Utah, Jan. 12th to 15th, Part 1: Powder Mountain and Solitude

[davidski]

Friday morning I realized that a longer trip planned at the end of January wouldn't work which led me to peruse the NWS forecasts in a purely speculative way, long range was bad most everywhere --CO sucked again but Utah was predicting an event. I've never been, always wanted to go so I decided on a 4-day-exploratory. Powder Mountain, Solitude, Brighton and Alta



Left at 4:30 PM, nearly got stuck in Las Vegas (as my time was ticking down people were saying Hey at least your stuck in Vegas; uh-huh, sure) and got in at 11:40 rented a car (Advantage, $138 in the end) and drove to Ogden. Checked in at 2am thru a smoke-stained plexi-glass porthole at a $32 cadillac of a motel close to Weber State (still hate that school)



Powder Mountain is very out of the way and anti-resort , their billboard campaign reveling in that status is drawing some attention I heard (I later saw one at the mouth of BCC) but not much business it seemed



The Lodge area on a busy Saturday after a storm











My first runs were around Paradise lift, a 1400' vert fixed grip













There is some very intense stuff under Paradise lift.











I wanted to try some bigger powder skis and thought this would be a good place, I went into the shop and asked if they did demos; fellow told me we have Scott Missions, then I noticed some P4's which were for sale. I kept asking and finally one of the guys said "well we do have some DPS'... but they're in the back" Anyway the only one that wasn't out was a 190 cm Lotus 120 (mm waist)-- biggest ski I've ever been on, it was spectacular in anything deep or cruddy and really good everywhere else if you went fast









Then when I returned it some of the smaller (184/112) wailers were available. These were strangely not as good everywhere, but amazing in tight places or bouncing in powder. I took them to Powder Country; which was still thin and they took some shots but the senior guy there waved off others complaints when I returned them (thank god)







So the end of that day was in the area called Powder Country. This is the region off the top boundary of the resort that drops back to the road that climbs into the resort. So when you drive up you see all the tracks coming down but can't tell where they come from; and when you drop in, you intermittently see the road far below. Kneedeep and others, this feels so much like what Berthoud was with the little shuttle circling around and bringing people back up





























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And the Lodge was picking up when I returned











Sat. night I drove back to SLC, stayed the next 3 nights in the Avenues hostel, which was peculiar and sketchy and not really to be recommended. Nothing like the Rocky Mountain in Frasor, or the Leadville Hostel. Or even the Purple Fiddle, which despite it's crappy accomadation is still good food great beer and world class entertainment, all just a stairstep away. .. I digress





Sunday I went to Solitude -- I took the shuttle up from the Big Cottonwood Park and ride. FIVE $ each way, what are the thinking? I hitch-hiked after that and drove when I went to LCC



i digress again -- Solitude was Awesome and empty







From the main lift there is a circle of terrain that is just as hard as you want depending on where you choose.











Then there is the Honeycomb Canyon. There was only one Gate open to it for most of the day so the top was treacherous but then you can make your way











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As usual, I thought the scariest stuff at Soli was the stuff under the highest slowest lift, in this case the Summit. As you exit if you step up and look Left you see Brighton









and then dropping back you can find whatever you want

[jamsandwich]

ooooh tasty. nice pictures!

[Tmiller72]

Nice.



Next time buy a Super Pass, good at Snowbird, Alta, Brighton, Solitude and it includes the bus rides. Would save you about $15 a day. Maybe then you could upgrade to a better sh1tty hotel.

[davidski]

this is not my first rodeo



super pass is $69 -- I got Brighton and Soli for $59 and $54and paid $70 for Alta



as I said I only paid for the bus one day, I got rides up and down with people who worked there the other days -- my point on the bus is that it's stupid on their part, make it free get people on the mountain and off the road

[skipink]

Wow! Jealous! Wow!

[mmmtaters]

Both days look amazing. I'm stoked to ride both of those in just over a week! I see a couple of drops we'll be hitting under Paradise...

[THA HATTER]

Where did you scoop your tickets?

[RMacSki]

awesome! incredible that you were able to find fresh tracks in some semi deep stuff. really pays off to make your own destinations rather than lock yourself into one mountain for four days :rolleyes:

[davidski]

I forgot to mention that this picture is looking over toward Brighton, the Great Western lift is prominent. That's where I went the next day --Part 2 w/ that and Alta is coming up









@mmmtaters 285185 wrote:Both days look amazing. I'm stoked to ride both of those in just over a week! I see a couple of drops we'll be hitting under Paradise...



So you will make it to Powder Mountain? It is well worth the detour --but beware the long green traverses on the terrain on the far side



@THA HATTER 285187 wrote:Where did you scoop your tickets?



at the Lifthouse by the 7-11 and Porcupine at the mouth of BCC (look at me w/ all my jargon and stuff)

[KneeDeep]

I'm jealous. Your ski season is officially better than mine right now.