Snowbasin 2-21-2011

[LonghornSkier]

Skied Snowbasin today. Yesterday was awesome at The Canyons but today was even better. After 50 inches in the last week topped off by 7 inches overnight the snow was awesome. I started the day off by skiing over to the Strawberry Gondola on the eastern side of the mountain. After riding up the Becker chairlift, I skied the "The Diamond," the snow was incredible with faceshots and untracked pow everywhere. After riding the Gondola to the top, I proceeded to ski Moonshine Bowl. The snow here was once again incredible and I was one of the first to ski the bowl which was awesome (FYI if anyone is planning on skiing Snowbasin soon, there is a long runout on the way out so get lots of speed..) After taking multiple runs there, I traversed my way back over to the John Paul area, on the way over I skied some great powder once again on "3 skis". I then skied one run under the John Paul which was cut up powder/irregular pow bumps. After this, I took the Mount Allen tram and hiked up into the "No Name" area. This was probably the best snow of the day, however, I took a bad fall and got one ski stuck on one side of a tree, and the other ski on the other side. I guess it could have been a lot worse! After this, I was ready for lunch and had some of the awesome food that snowbasin is known for...After lunch, I skied some fun trees off of "Stewarts" and explored the mountain some more. Overall, it was an epic day that I will never forget!

 

[kingslug]

You hit it when its at its best....I've been there on both sides of the coin....

 

[tirolerpeter]

Snowbasin is a beautiful place, both in terms of terrain and facilities. However, it is a good idea for skiers used to skiing in the east to avoid it during stormy weather. Some of the open areas can be very tough to ski when visibility is poor. Of course, right after a storm it is a blast. One really positive aspect is the way they groom trails from top to bottom but leave large areas adjacent to those trails ungroomed. This allows skiers of differing ability levels to ski down the mountain while keeping each other in sight. That makes it really nice for families trying to ski as a group. While I primarily ski Alta (115 days last season), I do enjoy a couple of days per season over at "The Basin." Oh yes, don't forget to try the "cioppino" at the John Paul Lodge at lunch time. It is excellent.

 

[gmcunni]

Snowbasin is a beautiful place, both in terms of terrain and facilities.

Best bathrooms i've ever seen at a ski resort. nicer than what i have at home.

 

[tirolerpeter]

Best bathrooms i've ever seen at a ski resort. nicer than what i have at home.

It is not uncommon for first-time visitors to run back to the bathrooms with a camera to take a picture.