Utah 3-Day Weekend Suggestions?

[TRWstock]

Hi,

Myself (advanced snowboarder) and 2 friends (advanced skiers) will be heading to Utah for a 3-day weekend from January 30th - Feb 1st. I was wondering if anyone would care to share some suggestions to my proposed itinerary. I know snow conditions will play a major role in which resorts to choose, but assuming neutral or similar fresh snow for all main resorts, any help deciding would be super helpful. Last time I was in Utah (when I used to ski) was back in 2005 and I thoroughly enjoyed Snowbird, The Canyon's, and Deer Valley. This go around I was thinking of the following:

Day 1: Friday - Snowbird. A must do for my friends who haven't been to Utah yet. Plus, they can get the combined Alta ticket to check that out as well. I was thinking Friday, so lines/crowds will be less. True?

Day 2: Saturday - Snowbasin. I have been dying to get to this reort. Terrain looks amazing, sounds like crowds are non-existent, and it looks like you can really max out vertical there with all high speeds, etc. If trekking up here, should I consider Powder mtn instead, though?

Day 3: Sunday - Solitude (or Brighton)? I have never been to the Big Cottonwood canyon, but these resorts look like small gems! I can't decide between either. Pro's/Con's with each? Does the Honeycomb Canyon match it's hype? Either resort have better tree skiing or bumps (both major plusses)?

Thanks so much!
Todd

 

[Admin]

Hoo boy. Three days? So much to ride, so little time.

AltaBird is the obvious answer, and you've hit on the ability for your buds to explore Alta while they're here. But one day? For 4700 combined acres? :shock: They'll be spending their time traveling rather than skiing.

Snowbasin? You've described it well, but the Ogden Valley really deserves a day each at Snowbasin and Powder Mountain. Personally I'd hit these over BCC, but others will disagree.

Browse these forums -- you'll find tons of similar requests for info and answers.

 

[rfarren]

Whatever you do, don't go to Alta. :wink: Spend all your time at Park City.

Just joking, seriously Alta/Bird is the best place to ski in the world!

 

[icelanticskier]

what the others said. enough in lcc for 3 days easy. you'd be bored with bcc for sure, the terrain and snow pale in comparison and it's more crowded on powder days. have fun, i'll be out there during the same time frame unless it's dumping here.
rog

 

[Admin]

what the others said. enough in lcc for 3 days easy. you'd be bored with bcc for sure, the terrain and snow pale in comparison and it's more crowded on powder days.

Smarta$$.

Like I said, "Others will disagree."

 

[Tony Crocker]

I second admin's suggestion to check out Snowbasin and Powder Mt. on the weekend days. These areas have an issue with snow preservation if it's warm, but your time frame is prime for them most seasons. I also agree that their terrain is better than BCC even if their snow is not.

While LCC is the crown jewel of North American lift service IMHO, it is SO reliable that the occasional visitor to Utah should always be there in early/late season, and perhaps should be more inclined to mix it up during the core of the season when it's good everywhere.

 

[sszycher]

I must now fulfill my holy duty to defend BCC.

-Compared to when I 1st strating visiting UT in the early 90's, both LCC resorts can get pretty crowded on weekends, so BCC is certainly an option if things are tracked out in LCC. Trust me, you can find stashes in BCC several days after a storm (no the trrain is not as good, but if your group is willing to sacrifice terrain for untracked pow, it's worth considering).

-If you get unlucky and find yourself out there during a low-snow period (it can and does happen!!), I have found Brighton to offer reasonably good packed pow conditions.

-Trust me, there's plenty of terrain in BCC to keep Easterners happy. Under-rated tree skiing at Brighton (although some of the run-outs will be quite annoying for boarders), and Honeycomb Canyon at the 'Tude will leave you with smiles.

The good news is that, if you are staying in greater SLC (I'm including the valley towns of Midvale & Sandy in that definition), you have a lot of flexibility as far as what you want to do. I would strongly consider locking into LCC on Friday, but then play it by ear the following 2 days.

 

[Admin]

Compared to when I 1st strating visiting UT in the early 90's, both LCC resorts can get pretty crowded on weekends

As a weekend warrior who's been coming out here for a similar amount of time, and who now lives here, I have to respectfully disagree with this statement. You've got to know how to play it, for we seldom spend more than 3-4 minutes in line all weekend. The installation of the Sunnyside detachable, the Sugarloaf high speed, and especially the new Collins lift at Alta has totally transformed the place. Gone are the days of 45-minute Germ laps. Over at Snowbird you now have all of Mineral Basin and its two high-speed lifts to disperse the crowds. And it's not just uphill that's better -- again, if you really know how to play it, you can find your own stashes for the downhill as well.

That's not to detract from your points on BCC -- I agree with all. I take issue only with the above-quoted statement.

I'm fortunate enough to have the privilege of skiing pretty much anywhere I want here each weekend, but 90% of the time you'll find me at AltaBird.

