 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello!
Planning a trip to Salt Lake City with a friend for 4 days of skiing, and would like to try a different resort each day. My friend is an intermediate skier, so we'll be staying on piste. Since there are so many great resorts within a short drive of SLC, we are having a really difficult time narrowing the list down to just 4. Alta is a must, but then I am torn between Deer Valley, Solitude, Snowbird (can that be done the same day as Alta, or would that be too much?), PCMR, Canyons, Snowbasin,etc. Please advise!
Thank you!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It depends on what you like
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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?
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I like long runs, nicely groomed steeps, pretty scenery and short lift lines  .
A lively apres is a plus but not a must. I realize that you don't go to Utah for apres...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I love Solitude. There won't be lift lines. You might also want to consider Brighton. A lot of people don't like the Canyons, as they say it is too spread out. But for those that are used to large lift systems in the Alps, it shouldn't be an issue.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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One other thing.....there are some great bars in Park City. Park City isn't Utah.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| alenchic wrote: |
| I like long runs, nicely groomed steeps, pretty scenery and short lift lines . |
With that preference, Deer Valley will be the top of the list.
Snowbird should be done on a seperate day than Alta. They're big enough to be explored on their own.
Keep in mind North America mountains tend NOT to groom many of their black runs. So "groomed steeps" might take some hunting. Ask for a grooming report in the morning to hunt down the groomed blacks. Be mindful of random blacks. It maybe a top to bottom moguls field.
[edit]
For more lively apres, Park City has more opportunities.
Another mountain known for groomed runs and short lift line is SnowBasin, a little bit north of SLC. Can't vouch for the steep bits though.
Grooming isn't the hall mark of North American resorts. Inbound off-piste is.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Fri 17-01-14 21:35; edited 1 time in total
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And the in-bound off-piste is a nice safe development opportunity for your intermediate friend 
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I wouldn't recommend Alta if you are staying on piste. Although there are over 100 runs at Alta, very few are traditional (groomed) pistes.
In view of the massive snowfalls there most runs are left ungroomed for the powderhounds.
However, it would be a brilliant area for your mate to take his/her first steps off piste as the snow conditions are usually excellent and there are lots of less steep opportunities for exploration.
Wherever you end up, SLC is a great ski destination!
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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.
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Thank you so much for all the recommendations! I really don't want to miss out on Alta, so perhaps my friend will have to try some ungroomed trails after all . In asking for groomed runs I was just trying not to repeat last year's situation, when a bunch of us went to St Anton (which I loved!) and ended up in a bit of trouble with one of our friends, who truly struggled with a lack of groomed runs. Unfortunately the friend who is coming with me to Utah wasn't with us in St Anton, so I have no idea how she would handle moguls and rough terraine. Last time I skied with her was on perfectly groomed trails of Beaver Creek.
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Alta will be ok for a solid intermediate. There'll be enough groomed runs to keep most intermediates happy. So are most other mountains.
Of all the mountains, Snowbird is a standout. It's great for strong intermediate to expert skiers, who are not timid on un-grooms. So you certainly don't want to miss it. But whether your mate will enjoy it could be a question mark.
You might want to have he/she to try some of the un-groomed in Alta to see if they're up to going over to Snowbird. If he/she isn't comfortable with un-groomed, he/she also have the option to take a lesson or two to bring it up to standard.
(north American skiers starts off-piste as soon as they graduate out of the greens)
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Sat 18-01-14 0:33; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I can't ride Alta or Deer Valley (no snowboards allowed), but otherwise that's a good basic plan. Check the snow though - it's not good right now. It seems a shame to waste snow by grooming it. Deer valley sounds horrible, but is obviously perfect for some. I have ridden Park City, which to me is a touristy destination resort, not like Utah at all. It's a long way to go not to sample the real thing.
Snowbird is the #1 place in my view, with Powder Monutain also exceptional, but neither for groomed stuff. You may find Snowbird hard to understand if you don't have local knowledge: it's small, and most of the good stuff isn't on the groomed bits. Powder Mountain also may not make sense for motorway cruisers. That's not really my perspective, but there's probably no point in driving there if you're just after groomed. These aren't really "mogul" resorts, they exist for the driest powder in the world. In good conditions.
You don't want to stay in most of the places; they're not destination resorts. I generally stay in the city and then drive to wherever the conditions are best each day. I've also done it using the buses, which are good once you work them out.
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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.
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Thank you all! Another question- the forecast looks questionable in terms of snowfall. In fact, it looks like by the time we get to Salt Lake City (next weekend) there won't be any new snow there for at least a week and a half. Does the affect our choice of resorts? I guess my question is if there is a point in going to Alta if there won't be any fresh snow there... Should we stick to the resorts that groom, or should we still leave Alta and possibly Snowbird on our list? Thank you .
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My view is it's all really good though snowfall hasn't been up to normal levels this year. The base areas at Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, and Solitude are all pretty quiet. All are a relatively short bus ride or drive from SLC. My wife and I love Alta and we loved when we were early intermediates. They groom at least 1 run off every lift and it's a pretty good place to start venturing off piste since you can often find stuff close to groomed terrain so you're not making a huge commitment. I've only skied Snowbird once. I went with several certified ski instructors and it was snowing very hard and blowing very hard. Visibility was about to the tips of my skis. Tough day. My take is that Snowbird overall is a very steep mountain. It's better for strong/adventurous intermediates and above, IMO. Solitude will also offer lots of very good groomers and it's almost always quiet. I like it a lot. I've never skied Brighton. No particular reason, just never gotten there. IMO, scenery in the above 4 resorts is better than any of the PC resorts. Deer Valley probably fits your description the best. Lots and lots of groomers spanning a range of pitch. My wife and I also really like The Canyons, though it gets mixed reviews. The Canyons is huge, can be kind of hard to navigate, but it has really varied terrain and you can do some traveling almost like a European resort. Never skied at Park City Mountain Resort, again, not for any reason. Further North there is Snowbasin which gets less snow but has very nice terrain. I don't necessarily think doing different resorts each day is the best plan because it always takes me a while to learn a resort and I always find new things as I get to know the resort better. That said, I'd do Solitude, Alta, and Deer Valley. If one really trips your trigger go back for another day. If not, try The Canyons or Snowbird. I wouldn't do the drive North to Snowbasin or Powder Mountain. And, FWIW, Sundance is small but very fun. SLC is kind of a sprawling City with no real resort feel. Keep in mind in can be pouring rain in SLC and snowing beautifully in the mountains. Park City is the real resort town. We really like Park City and there is a ton of options for dining and drinking. We really like The No Name Saloon for a burger and beer. The Red Iguana in SLC has terrific Mexican food. Even without much new snow the groomers should be pretty good. The off piste???? Hope you have a great trip. We love skiing in UT.
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