• Forums
  • Utah
  • Skiing in Utah...I've got some questions, need your answers

Member of the Month

abjectwoe
May, 2025

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Skiing in Utah...I've got some questions, need your answers

profile picture
OHIO
Posts: 414 - Karma: 707
Hey NS, so I'm going to Salt Lake City next winter break (around Christmas, skiing 4-5 days there) to do some skiing with my family in the Park City area at hopefully several different resorts. Searchbar didn't quite answer all of my questions so I have a few questions for all of you.

1. Where is the best place to stay? My family is looking for a condo in the Park City area that we can stay at and get access to the multiple resorts in the area. Is there a shuttle bus service between all the resorts? Is it free or cost money?

2. Is there a way to purchase a pass that is good at multiple resorts or do we have to buy a separate lift ticket for each individual resort?

3. Where are the go to places for different terrain? Best place for Park, Powder, off-piste and groomers (ma and pa love the groomers, bros and i like park, off-piste, trees and anything else, would like to experience pow). Which resort has the best variety of everything? We are all experienced skiers and would prefer to stay away from the more tourist areas and longer lift lines but it's not that important.

4. What's the weather going to be like out there towards the end of december? Will parks be set up/is there pow skiing? I from Ohio so i have never experienced pow and I don't have a park till january hah.

5. If anyone else has any information, recommendations, or thoughts please let me know!

Any helpful information will be greatly appreciated and rewarded with +K

Thank you!
11 years ago
27 1
profile picture
Blynch2
Posts: 480 - Karma: 1,006
I'm also from Ohio also and in pc right now for spring break. I've purchased separate lift tickets for each resort. I recommend the Inter connect tour, google it, it's awesome. Park city and brighton for park and Alta for everything else. If you get fresh snow go to Alta.
11 years ago
2 0
profile picture
Blynch2
Posts: 480 - Karma: 1,006
my b
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
STAUSS
Posts: 8232 - Karma: 3,311
1. pc condo would be bougie and rad. the canyons also has some high end establishments. if you want to have better access to more resorts dont stay in park city, stay in slc. this will also be cheaper. there is a bus in pc that will take you all over the place but if you want to ski alta, snowbird, brighton, or solitude you need a car.

2. individual

3. brighton is the best all around as its got everything. canyons has some decent terrain relative to the rest of that side of the hill and also has a park. pc has the biggest and most well built jumps out of any of the resorts. alta, bird, tude (no park at any of these 3), and brighton all have much better terrain and get substantially more snow.

4.it's going to be cold and if it's anything like the last 3 winters it will be fairly preseason conditions.


11 years ago
3 0
profile picture
OHIO
Posts: 414 - Karma: 707
Thanks guys, does anyone else have any information? Will the conditions really be preseason like?
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
smuggs
Posts: 6561 - Karma: 1,375
hi do you have the winning numbers to next weeks powerball drawing ?

there will be some snow, minimal snow, or lots of snow.
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
bp.lando
Posts: 9297 - Karma: 1,494
so much off piste skiing in utah
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
danbrown
Posts: 11939 - Karma: 21,834
i think he meant if you stay in pc youll need a car to access all bcc/lcc resorts
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
.nasty
Posts: 10598 - Karma: 11,396
if you're staying in park city I'd suggest the Park City Peaks Hotel.

It's definitely not a condo (i.e. no kitchen) but it has it's own bus stop that accesses all of the areas in PC. The free breakfast buffet is awesome and a thousand times better than holiday inn or something like that. The pools/hot tubs are nice and there's no one really ever in em since most of the older folks use em earlier in the evening (they're also open 24/7).

For the price (ended up being like 100/night) it was pretty damn nice.
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
Scotty_Boy
Posts: 777 - Karma: 1,449
Alta has tons of awesome natural terrain. It can get pretty busy though.
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
OHIO
Posts: 414 - Karma: 707
thank you, thats got a lot of helpful information(:

any one else have any insight on the conditions out there in late december??
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
the.hellion.
Posts: 861 - Karma: 698
One of my good friends works for this company.
Could be worth a look ? I could also talk to her about any other questions you have.
http://www.pcvacationproperties.com/
11 years ago
2 0
profile picture
skier58284
Posts: 1705 - Karma: 5,366
2) There are combined Alta/Bird passes, and I think combined Solitude/Brighton passes.

3) If you want steep and gnarly, Snowbird, followed by Alta. If you want the most snowfall, Alta, followed by Snowbird. If you want a quiet relaxed area that holds snow/doesn't get skied out quickly, Solitude. If you want rich tourist faggots, Canyons/PC/Deer Valley. If you want groomers, maybe Deer Valley? Not sure. But Deer Valley is expensive and kinda touristy I think, Solitude has great groomers too. If you want a kinda laid back/not touristy place, but still with plenty of easy terrain, Solitude/Brighton. For park, I know that Alta doesn't have a park at all and Snowbird only has a really small park, I don't think Solitude has much/any. I think Brighton has park but I'm not positive.

tl;dr go to LCC (Alta/Snowbird) and BCC (Solitude/Brighton). Skip out on PC/Canyons/DV.