 

[jasoncapecod]

We all love Alta and the Bird , but is it wise for a bunch of flatlanders to rush up to LCC on their first day. Especially if they catch the 1st flight out of NYC they might be leaving their bagels and coffee all over Alta... :-&

 

[Admin]

We all love Alta and the Bird , but is it wise for a bunch of flatlanders to rush up to LCC on their first day. Especially if they catch the 1st flight out of NYC they might be leaving their bagels and coffee all over Alta... :-&

Altitude affects everyone a bit differently. Fortunately, even LCC is much lower than Colorado resorts -- lifts at Alta top out at 10,600 and the base is 8,530. The base of, say, Breckenridge is nearly as high as Alta's summit.

As has been said here many times before, to lower your risk:

• Lay off the sauce and caffeine until you're acclimated.
• Drink as much water as you can stomach for a good five days before departure, and continue after you arrive.
• Get ample sleep.

Someone like my wife has been horrendously affected, even when following these protocols. Others I've seen out-hike me on the day of their arrival. There's no way to predict it, either -- I've seen some marathon runners drop on their first day here, while the most out-of-shape couch potatoes often do fine.

 

[Tony Crocker]

i agree with admin's above comments. Most skiers should know from their prior visits to western resorts what their altitude sensitivity is. In the scenario of this thread the advice to hit one of the LCC resorts on the Friday is sound for the average experienced skier. if you know that you're more sensitive, you may want to go somewhere lower and mellower (ie Park City group) the first day.

I agree with the BCC comments about crowd avoidance, but when it comes to low skier density Powder Mt. is almost in a class by itself.

With regard to LCC weekend crowds, I agree with admin that in terms of liftlines they are noticeably lower than in the 1980's and 1990's due to lift upgrades. However admin's ability to score powder stashes is due to detailed local knowledge. Unless you're skiing with a similar local, first time Utah skiers looking for fresh are probably better off in BCC than LCC on a weekend. I would quote my President's Day 2007 at Solitude as Exhibit A. I was on my own all day and did not get there until 10:15AM (no chains on car rental, had to use UTA bus), yet managed 23K of which 13K was powder, with at least some fresh tracks on every run. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2870

 

[rfarren]

We all love Alta and the Bird , but is it wise for a bunch of flatlanders to rush up to LCC on their first day. Especially if they catch the 1st flight out of NYC they might be leaving their bagels and coffee all over Alta... :-&

I've done that a few times and never left a bagel on the mountain!!! That is because the flight leaves so early, I'm often not even hungry yet, and because the altitude is not so bad. Lets get something straight, no place in Utah is like Breck in terms of altitude.

I often use the first day to do something other than LCC because I stay at the mouth of the valley, so it is worthwhile to try some of the other places. However, if the trip is in march I would recommend avoiding all place but LCC because the snow quality is often less than great at the other/lower places.

 

[icelanticskier]

some good points mentioned by all parties here. i must confess much to the "not surprise" of many here that i do prefer bcc to lcc and have since i last worked at alta in 1996 which was also the last time i skied alta. i don't consider faster lifts to cut down on liftline minutes as an advantage cuz it just means that stuff is gonna get skied harder and faster. so, when i'd wake up at the alta lodge on a midweek pow morning and see the lines forming WAYYYY before first chair cuz half of the valley took a sick/pow day, i'd roll my eyes, then roll over and just go touring, or get out there," with a plan", hit some stuff then spend the day in mineral basin by myself skiing untracked all day, as that silly lift wasn't even a thought back then. the lift lines could be long often, but the good snow lasted longer as a result. i'd rather spend more time on a lift and get 7 completely untracked runs in, "with a plan", cuz it is the all holy alta of course, then to have to rush around for 4 untracked runs cuz stuffs gettin hit so fast. i think admin spends alot of time there cuz he likes it, knows it and his buddies ski there often.

in bcc, one of the nice things is you don't have to have "a plan" to ski untracked for most of the day, especially at solitude.
i was there on a sunday late last jan on a pow day and the place was empty, completely untracked all day except for the last few hundred vert at the bottom to get to the lifts. it's just a different vibe over there and that's what turned me onto it. it's alot less dude/bro/brah then lcc. lcc is great on all levels for those that are into what it offers, but i'm all set, good touring over there though, even if a bit crowded most days. in my last two trips totalling 18 days to the wasatch, it only snowed on 3 of em, so i spent those at solitude. the rest of the days i toured and never crossed a track. so funny that my powder day percentage is much greater in the east than my last two trips to the wasatch, but there's always good untracked snow there. one thing i'll avoid next time though. the next time that lcc is closed and bcc is open, i'm staying way away from solitude cuz all of the lcc skiers come over and it's an altabird frenzy for the day. i'll hit deer valley on those days if i'm not touring cuz there's just so much damn terrain there and people don't go there to ski powder and it's killer on a pow day. believe me. unreal. expensive, yes, but i'll pay the price for all day perfection every time.

well, there's the straight dope from me. i can't say anything for pow mow or snowbasin as i don't ski over there.
have fun
rog

 

[sszycher]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the the new lifts at Alta/Bird. But, as was mentioned, I was thinking more about the general scene, i.e. skier per acre ratio.

