Utah Utah first timer advice

[Slim]

One other thought, the park city resorts would be a very good fit for your family as well. Better than LCC and having some nice perks over BCC. Surprised no one has mentioned them yet.

Could you educate me? I have only visited the area 3 times, but this is what I know:
-On average, LCC and BCC get more snow than Park City. They are also much prettier landscape wise.
-BCC is quieter and lower priced than both LCC and Park city.
-LCC has more steep and long terrain.

What does Park CIty have going for it?
It’s a serious question, as I have friends in PC and an Ikon Pass, so this is a relevant question for me.

 

[Slim]

@focker I you don’t have mogul experience, Lutsen has 2.5 mogul runs open already at this time. Often they only open later. Come on up and prcatice(with a lesson ideally).

We really liked staying at a condo the base at Solitude, great pool and game room for the kids. Also, if it snows, the drive and parking up Big or Little Cottonwood will be a nightmare. It is not cheap though, and it’s a long drive to Little Cottonwood.

Scenery wise, staying in the Canyons is 1000 x better than staying on the edge of SLC. Both Canyons have very little development and you truly feel like you are on vacation, and in the wild mountains.
The outskirts of SLC on the other hand is like staying in a hotel in Bloomington, only with some mountains in the background. ;-), see the google street view shots at the top.


I liked Brighton just as much as Solitude. There is still plenty of steep terrain(steep for normal skiers) and in fact, because it is not so committing, it is a great way to step up your (family’s) advanced terrain riding. You can bite of little bites, instead of committing to a big line all at once.
Brighton has lots of fun rocks and rollers to jump of, and little mini “chutes” to practice.
The hard stuff at Solitude is really hard, and very committing.
I have not skied LCC yet, (Feb4 finally!), but from what everyone says, especially Snowbird rates even more difficult.

 

[TQA]

I have some reservations about recommending Powder Mountain to a family with a mix of intermediate abilities. If you all have a good sense of direction and are good at piste map reading then It is a great place on a day with good viz. But they seem to have limited grooming capacity so it takes them 2 or 3 days to get stuff groomed [ which may be deliberate. The piste layout and the lift layout is quirky and if the viz is poor and there has been a recent dump it is really easy to lose your bearings. and find yourself in deep powder with no idea of where the run is. or which way to go for the lift.

If you do decide to split our time between Snowbasin and PM then an AWD with snow tires is a good idea. If you decide to stay in SLC [ which I do ] then in my opinion a 2 wd is fine but I suppose with a family and staying only 4 days the 4 wd cost is not prohibitive I visit on my own and usually stay for 20 to 25 days so the 4 wd is prohibitive. Mind you for some reason I often get an upgrade with Alamo on one famous occasion they upgraded me to a Mustang 2 wd with some monster engine. I took that back after one day. It is NOT good in slippery conditions.

One final bit of local knowledge If you are staying in SLC and come off the mountain hungary and disinclined to cook there is a famous restaurant called Chuck a rama which is an all you can eat buffet with an excellent variety of freshly cooked food and not expensive. There is a web site with a daily menu.

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

The piste layout and the lift layout is quirky and if the viz is poor and there has been a recent dump it is really easy to lose your bearings. and find yourself in deep powder with no idea of where the run is. or which way to go for the lift.

This! I have skied PowMow twice but I’ve never seen it! On the bright side locals are happy to point you in the right direction when needed!

 

[chilehed]

This is kind of my only question left at this point is what type of rental car do we get. We want one for sure, as we want to do some exploring and enjoy having our own car and not being tied to the busing system the whole time we are there.

What did you pay per day for that?

Their website currently shows a Tuesday to Tuesday rental of a Jeep Cherokee at $509, in mid-February.

 

[tromano]

Could you educate me? I have only visited the area 3 times, but this is what I know:
-On average, LCC and BCC get more snow than Park City. They are also much prettier landscape wise.
-BCC is quieter and lower priced than both LCC and BCC.
-LCC has more steep and long terrain.

