SLC resorts logistics
josephm...@netzero.com
Presidents Day holiday in February 2007. We will have three full days
on the slopes -- Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We'll be staying at the
Embassy Suites hotel in downtown SLC. Everything's booked and the
multiday lift tickets have been purchased.
My son and I are snowboarders. We've been riding for only a few years
in the eastern U.S. Freeride only; no interest in pipes or parks. We
wouldn't be attempting anything above a blue in Utah. (Our past
experience in the west -- Lake Louise/Banff -- revealed that greens out
there are often the equivalent of blues back here.) My brother-in-law
is a skier with a lot more experience. He skis blacks in the east; I'm
not sure how his abilities will translate to western powder, but he
typically likes long, fast runs. Not a bumps fan.
Our general plan is to make Snowbird the priority; my brother-in-law is
keen to visit that resort. We'll probably go there for two days. I
would like to go to another resort for one day (but no more than that)
-- almost certainly Brighton since it offers night sessions and seems
to generate more enthusiasm among Internet snowsport types than
Solitude. Maybe my brother-in-law will go to Alta for a day if we go to
Brighton; that'll be up to him.
Questions:
1. I've read that Brighton should be avoided on Saturdays because it
gets quite crowded from turnout by the locals, but that Sundays are
better because people attend church. True? I realize that the entire
weekend is going to be very busy because it's a holiday; I'm just
looking for whatever edge remains.
2. How long does it take the free ski bus to get from downtown SLC to
the four Cottonwood Canyon resorts? Is there a direct bus to each
resort, or is transferring necessary? What time do the buses stop
running the return trips from the resorts to SLC? We would like to
avoid renting a car since there's already a free shuttle from the
airport to the hotel. If the ski bus is adequate, that would seem the
way to go.
3. Comments/suggestions on anything else would be welcomed.
Thanks a lot,
Joe Ramirez
Yabahoobs
VERY crowded. Snowbird too. I've brought a few easterners who lived
on blacks out there, who nearly shit their pants when they step out the
Tram on top of Snowbird. I would consider going elsewhere for your
first time. Sometimes The Bird's blues get bumped up too, turning them
from east coast black into a "Holy Crap".
2. The bus from the valley floor up to the four resorts takes A WHILE.
And again...during that time will be absolutely JAM PACKED.
josephm...@netzero.com
Yabahoobs wrote:
> 1. During that weekend, EVERYTHING is crowded, not just Brighton. And
> VERY crowded. Snowbird too. I've brought a few easterners who lived
> on blacks out there, who nearly shit their pants when they step out the
> Tram on top of Snowbird. I would consider going elsewhere for your
> first time. Sometimes The Bird's blues get bumped up too, turning them
> from east coast black into a "Holy Crap".
Well, if the blues are "holy crap" and the blacks are "time to clean
the lift chair," I guess there are always the greens. :) Seriously, in
an extremely large resort, the average difficulty level doesn't concern
me that much, since one can almost always find suitable terrain
somewhere. That was our experience at Lake Louise and Sunshine. I have
no illusions about "conquering the mountain" or anything like that --
just want to find some good snow. Last year, my workplace organized a
ski/ride day at the local resort. It was the same weekend as the X
Games. Great idea, right? Yes, except it *rained* that day. That's one
of the reasons we're going to Utah.
> 2. The bus from the valley floor up to the four resorts takes A WHILE.
If it's 1 to 1.25 hours, we could live with that, since I figure it
would take at least 45 min. to drive there ourselves. If it's 2 to 3
hours, that's a real problem.
> And again...during that time will be absolutely JAM PACKED.
The Monday holiday in the middle of Feb. makes that weekend an
extremely convenient time for ski/snowboard trips. Unfortunately, that
applies to us too.
Joe Ramirez
Yabahoobs
Definatly won't be two to three.
You should find good snow, just hit the hill early. It seems like half
the state is in the two Cottonwood canyons during that weekend. Along
with half the east coast, and LA Valley.
