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murphysf

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Hello

I have been doing a bit of reading about skiing in Utah (I'm from out of state).

I seem to notice indirect comments or references about / against the Cottonwoods and Park City / Dear Valley.

There seems to be some type of rivalry or stereotype or competition or love / hate feelings between the two areas / territories?

Can someone fill me in on what the differences are and why what seems to be some type of rivalry?
 

Seldomski

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Check the numbers and local geography -- Alta/Snowbird are at higher elevation compared to PC and DV. That means Alta/Snowbird tend to get more snow and the snow is better preserved. Also, look at the town size nearby. PC/DV are near Park City, which is a decent sized ski town. Alta/Snowbird have very little population at the foot of the mountain. All are within 1 hr of Salt Lake City downtown, so locals can ski at any easily. Road access is different between the two. Roads to PC are wider and plowed more often. Roads to Alta/Snowbird are nowhere near as 'robust.'

The two areas have very different feel to them, mainly for the reasons above. Alta/Snowbird are favored by the 'hardcore' skiers. I have not been to Brighton/Solitude. I'm not sure where they fall in all this.
 

Jim Kenney

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LCC and BCC: more snow, more double black diamonds, great off-piste terrain, more local skiers

PC/DV: slightly less snow, slightly fewer black diamonds, tons of groomed runs, more vacationing skiers

I ski a fair amount at both and it's all good. It just depends on what you are looking for. The town of Park City is nice for vacationers with interesting shops, plenty of restaurants, etc. Staying up in LCC/BCC or in the suburbs near their entrances is a different kind of experience based on skiing, eating and sleeping and not much more.
 

DanoT

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The Cottonwoods gets a lot more snow and more terrain.

Deer Valley has an on slope over-crowding problem

Cottonwoods, especially LCC on a powder weekend, can be a huge traffic jam even before you turnoff the highway to go up the canyon and even if there is no avy control roadwork going on.
 

raytseng

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Hello

I have been doing a bit of reading about skiing in Utah (I'm from out of state).

I seem to notice indirect comments or references about / against the Cottonwoods and Park City / Dear Valley.

There seems to be some type of rivalry or stereotype or competition or love / hate feelings between the two areas / territories?

Can someone fill me in on what the differences are and why what seems to be some type of rivalry?
MurphySF, in broad terms of what you might know, its a similar situation to south lake tahoe (Heavenly) vs north lake, truckee and Squaw/Alpine.
 

Jerez

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Thanks for starting this thread. I was in Snowbird last year and the crowding was awful. Yes, lots and lots of snow, but it was chewed up in about 15 minutes by hyperventilating, cranky dudes. Really quite unpleasant.

We were looking at stopping in Utah on our way to or from the Jackson Gathering and were considering Deer Valley because our godson is having a vacation there, but finding out the crowds are bad there too is putting us off. We have the luxury of skiing mid-week. Should we be looking at Brighton or Solitude, or is it basically the same scene? (Ikon pass holders who are all about the skiing and don't care too much about après amenities)
 

Jim Kenney

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If there is no new snow of more than about 8", then weekdays at Snowbird are usually fine. Weekends can be busy, but if no new snow it will not be insane. This axiom generally works for all LCC and BCC.
One of the best situations is when they forecast 6" for a weekday, but around 10AM there is a surprise burst of snow and they get 12". That can make for a special afternoon!
 

AmyPJ

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Skip the crowds and head to Powder Mountain and Snowbasin.
When was the last time you skied Snowbasin? Because the two years on the Mountain Collective made it busy, and this year with the Epic pass, it's stupid even midweek.
 

raytseng

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Thanks for starting this thread. I was in Snowbird last year and the crowding was awful. Yes, lots and lots of snow, but it was chewed up in about 15 minutes by hyperventilating, cranky dudes. Really quite unpleasant.

We were looking at stopping in Utah on our way to or from the Jackson Gathering and were considering Deer Valley because our godson is having a vacation there, but finding out the crowds are bad there too is putting us off. We have the luxury of skiing mid-week. Should we be looking at Brighton or Solitude, or is it basically the same scene? (Ikon pass holders who are all about the skiing and don't care too much about après amenities)
You should ski every resort at least once and judge for yourself, as everyone's thresholds are all different. Started at 53 has a bit of a specific personal take with respect to DV so you might want to take his comment on crowds with a grain of salt.
 

