In the last two weeks in BC (Revelstoke and SunPeaks) I don’t think I saw more than 10 people with Avi gear.
At the top of an inbounds but def ‘offpiste’ hike here at SunPeaks, I was stopped by a couple, who, having hiked up for 15 mins, no gear, asked me about the route down. On the map, they just mark the glades, and they’re not obvious from the top. Area is called Gils, for anyone interested. They decided to cut back from whence they came. We saw small wind slab on the way down, and picked mellower lines as a consequence.
As for the weather today…. F**n cold! -21 on the board, and windchill (even just from cruising the pistes) making it quite uncomfortable. Called it after a few runs as just no fun. Lovely sunshine tho!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Anywhere within the resort is avalanche controlled. If you are to leave the resort or avalanche control area they will certainly let you know. That said, the resort mitigates avalanche risk, it doesn't eliminate it. I can honestly say I have only carried avi gear with me once or twice within a resort area in 40 years of skiing.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
mountainaddict wrote:
Quote:
Park City is over $300 now for a day pass.
I was going to say 'Where's it gonna end? but the fact is it's not... It's absolutely insane.
These prices have to be preventing those who might only ski a few days a season from going We've done a few North America road trips in the past where we've just turned up and bought day tickets. That looks increasingly unaffordable now.
Europe is heading exactly the same way. Day ticket prices have increased astronomically post-covid.
The other thing to know/consider is many resorts in the West now charge a good chunk of change for parking (USD10 - 40) and you need parking reservations. Although not ideal, there are ways to get around that and they tell you how on their website.
Anywhere within the resort is avalanche controlled. If you are to leave the resort or avalanche control area they will certainly let you know. That said, the resort mitigates avalanche risk, it doesn't eliminate it. I can honestly say I have only carried avi gear with me once or twice within a resort area in 40 years of skiing.
I haven't since yesterday...
Ha ha.
Honestly need to get in the habit more often. But the avy hazard is high here and I usually wear one even in area when the snowpack is tricky.
We had a bunch of scares last year...huge snow season...
My point wasn’t criticism, it was observation. I’d still have been digging that person out with a shovel personally. KT-22 wasn’t open when I was there but I did ski some areas with locals that were closed and asked them all what gear they had, even if they had a beacon in them / nope ! Based on the weather and the terrain I was comfortable as it was super low risk but that’s what got me looking. The culture is very rules oriented - my wife and I discussed that at length, people are quite compliant so perhaps they know it’s inbounds it’s deemed entirely safe. Tricky one, weather was fluctuating temps and humidity with decent snowfall and high winds, onto a very thin existing snowpack.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
In my experience the proportion of customers at the local resorts that are even a little bit avalanche trained is really low. I suspect it might be different further into BC but maybe not. In their eyes that's part of what they are paying the resort for. Having said that I also see some people then heading slightly out of bounds with no gear which always makes me twitch... "Slack country" (terrible term but it is the common one) is the worst in my opinion.
Sweajnr is in a ski race club and there's only a few of the parents that also tour (and in general then have gear and more avy awareness).
After all it is free
After all it is free
I have come to the conclusion that management made the decision to open KT-22 early in the morning to attract skiers and market that it was open (read $$$$), but word didn't make it to the ski patrol or ski patrol got the word too late to inspect the trail and do avalanche mitigation.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Snowpack is very tricky in a lot of places. The storm that came through this weekend had very high winds and large temperatures changes. From negative Fahrenheit to above freezing at high elevations.
It was very interesting in the Central Cascades. We were right on the border of an Arctic cold front that slid in underneath some warmer air pushing in from the West. That warm air got pushed up and we had an inversion. -4F in town (Bend) and 25F at mid-Mountain at Bachelor. The transition was very sudden. One minute it's 9F and then, BOOM! The temp more than doubled to 21F on the drive up. Last night the temps went above 32F above 6000' before cooling down into the upper 20's. That totally F'd up the fresh 10" that fell overnight. There's a thin layer of breakable crust on top of the snowpack. We have received over 6 feet of snow in the past 5 days. So, you can imagine what that's going to do the avalanche situation. Ski patrol is going to have their work cut out for them.
FWIW, I was wearing my avy gear yesterday. Did one lap of the Cinder Cone at Bachelor in knee deep powder and figured better to be on the safe side. I always have my avy gear with me at any ski resort, just in case I want to do a tour out the backcountry gates.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@Toadman, if Mt B isn’t the king of the temperature inversion I don’t know where it is. I drive up from Sunriver, and one day I had 0° F about halfway to the mountain. When I got to the parking lot, it was raining.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Given up figuring out what the f'in weather is doing here...