What does Park CIty have going for it?
It’s a serious question, as I have friends in PC and an Ikon Pass, so this is a relevant question for me.

Have you seen an 8 year old kid try to ski in 24" of powder that comes up to her waist? I have. She had to straight line in other peoples tracks just go at all. And when she fell down in the deep snow, it takes a while just to find them. Lucky she didn't freak out about being buried. Seems like deep pow days aren't fun for lower level skiers and kids who weight under 100lbs. I won't take my kids out on big days until they get bigger and have enough mass to actually go in the snow. For a group with kids and intermediate skiers, deep pow and long steep runs are at best a novelty at worst, its reasons to avoid that area / not ski that day.

Its funny to me that this has to be explained, but Park City is THE UT ski town and THE destination resort for skiing in UT. There is something about this forum that apparently no one likes vail resorts, but people in the community here have ignored PC since well before vail bought it.

PC is good skiing, there is more than enough snow, if its a powder day at alta you will have powder to ski in PC. 7000 acres of varied terrain with much more mellow terrain suitable for intermediates and kids than you will find at any of the cottonwood canyon areas. There are so many lifts that finding an out of the way place that you like to ski is no issue. PC is about the size of Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, and Solitude combined. And then if you want to mix it up, deer valley is a couple mile bus ride away.

As a vacation spot, PC is walkable town, has good bus system, good transit to air port, option to not drive if you don't want, superior lodging options, 100x more dining and entertainment options than both of the cottonwood canyons combined.

Word is that Solitude is much more crowded this year with the IKON. Brighton is just a mom n pop ski area, not bad, but its not a destination. LCC is a great place for skiing with the boys, or girls, but with the kids... I am so amazed that people on this forum have forgotten about Park City.

 

[BobMc]

One final bit of local knowledge If you are staying in SLC and come off the mountain hungary and disinclined to cook there is a famous restaurant called Chuck a rama which is an all you can eat buffet with an excellent variety of freshly cooked food and not expensive. There is a web site with a daily menu.

Heh.

 

[chilehed]

At the Sears on 800 South in SLC, there's a burrito cart that's the BEST. It's called Tacos El Toro - huge burritos, really cheap, and the real thing.
Don't neglect to visit Temple Square, the grounds are beautiful. Also, the Catholic and the Greek Orthodox cathedrals are stunning inside.

 

[Slim]

@tromano
Thanks for your reply.
I agree about how smaller kids do in deep snow. However, in about a foot of snow, mine do just fine.
But if you are saying that Park City is better than the Cottonwoods because the Cottonwoods might get to much snow, that seems a bit strange. In that case, why not go to Colorado? Quicker, cheaper flights.

As far as lodging, you are certainly correct, there is more choice and better pricing in Park City.

But the fact that PC has more dining and entertainment options is not relevant to this thread: after all the OP stated he will cook in his condo and hang out there, so “entertainment’ doesn't matter.

As far as the size of the resorts, for 4 or 5 days, he will hardly be bored in the Cottonwoods. So again, the fact that PCMR is larger is not very relevant to the decisions in this case.

Then there is the terrain. Brighton and Solitude certainly have plenty of intermediate terrain, and others have said Alta does to.

You stated that when Alta has a powder day, so does Park City. That does not seem to be correct: According to bestsnow the chance of a 6” powder day is 20% at Alta but only 12% at PCMR at around 9000’ for both resorts.
So actually that amounts to PCMR getting only 60% of the Powder days Alta does.(at 9000’).

 

[tromano]

@tromano
Thanks for your reply.
I agree about how smaller kids do in deep snow. However, in about a foot of snow, mine do just fine.
But if you are saying that Park City is better than the Cottonwoods because the Cottonwoods might get to much snow, that seems a bit strange. In that case, why not go to Colorado? Quicker, cheaper flights.

