Ski Utah Blog - Related Articles
Showing 10 articles out of 21.
Tubing at Gorgoza Park in Park City
Posted by Jodi Saeland on March 20, 2010
If you're looking for something to do with the kiddos for a few hours, tubing is a great activity. It doesn't take a ton of energy and the kids love it. We decided to check out Gorgoza tubing hill. It is located just off the Jeremy Ranch exit off I-80 so quick access from Salt Lake or from Park City.
We chose an extremely warm day. Advice...dress kids appropriately. I did not and ended up carrying a bunch of jackets around since it was so warm and sunny. The day we went it was about 50 degrees. All you need is boots, snowpants, a long sleeved shirt and mittens. I decided to put their helmets on as well. I was surprised at how few little kids had helmets on. Tubing isn't dangerous, however; if they fell off their tube on the tube track...better to be prepared.
There are 2 sizes of tubes; small and big. Em wanted to try the big one...don't do that. You will end of lugging it because it's too heavy and they actually go faster in a smaller one. It is for ages 3 and up. Everyone has to ride alone, but if you're worried about your little ones; just hold their tubes. I held onto Brens handle and we went down together. Emily was "big" so she could go alone. There is a little walking involved from getting off the hill back to the tow rope. If you have a "slow walker", just pull him in the tube...you'll get their faster.
We select our tubes and up we go. An attendant hooks the handle of your tube on a tow rope and it pulls you to the top of the hill. It's a little walk to the top of the hill and down you go. The hills are treated, so even when it is a bit warm...you can get some speed. After several trips down, the kids want to take a break at Fort Frosty. It is a play area for the 3-6 year olds. There is a little "merry go round" where the tubes are attatched and kids sit in them and go round and round. We spent a lot of time doing this. There is also a very small hill to tube on and snowbanks to slide down.
You can bring your own snacks, or there is snacks for purchase. After our 2 hours, we had tired out kids and little red noses. Don't forget the sunsreen!
A great winter activity to check out after a day on the slopes!
Be An Olympian
Posted by Ray Grass on March 4, 2010
Okay, you watched the Games from the sidelines. Now be an Olympian. Or, at least, try your hand at an Olympic sport.
Consider this: Get in a few days of skiing and when looking for something to do take a run down a bobsled track, a turn or two on the speed-skating oval, test a downhill course, surf a super halfpipe or ski and shoot on a biathlon course.
That’s the legacy left from the 2002 Olympics that Utah now offers.
I’ve sampled many and, believe me, I hold a lot more admiration for Olympians.
Here’s what’s available:
Ski the slalom and freestyle mogul courses at Deer Valley. Over the years a lot of people have come, asked about and headed in those directions.
Or, visit Snowbasin and take a breathtaking run on the men’s and women’s downhill and super-G courses. Believe me, it takes a lot of nerve not to check speed, even for the very best skiers, on those courses.
Four Utah resorts -- Brian Head, Deer Valley, Park City Mountain Resort and Snowbasin -- offer NASTAR racing where skiers and snowboarders can test their gate-running skills.
Slide into the Super Halfpipe at Park City Mountain Resort where the U.S. won all three snowboard medals in the men’s competition. Oh, and don’t expect big air and 180-degree spins on first or even 20th try.
Jump into a four-man bobsled, with professional driver, and enjoy the fast-track -- 80-plus miles per hour and 5-Gs in the turns -- on the sliding course at the Utah Olympic Park. Skeleton runs are available, but prior planning is necessary.
Take a spin on the short-track speed skating oval where Apolo Ohno trains on the ice at the Utah Olympic Oval.
Ski the northern resorts -- Snowbasin, Wolf Creek or Powder Mountain -- and then stop by the Ogden Ice Sheet and slide a stone on the Olympic curling ice. There are also other locations offering curling lanes in Utah.
There are three options for the biathlon at Soldier Hollow -- the introductory program with air rifle, the longer session, again with air rifle, or the full Olympic experience with a longer cross country test and shooting on the Olympic range with .22-caliber rifle.
