even with running/gym time so some rest has to be in there for her.

 

Anyway back to my questions - primarily, which has better steep groomed trails, is park city worth the extra money for the restaurents if we don't have a car, and it looks like the brighton/park city public transportiation issue is answered. i saw links to the public trans info, but the webiste was down so i wasn't sure.

[train36]

Go to Brighton, PC has more groomed trails but Brightons terrain is much, much better and they get a lot more snow. PC has a better night life but brighton is a much better resort. I was at 5 resorts when I was out there and PC was my least favorite.

[Timeless]

Hey,

 

So I'm going out to Utah for Spring Break ....I want to make it a good trip. Thanks for any advice.

 

OK, so I did almost this exact trip this year so here's my advice for what it's worth

 

You could (should?) comsider staying in SLC, if you choose your hotel carefully you can stay right on the bus route. The bus system is excellent and serves all of the big/little cottonwood canyon resorts and I believe you can even bus to PC. Hotels are cheap (>$70/night for a "suite") and the bus will get you to the resort for first lifts if you want. Also you can get cheaper tickets in the local stores ( I used canyon sports) than buying direct at the resorts.

 

SLC also gives you better options for eating out.

 

This gives you access to Solitude, Brighton, Snowbird (and Alta if you're skiers) and a longer ride to PC.

 

OK, as for resorts, you seem to be of a similar level to me so any of these resorts will offer you enough in-bounds stuff to keep you happy for at least a whole week at each (except maybe solitude), but I guarantee you will try some OOB's before you leave, it's just too accessible to miss out on.

 

If you are comfortable on anything blue/black at an east coast resort like Killington (rather than CB/Blue) then you will be OK on any of the blue stuff out there and most of the black. Just be aware that anything marked double black is for real and you might die basically double black means it could involve cliffs, trees, shutes, all of the above .

 

I didn't make it to snowbird, but I'm told it's more "expert" than the others. I'll try it next time I go.

 

You may get a more detailed picture from my posts when I was there, just search for "utah" in the old posts.

 

PC was definately worth a visit, but you don't really notice the extra vert over somewhere like Brighton.

 

The food at PC is very expensive.

 

The lifts at solitude are a little primitive.

 

If you stay at Brighton you can use the bus to get to solitude (or you can use the connecting trail but it's a bit flat for boards), but catching the bus back down to SLC and then back out again is going to be a pain. Brighton and solitude are both really nice but there won't be much to do in the evenings (but then as you will be making up for lost time that shouldn't be a problem.

 

Whatever you do you should have an awesome time, I hope to get back out there myself next spring.

[Glenn]

What's OOBs???

 

Out-of bounds sking/riding.

[Timeless]

O.K. I thought it was just OB...not OOB...word...

 

I'd stay within the ski resort boundary ropes...if you get injured out of bounds, you're responsible for your own rescue. At Jackson Hole there are several bowls and chutes on the south side of the resort past Rendevous bowl which look cool...but I'm sketched out to try without a knowledgeable guide because control work doesn't take place.

 

I've never skied in Utah before and Snowbird is the #1 place I want to visit in Utah...

 

 

Sorry for the confusion, maybe OoB would have been better.

 

The big difference out west, for me anyway, was the access to trees and cliffs and stuff in-bounds, there was more than enough "back country" riding which was easily lift serviced and not at all ski'd out.

[Timeless]

My favourite piture from the trip... I had to reduce the resolution to upload it from here.

 

It's brighton from Clayton peak, where some of my best runs came from.

 

Also, going back to the original post, it is practical to consider riding on the day you arrive, although the fact you won't have a car may prevent this.

 

 

 

 

 

O.K. I thought it was just OB...not OOB...word...

 

I'd stay within the ski resort boundary ropes...if you get injured out of bounds, you're responsible for your own rescue. At Jackson Hole there are several bowls and chutes on the south side of the resort past Rendevous bowl which look cool...but I'm sketched out to try without a knowledgeable guide because control work doesn't take place.

 

I've never skied in Utah before and Snowbird is the #1 place I want to visit in Utah...

 

 

Sorry for the confusion, maybe OoB would have been better.

 

The big difference out west, for me anyway, was the access to trees and cliffs and stuff in-bounds, there was more than enough "back country" riding which was easily lift serviced and not at all ski'd out.

 

I'm going to try and attach a big pic' from brighton to this post.

 

 

 

O.K. I thought it was just OB...not OOB...word...

 

I'd stay within the ski resort boundary ropes...if you get injured out of bounds, you're responsible for your own rescue. At Jackson Hole there are several bowls and chutes on the south side of the resort past Rendevous bowl which look cool...but I'm sketched out to try without a knowledgeable guide because control work doesn't take place.

 

I've never skied in Utah before and Snowbird is the #1 place I want to visit in Utah...

 

 

Sorry for the confusion, maybe OoB would have been better.

 

The big difference out west, for me anyway, was the access to trees and cliffs and stuff in-bounds, there was more than enough "back country" riding which was easily lift serviced and not at all ski'd out.

 

I'm going to try and attach a big pic' from brighton to this post.

[method9455]

Traversing I plan to do, I've seen pictures of a short hike off of millicent that leads to some cliff drops, I've never dropped anything more than like 8 feet so that might be worth a hike and my girlfriend doesn't have to go up with me for that. Timeless I saw your pictures when you posted them before and it was one of the reasons I really wanted to go to Utah becuase it looked so good. Thanks for the advice I'm going to look into SLC and busing, it should be about a half hour to the mountain right?

[Timeless]

Traversing I plan to do, I've seen pictures of a short hike off of millicent that leads to some cliff drops, I've never dropped anything more than like 8 feet so that might be worth a hike and my girlfriend doesn't have to go up with me for that. Timeless I saw your pictures when you posted them before and it was one of the reasons I really wanted to go to Utah becuase it looked so good. Thanks for the advice I'm going to look into SLC and busing, it should be about a half hour to the mountain right?

 

yep, about 30-40 minutes from the in-town bus stops. There is another park-and-ride right at the entrance to big cottonwood canyon, the locals said allow 30 minutes from arriving there.

 

If you are going to look at SLC, check out the local transit authority website (google search SLC bus routes) and find a hotel on the main routes, mine wasn't but I had a car. You need to be in a suburb / area called "Sandy" for your Hotel.

[Philpug]

The public trans could get snowed out, stay on the mountain. Most hotels have a shuttle to pick you up from the airport so no rental is needed. My choice would be to stay at Snowbird, huge hotel and you will get first tracks.

[method9455]

Hey all thanks for the advice, ended up booking a Condo in Park City. It was ski in/ski out Park City Mountain Resort, $200 a night total room+fees+tickets. Just getting transportation to and from the airport. I want to go hit brighton/snowbird/solitude another year but this is just my first trip out west, and I plan to take one annually from now until the day I die so the deal was good.