Thread Starter
TS
True- unless you are skiing at a different mountain each day- which we will be doing
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Utah 3 Weeks in Utah 2022 (Ikon Resorts)
- Thread starter Chip
- Start date
On Lift tickets:
Since the demise of liftopia and consolidation under Ikon; I don't think you're going to do better than just the ikon passholder discount.
You can shop around and run the numbers. There is the Skicity Superpass-but does not have DeerValley, but i think your ikon buddy pricing will turn out better.
Really, if you had 20-20 hindsight; if your buddy got the Ikon 4-pack that would've matched your plans the best. But you have to pay for last-minute flexibility.
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Thread Starter
TS
Yeah- thought about the 4-pack the other day. Originally my son was going to drive out with me, but he got a new job and those plans changed. He's still coming out, but just later in the trip.
My buddy is retired and when I mentioned driving out to Utah- he was like "well I'm retired and got nothing to do...."
I'll look into the Skicity pass- we don't have to ski DV when he's out here. Saving those days for skiing with my wife!
All good info!
I suppose another idea is if you stick to 1 resort, like do Snowbird only, for example, the advanced multi-day ticket may turn out a little cheaper.
But you may have more fun doing the resort-tour instead and seeing more.
If your buddy is retired, and qualifies for some senior rate discounts , at least that won't hurt as bad as full-priced adult.
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Beginning about three seasons ago, BCC became busier than LCC. Last season both a UDOT supervisor and a UPD (Canyon Patrol) police officer told me that BCC routinely records 1,000 to 1,500 more vehicles per day than LCC on busy days (the number of vehicles per canyon are metered). Here's an example to ponder: last weekend Solitude filled all parking spots on Sunday by 9:10 a.m and on Saturday by 9:45 a.m. They would have filled up much earlier but for the 1 hour and 30 to 45 minute trip up from the canyon mouth (according to those in traffic/I arrive much earlier). The Solitude parking crew couldn't park vehicles near fast enough, creating traffic back ups for miles out the entrances and down the canyon road. Everything from beer trucks to propane delivery trucks to food service trucks to ski buses to UTA employee van pools, etc. slow the flow of traffic and last weekend the roads were clear and dry. It's potentially a much bigger problem when the snow is pounding down and LCC is closed for avalanche mitigation. BCC closes when UDOT/UPD determines its condition meets the definition of "extreme congestion". Last season that condition was met on at least 16 days when I stopped counting mid-way through the season. Solitude added approximately 200 parking spaces a couple or so years ago but that only absorbed a tiny fraction of those wanting to park there on busy days. For the past several days, Solitude staff has been hauling snow from smaller remote parking areas and dumping it along the northern fringe of the Moonbeam car park. Groomers have built up a large packed smooth surface of snow that, in the past provides additional parking for perhaps another 75 vehicles but, again, that's just a drop in the bucket. Huge numbers of people park roadside up canyon, down canyon, and between the two base areas of Solitude. Many of them are backcountry skiers/riders or those avoiding the parking fees but, eventually, those with nowhere else to park also park there until all spots have been occupied. There are people who end up parking as much as 2 miles away from Solitude up canyon and hiking along the canyon road with their gear, often in stormy conditions with the snow-covered road gridlocked with traffic that is unable to travel towards its intended destination. Both Solitude and Alta are in negotiations with the USFS for permission to build multi-story parking garages.OK- reviving this thread as the trip is getting close-
So some updates-
We booked a nice 2 BR basement apartment in Sandy- just about 30 minutes to LCC and BCC resorts and 40 to DV.
No dog.
I've been reading up on many of the posts about paid parking and it doesn't seem that bad- I understand the locals are still pissed and that seems fair. But as an outsider that doesn't get to ski these awesome resorts everyday/every week- I'll pay the parking and still enjoy the awesome skiing with a big smile.
My understanding is Alta is paid parking on weekends only. Is this correct? I'm not planning on skiing either Alta or Snowbird on weekends- so that should be a non issue.
