Snowbasin, UT 03/30/09

[jamesdeluxe]

13 inches overnight did the trick: knee- to thigh-deep cash money straight through to closing bell. I was so busy trying to pillage as much as possible, I only took a few pix, but it was a great one. If I lived here, Snowbasin would get my season pass vote.

Excellent/not overpriced eats at Snowbasin:

 

[Tony Crocker]

If I lived here, Snowbasin would get my season pass vote.

You might not have said that 2 weeks ago. The spring transition in warm weather is very swift with the low altitude and east exposure. But that's very high terrain quality for no competition on a powder day. Castle Mt. would be the only place comparable that I can think of.

Even if I had an AltaBird pass it would be worth spending the $55 or whatever for a day like that. I think BobbyD has Altabird and Snowbasin passes, and he knows the Wasatch inside out as much as anyone I've ever met.

For you easterners who ](*,) when local conditions are not cooperative, take note of james' example here for future reference.

 

[Admin]

I think BobbyD has Altabird and Snowbasin passes, and he knows the Wasatch inside out as much as anyone I've ever met.

Nope, he buys Snowbasin day tix, which I've never understood given the number of days per year he spends there.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Nope, he buys Snowbasin day tix, which I've never understood given the number of days per year he spends there.

I don't know how many days that is (break-even vs. ski shop price is about 20 days I think), but when storm totals are adequate and not that different from LCC it makes perfect sense to me.

 

[flyover]

I was so busy trying to pillage as much as possible

Let me guess . . . Powder Mountain on Tuesday?

I don't know how sunny it has been since the Sunday night snowfall, but it looks like temps have been unseasonably cold.

 

[rfarren]

It looks a bit too crowded for me. :wink:

 

[jamesdeluxe]

If I lived here, Snowbasin would get my season pass vote.

You might not have said that 2 weeks ago. The spring transition in warm weather is very swift with the low altitude and east exposure.

I've skied there in all kinds of conditions, from spring slop to top-to-bottom hockey-rink ice (Jan 2003 when I broke my leg), so I'm aware that things are a lot more tempermental than in the Cottonwoods. The Maggots are always posting incredible pix of Snowbasin on big snow days, but I never got the timing right... getting my first powder day there was long overdue.

The tradeoff for the pitch/flat/pitch/flat that people bitch about is how big and varied it is. It seems to have everything covered terrain-wise -- chutes, cirques, and bowls at the very top for the hardcores, and gullies, meadows, and skiable trees everywhere else.

Sunday night, I asked Admin's Serbian guests if they wanted to come with me to SB today, but they took his ill-advised suggestion to go, where else, to LCC.

 

[Tony Crocker]

pitch/flat/pitch/flat

That would be BCC. Snowbasin is noted for the long fall lines; that's why they put the downhill there.

getting my first powder day there was long overdue.

I haven't had one either, but I intend to be on the lookout when I'm in SLC, especially if BobbyD is available as tour guide. :mrgreen:

they took his ill-advised suggestion to go, where else, to LCC.

Do we know how ill-advised? Will we get a report on that?

 

[Admin]

Do we know how ill-advised? Will we get a report on that?

Sima referred to it as his best day ever. They timed rope drops all day at Snowbird. FYI, Road to Provo and Mineral Basin never opened.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Snowbasin is noted for the long fall lines; that's why they put the downhill there.

Mr. Danger will have to give the expert opinion, but you're thinking of the terrain alongside the John Paul chair, which is sustained. The other 3/4 (below the double-black stuff up top) is mainly pitch/flat. It doesn't bother me, but most LCCers wah wah about it.

Do we know how ill-advised? Will we get a report on that?

We all know that Admin knows how to get maximum bang for the buck once he's on the snow , but idling in traffic for 60-90 minutes or more, and then being part of a long line of cars crawling through the canyon would be a huge buzzkill for me. We all have things that drive us nuts -- dealing with crowds, even if it's only on the way up, is one of mine. When I arrived at both Solitude and Snowbasin, I was about the 20th car... that's the way I like it. I'll trade off in other areas if I can avoid hordes.

