TR Utah late March 2022: Brighton, PowMow, Snowbird, Alta

[marzNC]

I'm starting a 1-week stay in Salt Lake City. I and two friends flew from North Carolina on Monday evening while my ski buddy Bill drove from Albuquerque, per usual. The main reason is to ski with AY (JF's teen son) during his spring break. We'll mostly ski in the Cottonwood Canyons, but also doing a day trip to Powder Mountain. Bonus is that April 2 is the Alta Demo Day. So he and I can check out some skis.

AY has good luck with snowstorms. Somehow it was no surprise that it snowed on his first ski day for this ski vacation.

 

[marzNC]

We warmed up at Brighton on Tue, March 29. Bonus was that @Scribble joined us in the afternoon. She knows where the good tree terrain is off the Snake Creek and Crested lifts.

The day was spring or winter, depending on the hour. Started out warmish and then the cold front moved in with snow showers. At lunch time the sun was out. Snow at the base was starting to get sticky. An hour later thundersnow shut down the lifts for about 30 minutes. We were on a lift near the top when there was a very loud thunder clap. Lifts stopped loading people immediately. It was very windy and cold at the top of lifts for short periods in the afternoon, and comfortable at mid-mountain with cold snow in the trees, with soft snow at the base. Brighton has night skiing and turned on the lights around 3:00.

Trees had a few inches of fresh snow that fell since Sunday. Quite fun. Plenty of tracks but also places with no tracks in the afternoon in the trees off Snake Creek. scribble showed us Wren Hollow, which we repeated because it was so fun.

Around 12:30pm on March 29, Milly lift visible


Heading to the car at 3:30pm

 

[Chuyi]

Welcome 2 Utah. Powmow did not have a good snow year. They have closed Paradise after slide on Sunday. I believe we will bump into each other on Sunday 3rd as I am skiing with part of ur group at Alta.

 

[marzNC]

Welcome 2 Utah. Powmow did not have a good snow year. They have closed Paradise after slide on Sunday. I believe we will bump into each other on Sunday 3rd as I am skiing with part of ur group at Alta.

I doubt you are thinking about the my friends at Alta on April 3. I'm skiing with a family from DC with young children that day. The other two advanced skiers from NC are flying home that morning.

We had a very good time at PowMow today. What I was expecting to do is quite different from a local who has the option of making last minute decisions about when/where to ski around SLC/Ogden.

 

[Chuyi]

Lol. The world is small. I met Bill last year. I am skiing with Nick from Oregon on Sunday. I believe we have met. .

 

[marzNC]

As I hoped when we bought tickets online last week, March 30 turned out to be a good day to explore Powder Mountain. My NC friends had never been there before. Temps were high enough to soften the snow off-piste by mid-morning on the Mary's Bowl side. Pretty much everywhere was skiable off Hidden Valley and Mary's after lunch. Hidden Lake is a high-speed detachable quad. Mary's is a fixed grip quad, with a tight loading area. There were people around, including families with kids but not many.

The goal for me was to get a better sense of the PowMow layout. I've skied PowMow a few times but never in good conditions and it's a huge place. Bill has skied there more often, so we mostly followed him around Mary's Bowl in the morning. We had lunch at Hidden Lake Lodge to avoid taking the time to get back to the Timberline Lodge. We parked at Timberline since it comes first and the ticket windows are always open there. Could boot up at the cafeteria on the top floor and leave boot bags under a table.

PowMow has gone to RFID. They are using hand scanners. Costs $5 for the RFID card. It's separate purchase the first time getting a ticket online. Substantial savings buying online. PowMow limits day tickets to 1500 so during mid-season pays to plan in advance. There were 1000 tickets left when we got our tickets. I was able to use my Indy Pass, but had to make a reservation at least 5 days in advance. Had to buy a RFID card first.

Talked to a senior (over 70) from Boise who had made the drive to use his Indy Pass. He tried to ski at PowMow yesterday but there was too much fog so could only ski the small area used for ski school and night skiing.