4) Mountain skiing is best in spring generally. Some years/places December is great, others it sucks. Hope to get lucky.

5) Come to Snowbird and shred the gnarly gnar.
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
skier58284
Posts: 1705 - Karma: 5,366
Oh and if you are okay with a hotel rather than a condo, the Sandy area is a good place to look, it's close to Little Cottonwood Canyon (Alta/Bird) and Big Cottonwood Canyon (Solitude/Brighton) and pretty cheap.
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
shocker611
Posts: 2599 - Karma: 423
I'm going to be honest, I would either skip PC/Canyons completely or only do it for 1 day, especially if there is any snow. Rest of the days should be spent in BCC (brighton/solitude) or LCC (Alta/Snowbird). I always recommend Snowbird for first time out-westers as it will blow your mind with it's size and the views (and terrain) at the top of the tram. It will be busy during that time though, so I would recommend brighton/soli some as well as they are both less busy than the LCC resorts. Brighton does have a pretty rad park (especially compared to Mad River, Perfect North, or wherever else you ski) and it's got a great locals environment that is cool to experience. Hope you have a good time, and you may end up wanting to leave Ohio (as I did) after you come for a visit.
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
J_Berg
Posts: 562 - Karma: 2,031
Ski brighton, its a hidden gem IMO. You can drop cliffs/ski steeps/pow on the skiers right, then take afternoon park laps in a great park on skiers left
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
shocker611
Posts: 2599 - Karma: 423
the park is in the middle of the mountain, probably skiers right if anything.. skiers right would be western which doesn't really have any decent cliffs. What I'm assuming you were talking about is milly which is skiers left... But the point is still the same, it's got everything
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
OHIO
Posts: 414 - Karma: 707
Great stuff from everyone, thanks! +K to all!
Anyone else know how the conditions will be out there late december? will all the terrain be open? will they still be making a lot of snow?
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
OHIO
Posts: 414 - Karma: 707
Great stuff from everyone, thanks! +K to all!
Anyone else know how the conditions will be out there late december? will all the terrain be open? will they still be making a lot of snow?
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
J_Berg
Posts: 562 - Karma: 2,031
shocker611the park is in the middle of the mountain, probably skiers right if anything.. skiers right would be western which doesn't really have any decent cliffs. What I'm assuming you were talking about is milly which is skiers left... But the point is still the same, it's got everything


OOh it is skiers left my bad haha
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
GayWolf420
Posts: 38115 - Karma: 129,917
OHIOGreat stuff from everyone, thanks! +K to all!
Anyone else know how the conditions will be out there late december? will all the terrain be open? will they still be making a lot of snow?


if it was anything like this year, expect the occasional rock or two. coverage was spotty around that time for sure just about anywhere. these later months have been better as far as snow goes. still Better than back east for sure though.
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
GayWolf420
Posts: 38115 - Karma: 129,917
OHIOGreat stuff from everyone, thanks! +K to all!
Anyone else know how the conditions will be out there late december? will all the terrain be open? will they still be making a lot of snow?


if it was anything like this year, expect the occasional rock or two. coverage was spotty around that time for sure just about anywhere. these later months have been better as far as snow goes. still Better than back east for sure though.
11 years ago
1 0
profile picture
OHIO
Posts: 414 - Karma: 707
Bumping this to the top as ski season gets closer! Anyone else have any thought/recommendations
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
OHIO
Posts: 414 - Karma: 707
Bumping again....How are the conditions out there? Will there be enough open when I'm out there?
11 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Dhane
Posts: 3866 - Karma: 1,722
Brighton has been pretty good lately. Would recommend it most out of all the resorts for sure. Just moved out here so can't say to much, Just that it hasn't snowed in a hot minute but that's about to change this weekend. Having just moved from loon Nh, Brighton is the bee knees. Park if fun there
10 years ago
1 0
profile picture
Basil91
Posts: 123 - Karma: 593
There is the Yeti Pass which gives you one day in 15 different Utah resorts. Which are Alta Ski Area, Beaver Mountain, Brian Head Resort, Brighton Resort, Canyons Resort, Cherry Peak, Deer Valley Resort, Eagle Point, Nordic Valley, Park City Mountain Resort, Powder Mountain Resort, Snowbasin Resort, Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, Solitude Mountain Resort and Sundance.

http://www.skiutah.com/passes/yeti-pass
10 years ago
0 0
All times are Eastern (-4); Currently it's 4:34AM