UT this weekend
- Thread starter skimore
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Texastrips
New member
We were just in Utah last week skiing with two kids. We stayed at Solitude for the third year but went up to Brighton for one day for the first time:
1) Kids 7-10 at Brighton are now $10/day and not free.
2) Too many snowboarders but mostly at the bottom onto the Majestic lift because of the terrain parks. We skied with the kids off Snake Creek (a green available all the way back if your kids can't ski blue) and Millicent - much less hassle although still some.
3) Our kids who are skiers really had fun skiing in and out of the trees and with the little jumps etc. They liked watching the snowboarders on the terrain park from the Majestic Lift too. Great views but otherwise not so interesting for parents, but we had fun with the kids. When you're skiing with kids, that will limit your options anyway.
4) We had the Ski Salt Lake super passes and I thought the Snowbird deal did not apply to a kid's free ticket as the parent does not buy a full price ticket with the Superpass but you could call them and see.
5) If you put the kids in ski school for the day, you could pop over to Solitude (two minutes in the car) and ski there for the day for a bit of parental variety.
All in all, I wouldn't want to ski there everyday but it was really a good family day, and we would definitely ski one day there again.
Also we used to live in Boston and I disagree completely that Brighton's no better than skiing in the East ... you must be joking.
So I think an east coast family can have a lot of fun there for one trip. The Super Pass is a great deal by the way.
1) Kids 7-10 at Brighton are now $10/day and not free.
2) Too many snowboarders but mostly at the bottom onto the Majestic lift because of the terrain parks. We skied with the kids off Snake Creek (a green available all the way back if your kids can't ski blue) and Millicent - much less hassle although still some.
3) Our kids who are skiers really had fun skiing in and out of the trees and with the little jumps etc. They liked watching the snowboarders on the terrain park from the Majestic Lift too. Great views but otherwise not so interesting for parents, but we had fun with the kids. When you're skiing with kids, that will limit your options anyway.
4) We had the Ski Salt Lake super passes and I thought the Snowbird deal did not apply to a kid's free ticket as the parent does not buy a full price ticket with the Superpass but you could call them and see.
5) If you put the kids in ski school for the day, you could pop over to Solitude (two minutes in the car) and ski there for the day for a bit of parental variety.
All in all, I wouldn't want to ski there everyday but it was really a good family day, and we would definitely ski one day there again.
Also we used to live in Boston and I disagree completely that Brighton's no better than skiing in the East ... you must be joking.
So I think an east coast family can have a lot of fun there for one trip. The Super Pass is a great deal by the way.
NeedhamSkier
New member
Thanks for all the replies.
With the additional cost for the kids at Brighton the field is a little more even, so I think our plan now is to buy the Super Pass and try Solitude, Brighton and Snowbird for a day each, and then go back to the one we like best on the last day. I guess Snowbird would be better on a weekday not Saturday (we are skiing Weds - Sun)
The question about ski school was with regard to putting kids in ski school - they'll probably ski with us all day for a couple of days and we'll put them in school the other two, mainly so we have a couple of hours to ski fast and explore a bit. So the question was whether any of those three areas have kids ski school which are way better than the others, or whether they are all pretty similar.
With the additional cost for the kids at Brighton the field is a little more even, so I think our plan now is to buy the Super Pass and try Solitude, Brighton and Snowbird for a day each, and then go back to the one we like best on the last day. I guess Snowbird would be better on a weekday not Saturday (we are skiing Weds - Sun)
The question about ski school was with regard to putting kids in ski school - they'll probably ski with us all day for a couple of days and we'll put them in school the other two, mainly so we have a couple of hours to ski fast and explore a bit. So the question was whether any of those three areas have kids ski school which are way better than the others, or whether they are all pretty similar.
Texastrips
New member
Ski school - we have nothing to compare it to in the west as our kids otherwise had ski lessons in the east, but we have been very happy with the ski school at Solitude. Our kids have learnt a lot and had a blast.
I would think where depends how your kids ski - if they are pretty strong blue run skiers, they can ski with you a lot of interesting places, and the ski school at Brighton is cheaper than the others I think. If they are green only or only some blue skiers, you might want to put them in ski school at a place where there's less option for skiers at that level than Brighton and ski with them at Brighton.
I would think where depends how your kids ski - if they are pretty strong blue run skiers, they can ski with you a lot of interesting places, and the ski school at Brighton is cheaper than the others I think. If they are green only or only some blue skiers, you might want to put them in ski school at a place where there's less option for skiers at that level than Brighton and ski with them at Brighton.