Neil Gendzwill
>
> Well, if the blues are "holy crap" and the blacks are "time to clean
> the lift chair," I guess there are always the greens. :) Seriously, in
> an extremely large resort, the average difficulty level doesn't concern
> me that much, since one can almost always find suitable terrain
> somewhere. That was our experience at Lake Louise and Sunshine.
Are the blues at Louise and Sunshine seriously "holy crap" compared to
those in the east? Never been to the east, don't have any idea how the
ratings compare.
Lots of Americans in Canada that weekend, too. It's a crowded time to
go skiing.
Neil
Walt
> Yabahoobs wrote:
>
>>1. During that weekend, EVERYTHING is crowded, not just Brighton. And
>>VERY crowded. Snowbird too. I've brought a few easterners who lived
>>on blacks out there, who nearly shit their pants when they step out the
>>Tram on top of Snowbird. I would consider going elsewhere for your
>>first time. Sometimes The Bird's blues get bumped up too, turning them
>>from east coast black into a "Holy Crap".
If I found myself going to SLC over dead preznits weekend, I'd probably
hide out at Solitude for the three days.
My $.02.
Yabahoobs
Walt wrote:
>
> If I found myself going to SLC over dead preznits weekend, I'd probably
> hide out at Solitude for the three days.
>
> My $.02.
BINGO.
josephm...@netzero.com
Neil Gendzwill wrote:
> josephm...@netzero.com wrote:
> >
> > Well, if the blues are "holy crap" and the blacks are "time to clean
> > the lift chair," I guess there are always the greens. :) Seriously, in
> > an extremely large resort, the average difficulty level doesn't concern
> > me that much, since one can almost always find suitable terrain
> > somewhere. That was our experience at Lake Louise and Sunshine.
>
> Are the blues at Louise and Sunshine seriously "holy crap" compared to
> those in the east? Never been to the east, don't have any idea how the
> ratings compare.
Well, eastern terrain is pretty varied. I'm in Pennsylvania, which I
believe is less challenging than many places in New England. Some New
England ratings are probably comparable to those out west.
We visited Banff at the end of our first season of snowboarding, so we
stuck to the greens. The greens at Lake Louise definitely would have
been blues back home -- very steep in spots. The greens at Sunshine
Village were not as tough, just extremely long, which was fun (except
for the snowboard-unfriendly flat areas). More experienced skiers and
riders on our trip also commented that many of the slopes they
encountered seemed to be a level above the ones with the same rating
that they were used to.
> Lots of Americans in Canada that weekend, too. It's a crowded time to
> go skiing.
We went to Banff in early April. The conditions were still quite good,
but this time I wanted to experience peak season snow instead of spring
skiing conditions. Feb. is crowded for a good reason, I imagine.
Joe Ramirez
josephm...@netzero.com
But would Solitude from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. offer more opportunity than
Brighton from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.?
Joe Ramirez
Yabahoobs
shorter...----> If that time isn't spent dodging people left and right
on an extremely crowded run, and waiting in long-ass lift lines...then
I'll take the 9a-4p resort.
It's about how the time spent, not how long the place is open.
Solitude has some great stuff, and is generally less crowded
(especially during Dead Prez).
At least give it a try, if you dont like it, head back to Brighton or
Little Cottonwood.
klaus
You guys are killing me. Taking the bus, that may work. But there will
be no place to park. I don't particularly care. The closest I'll get
to Solitude Resort that weekend is the bar.
-klaus
Yabahoobs
klaus wrote:
> You guys are killing me. Taking the bus, that may work. But there will
> be no place to park. I don't particularly care. The closest I'll get
> to Solitude Resort that weekend is the bar.
Long Story short : They all suck that week(end).
Walt
If you can last from 9am to 4pm and still want more, you are a better
man than I. People who ski first chair to last are pretty rare - I'm
one of them, but I'm usually ready to quit after 7 hours. Most people
last two to three hours and are done for the day.