Of course, the Olympic nordic tracks at Soldier Hollow, which drew positive mention from athletes in Vancouver, are open and a real eye opener.
So, of the 15 Winter Olympic categories held in Vancouver in February, it is possible to sample 11 of them between now and then in Utah.
Two of my most memorable experiences came on the downhill run at Snowbasin and the bobsled track at the Olympic Park.
The start house at Snowbasin sits on a cliff. There is no gradual acceleration. It’s zero to 80 in three seconds . . . if you didn’t check the speed, which I did.
As downhill courses go, this one is two miles long. The winning time was slightly more than a minute and a half, which meant Olympic speeds averaged more than 60 miles a hour — top to bottom, over jumps and through gullies and in turns that compressed skiers to half his standing height, all on snow as hard as a rock.
Come anywhere close to that time and you’ve got Olympic potential.
The bobsled run takes less than a minute, but you can feel every turn, every chatter in the ice and every bump on the sled. All passengers have to do is lean and try to catch their breath.
I recommend any of the Olympic opportunities, especially for those who lived the Olympics in Vancouver as I did.
Reindeer Club At Deer Valley
Posted by Thomas Cooke on March 1, 2010
This short video pretty much tells the story of why Deer Valley's Children's programs are so popular with both kids and parents. The final day of my daughter's after school Friday program was dubbed the "Ski Extravaganza" and parents were advised to be there at 3pm sharp to enjoy the festivities. This was my daughter's 2nd season in the program, and she had graduated to the Reindeer, for 5 and 6 year olds. Most parents hopefully learn early on that when it comes to skiing, when your kid is happy, you are happy.
Talk About Snow
Posted by Ray Grass on February 28, 2010
Snow we got. Not in record inches, yet, but Utah has snow.
I decided to do some checking after talking with out-of-town visitors on the lifts at Snowbird over the weekend.
More than once the subject of snow came up and in most cases it was followed by “That’s why we came to Utah.’’
Over the years, skiers and snowboarders have come to know that Utah has good snow.
At last count, Alta has received 325 inches of total snowfall this winter. Last year, on the same date, Alta had 407 inches of total snowfall. The long-term season average is 500.
Before the 2008-09 season ended, Alta would get nearly 300 more inches. If Alta gets even average depths for March and April, it will hit its average.
What stirred my interest was on one particular ride a couple from New York said they brought the family to Snowbird to “get out of mess back East and enjoy good snow.’’ The mess referred to, of course, is very cold and stormy weather, and heavy snow.
A man from California was in Utah for the good snow “and accessibility.’’ He was skiing Alta on Sunday, then heading for the Park City resorts. He like variety.
Another man from Florida said he came to Snowbird every winter, “because I know it has snow.’’
A woman from California asked questions about different resorts, best skiing, best dining, Salt Lake City, then said, “isn’t this snow wonderful?’’
And so it went. Snow was the common thread of conversation. And it was, this day, excellent . . . just enough soft snow over a packed base to hold a perfect edge.
At last count, Snowbird is holding a 91-inch base mid-mountain. Up the canyon a couple of miles Alta is holding a 93-inch base. Over on the Park City side, Deer Valley is at 74 inches, The Canyons at 71 and Park City Mountain Resort 75 inches.
So how does this compare with other resorts around the country?
To the East in Colorado, on the same day, Aspen reported 54 to 81 inches, Beaver 50, Copper Mountain 50 to 62 and Vail 48 inches.
In New York, Hunter Mountain showed bases of 60 to 110 inches and Whiteface Mountain, site of the 1980 Olympics, 30 to 43 inches. 26 of the state’s 34 resorts, however, are showing bases under 30 inches.
In New Hampshire, Attitash shows 24 to 36 and the highest number is Bretton Woods with 20 to 51 inches.
In Vermont, Stowe has a base of 36 to 60, Killington 42 to 54 and Sugarbush 38 to 66.
High marks this year are held in California. Alpine Meadows has a base of 94 to 152, Heavenly 53 to 82 and Mammoth 133 to 175 inches.
