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Anyone here been to Brianhead Utah ?

camberstick

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I have a Business trip to Vegas coming up and want to ski somewhere out west while I'm out there. Not feeling the 8 hour drive to Tahoe or Salt Lake. Brian head is only 3 hours but looks kind of flat .The small mountain vibe is always cool but I need to have some pitch as well. Arizona snobowl isn't too far either, just the opposite way. Any Intel ?
 

chuckstah

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I've been to Brianhead a couple times, both as day trips from Vegas. The trip was easy, except the road up to the resort, that in weather can be treacherous. It is fairly small, yes, but enough for one day. It's been quite a few years but I recall some decent short steeps and sidecountry-ish stuff. And I think they have, or had, cat skiing, but it was never open when I was there. Another option is Lee Canyon on Mt Charleston. It's an hour from Vegas and if it has snow, a big if, is well worth a day. There's lots of sidecountry glades, hike to chutes and the like, though the basic footprint is very small. The third side trip from Vegas I've done is Eagle Point. It is quite small and probably not worth the extra distance, but I needed to check off the list.
 

chuckstah

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Here's a couple pics of Lee Canyon. I can't find any of BrianheadScreenshot_20181222-184944.jpgScreenshot_20181222-185015.jpg

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raisingarizona

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If we get more snow, Snowbowl can be real fun for a day or two. I wouldn’t recommend it with the base we have right now. It’s supposed to snow this week but I don’t know what’s expected. Once the base is around 65 inches is when the mountain starts to really open up.
 
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jaytrem

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Brain Head is a fun little place, should be even better now with the HSQ. If you've got the time you might want to consider a day at Eagle Point too. Looks like they're 100% open. The "steep side" has lots of fun stuff. Definitely the strangest mountain setup I've seen. To get from the very bottom to the top it's hike->chair->bus->ski->chair. Not much reason to go to the top though. It's about an hour past Cedar City, and note the road to the ski area is OPEN, from website...

ROUTE 153 IS OPEN FROM BEAVER TO THE RESORT. WE UNDERSTAND GOOGLE MAPS IS NOT ACURATELY REPRESENTING THIS AND ARE WORKING WITH THEM TO UPDATE IT. FEEL FREE TO SEND THEM A "COMPLAINT" FOR THEM TO RECTIFY IT.


That's gotta suck for them. Anyway, let us know what you decide and how it goes.
 

camberstick

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Thanks for the info. I am leaning toward Brianhead and hoping they still do cat skiing but cant find any current info.
 

thetrailboss

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Brian Head is decent. I have not skied there, but have spent a significant amount of time in Cedar Breaks and in that area in the summer and fall. A very cool area that folks often overlook to drive to Bryce or Zion. A pretty easy drive from Las Vegas.

Here's the trail map:

trailmap


https://www.skiutah.com/members/brian-head?_ct=Menu+Bar

Pretty cool skiing right next to the red rock of Cedar Breaks.

brian-head-resort.jpg


And lately they have been getting decent snow.

If you go, take the 30 minutes or so to drive up Kolob Canyon, Zion Park. RIGHT OFF I-15. Very cool place and not often visited.
 

thetrailboss

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And I hate to discourage you from going to Eagle Point because they need the business, please realize that they have a very weird schedule. I think they are Friday through Sunday only.


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abc

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I have a Business trip to Vegas coming up and want to ski somewhere out west while I'm out there. Not feeling the 8 hour drive to Tahoe or Salt Lake. Brian head is only 3 hours but looks kind of flat .The small mountain vibe is always cool but I need to have some pitch as well. Arizona snobowl isn't too far either, just the opposite way. Any Intel ?
Instead of 8 hrs to Tahoe, Mammoth is only 5 hrs away. And no major mountain passes to cross.

The skiing is way better than Brianhead. In fact, it’s just as good as Tahoe. Less crowded too.
 

camberstick

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Reading up on mammoth, looks impresssive but worried about crowds. Plan on skiing Thursday through Saturday.
 

chuckstah

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Salt Lake areas are also about 6 hours. Skiing 3 days is a lot different than a day trip from Vegas. Wait til the last minute and go where there is new snow. Rooms are cheap near SLC, especially near the entrance to the Cottonwood Canyon's.

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jimk

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I’ve never been to Brian Head, so take with a grain of salt, but my brother from California went there a couple times when his kids were young. Supposed to be a good family place with very pretty scenery. But when his kids got older they went to Mammoth for more advanced terrain. Brian Head could be great for you, but it’s possible that a skilled skier might find three days at Brian Head to be a little sleepy. As others have said, it is very easy to do a last minute trip to SLC where there are tons of cheap, empty motels 20-30 minutes from Alta/Bird and Sol/Bright. You can use Liftopia to get three days of skiing at Solitude or Brighton for about $170. I could be off-base, but I think week days at Mammoth are considerably less busy than weekends.

When are you going? Mammoth, Alta/Bird and Sol/Bright are all generally quite good well into springtime. Brian Head should be fine conditions-wise in mid-winter.
 

jaytrem

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If you're worried about the Sat crowds at Mammoth you can hit June just up the road. Havn't been there yet, so if nothing else you'll make me jealous.
 

camberstick

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So I am leaving next week and I am leaning toward Brian head /Eaglepoint because I have no patience for dealing with the Cali crowds and /or the possibility of a lot of wind, all at rip off prices over at Mammoth even though it looks awesome. thinking of home base in cedar breaks after trade shows in Vegas? Any recommendations? pretty stoked for Eaglepoint, not a lot of info but looks like a Western stash for sure!
 

thetrailboss

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So I am leaving next week and I am leaning toward Brian head /Eaglepoint because I have no patience for dealing with the Cali crowds and /or the possibility of a lot of wind, all at rip off prices over at Mammoth even though it looks awesome. thinking of home base in cedar breaks after trade shows in Vegas? Any recommendations? pretty stoked for Eaglepoint, not a lot of info but looks like a Western stash for sure!

You mean Cedar City?

It’s a nice town. Marriott brand hotels there are nice and new. Call ahead before driving to Eagle Point.


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chuckstah

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It looks like Eagle point is open Friday through Monday, closed Tues-Thursday. It is a nice uncrowded area, but very small by western standards. I remember skiing untracked powder all day almost everywhere. And there are Bald Eagles all around. I had a mom eagle and 2 eaglets fly within a few feet of my car on the way up. In weather, the road is rough and could be closed. Enjoy!
 

camberstick

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Eaglepoint does looks small by western standards. My last trip out west took me through monarch and wolf creek and I have lost alot of interest in big resorts ever since. Quality over quantity , hoping for magic mountain of the west...
 

jaytrem

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Eaglepoint does looks small by western standards. My last trip out west took me through monarch and wolf creek and I have lost alot of interest in big resorts ever since. Quality over quantity , hoping for magic mountain of the west...

Smart man! If you're lucky enough to get a power day it should last all day. Tree skiing was good too, little tight by western standards.
 

jimk

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Have a great time and I hope you post a few photos here afterwards. I always enjoy hearing about places I’ve never been to. I’m a little embarrassed about my sleepy remark because I’ve been skiing 500-1000’ vertical mid-Atlantic ski areas all my life and having a blast.
 
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