Paradise lift from the bottom was closed for the season. We rode all the other lifts at least once but mostly skied off Mary's or Hidden Valley. It was the first time using a poma lift for AY. Have to start at the top of Hidden Lake, ski across the bridge, and ride the Village lift to get to Mary's.

We stopped at what used to be 2nd Tracks in Ogden. Now a Level Nine shop with rentals and no consignment items. Used to be a great place to find good stuff for bargain prices if you were lucky.

We had an early dinner at the Slackwater Pub & Pizzeria in Ogden before heading back to SLC. They recently moved and the new place feels the same as the old place but is bigger. These days restaurants seem to be full by 6pm so it was good we were there shortly after 5pm. As we learned a while back, beer list is spectacular. Pizza was good. I had a salad that was very good.

Bill, Tim, AY


No paper trail maps, note the QR code


Hidden Lake Lodge has restrooms on the ground floor, tables on the top floor with great views


Views

 

[BReeves215]

Sounds like a great day! I’d love to ski PowMow next season. Following along enviously - giving a virtual fist bump to all Divas and friends skiing UT this week. I plan not to miss another April at Alta.

 

[marzNC]

Sounds like a great day! I’d love to ski PowMow next season. Following along enviously - giving a virtual fist bump to all Divas and friends skiing UT this week. I plan not to miss another April at Alta.

The best plan for PowMow is to go mid-season. There is no snowmaking. So early season and late season are iffy. Either need to commit to a week or so staying in Eden to ski PowMow and Snowbasin, or be very flexible about travel plans. Also need to plan ahead since day tickets and Indy reservations are limited.

 

[marzNC]

It was helpful to be using Ikon today in LCC. With either Ikon or Ikon F&F, the pass is a combo for lift access at Alta or Snowbird on the same day. We parked at Snowbird, but ended up mostly skiing Alta in the morning, then went back to Snowbird after lunch at Alf's. Skied from about 9:15 to 3:00.

The issue at Snowbird was visibility because of the clouds that brought a little snow and freezing rain briefly in the mid-afternoon at mid-mountain. The very high temps last week, followed by a hard freeze meant that off-piste at Snowbird was only good very high up. Visibility off Sugarloaf and Supreme was okay in the morning. Even a few peaks of blue sky. At Alta, there was still soft cold snow to be found in trees off Supreme. But Extrovert was not worth repeating. We heard the Collins side was pretty frozen in the morning.

We parked near the Creekside lodge, per usual. There is free parking along the road, plus pay lots for $10 per day. You don't have to pay for parking in advance as long as there is space. Can't be cash, must use a credit card.

Alf's is back to normal pre-pandemic operations. No masking required and the usual number of tables.

We did the Peruvian Tunnel just for fun after lunch at Alta. Talked to a man on Chips who wasn't having fun in the clouds. When we said Mineral Basin visibility was okay, he decided to take the Tunnel too. He had no idea that the visibility could be so different.

The pure adventure run was going out Road to Provo in very low visibility after lunch. The snow on the blue section heading down was quite nice, as long as you didn't mind not being able to see much at all. That's know it makes a big difference whether or not you are with someone who knows the terrain well.

We headed to Gad2 afterwards for a few runs on Bananas. I finished by checking out Baby Thunder. That area was below the clouds by 3:00. I'm taking a few friends to Snowbird later in this trip and wanted to get a better sense of the trails there besides the greens. It's been a while since I've skied that area. Hopefully Baby Thunder will still be open. It's usually the first lift to close for the season. Baby Thunder blacks can be good fun after a powder storm because few advanced skiers bother to go there.

Not the best ski day, but still beats not skiing. The advantage of skiing with a small group of non-aggressive advanced skiers is that we can go exploring without much worry even when conditions and/or visibility aren't that great. Groomers like Rock 'N Roll or Bananas can be good fun too. The teen with lots of energy and solid technique after plenty of lessons could go play in firm bumps for short sections. When you plan a trip well in advance that involves a school vacation and a flight, you don't want to waste a day waiting for better conditions.