My advice: get there early for first tracks. Eat lunch early, then get
out on the hill from noon to 1 when everybody else is in the lodge.
Spend the after-lunch rush on the least travelled part of the ski area
(hint: look for old slow fixed grip chairs) Venture back to the main
areas after 3, when the crowds are packing it in. If you have any
energy left after that, you were milking it - try harder tomorrow.
//Walt
klaus
Solitude doesn't have as much variety in the blue range as
Brighton. Brighton will be a zoo. And also, you really think you will
be coming from Pennsylvania and skiing twelve hours? Just a thought.
-klaus
Neil Gendzwill
> Neil Gendzwill wrote:
>
>>Are the blues at Louise and Sunshine seriously "holy crap" compared to
>>those in the east? Never been to the east, don't have any idea how the
>>ratings compare.
>
> Well, eastern terrain is pretty varied. I'm in Pennsylvania, which I
> believe is less challenging than many places in New England. Some New
> England ratings are probably comparable to those out west.
They vary in the west, too. Louise and Sunshine use a comparable scale,
but what's black at Kicking Horse would often rate a double-black in the
Banff area.
> We visited Banff at the end of our first season of snowboarding, so we
> stuck to the greens. The greens at Lake Louise definitely would have
> been blues back home -- very steep in spots.
There's not a lot of green at the Lake. The main beginner's run
"Wiwaxi" definitely has some pitches that make beginners nervous.
> The greens at Sunshine
> Village were not as tough, just extremely long, which was fun (except
> for the snowboard-unfriendly flat areas).
You've got to know when to point it at Sunshine, otherwise you're
walking a lot.
> We went to Banff in early April. The conditions were still quite good,
> but this time I wanted to experience peak season snow instead of spring
> skiing conditions. Feb. is crowded for a good reason, I imagine.
Yeah, but if you avoid that one weekend it's still doable. The Canadian
resorts aren't near as crowded that weekend as the US ones, so maybe
consider switching your trip or doing it different next time.
Sunshine, for example, is perfectly rideable even on the ugliest
weekends. I was there Easter weekend - once you've done the gondola
thing, you're good to go. The hill is big enough to suck up a whole
pile of people. Parking is a royal pain on the crowded days, so taking
the hotel shuttle is a good idea.
Neil
Walt
Fair enough. Everywhere's crowded dead preznits weekend. Even Canada.
I'd figure that Solitude would be the least crowded of a crowded
bunch. RE: parking - a good excuse to get there at 7:30 (which is a
leisurely 9:30 eastern time). Maybe a good weekend to take up XC?
> The closest I'll get to Solitude Resort that weekend is the bar.
Me too. But the bar I'll be at will be farther than the bar you're at.
//Walt
Walt
> Neil Gendzwill wrote:
>
>>josephm...@netzero.com wrote:
>>Are the blues at Louise and Sunshine seriously "holy crap" compared to
>>those in the east? Never been to the east, don't have any idea how the
>>ratings compare.
>
> Well, eastern terrain is pretty varied. I'm in Pennsylvania,
Ok. Here's the deal: The hills in PA are down at least a rating from
New England and the west; a blue in PA would rate green elsewhere. A
black in PA might be blue out west, although I've seen green runs out
west with spots that are steeper for longer than black runs in PA.
Anything blue in the west would be black in PA.
Moreover, Snowbird is one of the tougher resorts that the west has to
offer. If you find anything in PA daunting (including the "double
blacks" at Blue Mountain) you should probably not go to Snowbird.
BTW, lest I come off like some kind of vert snob, realize that I live &
ski in Michigan, which is on par with PA for the ratings. I ski PA every
Christmas and I've been to SLC half a dozen times, so I'm familiar with
the resorts in question. I mostly ski blues out west. I'm just trying
to present an objective assessment on the relative steepness, not stroke
myself about what a rad extreme dude I am.
