Your thoughts on Snowbasin.......

**Fat City** · 02-11-2009, 10:58 AM

Soooo, this weekend, i've got two choices......head to Targhee or Snowbasin.
I've been to Targhee quite a bit and have a good feel for it, but never to Snowbasin. I've heard it gets tracked pretty quick due to the expansive lift access, but also heard the mountain itself is sick, with really good snow on average.

Given the conditions this weekend, which way would you head? (J-Hole is not an option this weekend).

**Shredhead** · 02-11-2009, 11:58 AM

Snowbasin is a nice mountain, with a really good lift system and really nice lodges. It can be really good, but low elevation and an easterly exposure can screw up the snow quick.

I would pick Snowbasin. But bring your BC gear and a friend, most of the north facing is OB.

**Buster Highmen** · 02-11-2009, 12:08 PM

Snow Basin has some great raw materials in the mountain and choice lodges.

But the hostility of the management and bad attitude infects everything in the system.

I write this because I know they pay people to scrape web pages with "Snow Basin" strings and read them. If they do that, then hopefully, they really are interested in making the Basin a better place.

The tone comes from the top. Try some sincere abundance, folks.

**Skis** · 02-11-2009, 12:16 PM

If the chutes at Snowbasin are open with good coverage and you're willing to do some hiking, you should have a great time. You can find fresh tracks under No Name for a while after a storm--reasonably sheltered, also. Targhee does have some steeps, but you have to hike for them and they're pretty mellow. It's uncrowded and usually has great coverage, though.

**Buster Highmen** · 02-11-2009, 12:19 PM

No good snow @ Pebble?

**Houndsong** · 02-11-2009, 12:25 PM

I skied Snowbasin Monday for the first time. A lot of good stuff was closed due to two feet of heavy pow. So, not Tram, no No Name, and it was zero vis at the top of Strawberry, no chutes. There is definitely good stuff under and skier's left of the JP express. The rest of the mountain seems very flat.

**Fat City** · 02-11-2009, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by Buster Highmen

No good snow @ Pebble?

I am heading out with the girlfriend for V-day and want something a little steeper......and a little fresher. So i'm looking towards Ghee or Basin.
Thanks for the feedback.

**powski3** · 02-11-2009, 01:18 PM

Good dilemna to have...but why not make it Targhee+JHMR vs. Snowbasin+Altabird? Then you'd really get some people going.

bs · 02-11-2009, 01:29 PM

i rode snowbasin for the first (and only) time 2 mondays ago... was quite impressed by the lodges (though not sure how they'd hold up to a holiday weekend crowd). was also impressed by the great snow to be had just out of bounds off no name. also found some aspen groves that were kind of thick but hadn't been ridden despite that a whole weekend had passed since the last storm. the chutes looked bad ass. all in all seemed like a great mountain that i'd come back to for sure. lift ticket was $52 at rei...

**rideit** · 02-11-2009, 01:34 PM

Well, we have recieved 18" here with more on the way, FWIW.

**ArmadaBC** · 02-11-2009, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by Shredhead

I would pick Snowbasin. But bring your BC gear and a friend, most of the north facing is OB.

There's a lot of really good shit out there, hell there is a lot of slackcountry stuff from no name that you can take back to the parking lot tram.

**Bigdump** · 02-11-2009, 02:02 PM

Snowbasin will be crowded this weekend

Targhee is always good

Pomerelle will be the shizzle

**Fat City** · 02-11-2009, 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by Bigdump

Snowbasin will be crowded this weekend

Targhee is always good

Pomerelle will be the shizzle

Good point about the crowds this weekend. I am leaning toward Ghee as the crowds will be a bit smaller and the goods look a little better that way.

Pomerelle is too core for me and too steep for me to keep up with

**Fat City** · 02-11-2009, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by rideit

Well, we have recieved 18" here with more on the way, FWIW.

Thanks for the first hand. Have you been up there this week? Was shit getting all manked out?
Any updated conditions info appreciated. I'm planning on staying at the Teepee Friday night and hitting it up Saturday.

**rideit** · 02-11-2009, 02:26 PM

It's good.

**Fat City** · 02-11-2009, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by rideit

It's good.

I'm also thinking about doing the "Snooze and Brews" package they put together for $129. Not a bad deal considering.

Oh, and if you're in Victor, there is a band coming through to the Knotty on 2/26 called EOTO. You HAVE GOT TO CHECK THEM OUT. It's gonna be a sick show.

**rideit** · 02-11-2009, 02:33 PM

Galactic is playing the Knotty thursday. Sold Out, I believe.

**Fat City** · 02-11-2009, 02:36 PM

Seriously though, I've seen EOTO a dozen or so times now and it is a super energy packed dance party everytime. Highly recommended.
Super cool guys too. They both are/were members of The String Cheese Incident.

**Shredhead** · 02-11-2009, 02:40 PM

I was at Snowbasin last Saturday. There were a lot of people there, but it didn't seem too crowded. The lift system is very efficient, but they didn't have enough ticket checkers. So there were lines to get checked, sometimes big lines.

When they had the singles lines open, you could just walk up and get right on the gondi. But they kept closing the singles line, because they didn't have a checker. Then the line would get big again and then they would open up the singles line again.

Sunday I went to Powder Mountain. No lines, better snow and more untracked.
You don't get as much vertical and it's not very steep, but I had more fun.

**AKA** · 02-11-2009, 02:42 PM

snowbasin is gay.

**basinbum** · 02-11-2009, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by AKA

snowbasin is gay.

what he said

**ripvanwinter** · 02-11-2009, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by Shredhead

I was at Snowbasin last Saturday. There were a lot of people there, but it didn't seem too crowded. The lift system is very efficient, but they didn't have enough ticket checkers. So there were lines to get checked, sometimes big lines.

When they had the singles lines open, you could just walk up and get right on the gondi. But they kept closing the singles line, because they didn't have a checker. Then the line would get big again and then they would open up the singles line again.

Sunday I went to Powder Mountain. No lines, better snow and more untracked.
You don't get as much vertical and it's not very steep, but I had more fun.

Here's a second vote for powder mountain.

Really fun, really mellow and old - timey. I think they just got bought by some conglomerate, so it's worth it to check it out before it's corrupted.

**neckdeep** · 02-11-2009, 05:45 PM

Check the forecast discussions. The longwave trough is sagging well to the south and most of the low pressure centers entering the coast are dropping southwards faster than eastwards. Most of the next weeks storm energy is expected to track across the Great Basin towards the Four Corners-a continuation of the current pattern which favors Wasatch over Tetons. Wasatch picked up two 12 inch nights back to back. 'Ghee picked up four nights of dust that finally got decent. NOTE: decent, not great. 'Ghee also picked up hundreds of pow starved tourons coming over from Jackson's hotels-five buses yesterday. Pow all gone...