What about Solitude? Is that paid parking 7 days a week still?
Looking at DV- seems like there is free parking as well as paid parking. The free sounds good to me.
Anything else I need to know about parking at these resorts?
Traffic and road closures- What's the go to website for this info?
The plan right now is a buddy and I will drive out from NC and arrive in Sandy on Feb 21 and will start skiing on Tuesday the 22nd. We'll miss the blackout days for the Ikon pass. Now my buddy doesn't have the Ikon and will only be skiing for 4 or 5 days before heading out. I know the Ikon has the 25% discount, but are there any other ways of getting cheaper lift tickets?
What about a good place for him to get some rentals? Looking for recommendations- preferably in the Salt Lake area and not at a mountain.
Many more questions to follow for sure
Solitude charges $5 to $25 per day to park in their car parks (every day of the season). The price is determined by the number of a vehicle's occupants. Alta charges $25 to park every weekend (save for very early and late season) and every holiday period but you need a reservation. The key to arriving early enough to park at Solitude on powder days/busy periods is to leave for the resort early; unfortunately, lots and lots of people have figured this out and the time to arrive at the mouth of the canyon to avoid traffic hassles trends earlier every season.
Brighton has the same parking issues as Solitude and they may possibly fill their car parks with greater frequency. Last weekend I was told by a young lady that on Saturday the ski bus she was on became stuck in gridlock between the two resorts and only moved a short distance in well over an hour. Eventually, she and many others on the packed bus exited and hiked uphill the remaining 1.75 miles to the resort. The road to Brighton ends in a one-way loop at the upper end of the canyon. Those who can't find a parking spot keep continuously driving up and down through rows of the loop or just circling the loop, never or rarely allowing the hundreds of vehicles below the loop to make progress toward Brighton.
The worst traffic inevitably occurs after we receive lots of snow (in Dec. Solitude received 130" and Alta 144") followed by crisp sunny days. Of course weekends and holiday periods are often jam packed but Ikon Pass blackout periods sometimes alleviate congestion.
Conditions have been awesome, coverage is excellent, and you've been informed/forewarned.
Sobering and excellent report from @Daniel , a person with decades of first-hand experience with the situation. Bottom line general advice: enjoy those Deer Valley days on the weekend, perhaps also time some of your rest days for the weekend, and hit BCC and LCC on weekdays. On big powder days - all bets are off, but again DV is probably the best fallback.
PS: if I'm not mistaken I heard anecdotally that last season the worst traffic snarls occurred in Dec and Jan. After Jan traffic and parking may have improved a bit because IKON pass holders had burned up their days at a number of the Utah resorts.
PS: if I'm not mistaken I heard anecdotally that last season the worst traffic snarls occurred in Dec and Jan. After Jan traffic and parking may have improved a bit because IKON pass holders had burned up their days at a number of the Utah resorts.
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Thread Starter
TS
Thank you for this detailed traffic report- this very informative and really helps.
So with lifts spinning at 9- does planning on getting to the mountain at 8 help?
On those powder days- would leaving the house a 6am work (depending on road closures as well)? I know that at Alta the lots don't open until 8am. Is that standard across the board?
For the weekends- I was thinking about maybe going to the mountain after lunch- get a rest day, but also get a few runs in as well.
Generally speaking, the key time factor is what time you arrive at the mouth of BCC or LCC. Don't know where in Sandy you'll be commuting from but I'm guessing the drive from there to the mouth of either canyon shouldn't be too troublesome (unless a powder day or weekend/holiday period). If either canyon has a delayed opening due to avalanches or control work, lines of vehicles stretching for miles in multiple directions could very well be encountered long before arriving at the canyon road. If both canyons have delayed openings, prepare yourself mentally for a time-consuming horror show.