A few weeks ago literally freezing in -40C, this week torrential rain/atmospheric rivers/pineapple expresses/tropical punches...
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@stuarth, L O L, I just got back from a sizzling four runs in the rain here at Bachelor. Headed for Targhee and Jackson tomorrow, at this point if I have visibility, I’ll call it a victory.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Hi. @franga suggested posting this here. Hoping for some insight??
Booked Whistler blackcomb (for a week) 2nd March 2024 for my 40th birthday present as a BUCKET LIST holiday. Coming from the UK and never been to Canada before.
Got epic passes already, flights and accommodation booked. Now it’s nearing and conditions look less than ideal. As advanced beginners should we lose £2k that we can’t get back and look elsewhere? If we go we are looking at probably another £5k ontop. Should we cut our losses now??
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
March 2 is forever away. No worries. Even if today was the end of February, as advanced beginners the lack of snow wouldn't effect your skiing enjoyment.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
In-bounds avalanche at Palisades and now this at Heavenly ...
Hi. @franga suggested posting this here. Hoping for some insight??
Booked Whistler blackcomb (for a week) 2nd March 2024 for my 40th birthday present as a BUCKET LIST holiday. Coming from the UK and never been to Canada before.
Got epic passes already, flights and accommodation booked. Now it’s nearing and conditions look less than ideal. As advanced beginners should we lose £2k that we can’t get back and look elsewhere? If we go we are looking at probably another £5k ontop. Should we cut our losses now??
Whistler is famous for deep powder and long lift lines. Deep snow is not idea for intermediate skiing so the ideal situation for you might be lower than average snow, which will result in shorter lift lines. Also, as skimachine pointed out, March is a long way off when you can't accurately forecast the weather more than a few days ahead.
BTW, I just got back from Banff and missed the -40C cold snap by a day. You can actually die from doing heavy exercise at -40. On my first day it was -20 and any exposed skin was painful. I was last in Banff in 2006 as an advanced beginner. There was deep powder and it was difficult to ski. This year I was very disappointed because I'm a much better skier and the mountains seemed so limited. For example, I think that the 3 Valleys has 180 lifts compared to 12 in Sunshine Valley and 27 at Whistler.
I lived in the US for a few years and learned to ski in Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. Now I'm just checking and I see about 12 lifts at Snowbird, 41 at Aspen, 21 at Keystone, 7 at Santa Fe and 13 lifts at Taos. I'm afraid the Alps has ruined north America for me. But one really great thing about skiing in the Rockies is that you can find yourself completely alone on the piste, which you can never do in the 3 Valleys.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Similar request to Vodkaqueen: I am researching a (probably solo) trip to Utah, late Feb/early March 2025 (to miss blackout dates). Haven't been for 20 years but want to re-visit Alta, Snowbird, Solitude, Park City and Deer Valley over 2-3 weeks. It's the lift passes that are throwing me. I won't ski more than 7 days in any one location but I don't know the timings of release and usual prices of these passes, can anyone help please? Are they worth it (the benefit of using them in Europe is secondary) given the volume of days is likely to be 12-18 days in one season?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Snowmadmum wrote:
Similar request to Vodkaqueen: I am researching a (probably solo) trip to Utah, late Feb/early March 2025 (to miss blackout dates). Haven't been for 20 years but want to re-visit Alta, Snowbird, Solitude, Park City and Deer Valley over 2-3 weeks. It's the lift passes that are throwing me. I won't ski more than 7 days in any one location but I don't know the timings of release and usual prices of these passes, can anyone help please? Are they worth it (the benefit of using them in Europe is secondary) given the volume of days is likely to be 12-18 days in one season?
Definitely get the Ikon Pass, but make sure you get the one that is good for both Alta and Snowbird. It is the most expensive Ikon. They are cheapest when the first go on sale, if I remember right the last week in March/first week in April, and then you have about 1.5 months to get the cheapest rate. For this season I think the cost was $1,150 if you didn't have the pass last season so expect $1,200 for next season.
Note that Park City is not on the Ikon pass. If you want to go there you can buy an Epic day pass for 1-5 days. Same deal, late March/early April.
Also note that Snow Basin is a good mountain too. It is an ikon mountain and it is on the other side of Salt Lake that all the resorts you mentioned are. Snow Basin is first class, just like Deer Valley.