//Walt
josephm...@netzero.com
Walt wrote:
> josephm...@netzero.com wrote:
> > Yabahoobs wrote:
> >>Walt wrote:
> >>
> >>>If I found myself going to SLC over dead preznits weekend, I'd probably
> >>>hide out at Solitude for the three days.
> >>>
> >>>My $.02.
> >>
> >>BINGO.
> >
> > But would Solitude from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. offer more opportunity than
> > Brighton from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.?
>
> If you can last from 9am to 4pm and still want more, you are a better
> man than I. People who ski first chair to last are pretty rare - I'm
> one of them, but I'm usually ready to quit after 7 hours. Most people
> last two to three hours and are done for the day.
We certainly wouldn't go nonstop until closing time. No way. It's just
that a later close means more flexibility if we get there late, or take
a long lunch, or want to take a lesson, etc. I was hoping it might also
mean less population density on the slopes, since people can spread out
their activity over more hours. In short, we really don't *need* the
extra five hours, but I thought their availability might be helpful.
> My advice: get there early for first tracks. Eat lunch early, then get
> out on the hill from noon to 1 when everybody else is in the lodge.
> Spend the after-lunch rush on the least travelled part of the ski area
> (hint: look for old slow fixed grip chairs) Venture back to the main
> areas after 3, when the crowds are packing it in. If you have any
> energy left after that, you were milking it - try harder tomorrow.
Sounds like a sensible plan. Is there a huge rush for the ski buses at
the end of the day? Do more buses run to accommodate the crowd?
Joe Ramirez
josephm...@netzero.com
Maybe I can get Ski Salt Lake to give us the suck discount
retroactively! :)
Joe Ramirez
josephm...@netzero.com
No -- as I mentioned in another post, it's more for flexibilty than for
duration.
Joe Ramirez
josephm...@netzero.com
Neil Gendzwill wrote:
> josephm...@netzero.com wrote:
> > Neil Gendzwill wrote:
> >
> >>Are the blues at Louise and Sunshine seriously "holy crap" compared to
> >>those in the east? Never been to the east, don't have any idea how the
> >>ratings compare.
> >
> > Well, eastern terrain is pretty varied. I'm in Pennsylvania, which I
> > believe is less challenging than many places in New England. Some New
> > England ratings are probably comparable to those out west.
>
> They vary in the west, too. Louise and Sunshine use a comparable scale,
> but what's black at Kicking Horse would often rate a double-black in the
> Banff area.
Our trip had an optional excursion to Kicking Horse, but needless to
say, we skipped it.
> > We visited Banff at the end of our first season of snowboarding, so we
> > stuck to the greens. The greens at Lake Louise definitely would have
> > been blues back home -- very steep in spots.
>
> There's not a lot of green at the Lake. The main beginner's run
> "Wiwaxi" definitely has some pitches that make beginners nervous.
Yes, I remember that one. Thought the name was very cool, since one of
the Burgess Shale fossil animals was named after it.
> > The greens at Sunshine
> > Village were not as tough, just extremely long, which was fun (except
> > for the snowboard-unfriendly flat areas).
>
> You've got to know when to point it at Sunshine, otherwise you're
> walking a lot.
>
> > We went to Banff in early April. The conditions were still quite good,
> > but this time I wanted to experience peak season snow instead of spring
> > skiing conditions. Feb. is crowded for a good reason, I imagine.
>
> Yeah, but if you avoid that one weekend it's still doable. The Canadian
> resorts aren't near as crowded that weekend as the US ones, so maybe
> consider switching your trip or doing it different next time.
My brother-in-law is a teacher and my son is in high school, so it's
tough to get away for a decent amount of time without the Monday
holiday. Again, I imagine I'm in the same boat with hordes of others
....
