Utah Solitude Mountain Resort will charge visitors for parking

[Nathanvg]

I think the reason this rubs me the wrong way is that the majority of days, the road and parking is NOT overloaded. Just seems like a money grab. I'm less likely to ski there this season.

 

[Tricia]

Squaw attempted this same kind of parking policy last year and ended up altering it to weekend and holiday only.
The outrage from the Squaw locals was crazy.

 

[4ster]

Squaw attempted this same kind of parking policy last year and ended up altering it to weekend and holiday only.
The outrage from the Squaw locals was crazy.

I remember when it went into effect early last season for the whole lot. I pulled in mid morning & there were 5 car park attendents with 6 cars parked. I had VIP escort service out of that lot to the free parking

 

[jimmy]

I prefer Brighton.

 

[SpikeDog]

Blaming the IKON pass on this move is egregious. 'Course now that I have an IKON pass, I can just rationalize that instead of being free, skiing Solly is now still only $20.

 

[4ster]

Blaming the IKON pass on this move is egregious. 'Course now that I have an IKON pass, I can just rationalize that instead of being free, skiing Solly is now still only $20.

Yeah, that’s what they WANT you to think.
I was thinking it may even be worth the 20 bucks to show up late and get front row parking but they said they are reserving that for cars with four or more passengers which my car will not fit. Maybe I can pick up some tiny hitchhikers to sit in my lap .

 

[blackke17]

going to the TGR film Winterland tonight in SLC i'm sure the crowd will be ready to Riot

 

[Tony]

I prefer Brighton.

+100 after skiing their side country 2 days last season. To be fair, I haven't been to Solitude since they replaced (and extended base of) Summit lift.

While I agree that taking the bus from mouth of the Cottonwood Canyons presents problems detailed by @4ster a few posts above, they could make it a win-win-win if they had bus-only lanes, even if only in some places. First win is saving 25 miles (round trip to Solitude) of driving your own vehicle. This saves gas, wear and tear on your car and the planet. Second is you get dropped closer to lifts and don't have to worry about parking filling (plus now the cost). Yes, you do have to be organized to use bus. Third, which I saw on Sat. March 9 this year when a few of us were waiting in lane for hours on Wasatch Blvd between Bengal Blvd and the mouth of LCC, is give the buses priority. When we finally got almost to the mouth of LCC, we were passed by about 10 buses who were escorted by Police. March 9 may have been the worst traffic day of the year with 30" new over 3 days and it was a Saturday.

 

[4ster]

When we finally got almost to the mouth of LCC, we were passed by about 10 buses who were escorted by Police. March 9 may have been the worse day of the year with 30" new over 3 days and it was a Saturday.

& on the 15 or 20 busiest days this might make sense but as Squaw experienced last season, the rest of the time it does not.

 

[fatbob]

$20?
Guess I'll go douche up DV instead cos the locals really welcome visitors there....

Or create as much traffic going to Brighton maybe.

Greenwash hogwash. If the bus were up to scratch like JH I don't think I'd have a problem but sounds like that's far from guaranteed.

 

[cantunamunch]

park at the nordic center

 

[Daniel]

Sweet, and thanks for the advice! I am usually one of the first ones there and dip around 2ish in the afternoon since my legs are shot anyways so hopefully I can catch a bus down earlier than everyone else and avoid having to wait for an empty one at the end of the day.

Yes, strategizing is the key to efficient use of your time and quickly getting up and down the canyon. I use the bus ride to massage, stretch, eat, read, and listen to podcasts or music. Some of those are difficult to do if you don't have a seat and standing during a slow downbound bus ride is unpleasant after a big day towards the end of a 100+ day season. I reside between the mouths of LCC and BCC and, on certain days, actually catch the bus slightly west of my home to ensure I get aboard.

 

[4aprice]

Squaw attempted this same kind of parking policy last year and ended up altering it to weekend and holiday only.
The outrage from the Squaw locals was crazy.

This is the way I see it going.

To charge when we go in late March when there's 20 cars in the lot, would be counter productive. But on regular season weekends, Holidays and Powder days (argument on what constitutes a powder day in 3...2..1.) it make sense. Solitude's parking capacity is relatively small. Ski areas seem to have a decent idea the next days attendance I think it fair for them to capitalize on those days.

 

[Tricia]

hird, which I saw on Sat. March 9

Was that the day we were in the car conga line just a few cars behind you?

 

[Tony]

Yes. 3/9/19 was the day it took us 3 hrs to go 15 miles from Murray to Snowbird. LCC was closed overnight and the re-opening was delayed. I heard it was also backed getting into BCC and very busy at Park City ski areas the same day. We considered Deer Valley, but LCC was my goal as was staying there and I ended up staying 5 nights to catch next 30+” storm. I had to leave to ski two days to avoid running out of Ikon Altabird days.

I wonder how Brighton is going to prevent people from parking there and skiing Solitude. You could either take shuttle back (not very nice way to use Brighton’s parking like that) or burn one of your 5 Ikon Brighton days and use Solbright trail (nicer from Brighton’s POV, but some of trail as I remember is flat and why not just stay at Brighton).

 

[Wasatchman]

At first I was annoyed by the Solitude parking news but there may be a positive outcome for those skiers where Solitude is their home mountain.

If you ski Solitude a lot, then the $150 parking pass is worth it. And the benefit is that it might alleviate some parking congestion, resulting in a better situation for those who ski Solitude a lot. Because let's face it, there is no way Solitude's relatively small parking lots are equipped to handle the extra IKON hoardes.

In fact, if the policy encourages visitation elsewhere (see @fatbob comment about "douching up" Deer Valley) then perhaps this Alterra money grab has a positive consequence for those who ski Solitude a lot.

 

[DanoT]

The Ikon pass includes a free bus ride up LCC and BCC however last year one had to physically go to Solitude with your Ikon pass to get it registered for the free bus ride.

My first 2 days were at Alta and Snowbird and both days the bus driver let me ride for free up LCC. On my 3rd day I told the BCC bus driver that I was on my way to Solitude to get my pass registered as a bus pass but the bus driver insisted that I pay. So I paid the senior rate ($3.50?) and got a receipt. When got to Solitude I got the pass registered and gave them my receipt and asked for a refund. I was told that they could not give me a cash refund but gave me a gift certificate instead, good in their cafeteria or towards rentals...for $5.00 so I came out ahead on the deal.