Bad Bob

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The best one is which ever one you're standing on. Have had fine days at all of them.

What is being said is pretty much all true about the terrain and annual snowpack.
 

Coach13

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When was the last time you skied Snowbasin? Because the two years on the Mountain Collective made it busy, and this year with the Epic pass, it's stupid even midweek.

Last year mid-week. Snowbasin was’t busy at all. Same week PM was basically empty.
 

bubbamsu

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I would agree with what has already been said about the differences in BCC/LCC/PC/DV, but I would add that people tend to go to Deer Valley and Park City to an extent to ski more groomers and "easier" stuff then at Alta/Bird. I prefer LCC but every now and then a change of pace is good.

We always stay outside of the LCC/BCC in Cottonwood Heights area and last March we decided to drive over to DV on a powder Saturday. The place was busy as usual but once we got out of the base areas and off the green/blue groomers the place was empty.

No one was skiing the Mayflower/Sultan/Lady Morgan chairs at all, free refills through the trees all day, the black runs were basically empty and it was like it was our own resort. The only lines we had were at the bar, even though the place was sold out. I was told that this is the case almost all the time since most people skiing DV stick mostly to groomers and are not searching for deep powder. If this is the case or not, I don't know, just my experience.
 

peterm

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Cottonwoods, especially LCC on a powder weekend, can be a huge traffic jam even before you turnoff the highway to go up the canyon and even if there is no avy control roadwork going on.

I skied Deer Valley the last couple of days and it didn't seem busy at all. Maybe I just got lucky? Regardless of how busy it is, I love the day lodges at Deer Valley. Immaculately presented and always feel so cosy and relaxing. The food is excellent too.

I didn't really gel with Park City the few days I skied there some years ago.

Solitude has a melo vibe and Honeycomb Canyon has a nice backcountry feel.

Alta is amazing, although the powder days I experienced there last year were a little manic. The on-mountain lodging there is pretty special.

Haven't skied Brighton or Snowbird enough yet to comment.
 

Cameron

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Park City and Deer Valley are definitely more a tourist destination with what has become a rather sprawling town compared to when I first visited. I don't consider that to be a downside its just different. It has been a long time since I skied Deer Valley so I don't remember it all that well but Park City seems rather chopped up to me and you can waste an entire day trying to ski the entire mountain. I've not been to any of the big cottonwood resorts but I have skied Alta and Snowbird. Alta has a very old school vibe to me which I dig but I've also stood in the longest lift lines I've ever seen there and a powder day after a dry spell. Snowbird has a familiar feel since much of the base buildings are concrete like where I went to college. My experience has been that the locals are hyper aggressive on a powder day even in mid April which is kind of a turn off but the mountain itself is quite nice. I've never stayed in the canyon but I've always felt it was the place where you ski to exhaustion and pass out by 8:00 and repeat the next day so if you are looking for nightlife you might be better off elsewhere.


Skip the crowds and head to Powder Mountain and Snowbasin.

That's terrible advice. ;)
 

Kindbuzz

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Park City and Deer Valley are definitely more a tourist destination with what has become a rather sprawling town compared to when I first visited. I don't consider that to be a downside its just different. It has been a long time since I skied Deer Valley so I don't remember it all that well but Park City seems rather chopped up to me and you can waste an entire day trying to ski the entire mountain. I've not been to any of the big cottonwood resorts but I have skied Alta and Snowbird. Alta has a very old school vibe to me which I dig but I've also stood in the longest lift lines I've ever seen there and a powder day after a dry spell. Snowbird has a familiar feel since much of the base buildings are concrete like where I went to college. My experience has been that the locals are hyper aggressive on a powder day even in mid April which is kind of a turn off but the mountain itself is quite nice. I've never stayed in the canyon but I've always felt it was the place where you ski to exhaustion and pass out by 8:00 and repeat the next day so if you are looking for nightlife you might be better off elsewhere.


This and he’s do not come to Snowbasin our loader..no food no restaurants, no one pieces and nothing to do

That's terrible advice. ;)
 

AmyPJ

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Last year mid-week. Snowbasin was’t busy at all. Same week PM was basically empty.
You got lucky. We had a few "quit" days last week, but with MLK weekend coming up, it's gotten busy again. Today, all lifts but 3 have been on wind hold all day. No access to the upper mountain at all. Happened earlier this week, too.
 

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