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Thread: Skiing/Boarding Thread

  1. #1

    Skiing/Boarding Thread

    I figured I'd get this started after a great day in Wasatch powder.

    We are currently at the stage where trying to get 4 kids (12,10,7,5) up to the mountain and have all of us enjoy the experience can be difficult. Usually someone isn't happy about something - skiing is too hard/easy, too tired, hungry, etc. Today was the exception to the rule even though it started poorly. We got up late, the two youngest didn't want to go, slow drive up the canyon due to traffic/snow, and my wife forgot her helmet, goggles, and pass. It takes us about an hour from our front door to get up the mountain, get everyone dressed, and get on the hill. By the time we got it all sorted out I figured the day would be a waste. Because she had to borrow some poor fitting goggles, my wife offered to take the two youngest and skied with them on stuff more to there level. The older two and I had a great day of fresh tracks and 12+ inches of new snow. When we met up for lunch all the kids were grinning saying it was the best day ever. Amazing day to be out as a family.
    "Don't apologize; it's not your fault. It's my fault for overestimating your competence."

  2. #2
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    Very cool Hostile.

    I remember those days well. Now, more often than not, it's drive the kids up with their friends... drop them off, return hours later and pick them up. Everyone is all smiling but me.

  3. #3
    Rope_Tow_Action__copy.jpg

    My skiing days are few and far between. Still love it, but it's hard to do living in SD.

    My dad took us all skiing for the first time when I was 6 years old. We drove up to Alta on Thanksgiving day and dad taught us to ski on the old rope tow. Good times. We went up nearly every Saturday that year.

    The next year our whole neighborhood was enrolled in the Deseret News ski school at Brighton. For 5 bucks you could get 6 weeks of group instruction in a class no larger than 6 kids. After lunch, (a brown bag we hid in a snowbank) it was free skiing for the afternoon. Mom would pick all of us up in the 10 passenger station wagon.

    I remember well skiing Alta on 75 cent lift passes. You could buy a pass that had 12 lift rides with no expiration. Many times, the lift operators were too distracted to punch the number. Oh, how I miss those days. This was pre-Snowbird. Brighton and Alta were all about no-frills, pure skiing. There weren't even real bathrooms then. The facilities were outdoor outhouses. Kid you not.

    One year at Skyline High, we were dismissed between 1st and 2nd period due to low water pressure. It happened to be a blue bird day with 3 feet of fresh pow from the night before. EVERYONE hit the slopes, teachers included. A couple of weeks later, about 30 of us decided to try and force a "low water pressure" situation. We synchronized watches, James Bond style, and at a precise moment before 1st period we flushed every toilet, opened up every water fountain, sink, and shower in the school. It worked! School was dismissed and we skied again. Sweet! The next time we attempted it, three guys were caught in the act. They never ratted out anyone else, and took the entire fall for it. They were exiled for three days as I recall.

    While at the U, my last two years, I carefully positioned all of my classes for M-W-F. This freed up Tuesday and Thursday to ski solo. You can meet A LOT of cool people from all over the country and the world skiing single at Snowbird and Alta that way.

    Now, we ski with our daughters, but not nearly often enough. Isn't it funny how the grass is greener, and in my case the snow is fluffier depending on where you live?
    Desse jeito, não tem jeito.

  4. #4
    http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/5...h-ski.html.csp

    interesting article about the state of winter sports participation.

    Also, I was talking with one of the employees at Snowbird about a variety of issues. This year Snowbird has three premium parking areas that you can pay an extra fee to use. They are considering charging for all parking in the future.
    "Don't apologize; it's not your fault. It's my fault for overestimating your competence."

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by San Diego Ute Fan View Post
    Rope_Tow_Action__copy.jpg

    One year at Skyline High,
    My senior year at Skyline I probably skied 25-30 school days. I loved work release. Now I am a Mountain Host at Park City and have a great time.

  6. #6
    New to Snowbird, but am buying season passes for the family this season. Chairs & Tram, or Chairs only? Please advise.
    “Children and dogs are as necessary to the welfare of the country as Wall Street and the railroads.” -- Harry S. Truman

    "You never soar so high as when you stoop down to help a child or an animal." -- Jewish Proverb

    "Three-time Pro Bowler Eric Weddle the most versatile, and maybe most intelligent, safety in the game." -- SI, 9/7/15, p. 107.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by mUUser View Post
    New to Snowbird, but am buying season passes for the family this season. Chairs & Tram, or Chairs only? Please advise.
    The chairs will get you to all of the terrain. It will just take a little longer to get to some of the terrain in Mineral Basin, Road to Provo and the Cirque. Those are all expert terrain, powder areas, so if you are not looking for that, then there is no reason to get the Tram.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by UTEopia View Post
    The chairs will get you to all of the terrain. It will just take a little longer to get to some of the terrain in Mineral Basin, Road to Provo and the Cirque. Those are all expert terrain, powder areas, so if you are not looking for that, then there is no reason to get the Tram.
    Second this, unless your family are experts just do chairs. Probably just do chairs even if you are experts.