Joe Ramirez
josephm...@netzero.com
Walt wrote:
> josephm...@netzero.com wrote:
>
> > Neil Gendzwill wrote:
> >
> >>josephm...@netzero.com wrote:
>
> >>Are the blues at Louise and Sunshine seriously "holy crap" compared to
> >>those in the east? Never been to the east, don't have any idea how the
> >>ratings compare.
> >
> > Well, eastern terrain is pretty varied. I'm in Pennsylvania,
>
> Ok. Here's the deal: The hills in PA are down at least a rating from
> New England and the west; a blue in PA would rate green elsewhere. A
> black in PA might be blue out west, although I've seen green runs out
> west with spots that are steeper for longer than black runs in PA.
> Anything blue in the west would be black in PA.
>
> Moreover, Snowbird is one of the tougher resorts that the west has to
> offer. If you find anything in PA daunting (including the "double
> blacks" at Blue Mountain) you should probably not go to Snowbird.
>
> BTW, lest I come off like some kind of vert snob, realize that I live &
> ski in Michigan, which is on par with PA for the ratings. I ski PA every
> Christmas and I've been to SLC half a dozen times, so I'm familiar with
> the resorts in question. I mostly ski blues out west. I'm just trying
> to present an objective assessment on the relative steepness, not stroke
> myself about what a rad extreme dude I am.
>
> //Walt
No, this is very helpful, thanks. If Snowbird turns out to be a bit too
much, even on the easy runs, we can always spend just one day there
instead of two. That's the good thing about the multi-resort pass. But
we can't skip it entirely because my brother-in-law has his heart set
on seeing the place. :)
Joe Ramirez
lal_truckee
>
> But would Solitude from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. offer more opportunity than
> Brighton from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.?
Rhetorical questions are fun.
josephm...@netzero.com
AstroPax wrote:
> On 1 Nov 2006 07:26:31 -0800, josephm...@netzero.com wrote:
>
> >2. How long does it take the free ski bus to get from downtown SLC to
> >the four Cottonwood Canyon resorts?
>
>
> -Astro
It's free if you buy a lift ticket.
Joe Ramirez
Walt
> AstroPax wrote:
>>On 1 Nov 2006 07:26:31 -0800, josephm...@netzero.com wrote:
>>
>>
>>>2. How long does it take the free ski bus to get from downtown SLC to
>>>the four Cottonwood Canyon resorts?
>>
>>"Free" ski bus???
>
Or more precisely, some pre purchased lift ticket packages come with
vouchers for the bus.
// Walt
Dave Stallard
>
> My son and I are snowboarders. We've been riding for only a few years
> in the eastern U.S. Freeride only; no interest in pipes or parks. We
> wouldn't be attempting anything above a blue in Utah. (Our past
> experience in the west -- Lake Louise/Banff -- revealed that greens out
> there are often the equivalent of blues back here.) My brother-in-law
> is a skier with a lot more experience. He skis blacks in the east; I'm
> not sure how his abilities will translate to western powder, but he
> typically likes long, fast runs. Not a bumps fan.
>
> Our general plan is to make Snowbird the priority; my brother-in-law is
> keen to visit that resort. We'll probably go there for two days. I
> would like to go to another resort for one day (but no more than that)
> -- almost certainly Brighton since it offers night sessions and seems
> to generate more enthusiasm among Internet snowsport types than
> Solitude. Maybe my brother-in-law will go to Alta for a day if we go to
> Brighton; that'll be up to him.
If you're after more mellow blue terrain, Snowbird is the worst choice
for that. There are blues, even down from the Tram, but the overall
theme is steepness and challenge. Looking up at it from the base area,
it looks like the Matterhorn compared to most ski resorts. I wouldn't
say don't go, but I'd say don't go there your first day. Alta next door
is more mellow; you should consider that. Plenty of challenging
terrain there too, if you want it.
If you really want groomers and cruisers, consider Deer Valley and
(gasp) Park City. Deer Valley is a super-groomed, luxury place. I've
only skied there one day. A lot of people here slam PC, but I didn't
think it was so bad. ;) I'm from the East; that was the first Western
place I skied.
