spil Posted August 26, 2010 Report Share Posted August 26, 2010 Hey everybody, I just moved out to Utah for school, and I'm pretty excited for this winter, I've heard Utah has way better riding than Texas. :lol: I've never ridden Utah before, so I'm pretty lost on where I want to buy a pass. I want somewhere that has awesome groomers, awesome pow, and is pretty non-crowded. Any suggestions? I guess my only other wish is that I want somewhere close to SLC (so probably big or little cottonwood canyon or park city). I'm also interested in racing this winter as well. Coming from Texas, I have obviously never raced before so I would be totally new at this. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. Do I need to go out and buy a SL and GS board, or would I be fine with my current board (a madd 170)? Do I just show up and sign up for a race, or do I need to like get a coach or join a team to train and prepare? Anyway, I'd really appreciate any advice on riding in Utah, or just living here in general. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowboardfast Posted September 2, 2010 Report Share Posted September 2, 2010 Go to the hardbooter.com site and ask the same questions. I am sure that Billy Bordy and crew will be glad to help you out. I rode at Brighton back in 1985 or so with a Burton Elite 140. I was trying to get a job which I did not get and have not been there since. The hardbooter crew will be able to help you with racing advice and where to ride. Have fun the snow is good in Utah although when I was there it was spring no powder but fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
two_ravens Posted September 4, 2010 Report Share Posted September 4, 2010 +1 on going to Harbooter.com with your questions... Not closest to SLC and it won't be your go-to carving destination, but a trip or two to Powder Mountain (near Ogden) might be worth your time. Super fun, varied terrain, good powder and - the day I rode there last winter - soft but good grooming (they had just gotten pounded the day before - snow needed another day or two to set up nicely.) Really one of the most fun, funky little low key ski areas I've been to. And you can ride anything there - including snow bikes! Hoping I get to visit again this winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gossamer Posted September 14, 2010 Report Share Posted September 14, 2010 The Bird's great for pow but gets crowded and tracked fast. Brighton has incredible terrain for powder, they have night skiing and they get a lot of high school kids- good terrain parks. Not really sure if it would be my first pick for carving. Park City and Canyons are great destination resorts and have all that come with that- high price and crowds, they both have a lot of area and don't seem to track out as fast as the Bird. Snowbasin and Powder Mountain are up north a bit Basin is a great mountain with all the new lifts but the weather tends to be a little more harsh (wind) than Powder, it ices up fairly quick depending on the time of year but I know some carvers like that solid stuff. Powder is a little more quite with a more spread out feel, a lot of places to trek off for great powder. Not as much vertical drop as the Basin but a more laid back small mountain feel, over the last 5 years I've seen more carvers coming here. The Hawaiians like it here, a little less altitude. Oh yeah- the road to Powder Mountain (it is steep) I hope this gives you a better idea and please feel free to e-mail me directly or I'll check here if that doesn't work. Kipp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liv4corduroy Posted September 20, 2010 Report Share Posted September 20, 2010 Hardbooter is a good place to start. There are several of us that ride at Solitude on Sundays and a few that ride Saturday as well. It is the best deal money wise and they do agreat job grooming and there is some great terrain - rarely crowded too. Snow Basin is fun too but not as wide and set up for carving. Pow days are great there! We would be happy to ride with you recreationally, Billy at Hardbooter is the guy to get in touch with if you want to race. Make sure you make the Wasatch Trenchin Convention, some of us are headin to SES again too if your interested. On behalf of Ron, Ron, Gloria, Washington, Greg and myself (Jarvis).....WELCOME to UTAHR! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spil Posted September 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2010 Thanks for the advice, it sounds like its hard to go wrong as for which resort to ride at, they all have their benefits. While I won't buy a pass, I definitely want to go to powder mountain a few days this season, it sounds like an awesome place to ride. Solitude sounds like a sweet place (I hate crowds), although their pass system is really complicated (and expensive). I'd love to ride with you guys on Sundays though, hopefully I'll make it a few days at solitude as well. Right now I'm thinking either Snowbird or Park City. Hopefully I will be able to do a lot of riding midweek, so I hope this will help with the crowds. I tried the hardbooter forum, but that seems to be just a dumping ground for spammers, so I'll try emailing them directly about racing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldkey Posted September 28, 2010 Report Share Posted September 28, 