I didn't mention this in my earlier post but Solitude has a brand new mountain manager/CEO. Because of the frequent traffic and parking problems, she implemented some new policies, one of which is opening 3 of the 8 chairlifts at 8:00 a.m. on weekends and holiday periods. These 3 lifts generally don't require control work beyond ski cutting (for 1 of them) and provide 3 of the 4 resort's lifts most mellow terrain. The thought behind her logic was that if people begin skiing/riding an hour earlier, they'll leave an hour earlier. I was skeptical this would materialize initially but it has sort of helped some. Lots of people show up early and some depart early. The trouble is that, beginning last season, I observed a noticeable uptick in the traffic volume heading up BCC (when I'm heading down) in the afternoon for those who wish to ski/ride during "the second shift". Nonetheless, I support your idea of heading to the mountain after lunch. I do that once in a while if I need extra sleep or time to recover from a big vertical day.
@Jim Kenney makes an excellent point in his post upthread. Last season the great majority of traffic and parking problems occurred during the first half of the season or so. Every season is different and is impacted by numerous factors but, with a ski start date of 2/22, I'm guessing many persistent problems will have moderated by then. Lots of local skiers and riders, myself included, enthusiastically participate in other outdoor recreational activities and begin transitioning to them around your arrival date. This area has world-class rock climbing, ice climbing, hang gliding, paragliding, and is in very close proximity to world-class river running and mountain biking. The lure of those activities is powerful for some skiers/snowboarders and they begin to move on from the slopes, reducing congestion.
Alta doesn't allow parking before 8:00 a.m. due to the large number of backcountry skiers and riders who traditionally have parked there very, very early for a dawn patrol session. Alta's view is that they want to be able to provide parking for their paying customers, not "freeloaders". No other CC resort currently has this policy.
Coming from Sandy and driving to Deer Valley on a weekend, you'll drive by the entrance to both the Canyons/Park West base of PCMR and its traditional base taking the shortest possible route. These areas will quite possibly be congested with backed up traffic. This can be mostly avoided by getting an early start or approaching Deer Valley's Snow Park base from the east or RT. 248.
Here's the website I use to check for canyon closures, delayed openings, and traffic cameras:
UDOT TRAFFIC
commuterlink.utah.gov
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Thread Starter
TS
So will probably use Utah Ski Gear for rentals as it's only a couple minutes from where I'm staying and would be very convenient to pick up the rentals on the day we get to town.
As for ski tuning- I know there is 7even Skis which is probably the best in the area, but what about if you just need a quick wax and some sharpening? Would a place like Utah Ski Gear work. Have 4 pairs of newish skis- just a few days on them each and really could use some wax and a touchup on the edges. No bottom work needed (at this time...)
As for ski tuning- I know there is 7even Skis which is probably the best in the area, but what about if you just need a quick wax and some sharpening? Would a place like Utah Ski Gear work. Have 4 pairs of newish skis- just a few days on them each and really could use some wax and a touchup on the edges. No bottom work needed (at this time...)
Utah Ski Gear, AJ Motion, and Ski N See are all within 1/3 mile of each other in Sandy and all rent ski gear I believe. I have never rented from any of them, but that gives you a lot of choices in close proximity. I was looking for new ski pants the other day and visited all three. Finally bought some pants at Level9 in downtown SLC.
Thought I'd provide an update on parking in BCC. Today (Saturday) the car parks at Solitude reached full capacity at 10:00 a.m. That is later than each of the two most recent Saturdays and two most recent Sundays; however, yesterday (Friday) the resort was about 30 vehicles shy of filling up. I heard one of the local school districts didn't have classes scheduled but don't know if that information was factual. Sometimes the size of crowds is difficult to forecast or anticipate. Brighton certainly filled their available parking today because there was a long line of vehicles parked roadside extending about 40 - 45 percent of the way down canyon toward the upper end of Solitude's village. I don't know whether the later "full capacity" time is indicative of the beginning of a trend or a temporary loss of interest due to the lack of recent meaningful fresh snowfall. I'll try to post further updates on this subject going forward.
