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Utah 2018-2019 Season pass and lodging advice

surfandski

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We are considering Utah for next years 8-12 week family ski trip and I'd like some suggestions on season passes and even affordable/convenient towns to rent a house in. I grew up in Tahoe and have skied a good bit in Colorado but have always wanted to ski Utah. To give you an idea of what we are looking for, we are currently in Georgetown, Colorado from Jan 1-Feb 28 and it has worked out so well. We got an RMSP+ for our family of 4 ($1512) and I got a Loveland pass for myself ($400) so our passes were under $2000 for the whole family. I'm ok paying a little more for passes understanding these were cheap by comparison to other places and we ski enough days to really bring down the cost per day. When quoting prices if you could give the lowest, early season prices cuz we will make our decision within the next month or so and be ready to buy passes as soon as they come out.

Georgetown sits about 40 minutes right in between both Winter Park and Copper mtn so those are where we go on our family days and that distance appears to be similar to SLC to various resorts or same with Ogden. However, Loveland is only a 15-20 min drive and that is the mountain I've been most impressed with on this trip and hope that someone can recommend something similar if it exists in Utah. It's an old school, no frills, locals resort that is almost never crowded
(even on weekends)
compared to the mega resorts so it's my go to mountain whenever there is fresh pow. Rather than being lucky to get 2-3 untracked runs at Winter Park or copper even on a week day, yesterday I skied Loveland all day (35 runs) and was able to find fresh tracks on the majority of every run as there is just more terrain than what can usually be tracked out on a weekday. Does something like that exist in Utah? I'll put up with a tiny lodge and fixed chairs if it has exceptional snow and tiny crowds.

What individual or combos of passes would be good for a family where the 2 girls only want blue bird groomers, my 9 y/o son is a rapidly advancing intermediate who loves off-piste and I'm up for anything but especially love powder, trees and steeps?

Our experience this year has far exceeded our expectations to the point of us considering duplicating it next year given that Colorado hasn't had a great winter but we've never skied Utah and are hoping you guys have a standout year next year after this not so great one. Are there any small towns closer to resorts than SLC/Ogden where one can find an affordable house to rent?

Also, how is January and February for snow in Utah? March could be a possibility but I'm not sure how bad spring break is there so you would have to average a lot more snow in March than January to justify dealing with 2x-3x the amount of people (I hate skiing weekends so if weekdays during spring break are like weekends that may answer that question).

Thanks so much for your help!
 

New2

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Powder Mountain strikes me as the best choice for almost all of what you're asking... fantastic blue bird groomers, tons of off-piste, powder that stays untracked longer than anywhere else lift-served in Utah, and a good amount of tree skiing available. A rental on the mountain might actually be within your budget, and certainly somewhere in Eden (a short, steep drive or a shuttle ride away) would likely be priced ok (are you holding out for a house? Condos will likely be more prevalent). Huntsville and Liberty are also reasonably close. A definite perk of staying on the east side of the Wasatch crest is that the air is much cleaner and doesn't tend to have major inversion problems (which can be truly disgusting in Ogden and Salt Lake).

The biggest gap between what you're asking for and PowMow is steeps. PowMow has some steep pitches, but no long sustained steeps like Loveland's Lift 1 or many other areas in Utah & Colorado. But crowds are by far the lowest among Utah's big resorts.

Family passes at PowMow were $1700 last spring. If you can swing it, I'd recommend also getting the Mountain Collective Pass for you and your son, at least (they've had a $1 child add-on in past springs, at least). 3 days at Snowbasin, 2 days at Alta, and 2 days at Snowbird would give you a great sampler of Utah skiing and your fix of steeps. Snowbasin's an easy commute from the PowMow area, but Alta and Snowbird are both more problematic, with terrible rush-hour traffic on weekdays. But they're icons that you don't really want to miss if you're going to be in Utah.

There are smaller areas, too, that might fit the bill... Beaver Mountain, Sundance, and Eagle Point. But keep in mind that each is about half the size of Loveland. Sundance is the only one of these that's close enough to other areas to reasonably expect to ski elsewhere very much.