2010 University of Utah? Westminster? Chris Karol is coaching in the general Park City area (training mountain not yet announced) and he does take on part time riders. There are 4+ hardbooters attending Westminster this year that all race and at least one hardbooter at the University of Utah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spil Posted September 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2010 University of Utah? Westminster? Chris Karol is coaching in the general Park City area (training mountain not yet announced) and he does take on part time riders. There are 4+ hardbooters attending Westminster this year that all race and at least one hardbooter at the University of Utah. I'm at the University of Utah. At my orientation I met one guy who said he raced, his name was Jeff I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egibbons Posted October 9, 2010 Report Share Posted October 9, 2010 Oh, I'm sure you have figured this out, but if you join one of the ski clubs at the U, you can get PC passes for $350 and Bird chairs only passes for $450 or so. Just talk to the thugs in the tents outside of the Union building. All it requires is $15 or so and they'll also throw in a shirt. I've done PC for the last several years (since I was in junior high) and I'm getting sick of the tourist feel. I was hoping that Solitude would given the clubs a discount like PC, Bird, Canyons, and Brighton do, but, to quote my friend who was in on the negotiations, "They prefer old people." To be fair to Solitude, there isn't much money when you are selling discount passes to cheap-skate college kids, but it still irked me. Oh well. It was still a dream. For those with the experience, I've got a question about the Ogden area resorts. It will likely going to be my last season in Utah as I'm getting married in the summer to a girl at Stanford with one more year of law school and I will probably off somewhere else at some point for a PhD program, so I want to go somewhere cool for this last hurrah. I'm just leaning toward PC but I'm sick of the drive and I am sick of the crowds/destination feel. I went night skiing last spring to Powder Mountain and loved it. Kwik Draw was amazing. However, I heard the rest of the resort isn't like that as it is pretty flat. Is that true? What is everyone's experience carving Powder Mountain? How about the Basin? In my experience it seemed narrow with a lot of the runs having stupid snowmakers down the middle. Anyone have any ideas? I've been there skiing for some time. Was my impression off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted October 14, 2010 Report Share Posted October 14, 2010 For those with the experience, .... I went night skiing last spring to Powder Mountain and loved it. Kwik Draw was amazing. However, I heard the rest of the resort isn't like that as it is pretty flat. Is that true? What is everyone's experience carving Powder Mountain? How about the Basin? In my experience it seemed narrow with a lot of the runs having stupid snowmakers down the middle. Anyone have any ideas? I've been there skiing for some time. Was my impression off? Kwik Draw is the steepest run at Powder Mountain. It is the run we ride until it is destroyed. There are a few others that are also fun to ride, but flatter or with longer flat spots. The snow is usually soft at PM. I consider it soft hero, very rarely firm hero. You can carve safely on any day of the week with hardly anyone on the steeper (not that steep) pitches. Yes, Basin is as you describe it. It is fairly narrow (plenty wide though) with lots of drops to flat and lots of stupid snowblowing equipment in the middle of the runs. I would ride there a lot more because it is much more challenging but it has a lot of high speed skiers. Some are really good, some not so much. With all the drops, rolls and twist to the runs it is really hard to see them coming and close calls are quite common. If you ride fall line more like a skier, you would likely fit in better. I like to treat the terrain more like a wave and play on the bends and warps of the groom. We will be back up there January 4th until March 15th. Let us know if you are headed up. Buell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spil Posted October 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2010 Oh, I'm sure you have figured this out, but if you join one of the ski clubs at the U, you can get PC passes for $350 and Bird chairs only passes for $450 or so. Just talk to the thugs in the tents outside of the Union building. All it requires is $15 or so and they'll also throw in a shirt. Yep, I already got my club membership, I just need to get a pass now. If I do the bird, its $130 extra to get tram access, do you think it would be worth it? I guess its just quicker/simpler to get the top? Also, what's a good place in town to get a tune and some repairs done? I've heard sport's den is good, plus I get a discount there through the ski club. Any other recommendations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gossamer Posted October 20, 2010 Report Share Posted October 20, 2010 Definately do the 130 extra, it's a race to the top on them 3+ foot powder days. Hope you look for us up at Powder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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