This had to be considered better visibility on the upper mountain for a while on March 31


Can get to a restroom at Alf's with no stairs


The upper split when deciding between Baby Thunder and heading back to Creekside


The fuzzy trail sign (center) is the final split between going to Baby Thunder and Creekside

 

[BReeves215]

Re: Ikon for UT next season, my understanding from a quick read of the email is that Alta and Deer Valley are NO LONGER included in the base pass - must buy the upgraded pass for those areas

 

[marzNC]

While I'm thinking about it, we've had good dinners this week. A VRBO house in Sandy is a good location when it comes to finding a place to eat out.

The first night we were hoping to eat at the Bohemian Brewery in Midvale, but it was packed at 6:00. That's been around a while and I've eaten there more than once. We went to a Jinya Ramen bar instead. Bill and Tim ate there the last time we shared a house. It was pretty good and relatively quick. That was good given that we were all pretty tired.

After skiing PowMow, we went to Slackwater Bar & Grill in Ogden. As good as ever in it's new location.

Tonight we went to Bohemian Brewery very early, meaning about 5:15. No problem getting a table then. In general, didn't seen nearly as busy as it was on Tuesday by the time we left after 6:00.

 

[marzNC]

Re: Ikon for UT next season, my understanding from a quick read of the email is that Alta and Deer Valley are NO LONGER included in the base pass - must buy the upgraded pass for those areas

Yep. Ikon Base doesn't include Alta or Deer Valley. Ikon Base Plus does. Full Ikon is not that much more money and provides more days, so worth figuring out a travel plan before committing to a multi-resort pass.

For Alta and/or Snowbird, the Mountain Collective Pass is worth considering. The 50% discount for additional days beyond the two included can be a reasonable compromise. The entry price of the MCP is lower than Ikon Base.

 

[marzNC]

For this trip, the non-stop flight between RDU and SLC on Delta was useful. The timing is a bit odd going to SLC since the arrival time is around 10pm. The late arrival wasn't as big a deal because Bill picked us up at the airport and we were staying in a house in Sandy. So didn't need to spend time getting a shuttle to a motel or renting a car. AY's flight home is convenient since it departs around 10am and gets in mid-afternoon.

Of course, Delta charges for baggage. I decided it was still worth packing a carry-on size suitcase. Paid to check that and the Sportube. I'm flying back on Southwest. It's a 3-week trip so I didn't feel like packing extra light, especially for spring skiing when the temps can very widely.

Learned that Delta offers to check a carry-on at the gate for free. The announcement mentioned carry-on bags that are heavier. Probably that slows down boarding. Since it was a non-stop flight, AY and I checked our boot bags. The bonus was that we got to board a little earlier. Made sense to get the gate checked baggage to the end of the jetway ASAP so that they could be loaded sooner rather than later.

Happily all our checked bags arrived at SLC as planned. The Delta app has baggage tracking, which is handy.

 

[Bookworm]

I'm hoping to get to ski at Snowbird when I'm at Alta next week. I've never been.
And you know me: I'll probably need a guide!

 

[marzNC]

For this week, lift access is mostly being covered by Ikon passes. AY is using Ikon F&F. That's been easy since Bill and Tim had plenty of F&F days left. They are just showing their pass at the ticket window when AY is there to pay for it.

For Brighton, it's possible to use someone's F&F if you simply provide the pass holder's Name and Ikon Pass Number. No need for an online transfer or having the Ikon holder there in person.

Snowbird is making use of the Ikon transfer process for F&F. Once the transfer is done, the buyer can purchase a F&F ticket online in advance.

For the Alta Demo Day, April 2, we knew we would only ski at Alta so AY bought a ticket in advance for less than what the Ikon F&F discounted ticket costs. He could get the ticket the afternoon before to avoid any lift line on Sat morning.

I'm going to use the MCP on April 2 to save my Ikon days for when I know I want to spend a little time at Snowbird after I move to Alta Lodge.

 

[marzNC]

I'm hoping to get to ski at Snowbird when I'm at Alta next week. I've never been.
And you know me: I'll probably need a guide!