Snow, of course, can't be guaranteed (see this season!). But most seasons the snow's great Christmas through mid-April at PowMow, Alta, and Snowbird. Spring tends to hit Snowbasin a bit earlier. The earlier in January, the bigger the risk that there won't be enough snow... but based on historical performance, seems like a pretty low risk. If you're really looking at 8-12 weeks and have flexibility, I'd definitely recommend arriving after the New Year's holiday and staying into the spring. PowMow's unlikely to have much in the way of crowd problems at any point. Crowd dynamics at the other resorts vary, but expect New Year's and Presidents Day weekend to be significantly more crowded than Spring Break (assuming comparable snow conditions, at least). March and April are fantastic times to ski Utah and can potentially be more affordable, so I wouldn't recommend ruling them out.
 

TonyPlush

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There are folks much more qualified to answer your question than me. But because I dream of doing something similar with my family one day, do you mind me asking specifics of how you're pulling off a 2 month + family vacation? Home schooling?
 
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surfandski

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Powder Mountain strikes me as the best choice for almost all of what you're asking... fantastic blue bird groomers, tons of off-piste, powder that stays untracked longer than anywhere else lift-served in Utah, and a good amount of tree skiing available. A rental on the mountain might actually be within your budget, and certainly somewhere in Eden (a short, steep drive or a shuttle ride away) would likely be priced ok (are you holding out for a house? Condos will likely be more prevalent). Huntsville and Liberty are also reasonably close. A definite perk of staying on the east side of the Wasatch crest is that the air is much cleaner and doesn't tend to have major inversion problems (which can be truly disgusting in Ogden and Salt Lake).

The biggest gap between what you're asking for and PowMow is steeps. PowMow has some steep pitches, but no long sustained steeps like Loveland's Lift 1 or many other areas in Utah & Colorado. But crowds are by far the lowest among Utah's big resorts.

Family passes at PowMow were $1700 last spring. If you can swing it, I'd recommend also getting the Mountain Collective Pass for you and your son, at least (they've had a $1 child add-on in past springs, at least). 3 days at Snowbasin, 2 days at Alta, and 2 days at Snowbird would give you a great sampler of Utah skiing and your fix of steeps. Snowbasin's an easy commute from the PowMow area, but Alta and Snowbird are both more problematic, with terrible rush-hour traffic on weekdays. But they're icons that you don't really want to miss if you're going to be in Utah.

There are smaller areas, too, that might fit the bill... Beaver Mountain, Sundance, and Eagle Point. But keep in mind that each is about half the size of Loveland. Sundance is the only one of these that's close enough to other areas to reasonably expect to ski elsewhere very much.

Snow, of course, can't be guaranteed (see this season!). But most seasons the snow's great Christmas through mid-April at PowMow, Alta, and Snowbird. Spring tends to hit Snowbasin a bit earlier. The earlier in January, the bigger the risk that there won't be enough snow... but based on historical performance, seems like a pretty low risk. If you're really looking at 8-12 weeks and have flexibility, I'd definitely recommend arriving after the New Year's holiday and staying into the spring. PowMow's unlikely to have much in the way of crowd problems at any point. Crowd dynamics at the other resorts vary, but expect New Year's and Presidents Day weekend to be significantly more crowded than Spring Break (assuming comparable snow conditions, at least). March and April are fantastic times to ski Utah and can potentially be more affordable, so I wouldn't recommend ruling them out.

Thanks for all the great info! It's hard because I know so little about Utah resorts so I have no idea how they'd compare. Powder Mountain sounds like my kind of place especially on the powder days but would we be better with the family passes there and I get a single pass elsewhere or the family get passes at a bigger resort and I get my own pass at Powder or similar for the pow days and weekends? That brings up another thought. A weekday pass for us is totally fine because we try to avoid weekends at all costs and the kids can ski any day of the week. How would Powder Mountain compare to say Alta which has a family pass for I believe $1999 in the spring? Or is Alta without Snowbird not very big? I can't find Alta/Bird early season pricing but it looks like it's about $800 more than just Alta so probably about $2800. Size wise, how does Snowbird compare to Alta? I have no idea what "chair only" means at the bird but that's even cheaper. Is there a less crowded resort close to Alta/Bird that is similar to Powder Mtn if we were to get family passes at say Alta or Snowbird and then I get a 2nd pass myself for weekends? How does Snowbasin compare to either or the combined Alta/Bird?

