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MCC road trip - what other resorts should I visit?


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Hi all! I'm looking forward to heading to MCC this coming winter for the first time. I have never been to any resorts in Montana/Idaho/Wyoming so I am looking for advice on other resorts to visit on my drive back to Arizona. I would like to stay within a few hours of I-90 and I-15. I'm considering getting and Indy pass and sticking to those resorts, but I am not sure.

If there is fresh snow, I'll be riding trees and bowls. Otherwise, I'll be carving intermediate groomers. Cheaper mom and pop resorts with old lifts are no crowds are my favorite. I'd say snow/grooming quality is most important to me.

Indy pass resorts on my radar:

  • Blacktail, MT
  • Silver Mountain, ID
  • Lost Trail, MT/ID
  • Beaver Mountain, UT
  • Powder Mountain, UT (been there and loved it)
  • Eagle Point, UT

Others on my radar:

  • Lookout Pass, ID
  • Discovery, MT
  • Maverick, MT
  • Kelly Canyon, ID
  • Pebble Creek, ID
  • Grand Targhee, WY
  • Nordic Valley, UT (part of my season pass)
  • Snowbasin, UT (one SLC resort I have never been to)

Anything I'm missing?

Thanks!

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Great to hear you will be joining us!  

Wyoming- Grand Targhee, it will either be great pow or great grooming.

Montana - Maverick, just west of Dillon, MT, then must hit Discovery, Whitefish then on to Libby/Turner.  Do not waste your time at Snowbowl near Missoula.

Idaho - Lost Trail is always a favorite,Silver Mtn is pretty good, and Schweitzer is always great.  Lookout on the MT/ID border has great grooming and happy carving runs from what I have been told.

Kelly Canyon has forgotten how to use the groomers, not much vertical.

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If I was going to road trip up I-15 I'd start at Snowbasin (owned by Sun Valley) expensive and can get crowded Fri-Sun or any powder day, good groom, steeps, trees, Nice resort to say you've skied it or you can skip it and take extra days at Lost Trails.  Grand Targhee  good groom some trees can get very foggy and very crowed on powder days . From there head over to Lost Trails Cheap only open Thur-Sun. Hero low-mid intermediate grooming on the north lift never crowed.  I always try to stop there for at least two days coming or going to MCC.  You have to stay 25 miles away but worth it. I like it better than Silver or Lookout. Make sure you take at least one day off before the start of of MCC to give your legs a rest for four days at Turner.  

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@ibrussell @dredman Thank you both for the feedback! I will add Grand Targhee, Maverick, and Discovery, and Lost Trails to my must-ride list. I will be heading to Turner first and then hitting those on the way back down south. I will take a day or two off as needed, but those should be good to hit over the weekend before heading back into Utah for some mid-week, relatively uncrowded riding.

I'm wondering if anyone has ever been to Nordic Valley in Utah? I only have it on my list because it is included in my season pass, so it will be free vs. $100+ per day at bigger resorts.

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  • 4 weeks later...

We hit Lookout last year, for the first time on our way to MCC.  We had a great time, and will be riding there again next year.  Saturday, or Sunday morning till about 1-2.  It has some great carving runs with great grooming.  It’s a great place to warm up the legs, or give your legs a mild day off..  Either way it’s a fun little mountain.

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  • 3 months later...

Below is my current plan. I'll be driving north on I-15 to Turner with a half-day stop at Eagle Pass, and then stopping at resorts on the way back down after MCC. Resorts included in my passes are in black. Resorts I will have to pay for are in red.

@dredman I have Discovery in the current schedule. The back bowls there look great! Whitefish and Grand Targhee are maybes - depends on my budget and energy levels. I don't want to pay $100+ for a lift ticket if my legs are too sore to enjoy it.

@ibrussell Lost Trails is on the list and included in my Indy Pass. I may go up there again in March for a banked slalom event. Right now Snowbasin and Grand Targhee are maybes. Snowbasin is pushing the price for me, especially when I have Pow Mow as part of my Indy Pass. But TBD.

@kibber I may be stopping at Grand Targhee midweek on the way home, although I'm not sure yet. I currently have Beaver Mountain UT on the schedule since my Indy Pass covers it. Or, it may be a rest day. I will probably play it by ear. Since it is a weekday, I am guessing they won't sell out of window tickets?

Thanks all for the advice!

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Edited by weather_nerd
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  • 1 month later...
On 12/12/2022 at 5:11 PM, weather_nerd said:

Below is my current plan. I'll be driving north on I-15 to Turner with a half-day stop at Eagle Pass, and then stopping at resorts on the way back down after MCC. Resorts included in my passes are in black. Resorts I will have to pay for are in red.

@dredman I have Discovery in the current schedule. The back bowls there look great! Whitefish and Grand Targhee are maybes - depends on my budget and energy levels. I don't want to pay $100+ for a lift ticket if my legs are too sore to enjoy it.

@ibrussell Lost Trails is on the list and included in my Indy Pass. I may go up there again in March for a banked slalom event. Right now Snowbasin and Grand Targhee are maybes. Snowbasin is pushing the price for me, especially when I have Pow Mow as part of my Indy Pass. But TBD.

@kibber I may be stopping at Grand Targhee midweek on the way home, although I'm not sure yet. I currently have Beaver Mountain UT on the schedule since my Indy Pass covers it. Or, it may be a rest day. I will probably play it by ear. Since it is a weekday, I am guessing they won't sell out of window tickets?

Thanks all for the advice!

table.png.e2eb761a0ced6bd95cf69e2c6563fabd.png

If I were you Grand Targhee is a bucket list! High speed quads and speed six, Lots of wide groomers and wide open terrain. I wish I lived close enough for a daily mountain. Discovery has a fun back side for Powder days. I would do discovery before Lost Trail because of back tracking

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