    On a side note if you are thinking of season passes for the family Brighton can't be beat on price.

    Me and my three kids ski. I buy a mid-week pass with blackouts for $449. Kids under 12 ski free on that pass. I have a 13yo so his costs $150, so $600 total for the year if you buy early (I think that window has passed). On Fridays I pick my kids up after school at 2pm and we go ski for 4-6 hours with night skiing which is perfect.

    If your work doesn't allow that, the gold pass is $799 (early bird price and kids ski free again) which lets you ski weekends. I'm spoiled by skiing during the week, I can't stand in lines anymore to ski.

    Brighton season passes also gets you a couple of free days at Deer Valley.

    Brighton as a resort kind of sucks and seems to attract a lot of the douchebag snowboarders out there. (No I'm not saying snowboarders are DBs, I'm saying that tends to be the crowd at Brighton). Facilities aren't great, lifties don't do much to maintain or help either. But if you've got lots o' little kids like I do you can't beat the price and the terrain is pretty good.

    Park City's Epic Local pass is a great deal if you ski alone or are all adults. Tons of terrain you can cover in a single day. Plus Vail is buying everything so you can now hit a ton of other resorts across the country.




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  9. #9
    I live to ski and golf. I just can't stomach the cost anymore.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Utah View Post
    I live to ski and golf. I just can't stomach the cost anymore.
    I assume you got "live" autocorrected, and meant "love". If you "live" to ski and golf, you would find ways to do it that make it more cost effective. Season passes for skiing are more reasonable than they have ever been, and become more cost effective the more they are used. Ther are a lot of golf deals out there as well, including some season passes.

    The real cost to me these days is the time. There are so many competing time demands, it's hard to create the opportunities to go without careful planning.
    “To me there is no dishonor in being wrong and learning. There is dishonor in willful ignorance and there is dishonor in disrespect.” James Hatch, former Navy Seal and current Yale student.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by chrisrenrut View Post
    I assume you got "live" autocorrected, and meant "love". If you "live" to ski and golf, you would find ways to do it that make it more cost effective. Season passes for skiing are more reasonable than they have ever been, and become more cost effective the more they are used. Ther are a lot of golf deals out there as well, including some season passes.

    The real cost to me these days is the time. There are so many competing time demands, it's hard to create the opportunities to go without careful planning.
    The time was also considered in the cost. I dunno. My favorite thing to do now a days is sit on the Oregon Coast for a week and doze.

  12. #12
    Rumor is he was attempting to ski the K-12. Witness say he was being harassed by a young man on a ski bike dressed in black.

    “To me there is no dishonor in being wrong and learning. There is dishonor in willful ignorance and there is dishonor in disrespect.” James Hatch, former Navy Seal and current Yale student.

  13. #13
    Skier accidentally skies off 130 ft cliff.

    https://youtu.be/ylRq-D8gRKA


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  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by UTEopia View Post
    The chairs will get you to all of the terrain. It will just take a little longer to get to some of the terrain in Mineral Basin, Road to Provo and the Cirque. Those are all expert terrain, powder areas, so if you are not looking for that, then there is no reason to get the Tram.
    Quote Originally Posted by Rocker Ute View Post
    Second this.......
    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    I would like to thank you guys for your advice. I'm really enjoying my time at Snowbird this season. I'll drop my son off at school and head up for an hour or two several times a week. The snow, terrain, chair speed....all been great. I avoid weekends like the plague.

    Here's a couple of other takeaways: I don't enjoy skiing on weekends or holidays anyway, so, next season I'm going with the midweek pass. That's a several hundred dollar savings. My oldest in college likes to board with me so she'll do the same. I've also learned other than the two of us, the rest of the family is either too busy with work or school to take advantage of a season pass. The HS boy might be worth it. They're pretty cheap passes.

    Finally, I might try Solitude next year, for a change of scenery. I've found I don't like the rough and tumble of the boarders at Brighton anymore, I have snowboarders so Alta is out, and I've yet to find anyone that really loves PC. That leaves Snowbird and Solitude. I'm feeling my age and wonder if Solitude would be a little easier on my poor, hammered body.

    Thanks again fellas.
    “Children and dogs are as necessary to the welfare of the country as Wall Street and the railroads.” -- Harry S. Truman

    "You never soar so high as when you stoop down to help a child or an animal." -- Jewish Proverb

    "Three-time Pro Bowler Eric Weddle the most versatile, and maybe most intelligent, safety in the game." -- SI, 9/7/15, p. 107.

  15. #15
    Solitude season pass will also get you a couple of free days to Deer Valley.


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