I see Park City is part of Epic so that is an affordable option. What's hard is trying to find early season pricing because all the info I'm finding now is full pop but I know prices are usually a good bit cheaper if I buy them in April. I'm also wondering what Alterra will do with their 3 Utah mountains as the RMSP+ was such a good deal and it makes me wonder if they'd do something similar with Alta Snowbird like the super cheap Winter Park/ Copper Mtn pass.

Thanks!
 
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surfandski

surfandski

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There are folks much more qualified to answer your question than me. But because I dream of doing something similar with my family one day, do you mind me asking specifics of how you're pulling off a 2 month + family vacation? Home schooling?

Yes, we home school so the kids have actually been on their "Summer break" this winter since my wife only gave them a short break last summer. My youngest is 9 so we plan to do these extended ski trips every year while they are in the house including hopefully a trip or two over to Europe but that's a few years down the road once we've hit all the US resorts.
 

Shawn C.

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Thanks for all the great info! It's hard because I know so little about Utah resorts so I have no idea how they'd compare. Powder Mountain sounds like my kind of place especially on the powder days but would we be better with the family passes there and I get a single pass elsewhere or the family get passes at a bigger resort and I get my own pass at Powder or similar for the pow days and weekends?

Acreage-wise it doesn't get much bigger than Powder Mountain. A lot of it is their "Powder Country" terrain served by a bus along the road and snowcat skiing (priced by the ride) but the place is huge. As New2PDX said above, just not a whole lot of steep terrain.

I have no idea what "chair only" means at the bird but that's even cheaper.

Sound like a pass without tram access. That should be a crime. Like driving a Ferrari with an automatic transmission. Not that you can't get around the mountain without it but the Bird wouldn't be the Bird without the tram!
 

New2

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All pricing stuff is guesswork at this point, as I don't believe any of the resorts/passes have yet unveiled pricing for next season. Historically, Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, Solitude, and Deer Valley have not sold passes until the fall... whereas the best deals for Snowbasin, PowMow, Park City, and Mountain Collective are available in the spring, well before those other resorts publish pricing. Which means it's a good idea to make some sort of decision even with incomplete information. But definitely don't commit until you can see the pricing that comes out next month (Icon, MCP, Snowbasin, PowMow, and Epic, it sounds like). If a weekday-only pass works well for you, then sure, save the money!

The biggest thing I took away from your initial post is that you dislike even the weekday crowds at Copper and Winter Park. If I understood that correctly, then I think you'd also dislike the weekday crowds at most of the Utah resorts. I'll do a quick summary of my impressions of the various resorts based on your criteria...

Alta--really fun terrain and top-notch snow. Tends to be more crowded on weekdays than many of the others (I'd guess more crowded on weekdays than Copper or Winter Park). Alta manages their crowds to preserve terrain quality... so you'll likely be waiting in lift lines, rather than getting frustrated with torn-up terrain. Alta skis bigger than Loveland, more like Copper or Winter Park in size (alike but different, if that makes sense). No snowboarding (if that matters).

Snowbird--really fun terrain, the most steeps, and top-notch snow. Crowds vary enormously with conditions... sunny days at Snowbird are often pretty empty. Powder days a madhouse--but if you like powder, then it's almost certainly worth subjecting yourself to the crowds at least once or twice. I'm not a tram fan, so the chairs-only pass was a fantastic deal for me... others love the tram. Snowbird is big, but if your family is wanting to ski greens and blues much, it's more limited.

Brighton--really fun terrain, top-notch snow, more limited terrain (skis smaller than Loveland). A locals favorite, it can be pretty empty on weekdays, but also can get big crowds on weekends and powder days.

Solitude--good terrain, but lots of rocks mean their snow doesn't stretch as far as their neighbors. A bad layout means that you're going to spend more time getting where you want to be, as opposed to skiing. The flip side is low crowds--I'm not sure whether it's as empty as Loveland on weekdays, but certainly it shines on weekends for its relative emptiness. I'd say it skis similar or a bit smaller than Loveland.