It should be noted here that along with the snow (inches) those visitors I talked with liked Utah’s snow (light and fluffy).
That’s another thing Utah is known for -- having the driest, lightest snow anywhere.
It has been a rather unusual year, however. Utah has had its knee-high powder days, but most of the storms have come frequently and left anywhere from 3 to 6 inches.
Which was the condition over the weekend at Snowbird . . . several inches of new snow over a groomed base.
It makes for a fun ski day. And that it was.
Rock for Haiti- How to party for a cause in Park City
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on February 16, 2010
Are you one of the many people who have heard about the tragedy in Hati, but just weren't quite sure how you could help? Well, now you can help out and have fun at the same time.
Help support the devastated nation of Haiti by joining us for a night of great live music with Salt Lake singer/songwriter Kole, who wrote a song to raise money for Haiti, and Park City's Motherlode Canyon Band.
The Sidecar, 333 Main Street
7 pm Thursday, February 18
Entry donation is $10
The event will benefit the American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti, following the Jan. 12 earthquake, which resulted in more than 200,000 deaths, 300,000 injuries, mass destruction, and more than one million homeless.
A silent auction will be held from 7-9 pm, so arrive early to start bidding on fantastic items.
All proceeds from the admission fee and silent auction, as well as a percentage of The Sidecar’s pizza sales, will be donated to the American Red Cross.
If your business is able to donate an item or gift certificate to the silent auction, please contact Rachel Sharwell at rachelsharwell@earthlink.net or 801.792.3101.
For general questions contact Hilary Reiter at hilary.reiter@gmail.com or 435-901-2071.
Slackcountry: Backcountry Terrain Within Resort Boundaries
Posted by Thomas Cooke on February 13, 2010
A few weeks ago, when we had our last batch of major storms hit the Wasatch, I enrolled in a Level 1 Avalanche Certification class with the fine folks at Utah Mountain Adventures. The bad thing is I didn't get to ski much powder at my favorite resorts that weekend. The good thing is, we spent the time traipsing around the backcountry of Big Cottonwood Canyon, digging pits and studying what would become classic Wasatch slab avalanche conditions. Tons of new snow with a high moisture content on top of an old weak thin layer from early season. The recurring word I kept seeing on the avalanche forecasts from the Utah Avalanche Center was "persistent", meaning that weak layer wasn't healing, and even after the storms, human-triggered avalanches claimed at least one life, seriously injured a few more, and scared the Beejeezus out of a few backcountry skiers with many years of experience. Even though I was keen to get out there and practice some of the skills I learned in the Level 1 class, the dicey factor was keeping me in-bounds.
Last weekend, while skiing at Park City Mountain Resort, I decided to venture out to Pinecone Ridge and sample firsthand what some locals say is the best in-bounds backcountry skiing in the Park City area. You take the Jupiter chair up, hike up Scott's peak, skip right past the main bowl, scamper down the narrow ridge, and the gate to Pinecone is right in front of you. The hike is a steep bootpack that takes maybe 15 minutes. Once on top, you are treated to exceptional views all the way around. You can drop in to some southern facing wide open patches that take you back to Jupiter lift if you are doing laps. I did this once and had a funky sun crust to deal with. It wasn't horrible, but I knew there was better snow up there, so I did another roundtrip. At the Pinecone gate, I met up with two locals who knew where they were going, and followed them all the way out the ridge, past Full Moon, to the Homelight Bowl area.
Homelight Bowl was a no bueno place to ski on that particular day, because it had previously slid down to the dirt, most likely from all the extensive avalanche control work done by the PCMR snow safety folks. But just to skiers right, there was a long ridge of tight to medium spaced aspens with great untracked snow, opening up into what is marked as the Sam's Knob area. A few turns later, and we were on our way to the Motherlode lift. After two laps on Pinecone Ridge, I felt like there was still so much more terrain in there to get familiar with. Below are a few snaps from the iPhone.
