Utah Tips for first-timers in Utah/SLC?

[Viking9]

In my opinion you’re west of the Mississippi, everybody’s normal skis will be fine, the only issue would be the under 80’s in left over powder.You can always rent or demo but unfortunately DV is a Rossignol hill and if the non Rossignol people end up getting on Rossignol ‘s at DV they will probably be mad at you for making them have to buy new skis.

 

[Vince]

Thank you all so much for such amazing advice!! So, it's going to be DV>Alta>Solitude>Brighton. We'll do one day in each, then stick with the best of the lot for the rest, and it sounds like it will be DV.

Now on to the other minor questions:
1. Do we all need to have >95 mm skis for the greens and blues on DV and Alta? Just took a poll and three people in the group don't have skis wider than 80 mm.
2. What are the best shops in the area for renting wide skis (price-wise and also availability of good demo skis)?

1. DV will have tons of groomed runs even on powder days, but Alta will leave most of their runs un-groomed on a powder day. I would say you will be fine with 80 mm skis at DV, but if there's a lot of new snow, having a fatter ski makes a big difference at Alta.
2. Don't really know great deals for rentals, but I live 0.5 miles from the mouth of BCC and usually shop for stuff at 2nd Tracks - Millcreek, Sports Den off Foothill Dr, or The Lifthouse right at the mouth of BCC.

 

[David Chaus]

If the three people are sticking to groomers, with maybe a little off-piste, 80mm should be fine. I skied all over Alta and Snowbird on 85mm skis, including some cut up left over powder. That said there wasn’t any fresh snow on the days we were there for the Gathering last year; it’s not like every day is a powder day. I did borrow a pair of powder skis for a powder day at Snowbasin.

 

[speedster]

If the three people are sticking to groomers, with maybe a little off-piste, 80mm should be fine. I skied all over Alta and Snowbird on 85mm skis, including some cut up left over powder. That said there wasn’t any fresh snow on the days we were there for the Gathering last year; it’s not like every day is a powder day. I did borrow a pair of powder skis for a powder day at Snowbasin.

Thank you! Well, one of them tops out at 71 mm. She's more of an intermediate, but will likely stick to piste.

 

[New2]

Is everyone in the group going to be on skis? Because Deer Valley and Alta do not allow snowboarding, so even one boarder and the group can't stick together at either spot.

Deer Valley has the most for your group, with really great grooming and fantastic on-mountain food. And it's likely to be less crowded than the others (with the possible exception of Solitude) on Saturdays/holidays/powder days.

Snowbird is definitely steeper and more intense than most anywhere else. But it's also an incredible mountain well worth experiencing if you can. I'd save it for closer to the end of the trip, and see how your novices are doing. If they make it to the point that they're comfortable skiing most groomed blue runs elsewhere, then they should definitely be fine with the Baldy lift at Snowbird, at least. And if the bulk of the group is enjoying groomed black runs at the other resorts, they'll have a great time on Snowbird's groomed blues. Snowbird really shines on sunny days, when the crowds stay away but you have great visibility for the spectacular scenery and 3,000-vertical-foot plunges.

I'm more hesitant than others to recommend Alta for beginners. I think folks are forgetting/ignoring that Cecret, Alta's best beginner pod, is gone. Which means green runs are limited to just a few choices under the busy and somewhat slow Sunnyside triple. Yes, there are easier blue runs to be found under Supreme as well, but I would be more hesitant to commit to Alta unless the whole group is feeling confident on blue runs elsewhere.

Brighton's a lot of fun. Milly has great green, blue, and black choices that let the whole group ride the lift together, and the other high-speed lifts all have easier blue options available. Brighton's grooming also stands out, although they go for a firmer groom (which lasts better into the afternoon/evening) than some others. Expect it to be pretty busy weekends and holidays.

Solitude's terrain for beginners is also pretty limited, but at least they can join you for lunch at the base or the Roundhouse. But intermediates should have a good time. Solitude lacks the parking to get really crowded, which can make it a good choice for a busy day if you're sure to get there before the lots close.

I was in Utah for two unusually warm winters. Weather will probably be fine, but if you do run into the misfortune of a very warm snap (a warm rain/snow system followed by warm sunny days is kind of the worst-case scenario), I advise skipping Solitude and Deer Valley. Much of the terrain you'd be most interested in at each is lower-elevation and sun-exposed. But should be a lot of fun in the midwinter conditions that I hope you encounter!

