Wasatch STOKE, Conditions, Obs and assorted drival 14/15

[getoutside]

you gotta be fucking kidding me. somewhere around 100 trees? even some up to 175 years old in bcc?? how do you "mistakenly remove" so many clearly large and older trees http://bit.ly/1HNcSPI

[glademaster]

you gotta be fucking kidding me. somewhere around 100 trees? even some up to 175 years old in bcc?? how do you "mistakenly remove" so many clearly large and older trees http://bit.ly/1HNcSPI

Yup, right near the end of Church Rd./the mouth of Silver Fork. What a waste. Many of the trees were on private property that was not part of the proposed development they were originally clearing the 17 trees for. One or two cabins had basically every tree in their front yards cut down and left in piles. I would have been pissed to get home from work and see my yard had been clearcut. It's a shame, most of the trees looked healthy with few signs of beetle infestation too.

[Mudfoot]

A real shame! Somebody had to have their head pretty far up their ass to pull that off. From a skiing perspective it will make the exit from Silver Fork much more bare and icy without the shade.

[mall walker]

The dead-guy-at-Alta thread got me wondering... just how deuchy is Alta compared to the BCC resorts, to be a season passholder at? Better/worse than Snowbird? I was very happy in BCC this season but looking for 15/16 maybe going to change it up, since I've never had a pass at Alta and it seems like a bucket-list kind of thing.

[skifishbum]

pm blurred
cause the hcac = aarp
it's definitely different though

[Bromontana]

Snowbird and Alta arguably have the better alpine. BCC backcountry access is better. I'm panning to get the BCC pass this year.. LCC has more people in less space, BCC is a little slower paced and less congested. Lot easier to find solitude in BCC, no pun intended.

[skiATL]

At snowbird, there are signs saying you can't drink on the lift. At Brighton, I routinely board the lift with an open beer in hand. Nuff said.

Seriously though...the easy access to bc with the bcc pass and the easier vibe make it an easy choice for me to stay with bcc. It will be interesting though to see how the new ownership at solitude will affect things though

[bigdude2468]

Alta has their season pass prices posted, seems much earlier than in previous years. I don' see any change price for adult is $999, The Wasatch Benefit includes Snowbird and Deer Valley, I was hoping Solitude would be a part with the sale to DV but no mention.

[skiATL]

Soli upped their pass $50 to 850 now and it comes with 4 deer valley tickets-yay. I messaged them and the Big cottonwood pass will continue to be offered (i feared they wouldnt with new ownership) but they haven't finalized a price. My prediction is 1100, 100 more than last year, but we will see.

[mall walker]

Soli upped their pass $50 to 850 now and it comes with 4 deer valley tickets-yay. I messaged them and the Big cottonwood pass will continue to be offered (i feared they wouldnt with new ownership) but they haven't finalized a price. My prediction is 1100, 100 more than last year, but we will see.

I'm actually really curious to ski DV... it looks like there might be some decent terrain, probably untracked for days after it snows lol. What's the DV vibe like? Just utter deuchebaggery, or is there any chill there?

[skiATL]

I'm actually really curious to ski DV... it looks like there might be some decent terrain, probably untracked for days after it snows lol. What's the DV vibe like? Just utter deuchebaggery, or is there any chill there?

No idea. Haven't skied there. I'll take some free days there for sure. I've just heard the trees can be really sick and if you know where to go it can be awesome. I've heard it stays fairly interacted so it might be good day after a storm??

[bigdude2468]

Chill vibe at DV? not a chance. Skied one day there last year for the first time in maybe 10 years with the Wasatch Benefit. It was mid January, not many people for a Saturday but PC was in the midst of Sundance, more black limos in town that skiers. Snow was shitty, could not ski anything off trail. It struck me as being more typical of a mid Western resort with 90% of the skiers on rental equipment. During lunch I actually searched the rack in front of the mid mountain restaurant just to see how many non rentals I could find, slim pickings. The highlight of the day was having a beer in the parking lot watching the cable car going up and down at the St Regis, make up your own mind.

