Advice on SLC

[johnnash]

My wife Sarah is doing her annual 3-day women's clinic in The Canyons starting next weekend. While she's busy with her girlfriends, I'm planning to hit the (other) canyons -- as in Cottonwood -- for a few days, then join her in PC. A bit of local wisdom on a few questions would be most welcome:
(1) Hoping to save a few bucks, I was poking around on the internet to see if there are any better deals for the PC resorts than the ones available at the sports shops in SLC. I see a reference to a couple of good deals on The Canyons and PCMR at Costco, but can't tell whether they are current. I tried calling Costco, but even going through their push-button menu, cannot get through to anyone who knows anything about tickets or travel of any kind. ](*,) Does anyone on FTOL know if these are still available?
(2) Hoping to save a few more bucks (actually a couple of hundred) I decided to rent a non-4WD car on this trip and use the ski bus if road conditions are bad in the CCs. I haven't tried this on previous trips so I'm just wondering if I need to worry about the park-and-ride lots at the mouths of BCC and LCC filling up, and if so, how early do I need to get there, and what is the fall-back plan if they are filled by the time I arrive?
(3) In the past, I’ve been tempted to try Catherine’s Area at Alta, which looks nice on the trail map, but as someone who doesn’t want to get involved with chutes or steep trees, I hesitate to commit to an area where I can’t see what I’m getting into (especially since Alta’s trail map doesn’t distinguish between single and double blacks!). So, what’s this area like? Is it just a steep bowl or more double-blackish?
(4) I’d be interested to hear whether others’ impressions of Snowbird and Snowbasin over the next few days are similar to rsmith’s report. If so, I might have to go to Snowbasin!
Thanks for any advice!

 

[Admin]

(1) No clue.
(2) Yes, the lots at the canyon mouths can fill up on a restricted day. Also, the buses can be already full on such days by the time they get to those lots. Consider larger lots slightly further out, like the one at 6200 S and Wasatch Blvd.
(3) There's nothing earth shattering in Catherine's area, much of it is intermediate.
(4) I have to disagree with rsmith's report. At the Bird, we found Great Scott to be divine, pool table-smooth edgeable chalk on Saturday, so good that I did it twice and Bobby Danger and Telejon did it 3x. Comma Chute was delightful. Yesterday I greatly enjoyed Harold's at Alta and Backside was very, very good. It's all about knowing where to go and which aspects to hit.

Besides, Alta's picked up 9" thus far from this new system with a stronger impulse overnight into tomorrow morning, so things are currently in flux.

 

[flyover]

wondering if I need to worry about the park-and-ride lots at the mouths of BCC and LCC filling up, and if so, how early do I need to get there, and what is the fall-back plan if they are filled by the time I arrive?

Don't know if the lots ever fill up, but had an experience on a powder day several years ago when numerous consecutive buses were full (and therefore refusing new riders) upon arrival at the lot, delaying the start of my ski day until mid-morning. Needless to say, that sucked. Maybe the locals can fill us in as to whether that was an anomaly, or whether it might be possible (and therefore, a better idea) to find some parking somewhere closer to the start of the bus routes up the canyons.

 

[rsmith]

(2) Hoping to save a few more bucks (actually a couple of hundred) I decided to rent a non-4WD car on this trip and use the ski bus if road conditions are bad in the CCs. I haven't tried this on previous trips so I'm just wondering if I need to worry about the park-and-ride lots at the mouths of BCC and LCC filling up, and if so, how early do I need to get there, and what is the fall-back plan if they are filled by the time I arrive?

The predicted small storms prior to this coming weekend seem unlikely to produce road conditions requiring 4WD up BCC/LCC. Snowbird was very empty yesterday (you could walk onto the tram nearly all-day) - if conditions continue to be sub-optimal the locals will not be skiing in force and catching a bus should be trivial. If storms are larger than predicted then I would suggest catching the bus at one of the ski shops along the bus route - convenient if you're buying tickets at the shop and below the canyon mouths where the buses may fill up. The only fall-back if buses are full is to drive back down the route and catch the next bus (but this seems unlikely given the circumstances).

(3) In the past, I’ve been tempted to try Catherine’s Area at Alta, which looks nice on the trail map, but as someone who doesn’t want to get involved with chutes or steep trees, I hesitate to commit to an area where I can’t see what I’m getting into (especially since Alta’s trail map doesn’t distinguish between single and double blacks!). So, what’s this area like? Is it just a steep bowl or more double-blackish?

I wouldn't even call Catherine's steep - it's mainly moderately pitched open trees with not that much vertical (but usually great snow since it requires a small uphill hike and traverse and it's at the very head of the canyon.) If you want to avoid chutes or other nastiness traversing all the way out to the Last Chance area will give you the mellowest ride. Others on this board know Alta much better than me (down to every square foot of terrain), but that's my impression.

(4) I’d be interested to hear whether others’ impressions of Snowbird and Snowbasin over the next few days are similar to rsmith’s report. If so, I might have to go to Snowbasin!

