Ski Utah Blog - Related Articles
Showing 10 articles out of 57.
2010 Utah Resort Closing Dates
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on March 20, 2010
Alta: April 18 with possible additional weekends
Beaver Mountain: March 28
Brian Head: April 18th
Brighton: April 18 weather pending
The Canyons: April 11
Deer Valley: April 11
Park City Mountain Resort: April 11
Powder Mountain: April 11
Snowbasin: April 8 weather pending
Snowbird: Memorial Day Weekend
Solitude: April 18
Sundance: April 4
Wolf Creek Utah: Closed
Photos from the 4 Area Interconnect Tour
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on February 5, 2010
When people talk about the Ski Utah Interconnect Tour they usually think of the 6 area tour that goes through Deer Valley, Park City Mountain Resort, Solitude, Brighton, Alta, and Snowbird. But the 4 area Interconnect Tour going through Snowbird, Alta, Brighton, and Solitude offers an arguably better backcountry experience. Check out the photos from yesterday's 4 area tour.
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.
Buddy Passes at Solitude With 10 Vitaminwater Bottle Labels
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on January 19, 2010
2 ski for price of 1 at Solitude until February 5th, 2010 when you purchase 10 Vitaminwater or Vitaminwater10 Bottles and bring the labels to the ticket window at Solitude. Bottoms Up!
http://www.skisolitude.com/winter/vitaminwater.php
Grandkids on skis
Posted by Ray Grass on January 12, 2010
I had two opportunities last week to take the grandkids skiing -- Deer Valley and Solitude.
There’s nothing more enjoyable for a senior skier than watching the grandkids ski. There were times when I wondered if they would ever embrace the sport.
Eight of the 10 grandkids now ski, and they ski well.
I’ve had a number of parents ask me at what age they should start kids skiing.
I always refer them to professionals, like Mya Frantti, child program manager at Deer Valley.
Her advise:
Most kids are ready to start at 3. Parents can help by introducing kids to the outdoors and snow, maybe having them walk around the backyard is boots and maybe skis.
At 3, Deer Valley works one-on-one for a hour to get them comfortable with the resort, being away from parents and the snow.
At 4, it evolves to two-on-one playtime and a little skiing.
At 5, kids jump into full-on lessons, comfortable with the snow, having skis on their feet and knowing skiing can be fun.
“It helps to have a bluebird day, but that’s not always possible, which is why it’s a good idea to leave teaching to professionals who know how to make skiing fun,’’ she added.
I look back at when the eldest, Conner, now 13, made his first turns on the Wide West run at Deer Valley . . . wide pizza, occasionally French fries, shaky legs, arms like broken wings and, sometimes, tears.
I watched him run the race course at Solitude Saturday, his first day with the resort’s all-mountain development program, and was truly impressed. He skied with confidence and under complete control.
In this program he will ski every Saturday, on all runs and under all conditions -- groomed, powder, crud, tracked powder, firm -- and on all runs -- beginning, expert, flat, bumps, off-trail, trees, jumps, you name it.
To quote Conner: “It was incredible.’’
Most resorts offer a similar program. And, I believe, there’s not a better program for a young skier. They learn to ski the entire mountain and under all conditions. They become true all-round skiers.
As for the younger ones, I found the Link lift at Solitude provided access to a very good run -- gentle, open and not real crowded. Perfect for learning.
I’ve also found the Wide West run at Deer Valley an ideal learning arena. The lift is set low for easy pickup and young skiers can negotiate the entire run, under control, with a wide wedge or “pizza,’’ and occasionally in a parallel or “French fries.’’ Pizza and fries are terms young kids can better understand rather than wedge or parallel.
Solitude offers a Play and Ski programs for kids 2 to 5. It involves a little skiing, time playing in the snow and going indoors for lunch and games. It’s an all-day program.
The ski school is open to kids age 5.
I spoke with a father at Deer Valley who was teaching his 2-year-old. He would later tell me he taught for a few years. It was obvious he knew what he was doing. I’ve heard of parents starting their child sliding at age 1. Two is the youngest I’ve seen. Three is when I started my kids and grandkids.
I’ve found, also, unless a parent has some ski/snowboard teaching experience, I would strongly suggest using a resort’s ski school for youngsters.
First, kids sometimes have a real problem listening to mom and dad. Second, mom and dad don’t alway know proper teaching techniques. Bad habits are hard to break. Third, kids are more motivated when they ski with others their own age. And, fourth, mom and dad can’t always make it fun -- and it has to be fun and simple.
All resorts have programs for kids and teachers who know how to teach skiing and snowboarding. And believe me, watching grandkids skiing and having fun makes the time and expense well worth it.
