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Winter Stargazer Event at Snowbird Saturday, March 13
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on March 10, 2010
Snowbird will be hosting a winter Stargazer event this Saturday, March 13. The evening includes a Tram ride with local astronomers for an informative presentation before unloading on Hidden Peak where participants will view the night sky at 11,000 feet through high-powdered telescopes.
Tickets will be sold through the Snowbird Activity Center on March 13 from 6:30-6:55 p.m. The Snowbird Aerial Tram is scheduled to depart at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for children 12 and under as well as seniors, and $10 for employees. Season passes are not valid for this event, and participants are urged to dress appropriately for winter temperatures.
Winter Stargazer is a weather-dependent activity; for updates the day of the event, please contact the Activity Center at (801) 933-2147. For a complete list of Snowbird spring events, please visit snowbird.com/events.
What: Winter Stargazer event with local astronomers.
Where: Snowbird Activity Center and Hidden Peak (park at Entry 2)
When: Saturday, March 13; Tickets sold at 6:30 p.m., Tram departs at 7 p.m.
Cat Skiing at Alta is Purr...fect!
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on March 9, 2010
What could possibly be better than powder skiing at legendary Alta and Snowbird? How about cat skiing at Alta? Now your talking!
Check out the snowcat skiing operation up
Little Cottonwood Canyon for a fun and unique adventure of guided
off-trail skiing in Grizzly Gulch's 375 acres of incredible bowl skiing.
Sweet Spring Powder at the Bird
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on March 8, 2010
Have you skied powder lately? Well, there is plenty of it to be found in Utah. Check out this video shot this past weekend at Snowbird. And, don't forget that you could still win a free trip to come ski with me by becoming a fan of the Ski Utah Yeti page on Facebook by Wednesday, March 10!
Ski extravaganza at Deer Valley
Posted by Jodi Saeland on March 7, 2010
After 6 Friday afternoon lessons at Deer Valley, we have arrived at the Ski Extravaganza. It is the last day of lessons and the kids put on a little show for the parents to show them what they have learned during their time. It is a beautiful day at Deer Valley and I've decided to take Brennan out to the moving carpet to see if he'll do a little skiing as well. After lugging all our equipment in and getting Emily sorted out, me and Bren head out. First off....way overdressed. Ok, up the hill we go anyway to get to the beginner area. I've done everything right...had snacks, water, change pants...what could really go wrong. Yep...you guessed it....he doesn't want to go! We go up once and he lays down on the ground and won't move. He's sweating because I've overdressed him and he's done before we started. Again, a lesson I've taught throughout my blog to everyone but myself, DON'T try to teach your 2 year old to ski. Get an instructor. At this age, if they don't want to do it...game over! So, we decide to lounge in the sun and wait for Emily's show to begin.
The show is for all the Bambi and Reindeers. Since Emily is 4, she's still a Bambi so she has had her lessons with Myles and one other little girl which has been nice. I've blogged about the whole program in a previous entry, but it really is nice to have the 2 on 1 lesson at this age. The kids get a lot of attention and can really learn almost one on one the correct techniques. If you can't quite afford a private lesson, this is definitely the way to go. Also, gaining the trust of the same instructor week after week, a good relationship is built. The kids get to know the routine of the day and can concentrate on building their skills vs wondering what is happening next.
After me and Brennan have had our sit time, let the show begin. I still have my ski boots on; so does Brennan. We stop to say hi to Ruby and then off we go.
A successful 6 weeks at Deer Valley and I would recommend it to anybody who has the time to bring the kids. It is well worth it and definitely an experience I won't forget. Thanks Myles...our Australian instructor at Deer Valley for the winter. Deer Valley employs many seasonal workers from Chile, Australia and New Zealand. A great global flare for the thousands of visitors every year. It also is a great place in the summer to mountain bike and hike as well. I would definitely check it out in the off season. It is quiet with beautiful scenery and you may have the mountain to yourself
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.
Yeti Spring Fling
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on March 3, 2010
- Roundtrip airfare on Southwest Airlines
- Three nights lodging in Park City
- Two nights lodging in Salt Lake City
- One day skiing at Park City Mountain Resort, The Canyons and Deer Valley
- Two Salt Lake Superpasses, good for two days of skiing at your choice of Alta, Snowbird, Brighton or Solitude
- Five day car rental
- Ski/snowboard equipment rental from Canyon Sports
To BCM
Posted by Ray Grass on March 2, 2010
In response, BCM asked about skiing Snowbird, then The Canyons and Deer Valley this week.
And, it sounds like a good plan to me. Deer Valley, Snowbird and The Canyons all have good snow. Over the past nine days I skied Deer Valley and Snowbird and snow conditions were excellent. When I checked Monday, Deer Valley and The Canyons are holding bases over 70 inches.
Supposed to snow Wednesday and Thursday and brighten up on Friday and Saturday. Nothing better than new snow over a groomed surface unless it’s two feet of fresh snow.
As for total snow ,a recent report said Snowbird is at 87 percent of normal. And, as Nathan Rafferty, president of Ski Utah, pointed out, “I’d rather have 87 percent of 500 than 110 percent of 300.’’ Point well taken.
If Utah has a normal March and April, resorts will likely hit their averages. Remember, last year Utah received something like 14 feet in 14 days in early April. Season total was around 700.
Skiing the Brighton Park
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on March 2, 2010
The Nimbus crew takes a park lap at Brighton.
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.