As far as lodging, you are certainly correct, there is more choice and better pricing in Park City.

But the fact that PC has more dining and entertainment options is not relevant to this thread: after all the OP stated he will cook in his condo and hang out there, so “entertainment’ doesn't matter.

As far as the size of the resorts, for 4 or 5 days, he will hardly be bored in the Cottonwoods. So again, the fact that PCMR is larger is not very relevant to the decisions in this case.

Then there is the terrain. Brighton and Solitude certainly have plenty of intermediate terrain, and others have said Alta does to.

You stated that when Alta has a powder day, so does Park City. That does not seem to be correct: According to bestsnow the chance of a 6” powder day is 20% at Alta but only 12% at PCMR at around 9000’ for both resorts.
So actually that amounts to PCMR getting only 60% of the Powder days Alta does.(at 9000’).

This is not about the OP, you asked me a question and I am answering your question.

Snow fall here is driven by a few large storms that drop feet of snow on pretty much all over northern UT. The reason the cottonwoods have the "best snow" is that they are favored by NW flow that often will set up localized lake effect in the cottonwood after storms. But make no mistake the storms are the big deal. And if the storms are recent enough that snow is good in BCC, it will be nice and soft at Snowbasin, Beaver Mt, PC, pretty much everywhere. If there are no recent storms and the snow is crusty in PC, it will be not much soft snow pretty much everywhere. Don't over think it.

My best all time pow day was 5" reported.

Storm chasing within the Wasatch is pretty much a waste of time. Every storm is different and you can't reduce fun to a number. You won't know what conditions are like unless your get out there and ski it - that place, that day. And if you do it right you won't care what conditions are like at some other hill. I am bemused by the fact that a lot of people seem to think the only thing that matters is snow conditions and look all over the place to find good snow instead of just skiing. Some people will even get bummed if they miss the storm on their UT trip. But the wise man says there is snow that is good and snow that is good for you. I have found that to be true.

 

[focker]

Have you seen an 8 year old kid try to ski in 24" of powder that comes up to her waist? I have. She had to straight line in other peoples tracks just go at all. And when she fell down in the deep snow, it takes a while just to find them. Lucky she didn't freak out about being buried. Seems like deep pow days aren't fun for lower level skiers and kids who weight under 100lbs. I won't take my kids out on big days until they get bigger and have enough mass to actually go in the snow. For a group with kids and intermediate skiers, deep pow and long steep runs are at best a novelty at worst, its reasons to avoid that area / not ski that day.

Its funny to me that this has to be explained, but Park City is THE UT ski town and THE destination resort for skiing in UT. There is something about this forum that apparently no one likes vail resorts, but people in the community here have ignored PC since well before vail bought it.

PC is good skiing, there is more than enough snow, if its a powder day at alta you will have powder to ski in PC. 7000 acres of varied terrain with much more mellow terrain suitable for intermediates and kids than you will find at any of the cottonwood canyon areas. There are so many lifts that finding an out of the way place that you like to ski is no issue. PC is about the size of Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, and Solitude combined. And then if you want to mix it up, deer valley is a couple mile bus ride away.

As a vacation spot, PC is walkable town, has good bus system, good transit to air port, option to not drive if you don't want, superior lodging options, 100x more dining and entertainment options than both of the cottonwood canyons combined.

Word is that Solitude is much more crowded this year with the IKON. Brighton is just a mom n pop ski area, not bad, but its not a destination. LCC is a great place for skiing with the boys, or girls, but with the kids... I am so amazed that people on this forum have forgotten about Park City.

You conveniently ignored tickets costs... I can ski Brighton for $55 per day and Solitude for $69. I can ski Snowbird for $74 and Alta for $99.

What type of deals can I get in Park City? $157 for Deer Valley?!?! $139 for Park City?

Nope

 

[tromano]

You conveniently ignored tickets costs... I can ski Brighton for $55 per day and Solitude for $69. I can ski Snowbird for $74 and Alta for $99.

