Utah 2018-19 Utah Weather and Stoke

[dbostedo]

^^^
Any chance of getting them a couple of lessons in Australia this summer? (Well, our summer) to prep for the trip?

 

[Ogg]

I’m stoked for the snow tonight but I’m not sure where I should plan on skiing tomorrow. I skied Alta for the first time today and Snowbird the last couple of days. I’d love to head back up to LCC but I’m concerned about road and lift closures. The closed mineral basin and I believe the tram as well today because of wind. Am I better off heading to Brighton or Solitude tomorrow?

 

[New2]

I'm looking for some advice please.
I have visited SLC to ski from Australia a number of times and I love the place. We usually ski the Mountain Collective hills and probably will do next time too. The next time (next winter) we will be bringing relatively newbie (to skiing) friends who have never been to north America and we want them to have a good time on our planned road trip. We usually stay downtown at the Crystal Inn which is great but whilst we're fine (even with kids) with the drive to the resorts each day it may seem tiresome to our friends. We don't need to stay on snow as such because we expect to give them a taste of that at Snowmass.
Any suggestions for a good place to stay a little closer to either Snowbasin (Ogden) or the Cottonwoods? We plan on doing a couple of days at either area before we go to Snowmass and a couple of days after. We won't have kids with us and our friends love bars, breweries and eating out but don't need nightclubs.

As a side note the friends are a little 'careful' with their money and I can't see them shelling out for multiple lessons - even though they should do so. I plan to get them a lesson or two just to get them comfortable on snow as a gift but one will ski and one will snowboard. I guess there is no point getting a private lesson if that is the case? Once they are up and about my wife will be happy to ski with them on the bunny slopes until they are ready to progress. She is a 'mother hen' and has heaps of patience but as she has never had a lesson in her life I don't know she will be able to offer any real technical advice. Out of Snowbasin and Alta which hill would be best for new skiers? I know both have adequate gentle terrain but which will have the least crowds on a February weekday (we will use weekends to drive via Arches NP to Aspen)

As of right now, at least, Alta prohibits snowboarding. So your snowboarding friend shouldn't count on learning there. All three MCP resorts in Utah are a bit limited in beginner and lower intermediate terrain. Starting them out at another MCP resort (Mammoth, Sun Valley, or flip Aspen before SLC) or going with a different pass deal might make sense.

If you are going to Snowbasin, downtown Ogden is much more convenient and has some character/decent spots to eat. Neighborhoods a bit rough, but better than that around Crystal Inn in downtown Salt Lake. Or stay at a condo or cabin in Huntsville, Eden, or Mountain Green (up above the pollution, if there's an inversion). And pretty much count on Snowbasin or cooking in for your dining needs.

 

[sbooker]

^^^
Any chance of getting them a couple of lessons in Australia this summer? (Well, our summer) to prep for the trip?

Realistically no. We live about 1000 miles north of the snow and skiing in Oz is more eye wateringly expensive than skiing in the US so I can’t see them paying for another trip while they’re saving for their overseas one.
It would be ideal though - I certainly agree.

 

[sbooker]

As of right now, at least, Alta prohibits snowboarding. So your snowboarding friend shouldn't count on learning there. All three MCP resorts in Utah are a bit limited in beginner and lower intermediate terrain. Starting them out at another MCP resort (Mammoth, Sun Valley, or flip Aspen before SLC) or going with a different pass deal might make sense.

If you are going to Snowbasin, downtown Ogden is much more convenient and has some character/decent spots to eat. Neighborhoods a bit rough, but better than that around Crystal Inn in downtown Salt Lake. Or stay at a condo or cabin in Huntsville, Eden, or Mountain Green (up above the pollution, if there's an inversion). And pretty much count on Snowbasin or cooking in for your dining needs.

Good suggestion with Aspen first but lessons there are going to be even more dollars than Snowbasin. I have thought of going north to Jackson or Big Sky but I think missing the Utah NP would be a pity as they’re a pretty unique landscape that is jaw dropping. Not that Yellowstone is not impressive.....

 

[sbooker]

As of right now, at least, Alta prohibits snowboarding. So your snowboarding friend shouldn't count on learning there. All three MCP resorts in Utah are a bit limited in beginner and lower intermediate terrain. Starting them out at another MCP resort (Mammoth, Sun Valley, or flip Aspen before SLC) or going with a different pass deal might make sense.

If you are going to Snowbasin, downtown Ogden is much more convenient and has some character/decent spots to eat. Neighborhoods a bit rough, but better than that around Crystal Inn in downtown Salt Lake. Or stay at a condo or cabin in Huntsville, Eden, or Mountain Green (up above the pollution, if there's an inversion). And pretty much count on Snowbasin or cooking in for your dining needs.