Another Way To Enjoy Groomed Terrain
Posted by Thomas Cooke on December 30, 2009
You know it's the Christmas Holiday week in Park City when it takes an hour and a half to get a bagel and coffee at the local joint. I'm not complaining, this is what fuels the mountain town economy and keeps the lifts running for the rest of the season. As locals, we like to think of them as "our" mountains, and most of the time, we get to have our way with Utah's great snow, and maybe even take it for granted. But still, an hour and a half to get a bagel and a coffee on the way to the mountain gets me balled up. Lately I've been following some sage advice (author unknown): if you can't beat the crowds, then join them, and if you can't handle joining the crowds, then avoid them altogether. This is when I bust out the nordic skis, and spend some time burning calories at a few of Utah's excellent nordic skiing venues.
White Pine Touring, in Park City, is one of those gems. The center of operations is located on the Park City Municipal golf course, with a full-service nordic center that offers gear rentals and instruction for all nordic techniques including classic, skating, touring, and even snowshoeing. The shop is located in the back of the Hotel Park City, backing out to a well-maintained 5 kilometer loop with easy to moderate terrain. Easy because just about any skill level can make it around the loop with some effort. Moderate because the gently rolling hills can be torture if you are trying to maintain the pace of some of the elite level nordic competitors who may happen to be training that day. The folks at White Pine can also take care of tuning your gear to match the conditions, and if you are still trying to figure out how to skate on 90's era equipment, you might want to check out their retail selection of current gear. Instant gratification when you step into a modern set-up and feel your skating technique improve.
Ski Utah Gold and Silver Passes are valid at White Pine. Not many people know this. I didn't, until just this year. They are also valid for day passes at Sundance, Solitude, and Brian Head nordic centers. If you don't have one of these mythical go-anywhere-you-want-anytime-you-want magic passes, day passes at nordic resorts are pretty reasonable; $18 for a full-day at White Pine for adults, $10 after 3 PM. Add on extra if you need gear and a lesson. The variety of nordic skiing in Utah is almost as diverse as the variety of alpine terrain, which often makes the choice of where to ski difficult for me, except during the peak times in my hometown, where escaping the hustle and bustle of the holiday crowds is as simple as skating or classic skiing for a few hours at White Pine.
Avalanche Awareness Course Dec. 19 & 20 at Solitude
Posted by Jessica Kunzer - Communication Director on December 14, 2009
Now that its really snowing. There is no time like the present to practice snow safety. Join members of Solitude’s Professional Ski Patrol and Snow Safety team to learn how to travel responsibly and safely outside resort boundaries. This two-day course is a great introduction to the identification of avalanche hazard and the skills needed to safely travel in the backcountry.
The course will focus on identifying avalanche terrain, analyzing snow and weather factors, managing group dynamics, and avalanche rescue skills. The morning of day one will start with the guides giving a presentation on avalanches, followed by the rest of day one and two being spent in the backcountry putting these concepts into action.
All participants will have the option to use our brand new Black Diamond touring setups, consisting of the Justice skis with Fritschi Freeride bindings and Ascension skins.
Solitude is Open
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on November 6, 2009
Solitude opened today with 2 lifts and a 16 inch base. Not a huge opening, but, we're skiing in Utah. The Indian Summer weather is a great way to warm up those ski legs. The Yeti will be lapping the moonbeam quad this weekend. Who's coming with me?
Solitude Treats Skiers and Snowboarders to Skiing on Halloween
Posted by Jessica Kunzer - Communication Director on October 29, 2009
Itching to snowride? Well, now you can at Solitude, the first resort to open in Utah for the 2009-10 winter season.
Solitude is welcoming the winter season by opening ahead of schedule! Snowmaking began as early as the first week of October and Mother Nature has been especially cooperative – thus allowing Solitude to move up Opening Day by one week to Friday, November 6, 2009.
Additionally, Solitude will open Link Lift one day only for pass holders, on Halloween Day October 31, 2009 – officially kicking off the 2009-2010 Utah Winter Season. So, don your favorite Halloween costume and treat yourself to a day on the slopes this Halloween. What will you dress as?
Visit Solitude’s website for more information – skisolitude.com
Ski Utah Best of Video 2008/2009
Posted by Tim on October 28, 2009
The 2008-09 Season was fantastic in Utah with over 600 inches of the Greatest Snow on Earth burying the state. Here at Ski Utah and Ride Utah we got more than our fair share of powder days. It's already snowing here in Utah and we're gearing up for another fantastic season. Subscribe to our channel to stay up to date on the latest storms, powder days, and good times. See you on the slopes!
Thanks to Wasatch Powderbird Guides, All of Utah's 13 Ski and Snowboard Resorts, Burton, Rossignol, Eider, Dakine, Pictureline, and more. Music by Femi Kuti, The Black Keys, and The Sea and Cake.