[Those four are in Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons. A rental near any of these ski areas would be awesome if you can afford it; the next best option is down in metro Salt Lake, with the traffic and smog.]

Powder Mountain has the best snow outside the Cottonwood Canyons because of its northern exposure and because it seems to be in a lucky spot for storm tracks. Tons of terrain and many fantastic groomers spread across the mountain give the whole family options... but not quite as many options as Copper + Winter Park. The lowest crowd levels--probably comparable to Loveland weekdays, and even weekends at PowMow tend to be pretty quiet. It's definitely the least resort-like, which you said you like... but if other family members are more interested in fancy lodges and fast lifts, it might not be such a great choice.

Snowbasin is really fun, with fantastic terrain. Crowding has increased, and it would be good to get a more recent take... but my experience was that weekdays at Snowbasin were consistently fairly uncrowded. Good groomers, but the mountain has chokepoints that can get rutted up pretty quickly. Snow preservation isn't as strong as the first five areas listed, which is a concern in dry or warm years.

[These two are well-served with rentals in the Eden valley; more affordable options are available around Ogden, but you'll deal with more traffic and smog.]

Park City is huge, with tons of terrain for everyone. Definitely more crowded than most other Utah areas, even on weekdays. Probably more crowded on weekdays than Copper or Winter Park. Snow preservation is challenged compared to Utah's elite 5, so that's a concern in dry or warm years.

Deer Valley is very big, and also has a great terrain mix. Pricing has historically been very high... maybe the new ownership will change that. Weekday crowding tends to be lower than Park City or Alta, but higher than other spots. Snow preservation is challenged compared to Utah's elite 5, so that's a concern in dry or warm years. No snowboarding (if that matters).

[These two are in a big resort district with tons of rental options all around. Many of which will be more expensive than you'd like.]

Based on how you described your son and the two girls, it sounds to me like you should figure something out where your son can get some skiing in even on days when the girls don't want it. And if the MCP again has $1 kids this spring, that seems like a really attractive deal... 7 days of skiing at Snowbasin, Alta, and Snowbird, and half-price tickets after that, for you and your son at about $400. But definitely there are lots of fun ways to do this!
 
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surfandski

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Wow, thanks for that detailed info on all the resorts. That definitely helps me compare them. Regarding weekdays, Copper and Winter Park are not bad at all in January-February so there is rarely ever a wait in the lift line so even if some places were a little more crowded during the week it wouldn't be a deal breaker. I just don't like having to wait more than a couple minutes during the week. Weekends are a zoo so we try to avoid them at all cost. Powder Mountain does sound up our alley as we aren't into the mega resort vibe. Not that it bothers us but we are there to ski so we spend very little time in the lodge and always bring our lunch so we rarely take advantage of the amenities (as if we could afford to eat lunch there 6 days a week for 8 weeks). Typically the girls only ski 2 days a week and my son 3 and then I get in at least 3 "me" days so that's the one thing that has me wondering if I wouldn't need a 2nd pass for myself just to mix things up as I've already skied 30 of the 34 days we've been in Colorado. Maybe Powder Mtn for the whole family plus Snowbasin for me could be a nice combo. I'll have to start looking or a house or condo in that area to see if they fit our budget. I hope Alterra/Ikon puts out more information soon to have an idea of what they will offer.

Thanks again!
 
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Shawn C.

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Just to double down on the lodging advice above:

You will probably want to stay up in the Ogden Valley (Eden, Huntsville, Liberty area). Ogden is... strange. Its like a mountain town that has no idea how to be a mountain town. But the big kicker is the air quality. It gets really, really bad. Not as bad as SLC but it is downright nasty at times. The Ogden Valley is very pretty and is a great place to enjoy in and of itself.
 
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surfandski

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A couple more questions for you. How does the wind and temps compare to Colorado? Having grown up in Tahoe where temps rarely got down into the teens and it's not that windy unless there is a major storm, we've had a number of single digit mornings and it is usually really windy. It's ok and so far we've only had a couple days where it was cold enough to call the day short but we are weighing the pros and cons of repeating Colorado vs going some place new, this could come into play as my wife hates wind and where we are staying is Georgetown is like a wind tunnel.

