Alta/Snowbird 09/10 (Never too early...)

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powdurdog

New member
Hey Utah guys,

I'm pre-planning vacation time for next year. Looks like I have two one-week windows to choose for a trip to Alta/Snowbird. Unfortunately they are somewhat on the bookends of the prime ski season. One choice is the last week of December. The other is Easter week (3/28 - 4/3 next year).

I know conditions can vary significantly from year-to-year, but I may have to decide something fairly early. I'm thinking the risk of late December is lack of base if Nov/Dec has below-normal snowfall, and the risk of late March/early Apr is spring/variable snow conditions if we have a prolonged, stormless warm spell (like early March of this year). Which risk is lower on a multi-year statistical basis? (I'm leaning towards the late-March week, but that's only because we hit the jackpot on a late-March trip there this year.)

Crowds would be another issue, but I'm guessing both Christmas and Easter holiday periods will draw crowds, esp. to Snowbird.
 
powdurdog":2kqlad1f said:
Which risk is lower on a multi-year statistical basis? Crowds would be another issue, but I'm guessing both Christmas and Easter holiday periods will draw crowds, esp. to Snowbird.
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March, without a doubt.
Easter "crowds"? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Spring break weeks are distributed over 5-6 weeks of March/April, so crowds are not much of an issue. Christmas week is the busiest of the year. And in resorts prices will also be jacked up. That said, if you stay in SLC there won't be much if any bump in lodging prices. And in normal or better snow years the less popular Utah ski areas (BCC, Snowbasin, Powder Mt.) will still have decent snow and no crowd issues at Christmas.

But the question as posed? Christmas week vs. any other week from January to mid-April? No brainer IMHO to avoid Christmas week.
 
the only time i had any real crowds in december was the day after christmas at snowbasin. this wasn't your typical holiday season skiing was fantastic but there weren't the normal holiday season crowds (economy) wasn't good. i had the normal waist to chest deep christmas day with no one there. normally you don't get the same quality snow in march as december i'm not saying you won't but the odds are not as high. march bases are bigger due to the natural fact of march being further along into winter. bases in december if it's been snowing are generally good the terrain can be alot more rolling as everything is buried but not filled to the point of becoming a smooth face. (example) the upper cirque at the bird all of those chutes that time of the year are chutes this past weekend was the first weekend that the rock bands between each shot finally started to rear their ugly heads out of the snowso you have a distintive lines instead of one massive steeply pitched face. their are pros & cons about coming early or later . earlier you for sure will get a much steeper pitched run than later because of not being filled too capacity. but later you for sure will get boulavard wide filled shots that if it's been snowing won't be bumped can't say there won't be crowds march is a big month here for vacationers. ( tony you postedyour reply at 1:32 a.m. sat. morning wheres the love ) .
 
easter. i spent the last 10 days of april out there this year and was amazed at the overall quality ski experience. i did do mostly bc skiing, but had fun at the bird as well. april in the wasatch? i'm sold. even if conditions can be a little here and there. it seems pretty easy to find good snow everyday. i even had a blast on the groomers when the off trail was less than ideal.

have fun!

rog
 
Thanks for the responses guys. I'll probably go with late March/early Apr based upon the general consensus, although Bobby Danger raises some interesting issues about the pitch of a partially filled chute in Dec vs. March--maybe a little more challenge in Dec. (Although despite the powder dumps in late March this year when I was out there, I still managed to ding my skiis on rocks on the Cirque catwalk before dropping into one of the chutes--nobody warned me about that :? )
 
powdurdog":327mnir6 said:
...raises some interesting issues about the pitch of a partially filled chute in Dec vs. March--maybe a little more challenge in Dec.
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Perhaps somewhat. But more often than not, the chutes are closed in Dec. IIRC, they (actually only Main) were open maybe 3 or 4 days this past Dec. It's foolish to plan a Dec trip on the basis of the Baldy Chutes being open.

powdurdog":327mnir6 said:
Although despite the powder dumps in late March this year when I was out there, I still managed to ding my skiis on rocks on the Cirque catwalk before dropping into one of the chutes--nobody warned me about that :?
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It's always like that - all season.
The Cirque Traverse gets a lot of traffic, it's fairly technical, and many of our storms are accompanied by winds screaming out of the west. That sharp ridge at nearly 11K' got the same 600+" everywhere else did - until it got chewed by thousands of skis and board and the multiple 90mph wind events sent it all into the Cirque, or over Baldy into Alta, and in one memorable storm, probably Laramie WY.
 
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