Don't forget, some of these mountains require reservations for Ikon pass holders. Not a big deal, but you need a reservation for sure.
Hope that helps
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Wed 31-01-24 23:46; edited 1 time in total
I am far from convinced this is real. No phone. Ski patrol is informed and doesn't do anything. Friends don't have people looking for her. Lifty abandons her in the gondola.
I think it is more like someone looking for attention or a payoff.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@skimachine, fantastic, that is incredibly helpful, thanks!
I just checked, I paid $1,059 for this season, but that is after a renewal discount of $50-$100 not sure exactly. Bought April 20 which was probably about the last day before the first price increase.
Last year I paid $979, again with some renewal discount. Bought April 21. Same thing, just before price increase.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Snowbasin is indeed a good area. And I prefer it to Deer Valley. But they couldn’t be more different from one another.
After all it is free
After all it is free
To elaborate: Snowbasin is a day area with no lodging, no town. It is outside of Ogden, not Salt Lake City. It has lifts that serve bigger vertical than most of the other areas in the Wasatch. Deer Valley markets itself is the most luxurious resort in the country, and that may be true. It has ski in ski out lodging and is next-door to Park city, and benefits from that by having its town, which is a decent ski town, and the best one in Utah. I much prefer the skiing at Snowbasin. Longer runs with more vert. Another tip for the OP: stay away from Alta and Snowbird on the weekends. The traffic jam coming out of Little Cottonwood Canyon is so bad that serious consideration has been given to the construction of a $1 billion gondola and parking garage from the mouth of the canyon to Alta. Doubtful it will be built but two hours for a 20 minute drive is something to avoid.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Scooter in Seattle wrote:
To elaborate: Snowbasin is a day area with no lodging, no town. It is outside of Ogden, not Salt Lake City. It has lifts that serve bigger vertical than most of the other areas in the Wasatch. Deer Valley markets itself is the most luxurious resort in the country, and that may be true. It has ski in ski out lodging and is next-door to Park city, and benefits from that by having its town, which is a decent ski town, and the best one in Utah. I much prefer the skiing at Snowbasin. Longer runs with more vert. Another tip for the OP: stay away from Alta and Snowbird on the weekends. The traffic jam coming out of Little Cottonwood Canyon is so bad that serious consideration has been given to the construction of a $1 billion gondola and parking garage from the mouth of the canyon to Alta. Doubtful it will be built but two hours for a 20 minute drive is something to avoid.
Agree with everything, but I would take take Alta/Snowbird over all of the others. One thing to remember is Snow Basin is at the lowest altitude followed by Deer Valley.
Brighton/Solitude are good to switch things up, but they are nothing to write home about.
It is best to take the ski bus up to Alta/Snowbird from SLC or another ski bus up to Brighton/Solitude unless it is not snowing and you don't have to pay to park and need parking reservations. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday there is a Cottonwood express bus from various SLC locations. Reservations and prepay required...$10 round trip/return.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
… and I agree with you that Alta bird is the best skiing in the joint… provided it isn’t a cruising only snow situation. Good Intel on the bus.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
ronniescott wrote:
Quote:
Hi. @franga suggested posting this here. Hoping for some insight??
Booked Whistler blackcomb (for a week) 2nd March 2024 for my 40th birthday present as a BUCKET LIST holiday. Coming from the UK and never been to Canada before.
Got epic passes already, flights and accommodation booked. Now it’s nearing and conditions look less than ideal. As advanced beginners should we lose £2k that we can’t get back and look elsewhere? If we go we are looking at probably another £5k ontop. Should we cut our losses now??
I lived in the US for a few years and learned to ski in Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. Now I'm just checking and I see about 12 lifts at Snowbird, 41 at Aspen, 21 at Keystone, 7 at Santa Fe and 13 lifts at Taos. I'm afraid the Alps has ruined north America for me. But one really great thing about skiing in the Rockies is that you can find yourself completely alone on the piste, which you can never do in the 3 Valleys.
Your last sentence hits the nail on the head! And surely the quality of the snow, variety of terrain, tree runs, glades and bump runs (in the USA and Canada) mean more than the quantity of lifts .
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Thanks @skimachine, didn't know about the ski buses, we just used our hire car, so will research those. We even went to Sundance once which was a bit of a trek and really for my mum (Robert Redford fan).