Also, I bought a pair of Blizzard Spurs (125mm underfoot) before this season and I haven't used them yet due to the lack of powder days so I'm considering selling them since Colorado just doesn't get enough powder to justify a ski that wide. From what I've been told by all of the locals, a typical Colorado year is a bunch of small 1-4" storms rather than 1-2'. Obviously, Utah is known for the powder but in a good year how frequently do you get 1'+ storms to where it would be worth me holding onto the Spurs? If I sell them I may get a 115ish for a step up from my 108mm but if a place like Powder Mtn typically gets some 1'+ storms then maybe they are worth keeping.

Thanks!
 

Shawn C.

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I think the UT's winter climate is quite mild. Even if you are skiing Alta / Bird it isn't as high as a lot of the Colorado resorts so that is a big factor. It can get a bit windy at times but I would not say it is prone to wind. If it isn't storming it is usually sunny.
Snow storms? You think I moved here for the night life? The snow can be ridiculously good. An average year is truly fantastic with many days of blower pow. Not an exaggeration. Then again, you get a year like this season and it makes one question their life choices. Such a bleak ski season.

One more thing. Powder Mountain only sells a limited amounts of season passes each year. They don't sell out too quickly but don't expect to wait until November to purchase one as they may be gone.
 
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surfandski

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I had a feeling it was milder weather so that's good to hear. I
know a lot of people here in Colorado say they prefer 1-3" x5 days a week vs one big snow but I'm the opposite.
I prefer to have blue bird days and then have it dump as opposed to just a couple inches most days where you still have to deal with low vis and crappy roads but without enough snow for a true pow day.
 

New2

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Agreed... milder than Georgetown, but can still get pretty chilly. Not really a high-wind region, but specific location matters more here. So might be worth trying to talk to the neighbors once you identify a specific spot.

Re: a Snowbasin pass for you, if you end up getting the family PowMow passes... it's definitely worth looking at once prices are out. But there's so much that's really just down to personal taste that I think it's hard to recommend a particular way to spend those ~24-36 "me days" you're talking about. I love exploring around, so my recommendation would be to try for as much exploration as you can get while you're in Utah... maybe you'll fall in love with a particular area, in which case maybe you know better where to go year-after-next (personally, I fell for Brighton, which I did not expect). But on the other hand, exploring means spending a lot of time driving, and there's definitely a benefit to focusing enough attention on just a couple mountains to really get to know them both.

Approximate weekday drive times each way from Eden:
Nordic Valley: 10 min.
PowMow: 15-20 min.
Snowbasin (Mountain Collective): 20-25 min.
Park City (Epic): 75-80 min.
Deer Valley (Ikon): 80-85 min.
Sundance, Beaver Mountain, Cherry Peak: 1 hour 45 min to 2 hours
Alta & Snowbird (Mountain Collective & Ikon): 2 hours+
Brighton & Solitude: 2 hours+
Sun Valley (Mountain Collective): 4.5-5 hours
Jackson Hole (Mountain Collective & Ikon): 5+ hours

Re: Nordic Valley... I enjoyed the evening I spent there, but you should look at Gregg Blanchard's explanation of why he skis there. I've followed Gregg's blog since I lived in Utah, and I think he's being honest here... not a "promoted post" or whatever.
 

Jim Kenney

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I couldn't imagine spending 8-12 weeks skiing just Powder Mountain, Snow Basin yes.
Powder Mtn for family, plus Snowbasin for you - might work. But I have to agree with above post. Powder Mtn is not as interesting a mtn as Loveland IMHO, not to mention WP and Copper. For me it's an odd mtn that skis a lot smaller and tamer than its stated acreage. However, Powder Mtn might be even less busy than Loveland. Another issue is that there is often a marked difference in snow quality between the LCC and BCC ski areas and the rest of Utah, with Alta being at the very top of the heap for snowsureness even in the weak winter of 2018. So it's kind of hard to talk about spending a winter in Utah without at least some visits to those snowier hills.