Brighton and Solitude I don't know. Bear in mind though that SLC
resorts are in three different canyons: PC, DV, and the despised The
Canyons are in Parley's canyon, Alta and SB are in Little Cottonwood
canyon, and Solitude and Brighton are in Big Cottonwood canyon. AFAIK,
you can't travel between canyons by road, except by going way back down
almost to SLC.
Anyhow, you can't go too wrong in SLC. Plenty of ski areas and plenty
of snow.
Dave
Dave Stallard
> josephm...@netzero.com wrote:
>>
>> Well, if the blues are "holy crap" and the blacks are "time to clean
>> the lift chair," I guess there are always the greens. :) Seriously, in
>> an extremely large resort, the average difficulty level doesn't concern
>> me that much, since one can almost always find suitable terrain
>> somewhere. That was our experience at Lake Louise and Sunshine.
>
> Are the blues at Louise and Sunshine seriously "holy crap" compared to
> those in the east?
No. I'd say only in terms of extent, not in challenge.
Dave
Dave Stallard
> If you can last from 9am to 4pm and still want more, you are a better
> man than I. People who ski first chair to last are pretty rare - I'm
> one of them, but I'm usually ready to quit after 7 hours. Most people
> last two to three hours and are done for the day.
I definitely ski longer than that! But first chair to last - no.
Sun Valley's ski school prices are way lower for the afternoon slot than
the morning. My instructor told me that the reason was the high-speed
quads wore people out by noon. Which a 3400 vertical ft run with a 10
minute lift-ride back up will do!
Dave
josephm...@netzero.com
Two problems: Alta & Deer Valley don't look kindly on snowboarders, so
two-thirds of our party would have a tough time there (yes, it's a
cruel world ...); also, we already bought the lift tickets good only at
the SLC resorts.
How is the Mineral Basin area at Snowbird? There's supposed to be a lot
of intermediate terrain there.
> Brighton and Solitude I don't know. Bear in mind though that SLC
> resorts are in three different canyons: PC, DV, and the despised The
> Canyons are in Parley's canyon, Alta and SB are in Little Cottonwood
> canyon, and Solitude and Brighton are in Big Cottonwood canyon. AFAIK,
> you can't travel between canyons by road, except by going way back down
> almost to SLC.
Yes, I believe that is correct, which is why I'm not seriously
considering doing, say, Snowbird and Brighton on the same day. Would
have to take the bus down one canyon, out, and then back down the
other.
Thanks for your suggestions.
Joe Ramirez
josephm...@netzero.com
Paid $93 for a three-day lift ticket good at all four of the SLC
resorts. At that price, the bus is as close to free as it's going to
get! :)
Joe Ramirez
Walt
> Paid $93 for a three-day lift ticket good at all four of the SLC
> resorts. At that price, the bus is as close to free as it's going to
> get! :)
Ok. You've got three days to visit four resorts. One doesn't allow
snowboards, so that's out. So, spend one day at each of the other
three and form you own opinion. Simple problem, simple solution.
// Walt
Dave Stallard
> Two problems: Alta & Deer Valley don't look kindly on snowboarders, so
> two-thirds of our party would have a tough time there (yes, it's a
> cruel world ...); also, we already bought the lift tickets good only at
> the SLC resorts.
>
> How is the Mineral Basin area at Snowbird? There's supposed to be a lot
> of intermediate terrain there.
It's a bowl. Lots of ungroomed snow. It faces south, so it gets the
sun. It's actually mainly black on the map, except for horrible dotted
line catwalk trails. Trail maps here; you can see it:
http://www.snowbird.com/ski_board/trailmaps.html
You might like better the Gad area on the frontside, to the right of the
main peak. The mid-mountain lodge there has killer views.