 

[Tony Crocker]

jamesdeluxe's advice for tourists staying in SLC on powder days is well taken IMHO. Hopefully I will get more opportunities like March 10 in LCC when I'm staying at the Iron Blosam.

They timed rope drops all day at Snowbird. FYI, Road to Provo and Mineral Basin never opened.

So they can go back and get those today, like we did March 11.

 

[Bobby Danger]

headed up there today with skidog for some april FOOLS pow ! today is day 60 of which I think is about day 25 or 26 at snowbasin which is about day 24 of pure pow at snowbasin untracked. was there on sunday there was an alpine slalom race for eleven to fifteen year olds compressed into a small area of the mtn. other than that there might have been 15 people for serviceing the other four thousand acres. rode the jp chair by myself until noon according to the summit folks at jp. skied one needles out of the gate & 7 jp's by noon COMPLETELY untracked. my own private idaho.I'm telling you people the price you pay for a discount ticket 52 dollars can easily be justifed in a single run or two of 2800verts untracked.

 

[Tony Crocker]

2800verts untracked

A slight exaggeration, as the bottom 1/4 of John Paul is somewhat of a PITA schlep back to the base. But less of a PITA than Catherine's/Patsy Marley which gets you maybe 1/3 as much fall-line vertical of pow. If I'm ever in SLC on one of these days, I'm going with BobbyD!

 

[Marc_C]

But less of a PITA than Catherine's/Patsy Marley which gets you maybe 1/3 as much fall-line vertical of pow.

That's 'cause you keep following Admin around and with the combo you reference above, I agree. He drags you out there because:
* he likes it
* he's trying to give you untracked
* he likes to show off local knowledge (since many/most visitors don't know how to get there unless they follow someone)

If you don't mind cut-up powder, there are far more interesting options. If you really want a *lot* of untracked in LCC, you need to go back-country. Of course if you do that, your vert for the day plummets. It's that pesky quality over quantity thing again.

 

[Tony Crocker]

If you really want a *lot* of untracked in LCC, you need to go back-country.

I'm surprised MarcC missed our March 8 White Pine adventure. :lol:

It's that pesky quality over quantity thing again.

From what I see, BobbyD is getting an abundance of both.

 

[Marc_C]

If you really want a *lot* of untracked in LCC, you need to go back-country.

I'm surprised MarcC missed our March 8 White Pine adventure. :lol:

It's that pesky quality over quantity thing again.

From what I see, BobbyD is getting an abundance of both.

In my post I was referring specifically to LCC. You even quoted the pertinent line.
I'm not discounting the appeal of copious lift-served untracked at Snowbasin when conditions are right.

 

[jtran10]

2800verts untracked

A slight exaggeration, as the bottom 1/4 of John Paul is somewhat of a PITA schlep back to the base. But less of a PITA than Catherine's/Patsy Marley which gets you maybe 1/3 as much fall-line vertical of pow. If I'm ever in SLC on one of these days, I'm going with BobbyD!

Bottom 1/4? :^o

Suure. :lol:

 

[Bobby Danger]

boot top to knee deep allday. got some nice pix skidogs going to post later. i'm not sure how well tony knows his way out of the bottom of no name. right now there's probably half a dozen ways to easily get out of the trees to the parking lot. no one at strawberry - short line at mt. allen tram onlt loading the right hand car with seven or eight people plus the operator. to much snow at the summit station in the left hand side toload that car with anyone. a

 

[Harvey]

For you easterners who ](*,) when local conditions are not cooperative, take note of james' example here for future reference.

This makes me chuckle.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

take note of james' example

This makes me chuckle.

Chuckle? It's the first thing he's said in weeks that I agreed with.