I am an Eastern skier who has fond memories of Brighton. I think it's under-rated.
Certainly, it has a big boarder scene, although in the East we are used to big boarder and skier scenes (read: crowded) here on the weekends, during half-decent winters (not this one or last!). But I really enjoyed the trees of the Western Express and the Snake Creek Express, the powder hangs around for days after a storm in those trees becuase the boarders don'r ride much of the gladed stuff at Brighton. A big reason for that is that the terrain does, unfortunately, flatten out 2/3 of the way down the hill and you frequently do have to "walk" out the woods to the trail system. But it stays really nice in there!
Brighton is old school, which I appreciate. Just a ski area, one overnite lodge, one day lodge, some services, that's about it. As far as it being like an eastern mountain, that's true to some degree, although it CERTAINLY gets a lot more snow than we do out East. And the Milli area feels more western/open type skiing, although for whatever reason I usually found the better snow conditions on the "main face" of Brighton, for lack of a better term.
And if you;re lucky, like I was, a local will show you some backcountry stuff off the Western Express. I got knee-thigh deep stuff in the trees before fairly easily cutting back to the trail system. The local kept going, telling me it would eventually deposit him out by the general store, if I remember correctly.
You probably wouldn;t fly out to SLC just for Brighton, but it's still a really good option on wknds when the LCC areas are busy. Also a good option 2 days or more after a storm, when other areas can get tracked out
Certainly, it has a big boarder scene, although in the East we are used to big boarder and skier scenes (read: crowded) here on the weekends, during half-decent winters (not this one or last!). But I really enjoyed the trees of the Western Express and the Snake Creek Express, the powder hangs around for days after a storm in those trees becuase the boarders don'r ride much of the gladed stuff at Brighton. A big reason for that is that the terrain does, unfortunately, flatten out 2/3 of the way down the hill and you frequently do have to "walk" out the woods to the trail system. But it stays really nice in there!
Brighton is old school, which I appreciate. Just a ski area, one overnite lodge, one day lodge, some services, that's about it. As far as it being like an eastern mountain, that's true to some degree, although it CERTAINLY gets a lot more snow than we do out East. And the Milli area feels more western/open type skiing, although for whatever reason I usually found the better snow conditions on the "main face" of Brighton, for lack of a better term.
And if you;re lucky, like I was, a local will show you some backcountry stuff off the Western Express. I got knee-thigh deep stuff in the trees before fairly easily cutting back to the trail system. The local kept going, telling me it would eventually deposit him out by the general store, if I remember correctly.
You probably wouldn;t fly out to SLC just for Brighton, but it's still a really good option on wknds when the LCC areas are busy. Also a good option 2 days or more after a storm, when other areas can get tracked out
Snowbird has a superb ski school. My timeshare friends have had their kids there over the past 20+ years. My kids both rate it highly.
I would inquire ahead about whether the kid free tickets apply to anything other than a standard Snowbird ticket. But also recall that a standard Snowbird ticket without tram is not that much more than the other Cottonwood areas. The Park City region day tickets are more expensive. Presumably you've read here about the Canyon Sports discount tickets also.
I would inquire ahead about whether the kid free tickets apply to anything other than a standard Snowbird ticket. But also recall that a standard Snowbird ticket without tram is not that much more than the other Cottonwood areas. The Park City region day tickets are more expensive. Presumably you've read here about the Canyon Sports discount tickets also.
NeedhamSkier
New member
You guys are awesome - thanks again for all the info!
Just called Snowbird and they reassured me that the kids deals (free under 6, $10 for age 7-10) also apply if you have the Super Pass, so we will definitely be heading up there for at least one day. The kids will be skiing with us that day, though - Snowbird only takes kids in ski school for the whole day and the price is $125-160 depending on their age (ouch!)
Solitude is $55 and Brighton is $40 for half-days, just as an FYI for any other parents who may be reading. As with everything, I'm sure you get what you pay for, but for this year at least the kids will be learning in Big Cottonwood...
Just called Snowbird and they reassured me that the kids deals (free under 6, $10 for age 7-10) also apply if you have the Super Pass, so we will definitely be heading up there for at least one day. The kids will be skiing with us that day, though - Snowbird only takes kids in ski school for the whole day and the price is $125-160 depending on their age (ouch!)
Solitude is $55 and Brighton is $40 for half-days, just as an FYI for any other parents who may be reading. As with everything, I'm sure you get what you pay for, but for this year at least the kids will be learning in Big Cottonwood...