Rock Cairn On Top Of Old Pinecone
The Long And Lonely Ridge
Clouds Hovering Over Full Moon Bowl
Favorite Runs
Posted by Ray Grass on January 26, 2010
I rode up the lift last week at Park City Mountain Resort with a gentleman from California who is planning a move to Park City. Jeremy Ranch was, at that point, his area of choice -- convenient, mountain setting, quiet and no traffic problems, “nothing like California.’’
He asked the question: Which of the Utah resorts is my favorite?
Having skied all 13, I had to honestly tell him I liked them all and for varying reasons . . . the larger resorts for variety and long runs, smaller resorts for atmosphere and well established runs.
I told him I’ve had great skiing at all. Oh, I’ve had bad days when temperatures were below zero, high winds and blinding snow. But, even on those days I’ve enjoyed the skiing.
Personally, I like to ski different areas. Each has a look and feel of its own. It’s also fun to sample their signature meals.
He then asked if I had a favorite run. Tougher question. All total there are nearly 1,200 runs at the 13 Utah areas.
One thing I’ve done, and repeat on occasion, is make sure I ski a resort’s signature run. They all have one.
Five years back a group of five of us, led by Nathan Rafferty, now president of Ski Utah, skied 11 of Utah’s 13 resorts in a single day. We tried as best we could to hit the signature runs.
That, I would say, was one of my more incredible ski days.
Looking at some of the signature runs I’ve skied, I’d place Alf’s High Rustler at Alta at the top. Ski magazines have listed it as one of the country’s best with a “perfect fall line.’’ It’s steep and not easy to reach, but it is truly an exciting run.
Good skiers will like the Great Scott run at Snowbird. This wide open bowl has a 45-degree slope, making it one of the steepest runs in North America. Personally, though, I like Chip’s Run. It offers open bowls, tree-lined trails, moguls, groomed meadows and hairpin turns -- all within one run.
Jupiter Bowl is considered the signature run at Park City and I love the bowls and chutes in the area, but for absolute splendor I love Hidden Splendor. It is really a fantastically beautiful run.
The signature run at Solitude is Challenger and up the canyon at Brighton Sunshine. Challenger is, as the name suggests, a steep, challenging run. Sunshine is more of an intermediate run with incredible views.
If you want to get a greater appreciation for Olympic downhillers, test your nerves on Snowbasin’s signature run, the Grizzly Downhill, better known as the men’s downhill run for the 2002 Games. I can’t imagine skiing the run without a speed check.
One of my most memorable powder runs was in Powder Mountain’s Weber Bowl. It’s a wide open bowl with a 30-degree pitch, which makes it perfect for flowing turns on good powder days.
One of the runs at Deer Valley I enjoy most, and it’s considered its signature run, is Stein’s Way, named after the legendary Olympian Stein Eriksen. Why? Because it’s long, 4,500 feet, and has a slope perfectly suited for his classy, giant-slalom-style turns and my not-so-classy GS turns.
And, talking about GS turn, the signature run at The Canyons is 94 Turns. It got its name from the fact a good skier can make 94 GS turns from top to bottom. I made a few more.
Favorite runs? Impossible to say. There are simply too many really good runs and for one reason or another I’ve enjoyed them all.
Have you got a favorite? I’d love to know. Maybe there are great runs out there I haven’t skied.
Park City Grand Prix 2010
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on January 26, 2010
Park City hosts the 2010 Grand Prix in their world class superpipe. Big crowds, snow, music, and more. This Olympic qualifying event was fun for all. Shaun White, already guaranteed a spot on the Olympic Team wins.
New Canyons Park Video
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on January 12, 2010
The Upper Respect Terrain Park is looking sick.
New Year's Eve 2009 Rockin' Rail Jam at The Canyons
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on January 7, 2010
The Rockin Rail Jam is part of the New Years Eve Fire and Lights celebration at The Canyons Ski Resort in Park City Utah. The park crew had a great setup this year and all the riders were killing it. Thanks to all the riders, staff and spectators who make this event happen. Happy New Year!
