Solitude Resort, UT

[Bookworm]

Does anyone have experience skiing Solitude? I’m going to be in SLC December 7 -13. I will be moving to Park City on the 10th to ski a couple of days at Deer Valley, but for the first part of the trip I thought I’d try another mountain. I’ve skied Alta, which I loved, so maybe something new? Any other Wasatch advice for that time of the season welcome. I’ll have a car and an Ikon Pass.

 

[marzNC]

Paging @dloveski , who probably is too busy to think about skiing yet. My friends and I got a little tour from her a few years ago. She used to be a host at Solitude. That was before the Summit lift was upgraded to a quad that runs at a decent speed.

Definitely worth checking out Solitude and/or Brighton using Ikon. Both are small enough to figure out in half a day just using the trail map even when they are 100% open, which is unlikely that early in Dec. They get about the same amount of snow as Alta/Snowbird.

 

[dloveski]

thanks. Solitude will charge for parking this year! there are real issues with this at the top of BCC and I've heard it's about $20.00 with discount for each rider to park.

 

[marzNC]

thanks. Solitude will charge for parking this year! there are real issues with this at the top of BCC and I've heard it's about $20.00 with discount for each rider to park.

Hello there! What pass are you getting this season?

Yep, a few posts about Solitude parking in the Utah 2019-20 thread recently. Possible to use an Ikon pass on the UTA Ski Bus. Somehow Solitude is covering the cost for those rides.

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/whats-new-in-utah-19-20.24092/#post-392928

For a solo trip in early season, I guess that might be a reason to check out Brighton instead. How many lifts are usually open by early Dec at Brighton?

 

[dloveski]

For a solo trip in early season, I guess that might be a reason to check out Brighton instead. How many lifts are usually open by early Dec at Brighton?

I broke down and got an IKON pass, against all of my willpower to avoid it. The parking at Soli puts a crowbar in our routine, as we will no longer have our Brighton locker and we avoid the UTA on weekends/holidays for many reasons.

In early December, typically they run Explorer and Majestic (where the snow makers are located) and they will open Crest if at all possible.

They did put snow makers on Millicent---so the main trail Backbone down the middle will have a strip of snow and it will likely open as soon as they can get a strip of ribbon.

 

[VickiK]

Solitude is great. They have some really fun steep groomers. Well worth multiple visits, imho.

 

[dloveski]

I like Soli but when Honeycomb is closed, tree skiing (my fave) is more limited than at Brighton where I ski the most these days.

 

[nopoleskier]

Parking fees are less w/more in car. Free to ride UTA bus just scan your pass https://www.solitudemountain.com/discover-solitude/getting-here

 

[Abbi]

Parking fees are less w/more in car. Free to ride UTA bus just scan your pass https://www.solitudemountain.com/discover-solitude/getting-here

The other upside of the bus is letting an expert drive through those switchbacks in Big Cottonwood Canyon! The driver I got both up and back to Brighton last April wore a 100,000 mile accident free patch on his jacket!

BTW my picture is taken at Solitude!

 

[marzNC]

Midweek in Dec, could probably park at the little lot right at the base of BCC. Shouldn't be busy since local students probably won't be skiing much yet. Not sure when night skiing at Brighton usually opens.

That brings up another possibility . . . the UTA Ski Bus might not be running until mid-Dec.

I took the bus back to Alta back in April 2015 after a local Diva and I spent the day in the city. There were high school boys who would take the bus down the canyon to be picked up in the parking lot, presumably by a parent getting off work. Some wore their ski boots or snowboard boots on the bus.

 

[contesstant]

Conditions that early in the season can be sketchy no matter where you go. Cross your fingers that we have lots of snow early, but be prepared for limited terrain being open.

 

[Bookworm]

I picked a hotel pretty close to one of the bus stops because I do like the idea of letting someone else drive. I guess I’ll have to see what the weather brings. It’s a long way off, but I’m dreaming of skiing with the news of the snow out west. We have bleak, windy, rainy days here.

 

[dloveski]

I love driving the canyon, having driven these roads for over 52 years in all kinds of weather and vehicles. I also recognize that there are just too many cars and the tops of the canyons are small and cannot accommodate the increasing numbers of skiers in cars from all over the world.

It was so bad last year that, one powder day, there were a few altercations involving the sheriff and jail for some who couldn't handle the fact that, after a 2.5 hour crawl up the mountain, they were turned away as parking was full.

That said, I am not a fan of the UTA system as it is now and it will get worse with the Soli parking fee. One especially snowy Saturday (hint: powder day on weekend=joke), we thought we'd take an early bus. UTA was 45 minutes late on pickup (we were wet from the wait). After 2 hours trapped in an over-crowded bus, we had to pee and we bailed--AT THE MOUTH OF THE CANYON! never made it past).

If you plan to load the bus at the park and ride on a peak day, you may not get on for three or four cycles as the buses are full going up before the park and ride. (going down is easier as folks leave at varying times versus morning rush).

The way it's going in BCC and LCC, it's faster to drive to Powder Mountain or Snow Basin in Ogden on some mornings.

 

[Bookworm]

What about (what looks to me like) the back way from Murray (where I'm staying) to Deer Valley? Is that an easier drive?

 

[badger]

@dloveski , Is the traffic that crazy midweek as well? My DH and I are booked into lodging for last week of January and are planning on skiing several of the resorts but primarily Alta/Snowbird. Of course, we are also booked at Jackson and Taos for the same dates. LOL We go where the snow will or has recently fallen, and DH selects which direction the vacation drive will take us.

 

[dloveski]

Go early and eat breakfast up there. Depends on snow and canyon closures but plan on going as early aaa possible.

 

[dloveski]

Sorry to be a downer. I need to adjust my attitude. The days of yore are gone when Utah was unknown and we had free range skiing.

But still, the situation in canyons during peak season is not sustainable.

 

[dloveski]

Longer but It’s freeway much of the way and more parking! Should be fine

 

[contesstant]

Sorry to be a downer. I need to adjust my attitude. The days of yore are gone when Utah was unknown and we had free range skiing.

But still, the situation in canyons during peak season is not sustainable.

I feel your pain. All that traffic in LCC/BCC has spilled over to Snowbasin with people heading our way because it's "less crowded" or "better traffic" but there were so many days last season where it took people hours to get to the mountain due to the traffic, or road closures, or both. I had to get up and on the road at a much earlier hour than in year's past. And lines on Strawberry in particular were stupid long, and forget finding a place to sit to grab a bite for lunch!

 

[Abbi]

I feel your pain. All that traffic in LCC/BCC has spilled over to Snowbasin with people heading our way because it's "less crowded" or "better traffic" but there were so many days last season where it took people hours to get to the mountain due to the traffic, or road closures, or both. I had to get up and on the road at a much earlier hour than in year's past. And lines on Strawberry in particular were stupid long, and forget finding a place to sit to grab a bite for lunch!

Do you and @dloveski attribute that to IKON and Epic? I have the feeling the multi mountain passes have increased traffic where I ski.