Utah 2019-20: travel planning, deals, snow conditions

[marzNC]

When I was at Solitude last April, we were told by a ski patroller that the connecting trail between Solitude and Brighton is rarely open these days. Don't remember the details. It's for advanced skiers/boarders in any case.

I had a chance to take the Sol-Bright connector trail a couple weeks ago. While a confident intermediate could ski the trail, probably wouldn't be the most enjoyable experience. The way from Brighton over to Solitude is quite flat and it's hard even with skating to keep up enough speed to avoid walking/poling a bit.

 

[marzNC]

The date for this spring's Alta Demo Day is Sat, April 4. The list of potential vendors is online. Registration starts at 8:30am. Usually possible to register a few days before at one of the sponsoring ski shops. Lifts open at the usual time, 9:15.

Potential Companies Attending:
Pit Viper
Faction
Black Crows
Rossignol
Dynastar
K2
WNDR Alpine
Black Diamond
POC
Fischer
Atomic
Libtech
Blizzard
Nordica
Technica
ON3P
DPS
Volkl
Moment
Armada
Salomon

 

[marzNC]

Email from Alta today, March 13. Currently planning to stay open.

COVID-19 and Alta Ski Area - A Message from Alta GM, Mike Maughan
Dear Alta Skier,

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has impacted the world we live in and is affecting people locally and globally. While skiing is our love and passion, the health, safety and well being of our skiers, employees and community are very important to us.

Alta Ski Area is open and it is our intent to continue to provide skiing and services unless circumstances warrant differently. We recognize that this situation may change quickly and may not be under our control. We ask for your patience and understanding if we need to make adjustments.

WHAT WE ARE DOING
We are supplementing our normal sanitation and safety practices with the following:
•We are sanitizing door handles, railings, counter, chairs, tables, restrooms, and food and beverage areas constantly throughout the day
•Front-line staff members are provided with gloves and/or hand sanitizer
•We are following the CDC’s COVID-19 recommendations in our food and beverage procedures and offerings
•We are educating and encouraging guests and employees to follow hygiene practices, including cough and sneeze etiquette, hand sanitizing procedure and staying home if you have COVID-19 symptoms
•We are allowing groups of skiers loading the chairlift to determine if they are comfortable having available, unrelated parties ride the chair with them

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
We ask that our guests and employees respect the personal space of others, as much as possible particularly when indoors. Local health officials advise people who are at high risk of severe illness to stay home and avoid large groups of people.

Please postpone your visit to Alta Ski Area if:
•You are feeling ill, are experiencing respiratory problems or have a fever
•You have recently traveled to an area with a large number of reported cases of the virus

Thanks for your patience during this time of uncertainty. We hope you will have the opportunity to enjoy the fresh air, sunshine, beauty and magic of Alta during the remainder of our season.

Additional COVID-19 resources can be found here:
•CDC COVID-19
•Coronavirus | Utah.gov
•Salt Lake County COVID-19


Thank you,

Michael R. Maughan
President and General Manager
Alta Ski Area

 

[marzNC]

Snowbird remains open. The tram is not running.

Deer Valley also sent out emails and is staying open.

Anyone on an elist for Solitude or Brighton? Snowbasin? Powder Mountain?

 

[Bookworm]

I was relieved to see they are not closing.

 

[Scribble]

Brighton just sent an email, they intend to remain open for the time being.

 

[Scribble]

Solitude and Deer Valley are closing tomorrow! My guess is this will force the other resorts to close very soon, or risk causing a mad rush of people heading to LCC and Brighton to get in a few more days.
DH and I are both sick with colds right now, so we expect our season may be over anyway. I'm sooo bummed!

 

[marzNC]

Alta is closed, although calling it a suspension for now. All of Colorado skiing is closed by order of the Governor if not previously announced.

I doubt very much that Snowbird or Brighton will be open tomorrow.

 

[marzNC]

As expected, Snowbird and Brighton suspending operations. Snowbird states just for a week with same schedule as announced by Vail Resorts. Brighton just says suspended.

So LCC, BCC, and Parley's Canyon won't have any lifts running as of March 15.

 

[NewEnglandSkier]

Well, it seems my decision as to whether to go forward with my Utah trip may be automatically made for me.

 

[marzNC]

Well, it seems my decision as to whether to go forward with my Utah trip may be automatically made for me.

Yep, same for me even though my trip is planned for April. Actually a bit easier if a decision to close for the season gets made sooner rather than later. We'll see what happens in a week or so. Vail Resorts set March 20 as the target for an update about what happens after March 22.

But I can understand Alta and Snowbird hoping that by early April some semblance of normality will start returning. Having had the experience of spending weeks wondering whether or not to cancel a group trip to China the summer of H1N1, I know what traveling after the worst is over but before a unusual flu epidemic is really done can be like. In that case, I and friends with kids arrived only a few weeks after complete plane loads of passengers and crew were being quarantined. We went thru temperature testing daily when leaving the hotel in Beijing. But life was reasonably normal in other parts of the country. Of course, H1N1 was not as lethal. It's a flu strain, not a coronavirus like SARS or MERS.