Wow Snowbird

[Skidog]

No more p-gulch, Mineral Closes May 4 according to website

http://www.snowbird.com/mountain-report/

And updated closing information. May 10th...I feel for anyone who bought a spring pass....heck I feel sorry for anyone who bought a season pass, but thats another story altogether :stir:

http://www.snowbird.com/spring/

I know it was a lean year and all, but why wouldnt they just wait til May 10 (way early closing date) to close P-gluch with all that snow still available? For those not aware, closing peruvian gulch also renders all the terrain in the cirque un-skiable (good steep snow covered north facing skiing). Seems they gotta be pushing more around with the current routes down from the top. Stuff in P-gulch and the road down face in a better direction it seems. I did hear through a friend who knows a groomer up there that they should probably already be closed.

Anyway...discuss.

M

 

[get_outside]

they want to get that summer road open as quickly as they can to finish the restaurant. and yes, unfortunately, they are done with this year.

 

[Skidog]

they want to get that summer road open as quickly as they can to finish the restaurant. and yes, unfortunately, they are done with this year.

But a 10 day head start? cmon give the hoardes the cirque....seems short sighted....

 

[get_outside]

don't disagree, just telling you what i am hearing. i am surprised mineral is closing though which leaves you with limited options for that last week.

 

[Marc_C]

A lean year a few years ago, I forget when, Snowbird closing date was May 15 even though they wanted to go to the end of May. So may 10th is really not in the realm of unusual.

 

[BobMc]

...heck I feel sorry for anyone who bought a season pass.

Oh the horror...

 

[Tony Crocker]

I have no doubt the summer road / restaurant construction is the reason for closing Peruvian 2 weeks before final closing. But we know from past experience in great seasons like 2011 that Snowbird runs a minimalist spring ski operation. From what admin says about new management I would expect this situation more likely to get worse than get better.

 

[Tony Crocker]

It would be ironic indeed if Mammoth stayed open longer than Snowbird in this dreadful season. There has been no announcement but locals think May 10 is the most likely date.

Confirmed this week that Mammoth closes to the public May 10. Some clinics may run on the upper mountan for another couple of weeks.

 

[Tony Crocker]

With both Mammoth and Snowbird getting 1+ foot of snow from the recent storm, Mammoth chooses to extend another week. Despite getting twice as much season snow, Snowbird will indeed close earlier than Mammoth in 2014-15.

I can't say I'm surprised. But with 16 inches of new snow, surely someone in the FTO posse from Utah skied this weekend.

 

[Marc_C]

But with 16 inches of new snow, surely someone in the FTO posse from Utah skied this weekend.

AFAIK, just Bobby D, Tele Jon, and Bob Dwore. Definitely not Admin and not Amy (or if she did, she knows she shouldn't have!), and not me (pea soup vis until noon-ish Sunday with dense, wet snow - I want sun and corn in the spring). Dunno about Skidog.

 

[Admin]

Wasn't interested at all. I got backlogged stuff done around the house. I barely got out of my bathrobe all weekend.

 

[get_outside]

... and not me (pea soup vis until noon-ish Sunday with dense, wet snow - I want sun and corn in the spring

yea, everyone hates a foot of snow on the last day of the season :roll: it wasn't as dense and wet as you say nor was the visibility as bad but then again, you don't know if you don't go. kids up at 6:30 for the finale and on the 2nd tram. snow was great until around 11.

 

[Marc_C]

... and not me (pea soup vis until noon-ish Sunday with dense, wet snow - I want sun and corn in the spring

yea, everyone hates a foot of snow on the last day of the season :roll: it wasn't as dense and wet as you say nor was the visibility as bad but then again, you don't know if you don't go. kids up at 6:30 for the finale and on the 2nd tram. snow was great until around 11.

Visibility comment was mostly for Saturday (and verified by folks who were there) and earlier Sunday morning. Even the web cams were showing things breaking up around 11-ish.

Yes, as blasphemous as it sounds, once spring hits I really don't like a foot of new - it stays good for a relatively short window and screws up any corn for days. But mostly, like Admin, I'd pretty much lost interest in this season. I don't have a Bird pass and had used my 3 days the Alta pass gave me, and after an expensive 4 days of anniversary trip to Vegas, was feeling particularly cheap and didn't want to spend $50 for a few hours of Little Cloud laps.

 

[GKNY]

With the lift operations now closed for the season, do they allow hiking for turns on the trails ?

 

[Marc_C]

With the lift operations now closed for the season, do they allow hiking for turns on the trails ?

Nope.
From Snowbird.com:
"Snowbird is now officially closed for the '14-'15 winter season. The Tram is closed for maintenance and will reopen for sightseers only on May 23rd, conditions permitting. Snowbird no longer allows unauthorized uphill hiking or travel on the mountain. For more information please contact the Activity Center at 801-933-2147."

 

[Tony Crocker]

Yes, as blasphemous as it sounds, once spring hits I really don't like a foot of new - it stays good for a relatively short window and screws up any corn for days.

I generally agree with this sentiment. If you're planning a May ski trip in advance, Mammoth or Mt. Bachelor is more likely to deliver consistent corn, while Snowbird or A-Basin can be in the awkward stage between powder and corn for a few days. The dismal state of the West Coast has made this season a likely exception to that rule of thumb.

Nonetheless I would certainly get out there for the short window of fresh snow, and Liz and I were delighted that's what we got at A-Basin. My concern with Snowbird Sunday is that the new snow would have drawn crowds and overwhelmed the lift capacity as it did at A-Basin. With only tram and Little Cloud running, lift capacity was considerably lower than A-Basin's.

 

[GKNY]

With the lift operations now closed for the season, do they allow hiking for turns on the trails ?

Nope.
From Snowbird.com:
"Snowbird is now officially closed for the '14-'15 winter season. The Tram is closed for maintenance and will reopen for sightseers only on May 23rd, conditions permitting. Snowbird no longer allows unauthorized uphill hiking or travel on the mountain. For more information please contact the Activity Center at 801-933-2147."

Thanks. Then I checked and saw online that they've just updated to their "Summer" policy:

"Beginning tomorrow, May 12, uphill hiking and travel will be permitted in Gad Valley only."

 

[Marc_C]

With the lift operations now closed for the season, do they allow hiking for turns on the trails ?

Nope.
From Snowbird.com:
"Snowbird is now officially closed for the '14-'15 winter season. The Tram is closed for maintenance and will reopen for sightseers only on May 23rd, conditions permitting. Snowbird no longer allows unauthorized uphill hiking or travel on the mountain. For more information please contact the Activity Center at 801-933-2147."

Thanks. Then I checked and saw online that they've just updated to their "Summer" policy:

"Beginning tomorrow, May 12, uphill hiking and travel will be permitted in Gad Valley only."

Lackadaisical web meisters!

 

[BobMc]

The visibility on Snowbird's closing weekend was nothing like the pea soup on Alta closing day. Saturday was a bit cloudy as they moved in and out and the light was pretty flat being as it snowed most of the day. Sunday was glorious from the get go, I've got go pro footage from my buddy on first tram. I was on third or so, it was definitely nice at that time.

I saw Bobby on Saturday, Admin was apparently playing with cats and dogs. The snow was tasty all day on Saturday, Sunday it lasted till noon.

Link to pics of closing weekend (and the whole season if you desire).

http://www.epicski.com/t/130283/snowbird-2014-2015/150

 

[Tony Crocker]

Nice TR's of closing weekend at Snowbird. I guess the Utah locals are still jaded even in a year like this. The fresh lines lasted way longer than at A-Basin even though terrain at Snowbird was very restricted.