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This past Sunday full parking capacity was reached at Solitude at 9:50 a.m. For at least the next 2.5 hours large numbers of vehicles flooded the Moonbeam parking area, continually circling the lot while hunting for a recently vacated spot or offering enough cash to motivate an occupant to relocate to the canyon road. This made movement through the parking area difficult for UTA ski buses, resort shuttles, UFA ambulances, UTA employee van pools, and delivery vehicles, with congestion reaching near gridlock on numerous occasions. Many of those vehicles probably eventually ended up parking roadside, as the line of parked cars extending down canyon at 12:15 p.m. reached 3/4 of a mile. The number of vehicles parked at the resort this week (Mon. through Thurs.) was the least I've observed since about the third week of the season. Cold temperatures and continued lack of decent snowfall were probably significant contributory factors.
Thread Starter
TS
This past Saturday full parking capacity was reached at Solitude at 11:05 a.m. and this past Sunday full parking capacity was reached at 10:00 a.m. I strongly suspect the crowds at Brighton on Saturday were very robust because the upbound traffic on the canyon road was consistently backed up below the Moonbeam entrance to Solitude until around 10:15 a.m. I didn't get out on the mountain either day to observe/verify how far down the canyon from just below the Brighton loop skiers/snowboarders were parking roadside but I strongly suspect it was a long distance. Weekday crowds continued to be sparse; as a result, for this week and next, parking at Solitude will be free Monday through Thursday afternoons after 12:30 p.m. The sunny, dry weather continues unabated.
Thread Starter
TS
Well I start skiing Feb 22- hopefully some snow arrives before hand. But let it snow after I arrive!!!
But I do hope that the parking continues to be sparse during the weekdays at least-
Do the BCC resorts clear out in the afternoon during the weekends?
But I do hope that the parking continues to be sparse during the weekdays at least-
Do the BCC resorts clear out in the afternoon during the weekends?
Not currently at Solitude. Those who do leave have their parking spot taken fairly quickly by the "second-shift" crowd. With sunny after sunny after sunny day currently being the norm, there's also a lot of tailgating going on during weekends, some of which continues until the sun falls behind the mountain peaks to the west. I'm not saying you won't find a parking spot if you come up for the afternoon but it could possibly require some patience and it may not be as close to the lodge as you desire. Brighton has night skiing six days per week, excluding Sundays, and Saturday late afternoon/evenings traditionally are very popular. They also sell (at least they used to/could have changed) four-hour-long session lift tickets that start whenever you elect to board a lift to begin your ski day (i.e. say, for instance 12:45 - 4:45 p.m.). That type of ticket causes traffic and parking occupancy to often be an all-day issue. Beginning this season, Solitude has created some après-ski activities that take place on weekends/holiday periods and are designed to appeal to those who are sick of sitting in gridlocked traffic heading down canyon. The purpose of the activities is to delay skiers/snowboarders departure from the resort and help alleviate the massively heavy number of vehicles descending to the valley at roughly the same time. Lastly, once we return to our normal weather pattern, I expect the response by locals to powder days to be even larger (and crazier) than usual.
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2019
- Posts
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Butting in a bit but there seem to be some pretty knowledgeable folks on this thread. My son and I are headed out to Utah on 2/26 and I am hoping to avoid using a car while we are out there. Are the ski buses a viable alternative? Would not be looking to use them on a weekend (likely Friday 2/27 and possibly the next Thursday and or Friday).
My son and I used the bus first week of January to Alta/Bird, super easy and relaxing. We were pleasantly surprised. Also, free with the Ikon Pass.
Thread Starter
TS
gotta like free.
I'm planning on using the buses some while I'm out there- especially when my son is there with me since he will have to work some mornings and I'll have to go skiing
I don't think it has been mentioned that 25% off Ikon Friends and Family discount at Alta or Snowbird only works on the combined Alta-Bird daily pass which is $175/$190 Regular/Peak (includes Feb. 19-21). So, unless you are buying day of or know you will be skiing both Alta and Snowbird on the same day, you will be better off picking an LCC ski area and buying in advance.