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thetrailboss

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That Utah public transportation system is looking better and better

https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/12/17/us/utah-dui-law-trnd/index.html?r=https://www.cnn.com/

I certainly don't push it with the adult beverages when I have to drive, but .05 is a very low bar. Average adult male having 2 pints of your typical 6.5% IPA during a 90 minute meal might put you over the limit.

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Don't get me started. :roll: It makes no sense at all. The real problem are the very drunk, not those under .08.
 

BenedictGomez

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I certainly don't push it with the adult beverages when I have to drive, but .05 is a very low bar. Average adult male having 2 pints of your typical 6.5% IPA during a 90 minute meal might put you over the limit.

This happens when people who literally have no experience drinking, are the people making your drinking laws.
 

thetrailboss

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This happens when people who literally have no experience drinking, are the people making your drinking laws.

Exactly. Although it’s also because a certain religion crossing the constitutional line to put their thumb on the scale.


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RISkier

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I didn't read everything in this thread. My main advice is that if you like Mexican food I'd recommend trying to get to the Red Iguana. They have 7 or 8 different homemade mole sauces. We've only been 2 or 3 times but both my wife and I think it's about the best Mexican restaurant we've ever tried. With 4 days I wouldn't venture beyond the Cottonwoods Canyons. Never skied at Brighton. I suspect you could spend 4 days at Solitude, or Alta, or Snowbird and not get bored. I've only skied one day at Snowbird and was with some Stowe ski instructors. We road up, went through the tunnel, and exited into a blizzard in Mineral Basin. Needless to say my ski skills are not at the level of the folks I was with and Snowbird kicked my ass. Would like to go back when I could actually see something. My wife and I have both loved Alta and Solitude. Utah offers an enormous amount of skiing in a relatively compact area. Snowbasin and Powder Mountain are completely different but both are terrific in their own way. They are only about an hour or so North of SLC. And even little Sundance is well worth a day. But for four days, I'd concentrate on a couple of the four resorts in the Cottonwoods Canyons.
 

thetrailboss

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I didn't read everything in this thread. My main advice is that if you like Mexican food I'd recommend trying to get to the Red Iguana. They have 7 or 8 different homemade mole sauces. We've only been 2 or 3 times but both my wife and I think it's about the best Mexican restaurant we've ever tried. With 4 days I wouldn't venture beyond the Cottonwoods Canyons. Never skied at Brighton. I suspect you could spend 4 days at Solitude, or Alta, or Snowbird and not get bored. I've only skied one day at Snowbird and was with some Stowe ski instructors. We road up, went through the tunnel, and exited into a blizzard in Mineral Basin. Needless to say my ski skills are not at the level of the folks I was with and Snowbird kicked my ass. Would like to go back when I could actually see something. My wife and I have both loved Alta and Solitude. Utah offers an enormous amount of skiing in a relatively compact area. Snowbasin and Powder Mountain are completely different but both are terrific in their own way. They are only about an hour or so North of SLC. And even little Sundance is well worth a day. But for four days, I'd concentrate on a couple of the four resorts in the Cottonwoods Canyons.

4 days at Alta or Snowbird, sure. Solitude? Probably not. JMHO.

FWIW Alterra is not giving Solitude much love so far. They opened much later than normal and initial reviews of Solitude this season from my chairlift rides at Brighton last not were not at all positive because they have not made much snow. Solitude looked pretty thin when I drove by yesterday.
 

Zand

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Trailboss, hows the natural stuff looking? Worth a trip out in a few weeks? It's gotten quite depressing here the last couple weeks so I need a fix while we wair for a pattern change.
 

thetrailboss

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Trailboss, hows the natural stuff looking? Worth a trip out in a few weeks? It's gotten quite depressing here the last couple weeks so I need a fix while we wair for a pattern change.

Our weather looks stormy the next week. Looks like we may be stuck with the ridge though the first of the year. We are off to a pretty good start overall though.


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benski

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4 days at Alta or Snowbird, sure. Solitude? Probably not. JMHO.

FWIW Alterra is not giving Solitude much love so far. They opened much later than normal and initial reviews of Solitude this season from my chairlift rides at Brighton last not were not at all positive because they have not made much snow. Solitude looked pretty thin when I drove by yesterday.

They own Dear Valley, have Alta/Snowbird on the Ikon and a shared pass with Brighton. Do they really compete with anyone besides Park City?
 

thetrailboss

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They own Dear Valley, have Alta/Snowbird on the Ikon and a shared pass with Brighton. Do they really compete with anyone besides Park City?

Yes. Alterra only owns Solitude and Deer Valley. They are directly competing with PCMR/Vail behemoth. They are also competing with every other area in Utah.

They wasted several million on replacing the Homestake Quad with a HSQ. I don't understand how that was a priority. That money would have gone a lot further at Solitude.
 

thetrailboss

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They own Dear Valley, have Alta/Snowbird on the Ikon and a shared pass with Brighton. Do they really compete with anyone besides Park City?

Yes. Alterra only owns Solitude and Deer Valley. They are directly competing with PCMR/Vail behemoth. They are also competing with every other area in Utah.

They wasted several million on replacing the Homestake Quad with a HSQ. I don't understand how that was a priority. That money would have gone a lot further at Solitude.
 