A few other options: It sounds like you are not interested in Park City. It's obviously more busy like WP and Copper. But PC ski terrain is huge and staying in the area around Park City/Kimball Junction provides a lot of infrastructure including shops/restaurants, non-downhill skiing recreational activities, etc. If you are more an off the grid/rural-loving family, then the Eden/Snowbasin/Pow Mtn area would be better for that. If you were to find affordable housing near the base of BCC, then you might enjoy passes to Sol/Bright. They are less busy mtns than Alta/Bird and similarly snowy, but not as interesting IMHO.
 
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surfandski

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Powder Mtn for family, plus Snowbasin for you - might work. But I have to agree with above post. Powder Mtn is not as interesting a mtn as Loveland IMHO, not to mention WP and Copper. For me it's an odd mtn that skis a lot smaller and tamer than its stated acreage. However, Powder Mtn might be even less busy than Loveland. Another issue is that there is often a marked difference in snow quality between the LCC and BCC ski areas and the rest of Utah, with Alta being at the very top of the heap for snowsureness even in the weak winter of 2018. So it's kind of hard to talk about spending a winter in Utah without at least some visits to those snowier hills.

A few other options: It sounds like you are not interested in Park City. It's obviously more busy like WP and Copper. But PC ski terrain is huge and staying in the area around Park City/Kimball Junction provides a lot of infrastructure including shops/restaurants, non-downhill skiing recreational activities, etc. If you are more an off the grid/rural-loving family, then the Eden/Snowbasin/Pow Mtn area would be better for that. If you were to find affordable housing near the base of BCC, then you might enjoy passes to Sol/Bright. They are less busy mtns than Alta/Bird and similarly snowy, but not as interesting IMHO.

Thanks Jim! For the family days, I'm not so concerned about us finding a mountain boring. My wife is still progressing but being a beginner, scratching on the surface of intermediacy, she finds a few runs she likes and is content lapping those all day. I don't think we'd be fans of PC as we are only there to ski so we avoid shops and restaurants whenever possible. I don't know if it's like Vail but that hole pretentious, let's try to make everything about skiing (epic pass excluded but they make up for it with their $25 "epic burger") so expensive that only the "elite" can afford it, side of skiing turns me off. I picture Deer Valley that way as well but maybe I'm misjudging those resorts as I've never been to them. I don't mind infrastructure and nice lodges but there is something special about the old school resorts like Loveland who make skiing available to the average person (I think their full-price ticket is still only $75 without any discounts).

You bring up a great point about snow quality. In a normal year is the snow at Alta/Snowbird significantly better and deeper than something like Pow mtn and Snowbasin? I think a family Alta/Bird pass would be within a few hundred of Powmow/Snowbasin so that's an option if that gives enough terrain for our only pass. If we got just Alta, I could afford another pass at a possibly less busy resort near there.

I'd love to explore more of the resorts but going for 8+weeks means we have to pick a couple and ski the heck out of them. It would be nice if 3-5 of the resorts partnered together on a pass.
 

cosmoliu

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I do think that Alta deserves its reputation for great snow. The lack of snowboarders plays a big role. Snowboarders who carve powder would be OK, but they are in the minority. The rest side-push the snow and, in the process, compact it. You are much more likely to bottom out to pre-existing base after a dump at Snowbird than at Alta, given an equivalent number of inches. Also, Alta is less rocky, so easier to cover. Additionally, Alta has much more intermediate terrain than Snowbird.
 

pchewn

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@surfandski : I first learned to ski at Loveland in 1967 . I think its great that you are spending your winter there. Did you get to Loveland Valley (the smaller portion of Loveland down in the valley)? We skied just that lift the whole 1st year -- dutifully following our Austrian ski instructor (myself, my brother, and our neighbor friend). He would say "follow me" or "bend like this" or "hold arms like this" -- that was the extent of his instruction and English.

We went over jumps, we skied the creek bed which is just a narrow winding roller-coaster, we bombed from top to bottom, we snowplowed through the trees, we would snake down that hill all day long.

I hope you also drove over the pass and skied A-Basin? That was where I spent most of my time in Jr High until Copper Mt was built and then Mary Jane opened at Winter Park. But Loveland was the first and I've gone back a couple of times recently and had a blast there....
 

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