Ski conditions in Utah - rethinking our trip
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Anonymous
| Sorry the conditions are bad. We like Utah, but generally try for March or later when the snow conditions are usually better. Good luck, OP whatever you decide. |
Anonymous
Not Park City, but we just came back from a week in Jackson Hole, and have a friend who is still there, and it was okay. Jackson has much more open than other areas so it was about 60% open. Pretty icy because they haven't gotten much snow recently. So if the best of the west is marginal, then Park City is probably pretty challenged. That being said we skiied every day and had a good time, and mid January should have more limited crowds than christmas week so it might be okay. |
Anonymous
Yeah, I generally just put my gear on, pound a few beers, and follow the leader. . . never paid attention to these silly details. |
Anonymous
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Utah Asshole here - OP - Here's the reality of the Wasatch right now.
* We're experiencing the worst recorded start to winter in history and it's not getting better anytime soon. * We are expecting a bit of snow on Saturday and some next Wednesday. Right now, neither storm looks to be anything more than 3-6". * VERY little is open, and what there is is mainly groomers. Off-Piste is currently 1-2 foot depth, where a normal average winter would be 5-8 foot depth right now. What that means is that rocks and stumps and brush is everywhere. * If you like skiing groomers, then none of that matters, groomers are groomers and PC knows how to groom. * Also, if you're coming for more than the quality of skiing, PC has a lot to do. * If you do care about having fresh snow, sorry, it aint gonna happen around the 12th. Not likely here or CO. It looks like some minor potential for a storm or two to pass north to hit MT and WY. * There are really good weather sites specific for snow in areas that know a lot more than anyone on here, even me - Go to OpenSnow, WasatchWeatherWeenies, or UtahSnowForecast. * Yes, Jackson, Sun Valley, Big Sky, and others to the north got a great to start to winter and they have a bigger base than us to the South. That does not mean it's any better there TODAY or NEXT WEEK, just more open. They have been dry there too lately and warm at times and conditions are hardpack at best in all of the Rockies right now. * Dear CO skiers - you're right, CO is awesome, everyone should go there. There's alcohol and grass and much cooler people for sure. Don't worry about multi-hour drives between areas or to the city, or the fact they average half the snowfall of UT, or the average lift lines that go half way up the mountain. * OP - stop listening to people on here, even me. What you want to do is call local ski shops in the area and ask to speak to someone in the back shop, maybe somewhere in PC, I'm sure you can google some, and ask them. They don't give a fuck if you come or not, so they will tell the truth, like I have. I don't give a flying fuck if anyone comes to Utah. I'd actually prefer you didn't, because I'd rather see the ski resorts go under and let it all be wild backcountry. |
Anonymous
Was fine with your snark until this. SO you would want all the people in your community that work in ski resorts to be jobless? Your snark was not really funny, though you tried, but you are just an ass. |
Anonymous
| Someone who truly didn't care wouldn't bother posting. |
Anonymous
| Conditions in Big Sky over Christmas were actually the best I've seen that early. Not sure why. Not a cute town like Park City but the skiing was excellent. |
Anonymous
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If you can get any money back and haven't prepaid for lift tickets, I would cancel. I just checked PC and barely any trails are open. Not even all the blues are open - let alone the blacks.
Plus it is going to be warm next week so conditions won't get better. You will have better luck in new england - they have gotten snow, it has been cold and another storm is coming. |
Anonymous
Awesome. Thanks. |
Anonymous
We just got back from Utah. The snow coverage was very poor but it was enough for us and we still had a great time. Plus it was very warm and sunny, almost like spring skiing, and very pleasant. That said, the rest of the fam went to Whitetail right after our return and said the conditions were way better than they had been in Utah. Ha. |
Anonymous
| Lots of very happy skiers at Big Sky this winter. We have SNOW. |
Anonymous
| We skied Park City in late December and it was fine. A lot of trails were closed, but enough were open that we had a nice time. Plenty of blue runs were open, and the lift wait times at Park City Mountain were not that bad (Silverlode got backed up, but the rest of the lifts were reasonable and several of the other lifts never had a wait). The snow quality was okay, too--certainly better than what I've experienced in the past at Whitetail (haven't gone to Whitetail yet this season). Park City got several inches over Christmas, which allowed them to open more runs. I heard from folks I rode chairlifts with that conditions at Alta and Snowbird were better, so if you haven't gotten lift tickets yet you might want to consider trying those out. I think Colorado has gotten even less snow than Utah, so not sure that going to Vail would put you in that much better a position. Anyways, we had a nice time and enjoyed the skiing, despite the lack of snow. |
Anonymous
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It's very dry there now. Even in parts of SW Colorado mtns. Not much, very dry. People were desperate in Durango, CO, they put their skis on but it was just 1foot of snow or less. They said it's one of the lowest in snow fall for a decade! Every day, it's about 40 something degrees.
You can't do other things? |
Anonymous
| Drive to Maine when the temp looks tolerable. http://sundayriver.com/winter/mountain-report |
Anonymous
| If you are there to ski bowls/advanced trails, I would cancel if you can get $$$ back. |