The Wasatch Thread: Skiing and Riding in Utah

[BenedictGomez]

So my six year old led me 30 yards off trail to a Smoke Shack to eat our snack today. WTH are these Park City ski instructors teaching these kids!

I must have been past there 55 times and never knew it was there.

 

[jimk]

13 Mar 2026 took this pic of a young friend in upper Great Scott at Snowbird, UT:

 

[kingslug]

Pc today..lower runs were covered in sugar..nice..upper a little scratchy..
Then ended up on a miserable huge icy mogul run called eclipse at sunrise..
Wife contemplating divorce after that one.
Tomorrow we shall see..
This is off the mid station bubble..would have been easier..

 

[kingslug]

And now I don't know what the hell is going on up there..

 

[BenedictGomez]

Worst conditions I've ever seen at Park City today. Pretty sure April 1st will be closing day just for marketing purposes, but it's already getting rough out there in some key places & honestly the mountain's pretty much already shot with 60+ degree temps soon coming even at 10,000 feet.

Today was the Cookie Race though, and the little one had a ton of fun, which is all that matters.

 

[kingslug]

If my wife can get her new boots on in the next 2 hours..maybe ill see what its like today.

 

[kingslug]

Uninspiring at best..

 

[1dog]

I guess we hit it just right - this was bottom of Rats Nest at Bird our last day 3/8- pay no attention to the dropped right hand/arm:

 

[jimk]

I guess we hit it just right - this was bottom of Rats Nest at Bird our last day 3/8- pay no attention to the dropped right hand/arm: and powderyView attachment 68324

Yes you did hit it just right. The 8th was just a couple days after a 7 day period where we got 3+ feet of snow.
This photo below is from 13 mar 2026. By this time Great Scott had firmed up quite a bit, still somewhat chalky, but not nearly as friendly and powdery due to several days of freeze-thaw. Snowpack still deep though, so should be fun again when temps rise and surfaces soften.

 

[Smellytele]

Skied Utah 3/8-13. Started out soft the 1st 2 days. After that starting late or at least just ripping groomers the 1st few hours to let it loosen up was key. Just about bluebird everyday except 3/11 but it was still partly sunny.

 

[Zermatt]

Hot take. This is the last week of the season for everything outside Big and Little Cottonwood.

 

[4aprice]

Worst conditions I've ever seen at Park City today. Pretty sure April 1st will be closing day just for marketing purposes, but it's already getting rough out there in some key places & honestly the mountain's pretty much already shot with 60+ degree temps soon coming even at 10,000 feet.

Today was the Cookie Race though, and the little one had a ton of fun, which is all that matters.

Yea, last Wednesday at Snowmàss, dry front came through. No machine grooming. Surface was a frozen coral reef with groves in it. Worst skiing I’ve ever experienced in Colorado.

So far higher elevations fairing ok. There was a small storm last night and today, even down here in Lakewood. But Thursday's going to be the test with July temperatures in Denver,

 

[Smellytele]

Hot take. This is the last week of the season for everything outside Big and Little Cottonwood.

Snowbasin still had plenty on parts of the mountain. Not lower strawberry (which is still open).

 

[Zermatt]

Snowbasin still had plenty on parts of the mountain. Not lower strawberry (which is still open).

It’s not Europe. Nobody in Utah has the ability to run a high altitude ski operation with the lower mountain melted out. Whistler and Revelstoke can do it. US ski areas just aren’t setup like this. For one, 3,000’ vertical isn’t enough but physical lift and financial restrictions are important factors. Let’s revisit on March 23rd.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Hot take. This is the last week of the season for everything outside Big and Little Cottonwood.

I dont think that's crazy at all. My guess is Park City's closing day will be April 1st just so they can say they made it to April, but if closing day winds up being something like March 22nd I wont be shocked. This is my 3rd season here and will be my 4th closing week experiencing Park City, and it's already "worse" right now than any of the mid-April closing days I've seen

Now you throw in the fact it's going to be way above freezing even about the 10,000 foot summits, and maybe 65 or so at the bases? Now sprinkle in the fact that even if Vail could snowmobile in snow to protect the connections and lift upload/download areas (which they could), you have to wonder if they would in a financially terrible season where they're probably already looking for an excuse to end the season and stop the $$$$$ bleeding.

We'll see if PC survives, but no way places like Mayflower and Sundance survive. I doubt Snowbasin makes it either.

 

[ThatGuy]

We'll see if PC survives, but no way places like Mayflower and Sundance survive. I doubt Snowbasin makes it either.

If the bottom of the mountain on PC side is skiable after this coming week of warmth Ill be shocked. At least Canyons you can start ~1000’ higher with the gondolas.

 

[jimk]

It’s not Europe. Nobody in Utah has the ability to run a high altitude ski operation with the lower mountain melted out. Whistler and Revelstoke can do it. US ski areas just aren’t setup like this. For one, 3,000’ vertical isn’t enough but physical lift and financial restrictions are important factors. Let’s revisit on March 23rd.

Sometimes in past years Snowbird has run the Little Cloud chair (an upper mtn lift) to allow late spring skiing only in that bowl and used the tram to access it to & from the base when the rest of the mtn is closed for skiing/boarding. This HSQ chairlift, seen in background of below photo has about 1300' vertical and it's at an elevation of approx 9700' to 11,000'.
Photo taken 9 Mar 2026


Another view from different direction, taken 3 Mar 2026.

Typically, Snowbird operates well into May in recent years, however with partial terrain closures occurring in late April or early May. This year could be different due to low total snowfall, but I'd guess they still make it to early May? Depends on how the month of April goes.

 

[Smellytele]

It’s not Europe. Nobody in Utah has the ability to run a high altitude ski operation with the lower mountain melted out. Whistler and Revelstoke can do it. US ski areas just aren’t setup like this. For one, 3,000’ vertical isn’t enough but physical lift and financial restrictions are important factors. Let’s revisit on March 23rd.

I didn't say the whole lower mtn was melted out just strawberry. Agree let's see next week.