[muted]

I think there is a very chill vibe at DV. People are cool on the lifts, some tourists, some workers, no snobbery that I've seen. There is good skiing there. Short pitches of powder that take a bit of traversing or hiking make it worthwhile like Daly chutes and one other place I can't remember. When there is no powder, there are some groomers that get you going so fast you wonder how wrecked you would be if you slip and edge and hit a tree. But it's perfectly groomed steeps. There is also good people watching, as in fringe jackets and fur-lined cowboy hats.

There is not enough terrain to keep me interested more than a day, it's surprisingly small, but it's nice to have no lift lines and a mellow day up there a day after a storm. I like going there once or twice a year.

[jmedslc]

looks like the Big Cottonwood pass is +200 from years past.

DV does indeed have great tree skiing, but the notion of 'untracked for days' is false.

as for non-rentals outside the DV lodge, i rarely if ever put my skis down at any lodge, why would locals at DV do that? i'd say you have a problem with your measurement criteria.

ahhh summer in the wasatch is beautiful....and short.

[bigdude2468]

I think there is a very chill vibe at DV. People are cool on the lifts, some tourists, some workers, no snobbery that I've seen. There is good skiing there. Short pitches of powder that take a bit of traversing or hiking make it worthwhile like Daly chutes and one other place I can't remember. When there is no powder, there are some groomers that get you going so fast you wonder how wrecked you would be if you slip and edge and hit a tree. But it's perfectly groomed steeps. There is also good people watching, as in fringe jackets and fur-lined cowboy hats.

There is not enough terrain to keep me interested more than a day, it's surprisingly small, but it's nice to have no lift lines and a mellow day up there a day after a storm. I like going there once or twice a year.

You are right about being able to go warp speed on groomers at DV, unfortunately Bill James can't answer the question.

[jmedslc]

The dead-guy-at-Alta thread got me wondering... just how deuchy is Alta compared to the BCC resorts, to be a season passholder at? Better/worse than Snowbird? I was very happy in BCC this season but looking for 15/16 maybe going to change it up, since I've never had a pass at Alta and it seems like a bucket-list kind of thing.

there's the old saying overhead being shared w the skittlekids - "Don't bring your AltaTude to Solitude, breaux".

That said, as a former Snowbird then AltaBird passholder for total 11 years, i'd suggest getting the AltaBird pass and reaping the benefits for at least one season. You can't beat it for fast paced, adrenaline fueled resort POW action and excellent slackcountry access.

[bigdude2468]

as for non-rentals outside the DV lodge, i rarely if ever put my skis down at any lodge, why would locals at DV do that?

To take a leak or have lunch maybe?

[mall walker]

there's the old saying overhead being shared w the skittlekids - "Don't bring your AltaTude to Solitude, breaux".

That said, as a former Snowbird then AltaBird passholder for total 11 years, i'd suggest getting the AltaBird pass and reaping the benefits for at least one season. You can't beat it for fast paced, adrenaline fueled resort POW action and excellent slackcountry access.

Yeah that's sort of what I was thinking, may as well experience it once etc

[getoutside]

will be interesting though to see how the new ownership at solitude will affect things though

yes it will. $50 more for the season pass isn't bad. expected worse .... plus you've got all those touring options.

[skiATL]

yes it will. $50 more for the season pass isn't bad. expected worse .... plus you've got all those touring options.

$200 more for the Big cottonwood pass is a huge bummer. I didn't think there would be any huge increases in pass prices with the epic being so low. At least it will come with 4 days at deer valley so I can have a chance at getting a pic on Jerry of the day.

[east or bust]

$200 more for the Big cottonwood pass is a huge bummer. I didn't think there would be any huge increases in pass prices with the epic being so low. At least it will come with 4 days at deer valley so I can have a chance at getting a pic on Jerry of the day.

I laughed.

My claim to fame: I have met the head jerry.

[Dantheman]

Ignoring BC access at the Canyons, DV has the best skiing on the PC side hands down. I certainly wouldn't pay $120 to ski there, but for free it's great. I don't even bother trying to get it on a pow day. I go when it hasn't snowed in a while and the off-piste sucks in LCC/BCC and just spend a day going mach looney on perfect groomers.