As you
eric h
<josephm...@netzero.com> wrote:
>Well, if the blues are "holy crap" and the blacks are "time to clean
>the lift chair," I guess there are always the greens. :)
I think the terrain has expanded a bit since I last skied at Snowbird
15+ years ago. But I'm sure there's a nice easy green run somewhere
at Snowbird, the kind that would be a nice groomed cruiser at most
other western resorts.
I didn't find it, mind you, but I'm sure it's there. I would have
looked more, but my knees were worn out from the green runs.
--
---
"Wake up, everybody."--McFadden/Whitehead/Carstarphen
klaus
You'd be lucky to get four runs at Alta on that weekend anyway.
-klaus
josephm...@netzero.com
Can't deny that the logical option remains an option. :) However, I
had hoped to do 2,1 rather than 1,1,1 in order to reduce the
time-wasting "familiarize yourself with the resort" process. But we'll
see.
This brings me back to one of my original questions: Is there a direct
bus to each resort, or is transferring necessary?
Joe Ramirez
Walt
> This brings me back to one of my original questions: Is there a direct
> bus to each resort, or is transferring necessary?
There are two canyons, Big Cottonwood Canyon and Little Cottonwood
Canyon. In the winter the canyons are dead ends - the only way out is
to go back down into town. Alta and Snowbird are in LCC, Solitude and
Brighton are in BCC. Each canyon has it's own bus, with a
bus-stop/parikng lot at the entrance to the canyon. The LCC bus goes to
Snowbird then on to Alta, the BCC bus goes to Solitude and then on to
Brighton. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes each way.
If you park at the base of the appropriate canyon, the bus goes right to
the resort. If you start your trip somewhere else, you have to find a
bus to take you to the base of the canyon which may involve several
transfers depending on where you start.
Since you seem to be keen on the bus thing, you should probably get on
the UDOT website and figure out routes & things: http://www.dot.state.ut.us/
My take on it is just rent a car and only bother with the bus if the
canyon is closed to non-4wd vehicles.
//Walt
Beloved Leader
josephm...@netzero.com wrote:
> 2. How long does it take the free ski bus to get from downtown SLC to
> the four Cottonwood Canyon resorts? Is there a direct bus to each
> resort, or is transferring necessary? What time do the buses stop
> running the return trips from the resorts to SLC? We would like to
> avoid renting a car since there's already a free shuttle from the
> airport to the hotel. If the ski bus is adequate, that would seem the
> way to go.
I rode the bus when I was in SLC, many years ago. I went to Brighton
for my never ever initial foray. For me, it was the only way to go, as
I had no rental car. The bus was not free for me, but perhaps your deal
has the bus fare built into it.
Here is the link to the UTA - Utah Transit Authority - bus to the
Cottonwood Canyon areas.
http://www.utabus.com/schedulesAndMaps/routeSchedules/byCounty.aspx
Ski Utah ought to have a kiosk at the SLC airport where you can get any
last minute questions answered.
You'll have a great time. I should go too.
j
josephm...@netzero.com wrote:
> Questions:
> 1. I've read that Brighton should be avoided on Saturdays because it
> gets quite crowded from turnout by the locals, but that Sundays are
> better because people attend church. True? I realize that the entire
> weekend is going to be very busy because it's a holiday; I'm just
> looking for whatever edge remains.
> 2. How long does it take the free ski bus to get from downtown SLC to
> the four Cottonwood Canyon resorts? Is there a direct bus to each
> resort, or is transferring necessary? What time do the buses stop
> running the return trips from the resorts to SLC? We would like to
> avoid renting a car since there's already a free shuttle from the
> airport to the hotel. If the ski bus is adequate, that would seem the
> way to go.
> 3. Comments/suggestions on anything else would be welcomed.
