Powder Mountain?

johnnash

johnnash

New member
Hi,

We're in Salt Lake City, staying near the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon, and having a great time skiing the Cottonwood resorts (and today The Canyons). We're thinking about trying some place new for us, possibly Pow Mow, but since this is a bit of a hike, I wanted to see if anyone has recent firsthand experience there before we decide to drive it. Honestly, The Canyons was somewhat disappointing, due to some crusty conditions underneath the latest layer of powder. I don't want to exagerate this; it was only a problem on some runs, but still, it was somethng we haven't encountered this week at Snowbird, Solitude, or Brighton, due I suppose to their higher altitude. We found the same thing last year at Snowbasin, another relatively low mountain. Powder Mountain is also rather low, so I'm a bit afraid we might have this same problem there. Anyone have any information?

Thanks very much.
 
John, I'll have some first-hand insight after Friday. Will anyone else be up there that day?

I spoke with their marketing manager yesterday. She cautioned that while they're not in their prime yet (for example, Lightning Ridge isn't yet open for their snowcat skiing), we should still have a good day there Friday. Much of Snowbasin's surface condition is as much due to their eastern exposure as it is to their elevation. PowMow doesn't have that problem. (And, FWIW, the Park City areas suffer from a similar exposure problem on much of their terrain).

My desire to hit Powder Mountain on Friday is as much for a change of scenery as it is most likely that should we get a good amount of snow out of this storm tonight/tomorrow morning, I'll have a better chance of finding untracked there on Friday than I will in the Cottonwoods.
 
I'm going to express some skepticism here. The Ogden mountains have been shorted on snowfall during most of Utah's early season storms. I think Powder Mountain has a full range of exposures along with the lower altitude, and I suspect not a lot of grooming. I think it's best to take its name literally and go there when there's powder; it's probably not worth the schlep otherwise.

But since you have admin as a guinea pig tomorrow, I'd wait and see what he says, keeping in mind the difference in skiing preferences.

Of the Park City group, Deer Valley has the most north exposure if that's the issue. But I would think that's more a March issue than December. But Deer Valley's vaunted grooming reputation may make it better than Park City/Canyons anyway now. I think you would enjoy Deer Valley, if you don't mind dropping your kid off next door with his board.
 
I can?t comment on current conditions out there in UTAH, but Snowbasin was a great place to visit when you are looking to get away from the cottonwood canyons and park city areas. Powder Mt was also a nice change but would have been much better if there was powder. IMO both are well worth the extra drive time!
Just adding my 5 cents johnnash.
Have fun where ever you go!
 
I'm a fan of Snowbasin's terrain also. But we have been reading some mediocre reports from there this season. I think they need more snow.
 
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