And didn't some Norwegian fellow once say something like:

"Too many skiers ruin the skiing. Alta is for skiers."

if I remember correctly from my "Powderhounds Guide to Alta", which is now being advertised on this forum.

 

[salida]

Alright - dribble this drabble that.

Why do people come to Utah? For the snow - it ain't cause they love 3.2 beer, like to wait in liftlines, or rush around with plans to be the other powder hungry skiers.

So - where might that leave us. Even in my trips here in the past, and my experience in the past few months, it absolutely snows more in LCC than anywhere else in the wasatch. The occassional storm might leave other places with higher accums, but in general LCC gets more snow.

Same as in NE, you can ski all over the place, but when the drum roll comes in the Stowe/Jay area are going to win the accum battle every time.

And who wants to ski in a foot of snow when they can ski in two instead.

I'll leave you with this parting sentiment -

BCC snow pack after three storms:

And the 'other' canyon after three storms:

Caveat - taken a day apart, but still doesn't settle three feet over night...

 

[icelanticskier]

well, to me a foot of untracked all day is far better than two that doesn't last nearly as long. call me spoiled, but i can think of dozens of areas in new england where the untracked will last way longer than jay or stowe on pow days, even the hidden stashes. i can go to burke on any given day and ride that 12 minute quad in knowing that every run is gonna untracked. so to me 400 inches is nuthin if ya got have a plan to score the untracked or have it tracked out before 11 am. i don't consider pow skiing pow skiing if ya gotta cross other peoples pivot skids and scribbles. bcc gets plenty of and close to what alta gets and even if they got half, the untracked lasts nearly twice as long.
rog

 

[salida]

Disagreed.

Stowe/Jay you just have to know where to go. Maybe that means going up to the ridge, sure might be a hike, but you'll get better snow and better terrain anyways.

Same goes for LCC, sure you might have to traverse a bit, or hop in a boot pack. But you'll get tons of snow, and better terrain. Really how can you argue with that?

 

[icelanticskier]

Disagreed.

Stowe/Jay you just have to know where to go. Maybe that means going up to the ridge, sure might be a hike, but you'll get better snow and better terrain anyways.

Same goes for LCC, sure you might have to traverse a bit, or hop in a boot pack. But you'll get tons of snow, and better terrain. Really how can you argue with that?

yer missing my point. why ski an area where ya have to traverse abit or get on a boot pack to find the goods when ya can just point em and ski untracked without a plan. tons of snow to me is worth it if it's completely untracked and i'm sayin it lasts longer at almost all areas than jay/stowe or alta, or i'd ski those places more. i could care less about terrain or snow amounts unless it's a clean canvas which is why i choose to spend so much time in the bc or less populated resorts like a saddleback or solitude which do have great terrain and the pow preservation to go along with it. there is a reason that i left alta and never went back. bcc is truly an oasis in comparison which is, i know, my opinion, but i've spent enough time committed to both canyons to form an opinion on what i like and why. i do prefer pow days completely solo. i do prefer the bc solo, except for a couple of touring partners where we read each others minds, can complete others sentences and look at snow the same way and appreciate untracked snow first, terrain way later.
i do respect yer likings and yer intheknowness
rog

 

[Tony Crocker]

Same as in NE, you can ski all over the place, but when the drum roll comes in the Stowe/Jay area are going to win the accum battle every time.
And who wants to ski in a foot of snow when they can ski in two instead.

Not every time, maybe 70-80%. On the President's Day 2007 BCC had more new snow than LCC. So when you're staying in SLC, it pays to take advantage of your flexibility and check the reports every morning before you head out.

I'm somewhat amazed icelantic has never set foot on Powder Mt., given his priorities.

 

[icelanticskier]

Same as in NE, you can ski all over the place, but when the drum roll comes in the Stowe/Jay area are going to win the accum battle every time.
And who wants to ski in a foot of snow when they can ski in two instead.

Not every time, maybe 70-80%. On the President's Day 2007 BCC had more new snow than LCC. So when you're staying in SLC, it pays to take advantage of your flexibility and check the reports every morning before you head out.

I'm somewhat amazed icelantic has never set foot on Powder Mt., given his priorities.

ah tony, there's just so much terrain via an easy skin between the pc ridgline and upper bcc/lcc/snakcreek/the 3 pines and maybird to run out of options. plus i can navigate those areas even in near zero vis and ski pow during storms, unless it's snowing more than an inch an hour then i'll sit on a chair at solitude as i did for 3 days last late jan. i've thought of pow mow, but haven't needed pow mow thus far. i can tour in bcc weeks after the last storm and still score all day untracked on the right aspects and elevations. the glade skiing in mid-upper bcc bc is friggin redonkulously good as well on storms days.
why leave great snow to find great snow?
rog