I think your ski days overlap with the date I plan to take a few friends over for a tour of Snowbird. You're welcome to join us that day. We'll probably get a ride over in the Alta Lodge van.

 

[marzNC]

Had a great day at Alta today. Blue skies and temps that were warm enough to soften the groomers, but there was still cold snow to be found higher up. In the morning I gave a pretty thorough tour to a couple from another ski forum who were at Alta for the first time. They are groomer skiers from the northeast who are just starting to explore resorts in the west. After lunch at Alta Lodge, my housemates and I did Devil's Castle and Catherine's. After that Bill and were done for the day. AY and Tim did another fun down Glory Gluch before heading back to the house.

Took my Zeldas to Sports Loft for DPS Phantom treatment. Since those skis live in NM with Bill, not worth figuring out how to treat them DIY. When it gets over mid-40s at times in the next couple weeks, the Zeldas might be more fun than the Stormrider 85s.

We opted to avoid the crowded restaurants in Sandy/Midvale and went to Mom's Kitchen for good Chinese food. Only 20 minutes from Sandy. Per usual no waiting and not crowded. The food is fresh and good, and no MSG.

 

[marzNC]

A few pics from Alta on Friday, April 1.

We opted to park at Albion and use the locker room next to the ticket office. It's not that big but there are restrooms, benches, pay lockers, free cubbies. The locker room is at the same level as the Albion Lower Parking lot. No problem getting a space at 8:30.

Devil's Castle opened around 10:30am. Given that it's late season, didn't get completely tracked out. We were on the traverse just before 2:00. Went all the over towards Castle Apron but that snow stays in the shade most of the day. Snow was a little heavy but still pretty fun.

AY really likes Catherine's. Enough that he volunteers to carry my skis up the short hike. Since he and Tim leave on Sunday, seemed worth the effort to head out there. Tim had never been before. The snow was pretty good around the Meadow. I skied the gully and got in a few untracked turns.

Sunnyside a few minutes before opening at 9:15. Sunnyside is right in front of the Alta Ski School and is mostly greens, but also has a couple blues and Vail Ridge that is black with short tree shots. Alta instructor jackets are orange.


Devil's Castle, at the end of the traverse getting ready to ski


Bill and AY after they skied the first part


The first section I skied, starting a bit in front of the person in orange on the traverse


Heading towards the Meadow in Catherine's, it's just beyond the trees to the left of the exposed rocks

 

[marzNC]

The situation at Goldminer's Daughter is quite different for day trippers. The Cafe area is no longer a place to leave boot bags for free. The interior has been redecorated. There are fewer tables. There are a few electronic pay lockers in the hallway that leads to the restrooms. The food service is not a cafeteria line. You order online and pick up the food at a window inside.

Entry to the upper floors of GMD are for guests only. So the GMD bar on the second floor is not a place for locals to hang out this season.

In the late afternoon on nice days during late season, people hang out on the patio. The benches are new. The line to get a drink moves pretty slow. There is also a line indoors in addition to the window where people can order outdoors.

 

[marzNC]

Today was the annual Alta Demo Day, which is usually the first Saturday of April. Registration started at 8:30am, so quite a few people had picked out skis before the Collins lift opened at 9:15. Didn't take long to clear the maze so by 9:30 really not much of a wait to load a lift. I mostly was using the Singles line and that went quickly all day.

The free registration started at 8:30 right outside the Powder House shop at GMD. The line was the longest about 9:00 and was pretty well gone by 9:30. Only needed to provide a credit card number in addition to signing the usual number. The minimum age for demo'ing was 18.

From a snow conditions standpoint it was one of the better days in the last decade. Groomers were good but firm first thing in the morning, but by lunch time there were places off-piste softening enough to test out skis if that was of interest. For soft bumps I went out to 180 or Lower Rustler. I'll write up what I tried in a separate thread eventually. I played with skis by Blizzard, Stöckli, and Head.

There were about a dozen brands, almost all major brands. In the past there have been a few Indie brands too. The tents that still had a line of a few people in the afternoon seemed to be Stöckli, Fischer, and Nordica.

Pics taken 8:30-9:00