 

[speedster]

Is everyone in the group going to be on skis? Because Deer Valley and Alta do not allow snowboarding, so even one boarder and the group can't stick together at either spot.

Deer Valley has the most for your group, with really great grooming and fantastic on-mountain food. And it's likely to be less crowded than the others (with the possible exception of Solitude) on Saturdays/holidays/powder days.

Snowbird is definitely steeper and more intense than most anywhere else. But it's also an incredible mountain well worth experiencing if you can. I'd save it for closer to the end of the trip, and see how your novices are doing. If they make it to the point that they're comfortable skiing most groomed blue runs elsewhere, then they should definitely be fine with the Baldy lift at Snowbird, at least. And if the bulk of the group is enjoying groomed black runs at the other resorts, they'll have a great time on Snowbird's groomed blues. Snowbird really shines on sunny days, when the crowds stay away but you have great visibility for the spectacular scenery and 3,000-vertical-foot plunges.

I'm more hesitant than others to recommend Alta for beginners. I think folks are forgetting/ignoring that Cecret, Alta's best beginner pod, is gone. Which means green runs are limited to just a few choices under the busy and somewhat slow Sunnyside triple. Yes, there are easier blue runs to be found under Supreme as well, but I would be more hesitant to commit to Alta unless the whole group is feeling confident on blue runs elsewhere.

Brighton's a lot of fun. Milly has great green, blue, and black choices that let the whole group ride the lift together, and the other high-speed lifts all have easier blue options available. Brighton's grooming also stands out, although they go for a firmer groom (which lasts better into the afternoon/evening) than some others. Expect it to be pretty busy weekends and holidays.

Solitude's terrain for beginners is also pretty limited, but at least they can join you for lunch at the base or the Roundhouse. But intermediates should have a good time. Solitude lacks the parking to get really crowded, which can make it a good choice for a busy day if you're sure to get there before the lots close.

I was in Utah for two unusually warm winters. Weather will probably be fine, but if you do run into the misfortune of a very warm snap (a warm rain/snow system followed by warm sunny days is kind of the worst-case scenario), I advise skipping Solitude and Deer Valley. Much of the terrain you'd be most interested in at each is lower-elevation and sun-exposed. But should be a lot of fun in the midwinter conditions that I hope you encounter!

What an amazing post. Thank you so much for writing it!!

 

[AmyPJ]

Thank you all so much for such amazing advice!! So, it's going to be DV>Alta>Solitude>Brighton. We'll do one day in each, then stick with the best of the lot for the rest, and it sounds like it will be DV.

Now on to the other minor questions:
1. Do we all need to have >95 mm skis for the greens and blues on DV and Alta? Just took a poll and three people in the group don't have skis wider than 80 mm.
2. What are the best shops in the area for renting wide skis (price-wise and also availability of good demo skis)?

No, absolutely not. An all-mountain ski in the sub-90mm range will suit most days here in UT just fine.

 

[cosmoliu]

Wow, 4 hours in and everything of importance has already been said. I'll just reiterate a few points:

DV really does sound tailor made for your group. The grooming is second to none and the intermediates and low intermediates in your group will be very pleased. DV doesn't get a lot of cred for challenging terrain, but its definitely there to be found. Best on the mountain food to be had anywhere.

Alta sounds like the second best fit for your group and you definitely need to spend some quality time there. The Grump man covered how a Snowbird contingent can cross over at the top and meet the Alta contingent for lunch. Neat thing to do, but maybe not a primary goal for this particular ski week.

mdf is completely right- all of the above mentioned ski areas have unique and individual vibes. More so than you might think in terms of Alta/Bird and Brighton/Solitude being so close to each other. Definitely sample all if you have the desire to try.

I can guarantee that this will not be your only trip to Utah!

 

[speedster]

No, absolutely not. An all-mountain ski in the sub-90mm range will suit most days here in UT just fine.

Even a medium-flex 71 mm carver?

 

[speedster]

Wow, 4 hours in and everything of importance has already been said. I'll just reiterate a few points:

DV really does sound tailor made for your group. The grooming is second to none and the intermediates and low intermediates in your group will be very pleased. DV doesn't get a lot of cred for challenging terrain, but its definitely there to be found. Best on the mountain food to be had anywhere.