Zand

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Booked flight, hotel, and car today. Flying early morning on Sun Jan 13th...scheduled to arrive in SLC at 10am. Gives me time for a half day hopefully...will likely spend it at Solitude...maybe head up for a few night runs at Brighton. 2 full days Monday and Tuesday will be for Alta/Snowbird. Flying back Wednesday at 5 pm, so should be able to ski until 1 or 2. Will either do Alta/Bird one more time or maybe go back to Solitude if I like it. Flight, hotel, and car was a little over $600 for the week. Going solo so most dinners will just be fast food so hoping to keep that cost down so not bad for 4 days. 5 days in Colorado cost nearly 2 grand so hoping this saves me enough money to do a repeat trip in the spring.
 

hub8

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I am taking my son to ski at Alta, Snowbasin, Snowbird for 6 days (on Mountain Collective passes) mid Jan, including the MLK weekend.

Which resort is the best to avoid the crowds over the MLK weekend?

We are both on season rentals for narrow carving skis from local shop, and I am planning to demo powder or at least all mountain skis upon arrival, because my son likes to play with powder (like after the March storm in the Catskills). I have found AJ Motion Sports and Ski N See online and wonder if anybody have any advice regarding either rental shop or any other shops to recommend. We'll be bringing our boots, poles and skis (or shall we just bring our boots?)

Thanks for your advice!
 

jimk

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Snowbasin is probably considered a little less trafficked than Alta/Bird, so it might be the one to ski on MLK Weekend, particularly the Saturday. Will your local shop let you do a free swap of your narrow season rentals for a slightly wider ski? Normally, something in the mid-fat range of 90mm width is good for all western conditions except deep powder.
It shouldn't be crazy busy at any of those mtns in January unless you catch a significant fresh snowfall, then the locals come out of the woodwork:)
 
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thetrailboss

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Booked flight, hotel, and car today. Flying early morning on Sun Jan 13th...scheduled to arrive in SLC at 10am. Gives me time for a half day hopefully...will likely spend it at Solitude...maybe head up for a few night runs at Brighton. 2 full days Monday and Tuesday will be for Alta/Snowbird. Flying back Wednesday at 5 pm, so should be able to ski until 1 or 2. Will either do Alta/Bird one more time or maybe go back to Solitude if I like it. Flight, hotel, and car was a little over $600 for the week. Going solo so most dinners will just be fast food so hoping to keep that cost down so not bad for 4 days. 5 days in Colorado cost nearly 2 grand so hoping this saves me enough money to do a repeat trip in the spring.

Sounds good. I am sure you will have a good time.
 

thetrailboss

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I am taking my son to ski at Alta, Snowbasin, Snowbird for 6 days (on Mountain Collective passes) mid Jan, including the MLK weekend.

Which resort is the best to avoid the crowds over the MLK weekend?

We are both on season rentals for narrow carving skis from local shop, and I am planning to demo powder or at least all mountain skis upon arrival, because my son likes to play with powder (like after the March storm in the Catskills). I have found AJ Motion Sports and Ski N See online and wonder if anybody have any advice regarding either rental shop or any other shops to recommend. We'll be bringing our boots, poles and skis (or shall we just bring our boots?)

Thanks for your advice!

I agree that out of that list Snowbasin will be the least crowded.

Ski N See and AJ are pretty similar. You can also look to Utah Ski and Golf.
 

thetrailboss

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I am taking my son to ski at Alta, Snowbasin, Snowbird for 6 days (on Mountain Collective passes) mid Jan, including the MLK weekend.

Which resort is the best to avoid the crowds over the MLK weekend?

We are both on season rentals for narrow carving skis from local shop, and I am planning to demo powder or at least all mountain skis upon arrival, because my son likes to play with powder (like after the March storm in the Catskills). I have found AJ Motion Sports and Ski N See online and wonder if anybody have any advice regarding either rental shop or any other shops to recommend. We'll be bringing our boots, poles and skis (or shall we just bring our boots?)

Thanks for your advice!

I agree that out of that list Snowbasin will be the least crowded.

Ski N See and AJ are pretty similar. You can also look to Utah Golf and Ski.
 

Zand

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Sounds good. I am sure you will have a good time.

Are you going to be around? Feel like Snowbird is the kind of place where one would need a good tour :D don't think I've skied with you before (even after being at Burke for 4 years) so PM me if you want to take a few runs.
 

thetrailboss

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Are you going to be around? Feel like Snowbird is the kind of place where one would need a good tour :D don't think I've skied with you before (even after being at Burke for 4 years) so PM me if you want to take a few runs.

Yes, I am around.
 

Kleetus

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Been monitoring this thread as I have an opportunity to hit SLC for the first time on my way home from a business trip around MLK weekend. Probably shouldn't as I just did the same thing in Colorado and spent some $$$ last weekend to pull it off but the skiing was so good I'm eyeing it.

How's coverage looking on the steeper off-trail stuff? Know you guys are off to a good start but curious how that translates to the steeper stuff. I have another trip in March and April where I could swing through SLC on the way back as well and trying to decide if maybe I should hold off until then.

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thetrailboss

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Been monitoring this thread as I have an opportunity to hit SLC for the first time on my way home from a business trip around MLK weekend. Probably shouldn't as I just did the same thing in Colorado and spent some $$$ last weekend to pull it off but the skiing was so good I'm eyeing it.

How's coverage looking on the steeper off-trail stuff? Know you guys are off to a good start but curious how that translates to the steeper stuff. I have another trip in March and April where I could swing through SLC on the way back as well and trying to decide if maybe I should hold off until then.

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Well, better than last year. We are at about 62" base at Snowbird. 75" things are pretty good. 100" things are really good. More snow in the forecast later this weekend. Then a break, but doesn't look too bad. So as to LCC, things are filling in. Not sure what you mean by "steeper stuff." Some is open at Snowbird, some is not. For example, parts of the Cirque are pretty good from what I saw last weekend before the last storm.
 
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