Alta seems to be the best bet. They're reporting 9", which is quite a bit more than anywhere else (Snowbird is only showing around 4" on their webcam). Snowbird really needs a good foot or more to provide sufficient cushion on top of the current hardpack. If they squeeze that much out of these little storms then it will be good for a few days. Otherwise, If you've never been, Snowbasin is a great experience almost regardless of snow conditions - the lodges, lifts and views are all excellent and the groomed runs are fun to blast down. My guess is that only Deer Valley groomers would be better in difficult snow conditions - Park City has too much skier traffic and the groomers in LCC/BCC are too short and disjointed in comparison (it's certainly not their bread-and-butter).

 

[johnnash]

Thanks to all for the very good, detailed, and fast(!) responses. Very helpful indeed. =D>

In case anyone is interested, not 5 minutes after I posted the question about the Costco tickets, someone on SLC Craigslist posted an ad wanting to split a book of PCMR tix from Costco, so apparently the deal is still on. A book of 5 is $250. The catch is that -- although you can use as many of them as you want at the same time (ie, for multiple skiers) -- the tickets have to be removed from the booklet by the agent at the ticket window, or they're invalid. I guess this is to make it harder to re-sell them. But this is certainly a good price if you don't have a season pass, and want to ski PCMR a few times.

 

[Marc_C]

(1) Hoping to save a few bucks, I was poking around on the internet to see if there are any better deals for the PC resorts than the ones available at the sports shops in SLC. I see a reference to a couple of good deals on The Canyons and PCMR at Costco, but can't tell whether they are current. I tried calling Costco, but even going through their push-button menu, cannot get through to anyone who knows anything about tickets or travel of any kind. ](*,) Does anyone on FTOL know if these are still available?

As you've discovered, it's still available. They also have tix for Snowbird and a few others. However, the off-mountain discount rates here are fixed - the prices are the same no matter where you buy them.

 

[Marc_C]

The predicted small storms prior to this coming weekend seem unlikely to produce road conditions requiring 4WD up BCC/LCC.

Incorrect. Just because it's not enough snow to close the canyon for avi control doesn't mean 4WD isn't needed. We've seen visiting morons in front WD with "all weather" tires turn the drive up canyon into a 60 minute fustercluck with as little as 2" of new. Don't underestimate how slick those 9% uphill grades can get. Toss in a few reducing-radius 90 degree turns and some black ice for added adventure.

 

[Tony Crocker]

My advice to johnnash, having skied with him at Mammoth, is that he would enjoy Snowbasin a lot, and Alta more than Snowbird. However his Alta experience would still benefit greatly from some local guidance.

 

[johnnash]

Thanks, Tony. Of course, over the years, I've skied all 3 of these multiple times -- Alta fewer than Snowbird or Snowbasin, since we've usually had a boarder in tow -- and love all of them. They've all got more than 600 feet vertical and REAL SNOW, which puts them head and shoulders over what I ski around DC :lol: Actually, as it turns out, on this trip Snowbasin is relatively less attractive, since I'm staying in Midvale and got a really good hotel package deal on tickets to the CC resorts -- works out to $40/ day for a Superpass with access to all 4 CC resorts and the ski bus. \/

 

[baldyskier]

Thanks, Tony. Of course, over the years, I've skied all 3 of these multiple times -- Alta fewer than Snowbird or Snowbasin, since we've usually had a boarder in tow -- and love all of them. They've all got more than 600 feet vertical and REAL SNOW, which puts them head and shoulders over what I ski around DC :lol: Actually, as it turns out, on this trip Snowbasin is relatively less attractive, since I'm staying in Midvale and got a really good hotel package deal on tickets to the CC resorts -- works out to $40/ day for a Superpass with access to all 4 CC resorts and the ski bus. \/

Is that deal open to the public? If so, would you post a link, please? Thx.

 

[johnnash]

The deal wasn't advertised in those terms (''$40/ day for a Superpass''), but after making reservations for an executive suite with kitchenette for 5 nights at $435 incl. tax), I asked about a ski package including 4 days Superpass, and was quoted a total price of $595. I corresponded with Kori Thompson, whose email address seems to indicate she's the asst. GM. Here's her contact info.

I made my original rez through the regular Super 8 website. BTW, this Super 8 Midvale gets fantastic reviews on Tripadvisor. And if you don't want the kitchen, their regular rooms are even cheaper.

agm.super8saltlake@gmail.com
Kori Thompson, AGM
Super 8 - Midvale
Ph: 801-255-5559

 

[Marc_C]

...since I'm staying in Midvale and got a really good hotel package deal on tickets to the CC resorts -- works out to $40/ day for a Superpass with access to all 4 CC resorts and the ski bus.

Is that deal open to the public? If so, would you post a link, please? Thx.

It's available only to visitors and only as part of a lodging package.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Alta fewer than Snowbird or Snowbasin, since we've usually had a boarder in tow

Then I would make the effort to spend more time at Alta on this trip. It does have a learning curve that increases one's enjoyment, and there are several people on FTO who could help you speed that up, a lot.