Alta sounds like the second best fit for your group and you definitely need to spend some quality time there. The Grump man covered how a Snowbird contingent can cross over at the top and meet the Alta contingent for lunch. Neat thing to do, but maybe not a primary goal for this particular ski week.

mdf is completely right- all of the above mentioned ski areas have unique and individual vibes. More so than you might think in terms of Alta/Bird and Brighton/Solitude being so close to each other. Definitely sample all if you have the desire to try.

I can guarantee that this will not be your only trip to Utah!

Thank you, and I agree. This has been a very quick and informative thread! I'm glad this forum exists!

 

[scott43]

Even a medium-flex 71 mm carver?

Yeah it all depends, doesn't it? I was in Utah for 7 days and we had 1 soft snow day. Being from the east, you'll appreciate the "icy" comments out west.. Anyway, I had 64mm SL skis and they were fine. If you get a good spell of snow, you'll be wishing you had wide boards, but you can rent. FWIW, now that we have 2 kids, I'm quite happy to just rent skis and poles. Can change'em every day.

 

[AmyPJ]

Even a medium-flex 71 mm carver?

I should clarify--sub-90mm meaning somewhere near that width. Most everyone I ski with here (mostly instructors) are on skis in the 88mm under foot range with the exception of VERY deep powder days.

So, a 71 under foot could work if we haven't had snow in a week or more. But, it wouldn't be my first choice out here.

 

[David Chaus]

My feeling, let them bring whatever skis they have and if they want to try other skis nobody is stopping them. Unless these are your kids, it’s not your responsibility or your problems to solve.

Or you could invite them to join Pugski and get all the answers they need.

 

[Bad Bob]

Go with the skis you've got and if those don't work so well demo. The Rossi demo yurt at Deer Valley is great for that, but think that all the areas have demos at the base.

 

[Woodsrider427]

A lot of great info here for us as well, as my daughter and I are also heading to the SLC area for the first time (the first week of March). We are also staying in/around Cottonwood Heights and have Ikon passes as well, so we will check out each place at least once.

 

[RikkiBobbi]

I am interested in this thread, too, as I may be making my first trip to SLC this year. I currently have the Epic pass but may get the Ikon pass as well for a trip to steamboat. I would be traveling with an intermediate snowboarder, whereas I'm advanced-expert level skier. Snowboarder would be willing to rent skis for Alta/DV but I'm not sure good of a skier he is.

 

[ADKmel]

I take my Atomic Cloud 11's 71mm for daily groomer ski, I've use them every trip, fine unless there's a good dump, then I use my z-90's I used to take Atomic Elysians 98's- I have a double sport tube.. the snow out west is SOOO Soft and nice you'll have a blast no hard carving we have to do in the East.
Take the skis you're familiar with and comfortable skiing and if the conditions warrant rent/demo a pair. Have fun..Bet you'll be going West every year

 

[sbooker]

Thank you, that is VERY helpful. So, as we'd rather stay in a group, I guess Snowbird is out (unless Alta and Snowbird are actually connected via trails and we can meet up for lunch together without having to get into the car and drive?). Out of Alta and Brighton then, if you had 8 days, how would you split between them? All 8 in Alta or 6 in Alta or 4 each? Also, how does Solitude compare to Alta and Brighton for what we'd be looking for?

Deer Valley is probably too far for us as we're staying in Cottonwood Heights.

This intermediate loves Snowbird. There is heaps of terrain that is intermediate friendly.
Spend some time in Alta and Solitude and leave a few days at the end for Snowbird. You'll love it.

 

[Bad Bob]

Be aware of the Sundance Film Festival; Jan 24th to Feb 3rd this year. It turns the town of Park City into a very expensive parking lot with long lines for restaurants, but the mountains are fairly empty. So not a good time for cruising Main St.

 

[Gentry]

Good thread. I'll be in Little Cottonwood on a 3-day Ski Utah Super Pass in mid-January. Planning on hitting Alta one day, Snowbird the next, and whichever one I like better on the 3rd day. I had always assumed Alta was the more "expert" hill so very interesting to hear the "warnings" about Snowbird.