Good suggestion with Aspen first but lessons there are going to be even more dollars than Snowbasin. I have thought of going north to Jackson or Big Sky but I think missing the Utah NP would be a pity as they’re a pretty unique landscape that is jaw dropping. Not that Yellowstone is not impressive.....

 

[bbinder]

Powder day!

 

[Ogg]

Sitting in the LCC crawl.

 

[Started at 53]

Sitting in the LCC crawl. View attachment 64522

You guys need a 6 lane highway up there to tame that traffic everyone complains about.

BUILD THAT ROAD

 

[Ogg]

It was only bad up to the 209/210 merge. I still got the same parking spot I got on Thursday and Friday. I’ve been finding freshies a lot of places.

 

[Itinerant skier]

Heading to SLC tomorrow then train to Ogden tuesday to play for a week! Hoping the forecast holds! Open to any tips about Ogden Town or PowMow.

 

[AmyPJ]

Heading to SLC tomorrow then train to Ogden tuesday to play for a week! Hoping the forecast holds! Open to any tips about Ogden Town or PowMow.

You need to be more specific about what kind of tips.

 

[Itinerant skier]

You need to be more specific about what kind of tips.

That would help eh? Ogden dining,, been there for work a few times but am taking the GF. It's her first time. Best runs at PowMow for a low level black diamond skier who normally likes it steep and groomed but wants to improve his powder skiing???? Thanks.

 

[AmyPJ]

That would help eh? Ogden dining,, been there for work a few times but am taking the GF. It's her first time. Best runs at PowMow for a low level black diamond skier who normally likes it steep and groomed but wants to improve his powder skiing???? Thanks.

What kind of food do you like? 25th Street has some fun and decent restaurants. There is a fabulous sushi restaurant on 12th Street called Ohana.

PM is not known for its black diamond groomers. At all. IF we get snow, you will get ample opportunities to work on your powder skiing, however.

 

[Itinerant skier]

What kind of food do you like? 25th Street has some fun and decent restaurants. There is a fabulous sushi restaurant on 12th Street called Ohana.

PM is not known for its black diamond groomers. At all. IF we get snow, you will get ample opportunities to work on your powder skiing, however.

mmmmm...Sushi!... Will check it out. Thanks! Doing a snow dance!

 

[Shawn C.]

I haven’t been to Ohana yet but Tona on 25th Street is amazingly good too! Don’t try to go on a weekend, they are always booked solid.

As far as Pow Mow, literally anywhere on a powder day. Turn some laps on the Hidden Lake quad and Sunrise poma and you will find pow adjacenct to the groomers and everywhere in between. Paradise lift offers steeper terrain and usually only one groomer that is a cat track. So if you see anything you like off of there it will be ungroomed.

Have fun!

 

[tromano]

In addition to the other recommendations, Craftburger is on 25th and the burgers are very good. Roosters brew pub is also worth a visit if your in the area.

Shooting star saloon in huntsville also worth a visit.

Maddox ranch house in perry is also worth a visit.

 

[blackke17]

Solitude opened side gates into Honeycomb yesterday during the storm, Navarone area was skiing great ! wet snow in the early morning turned to graupel and the conditions just kept getting better as the day went on.

 

[4ster]

Good suggestion with Aspen first but lessons there are going to be even more dollars than Snowbasin.

Snowbasin has great terrain & lift for 1st timers, maybe one of the best. What they lack is improving beginner & lower intermediate terrain. Midweek it would be fine for a 1st time lesson, skier or boarder. Storm days are not great at Snowbasin if you are unfamiliar. Lower base elevation can bring wet snow or R--n. Visibility can suck & "Blowbasin" is also a common nickname.

Even though there was only about 5-7" of fresh yesterday (Sunday), I think it was the best day of the season for me ... & It had little to do with the Rams losing.
Today was looking even better but wind-hold/closures on all the upper lifts only left some short low angle powder runs.
First in line & nowhere to go


I was NUKING!

Tomorrow will be a $#*tshow!

 

[New2]

That would help eh? Ogden dining,, been there for work a few times but am taking the GF. It's her first time. Best runs at PowMow for a low level black diamond skier who normally likes it steep and groomed but wants to improve his powder skiing???? Thanks.

I recommend Garcia's in Layton. It's a small chain out of Phoenix, where it's kind of middle-of-the-pack... so not as good as great Mexican food farther south, but still among the best Mexican food to be found in Utah, in my opinion.
For groomers, make sure to check out the groomed run report every day. My experience is that they tend to mix it up a bit, and fresh-groomed is pretty much always nicer than day-old. The Timberline and Sundown lifts are nice choices for somewhat steeper, less skied terrain.