Snow Basin or Powder Mountain?
- Thread starter andyzee
- Start date
Marc_C
Active member
I pretty much agree with everything that's been said about Powder Mountain. I'll add:
- Yep, a great place to get away from the crowds in the Cottonwoods.
- Yes, you can still find un/lightly tracked powder days after a storm and every potential nook and cranny at AltaBird has been hammered....provided the sun and temperatures and low elevation and winds haven't turned it into rebaked custard.
- No, for the most part you won't find the sustained (or butt-clenchingly scary) steeps that abound elsewhere. (Unless you're willing to do some serious side country hiking/ski mountaineering.)
- Consider why it's off the radar for so many locals - here are two hints:
90 minutes vs 30
Excerpt from today's avi forecast:
Storm totals in the Ogden, Provo and parts of the Cottonwoods are generally around 10?, with up to an inch of water. However, upper Little Cottonwood, enjoying the northwest flow, easily double that number, coming with 26? of snow and 1.34? of water.
You buys yer ticket and takes yer chances!
- Yep, a great place to get away from the crowds in the Cottonwoods.
- Yes, you can still find un/lightly tracked powder days after a storm and every potential nook and cranny at AltaBird has been hammered....provided the sun and temperatures and low elevation and winds haven't turned it into rebaked custard.
- No, for the most part you won't find the sustained (or butt-clenchingly scary) steeps that abound elsewhere. (Unless you're willing to do some serious side country hiking/ski mountaineering.)
- Consider why it's off the radar for so many locals - here are two hints:
90 minutes vs 30
Excerpt from today's avi forecast:
Storm totals in the Ogden, Provo and parts of the Cottonwoods are generally around 10?, with up to an inch of water. However, upper Little Cottonwood, enjoying the northwest flow, easily double that number, coming with 26? of snow and 1.34? of water.
You buys yer ticket and takes yer chances!
tirolerpeter
New member
Marc_C":uyvp4nbp said:
Marc_C, Andy is traveling with his wife. That is why I suggested the HOV lane. We are used to those restrictions here in the east also.
Well, did Powder mountain today, thanks to everyone for advising we take the cat. It was late starting this morning due to avalanche control, as a result we got the second cat up. The untracked powder was probably the best I ever skied! Not sure, but may hit Snowbasint tomorrow, anyone know what the conditions are like? If not great I may go elswhere and save Snowbasing for the middle of the week.
Admin":33a19amw said:andyzee":33a19amw said:
Quick report with some pics here: http://forums.alpinezone.com/14169-powd ... -07-a.html
Well, hit Snowbasin today. Is that a lodge or is that like the Waldorf Astoria? Unbelievable. Bottom line loved the lodge and service never seen anything like this before. The mountain wasn't dissapointing, however first thing in the morning, the left over powder was a little choppy and nothing all that special. We mostly did lap off the gondi, the Strawberry whatever section (memory is getting bad at my age) was closed. Later in the afternoon, we took the John Paul lift up. By this time the snow accumilations had started growing, it was snowing most of the day. We found ourselves in some of the best pow conditions yet, the trails there were excellent and in the end we all walked out with big smiles on our face. We may hit Snowbasin again before we leave Saturday. Once again, thanks for all the great advise.
tirolerpeter
New member
Andy, nobody actually believes what the Snowbasin lodges are like until they actually visit. How did you like the food? Did you take a run from the top of the tram? That first 500' is a rip!
tirolerpeter":1hd9bsv4 said:
Didn't see a tram, Ithink it may have been closed. I do remember seeing it on the map though. The crew I was with weren't to adventurous, they were happy doing blues off the gondi. After lunch they got out different skis and the snow had accumulated pretty good, so I got them to go up the John Paul. They were on happy bunch after doing that! Peter, thanks for constanly harpin on me
to go to Snowbasin, you were right, great mountain!
The tram was open for maybe an hour when I was there Feb. 18, and Strawberry not at all.
My personal opinion is not to look on Snowbasin as a powder spot. Look for a nice weather day when all the lifts are running and rack up some vertical. During storms Solitude, Powder Mt., even some of the Park City areas are more sheltered and will be less subject to lift closures.
My personal opinion is not to look on Snowbasin as a powder spot. Look for a nice weather day when all the lifts are running and rack up some vertical. During storms Solitude, Powder Mt., even some of the Park City areas are more sheltered and will be less subject to lift closures.
tirolerpeter
New member
If you get back to Snowbasin during this trip, do check on whether the Tram is running, and take it to the top. It is a rip to take that first 500' of vertical whether or not it is powder or groomed.
We regular Utah visitors can get corrupted too, though not as much as admin and his local posse. John Paul has nice upper terrain, but the lower part was weedy and didn't look like much fun when I was there. And I was very impressed by Solitude for storm day skiing. I had not been to Solitude for 9 years and arrived there late on President's Day, yet I managed to score a decent quota of untracked snow.
So far we've been to Solitude, Powder Mountain, Snowbasin, and Snowbird. Still plan on going to Alta, tomorrow and then we'll probably repeat a couple of the above befor heading home on Saturday. Normally when I ask my wife where she wants to go, she just leaves it up to me. This time when I asked her which ones she'd like to repeat, she didn't hesitate with her reply. Her choice, cat skiing at Powder, she loved it!