Really good advice about the weekends @Scooter in Seattle, will travel first and last weekend so may do something non-skiing the middle weekends, however having dealt with the Tarentaise valley at February Half Terms, anything less crowded is wonderful
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Quote:
Your last sentence hits the nail on the head! And surely the quality of the snow, variety of terrain, tree runs, glades and bump runs (in the USA and Canada) mean more than the quantity of lifts
Unfortunately, I'm stuck on the piste these days, which is why I measure the size of the resort in the number of lifts.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
ronniescott wrote:
Quote:
Your last sentence hits the nail on the head! And surely the quality of the snow, variety of terrain, tree runs, glades and bump runs (in the USA and Canada) mean more than the quantity of lifts
It's improving this week though. Alpine is good but the rain soaked frozen crud isn’t great just below that and there's boilerplate lower down in places with quite deep dust on it in most places.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
ronniescott wrote:
... Ahh, the glades, if you go down into those you should have a pea whistle attached to your jacket. Hey, maybe that's why they call it Whistler....
As you bring it up, some heli operators have a branded whistle as a give away... but it doesn't have a pea in it.
The reason is that the pea can freeze up. So whistle, perhaps, but pea, probably not.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Afternoon folks. I'm heading to Sunshine/Revelstoke/Lake Louise on the 24th of Feb. Anyone got a clue if there's much hope of any decent new snow prior to that?
Any help greatly appreciated.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Was raining to the summit in Whistler last weekend.
Very bad season.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Whitegold wrote:
Was raining to the summit in Whistler last weekend.
I did a SLC tour (Park City, Alta, Brighton. Snowbird, Solitude) in 2022. Echo the usefulness of the bus service out to the resorts. Thinking of a re-visit.....want to base it on Snowbird as it was head and shoulders the best we did. Snow Basin was subsequently recommended - is that accessible as a day excursion from SLC or am I going to have to find another set of lodgings to access? WRT Deer Valley....the day rate is stomach churning, but is it worth it?
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Technician, yes Snowbasin is an easy day excursion from SLC. Deer Valley is great for intermediates (with an Ikon pass) looking for groomers. But since you preferred the Bird, I infer you're better than that, so I'd send you to Snowbasin for your cruising day(s); they have the longest groomers with the most vert. I love the Bird but their cruising is pretty limited/convoluted. DV provides a luxury experience, worth sampling for a day if you have Ikon, but not otherwise. Staying in LCC is expensive vs SLC, but it positions you to take full advantage of any dumpage. And heading out and back from there to SB, you'd be going against traffic so not a big deal.
Thanks Scooter, that's useful. I'm UK based and I'll look into the whole pass thing and the number of days I can use in each resort - it feels like you need a degree in algebraic logic to get the best out of it and whether DV can be incorporated, just to say we have done it. BiL arranged the itinerary last time and we unforgivably undercooked on Bird. I'll amend what I wrote above - Bird would get the most of attention but I think we would likely still be in SLC - we were based on the outskirts and might think a bit more downtown next time - is that worth the extra travel time?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Being downtown would add 10-15 to getting to the Bird vs staying out at the mouth of the canyon. Conversely, it would also save that much on the trip to Snowbasin (and a few minutes going over Parley's (DV), and provide more and possibly cheaper lodging options. Think hard about avoiding the Bird on the weekends, the traffic is a shitshow. Do DV on Saturday (they limit ticket sales there) and Snowbasin on Sunday when many locals are in church.
After all it is free
After all it is free
I’d suggest Murray, Cottonwood Heights, or Sandy. All are convenient to the Cottonwoods. Snowbasin is nice when the canyon road is delayed or closed, but also is very busy on snowy weekends. Solitude is ok, but is unlimited on the ikon pass so weekends are crowded. I usually take a mid -trip day to go to Deer Valley. That have nice, groomed runs that would be red in Europe. Also, if you have a car, look at Alta weekend parking reservations early. They often sell out. Snowbird offers a mix of pay and free parking. If you don’t have a parking reservation, get up the canyon early on weekends.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Take a look at Powder Mountain, an independent resort near Snowbasin that is not a part of Ikon/Epic passes. If you google it, you’ll find a lot of recent articles because the founder of Netflix just bought controlling interest and is upgrading the facilities. Also, Deer Valley is doubling in size over the next couple of years with the development of a new backside base called Mayflower. As the world cooks, I think Utah will become increasingly popular with skiers. It is ideally located at high elevation inland so gets Pacific moisture and cold temperatures. TV news story today about Alta passing the 400” snow mark:
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
It's absolutely insane.
We've done a few North America road trips in the past where we've just turned up and bought day tickets. That looks increasingly unaffordable now.
.