What type of deals can I get in Park City? $157 for Deer Valley?!?! $139 for Park City?

Nope

Your welcome.
Wow.

 

[raytseng]

Everyone just take a chill pill, step away from the keyboards, and just go out and ski for a few days.

 

[focker]

Sorry, I am just pretty Anti-Vail and their ridiculous ticket prices. I do appreciate the info in tromano's post but we won't be skiing Park City. It could definitely help someone else out.

I do think pointing out the cost difference can be helpful to those on any sort of a budget however.

 

[Nathanvg]

You conveniently ignored tickets costs... I can ski Brighton for $55 per day and Solitude for $69. I can ski Snowbird for $74 and Alta for $99.

Where do you get those deals? (I'd like to get them for a March trip)

 

[marjoram_sage]

Have you seen an 8 year old kid try to ski in 24" of powder that comes up to her waist? I have. She had to straight line in other peoples tracks just go at all. And when she fell down in the deep snow, it takes a while just to find them. Lucky she didn't freak out about being buried. Seems like deep pow days aren't fun for lower level skiers and kids who weight under 100lbs. I won't take my kids out on big days until they get bigger and have enough mass to actually go in the snow. For a group with kids and intermediate skiers, deep pow and long steep runs are at best a novelty at worst, its reasons to avoid that area / not ski that day.

Its funny to me that this has to be explained, but Park City is THE UT ski town and THE destination resort for skiing in UT. There is something about this forum that apparently no one likes vail resorts, but people in the community here have ignored PC since well before vail bought it.

PC is good skiing, there is more than enough snow, if its a powder day at alta you will have powder to ski in PC. 7000 acres of varied terrain with much more mellow terrain suitable for intermediates and kids than you will find at any of the cottonwood canyon areas. There are so many lifts that finding an out of the way place that you like to ski is no issue. PC is about the size of Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, and Solitude combined. And then if you want to mix it up, deer valley is a couple mile bus ride away.

As a vacation spot, PC is walkable town, has good bus system, good transit to air port, option to not drive if you don't want, superior lodging options, 100x more dining and entertainment options than both of the cottonwood canyons combined.

Word is that Solitude is much more crowded this year with the IKON. Brighton is just a mom n pop ski area, not bad, but its not a destination. LCC is a great place for skiing with the boys, or girls, but with the kids... I am so amazed that people on this forum have forgotten about Park City.

I'm going to Utah for 3 days in Feb and 3 days in early March. Reading all the posts on this forum I was thinking of just buying tickets to other Utah resorts rather than going to PCMR. Unlike OP I have the epic pass so the outrageous daily rate is not a consideration.

 

[AmyPJ]

PCMR=no need to rent a 4WD, or a vehicle at all, for that matter.
LCC took 4 hours to get out of after the last Sunday storm (per a person I was on the gondola with yesterday.) Yes, they actually CAN get too much snow. With that being said, it might make sense, as others have mentioned, to stay IN one of the canyons at one of the resorts.

And for the love of all that is holy, people need to stop trying to drive to Snowbasin with crappy tires or 2WD. I live near the base of Snowbasin and I have and need AWD and snow tires for my daily commute into Ogden.

 

[Woodsrider427]

This is kind of my only question left at this point is what type of rental car do we get. We want one for sure, as we want to do some exploring and enjoy having our own car and not being tied to the busing system the whole time we are there.

What did you pay per day for that?

I have a Jeep Cherokee reserved from Rugged Rentals for the first week of March (8 days) and it was $525 and they included a ski rack.

 

[focker]

Where do you get those deals? (I'd like to get them for a March trip)

liftopia.com

 

[Ogg]

Check hertz for rentals. I managed to book an suv for ~$250 for 6 days with my AAA discount . 1/30-2/5. I think they charge an extra $100 for a rack though. I didn’t bother since it’s just me and I hate putting my skis in a rack.