>
> Thanks a lot,
>
> Joe Ramirez
Joe,
Here's the deal. My family moved to Park City in '88, I've worked in
hospitality in PC for 10 years, and have settled into mostly Deer
Valley over the last 7. I've skied and ridden all resorts in Northern
Utah. They are all going to be absolutely nuts that weekend. Let me
share with you that the bookings have been gaining momentum over the
last few years at an exponential rate. This, of course, translates into
absolute pandemonium on the hill.
My advice to you: Snowbird is rad, as are the other Cottonwood
resorts. BUT, days spent at these resorts need to be chosen carefully.
I did, however, ride Brighton over President's in '04, and once I got
away from the bottom the crowds weren't so bad. So, here it is, I
don't care what anybody else says. If nightlife isn't the crux of your
trip, I'd look into going up north to Snowbasin/Powder Mountain. Check
'em out at skiutah.com. And, don't tell anybody I told you this
because they'll come after me. Powder Mountain is awesome, and make
sure you stop in the Hidden Lake Lodge for one of the best ski resort
$5 burgers you'll ever cram in your hole. At Snowbasin, make your way
over to the Strawberry Express Gondola...and ENJOY!!!
Otherwise, have a great time with everybody and their god damned dog in
the
Cottonwoods. And, even though I sell it for a living, I wouldn't ski
the PC areas over this period if you paid me. Oh wait, that is part of
what I get paid to do. But, I don't like it...really.
Good luck.
josephm...@netzero.com
I appreciate your suggestions and recognize the good sense in what you
say. However, as I noted, our options are limited by two important
constraints:
1. We can't easily make this trip at a less busy time because my
brother-in-law is a teacher, and my son is a student, so they need the
three-day holiday weekend to avoid too much missed time.
2. We've already purchased our multi-day lift passes for the Cottonwood
Canyon resorts and can't just toss them out.
I don't doubt that Snowbird et al. will be a madhouse that weekend, but
I'm sure if we had gone to, say, Breckenridge, it would also be a
madhouse. Heck, our local resort will probably be a madhouse as well --
*if* it's cold and there's good snow. (That's the difference between
Utah and Pennsylvania -- we can't always count on the snow.)
I do hope, however, that others read your recommendation of Snowbasin
and Powder Mountain and head up there -- maybe it will reduce the
population in the canyons. :)
Joe Ramirez
Yabahoobs
the Prez weekend, but to say Snowboid wont...well you'll see.
Simple fact is they're ALL (Utxx, Colorado...ALL) nuts that time. If
you can't avoid it, then you can't avoid but it...but trust the above
words. You'll feel like just as much of a sardine as you did when you
skid Hunter Mountain or Killington back in "the day".
Walt
> I do hope, however, that others read your recommendation of Snowbasin
> and Powder Mountain and head up there -- maybe it will reduce the
> population in the canyons. :)
Vail. You should have gone to Vail.
//Walt
j
josephm...@netzero.com wrote:
> j wrote:
> > josephm...@netzero.com wrote:
> I do hope, however, that others read your recommendation of Snowbasin
> and Powder Mountain and head up there -- maybe it will reduce the
> population in the canyons. :)
>
> Joe Ramirez
I really don't care how busy the resorts get. I just enjoy my time on
the hill. If I had three days to ski the Cottonwoods, I would simply
spend 1 day at each.
Enjoy! And, I'm sorry to say, I won't miss you up at the Basin and PM.
Yabahoobs
Definatly should have gone to Vail. Learn from your mistakes Joe.
VAIL.
josephm...@netzero.com
Yabahoobs wrote:
> Definatly should have gone to Vail. Learn from your mistakes Joe.
>
> VAIL.
It can't have been a mistake to go to Utah until after we've returned.
:) Plus, I am in possession of other secret information, to wit, that
my wife and my sister, neither of whom skis or rides, will be happier
in a big city than in a ski town. (I am very confident of this judgment
because it is based on what they have told me.) You see -- there are
always non-slope-related considerations. :)
Joe Ramirez
Yabahoobs
Exactly. So how is that, uber-restrictive Mormon city would show them
a better time ??