Lots of questions for SLC/Park City

[johnstewart]

I'm headed to the Park City area on Friday for 8 days (my first time in the area). I've got a buddy with a house just outside of Park City. I've got a buttload of questions, so if you have suggestions to any of these, I'd much appreciate it!

- Does anyone know of any good deals for lift tickets in the area (grocery stores or something?)? Holy crap... $75 for a day at Park City!

- Where should I go? If there is powder, I'll go wherever that is. If not, I'd like to find some nice medium pitch groomers for carving. I understand Park City itself is good for this. Anyplace else? Any other resorts I should not miss? Solitude was mentioned to me as an awesome hill, and no crowds.

- I'd like to get some NASTAR in while I am there. Any recommendations on days/resorts for some good gates? I'm used to racing on hideous icy conditions, so anything will be a step up, but it would be nice to find a nice length, rhythmic course that would be good for boarding on.

- Does anyone know of an alpine teacher in the SLC area? I feel like I've plateaued in my 3rd season of carving, and I would like to spend some time with an expert on a good hill for it. I'm sure there are some things I'm doing wrong (actually, I know I'm dropping my back shoulder on my toesides, but aside from that).

- Would anyone like to get together at some point for a little mini expression session? =)

- Is there a good tuning shop in Park City? I've got to get at least one base grind done, and the last time I got this done in the midwest it SUCKED.

- Is there a good bootfitter in the area that would carry the Head Stratus Pros? I'm toying with upgrading my boots.

thanks!

[Kirk]

* Tickets - Harmons grocery stores (SLC, yes. PC, ?). Canyon Sports - in downtown SLC or at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon. If you're an REI member - they have discount passes available too.

* Good powder can be had anywhere. Powder Mt. is A LOT of fun after fresh dump. Good carving at PC of course. Canyons, decent - contact Skully here for info on Canyons (he's the man!). Solitude, Snowbird. Farther north, Snowbasin. All good choices!

* Don't know about NASTAR - I know that it is active in PC. For race training - see if you can hook up w/Phil Fell and the PC Snowboard team. With the team traveiling and competing, you may want to see if he will even be in town.

* I use Sports Den in SLC (Foothill Dr) for base grinds. They have all the state-of-the-art Wintersteiger stuff and do good work - ask for Brad. I believe there is one in PC as well.

* Head Stratos - ?? Don't know of ANY shops in the area that carry snowboard specific hardboots. For Deeluxe - contact Dave @ Hardbooter.com.

Good luck!

Lots of snow - great time of year to ride UT!

[Guest Jared Q]

Park City has NASTAR. The course is accessed off the Payday lift. Not the best setup for snowboarding but it is still fun.

I'll be at Park City Saturday and Sunday. There are always a couple of hardbooters riding on the Silverload or King Con lifts.

[Guest Jared Q]

I think that Salty Peaks sells Park City passes for around $57.

[bjvircks]

At 'Utah Ski & Golf' shop (located just off lobby of Sweetwater Lodge condos 1255 Empire Ave walking distance from Park City base area ) we could get discounted tickets for several different resorts. There can be significant discounts if you are a guest staying at the condo. (hint,hint)

[bjvircks]

These guys are located in Park City. They'll be happy to help. I tried to get together with them but other goofy obligations kept me from meeting up. Wish I had blow off the other stuff and hooked up with them.

have a great time!

[tilledog]

We're always up for a ride. We have gear galoure to play with too.

801-953-5115

Bootfitter=Surefoot at PC mountain Resort. These guys rule! Let'm know we sent you.

Billy and the rest of the PC team come in from Europe this weekend. He's always got great feedback on bad habits.

Jared and Kirk have covered the rest.

Hey Jared!! You wanna hook up on Sun? Maybe Sat. too.

Ring me!!

[snow|3oarder]

I was at snowbird once. That mountain had some serious terrain.

[Guest Digger]

Here's some input on Snowbird: I'm a Snowbird season pass holder and love the place. That being said I would not recomend it on a powder day unless you are prepared to put up with a big crowd. There is a serious powder frenzy that takes place here. If you can actually be there during the day of the storm though, the riding can be stellar but you need to know where you are going in a white out. If Snowbasin gets a dump mid week go do it! No people and pow all day.

Snowbird does have some great carving terrain on a groomer day and the crowds disappear. All day tram tickets for Snowbird are on sale at the Smiths groceries stores until 1/31 for $49 - that $13 off the ticket window price. Hitch up with the Pack City crew or call me if you might come carve at Snowbird.

Kevin McDougall

801-943-2273

[johnstewart]

Thanks for all of the input, everyone; I really appreciate it.

Re: powder day... it's looking like I'm a week late; 1-3 FEET for Park City tonight? Holy ****!

But on a powder day, where to go? I've heard Solitude recommended. Does that sounds good?

[CarvCanada]

from my little experience there, with powder, don't go into the Park City area, go to Brighton/Solitude

[FTA2R]

if you have never been snowmobiling ('bilin, as I guess the locals say), go to Daniel's point (or was it daniel's summit?). It was AWESOME. we rented them adn they are powerful machines (and we didn't even have the super powerful ones), your back may be sore though depending on how far you are hunched over / how long you ride. we had a BLAST though (except for my meathead friend managing to mess up part of his engine).

have fun!

Barry

[AndyYT316]

You can get discount passes for The Canyons at Costco, yeah they sell them in bulk too, but they're 3 for something under $150. If you don't want to go there Milo has passes for $51. I'll be at the Canyons this week on friday and saturday. If you want to go ride feel free to give me a call at 808-294-2013, and I can show you around the mountain.

[johnstewart]

I spent the last 2 days at the Canyons; my buddy and his wife have season passes there so it is free for them and a discount for me.

We found some excellent stashes of powder in some of the tree runs (very nice yesterday), and did a bit of carving today - there was at least one excellent carving run far skiiers left; Boa I think is the name. Deceptively fast at times, actually. Pretty boring runout though.

I think the wife and I (if she gets over the altitude sickness) are going to hit Park City tomorrow (Monday). Hopefully the Sundance crowd won't be hitting the slopes too much (the Canyons wasn't bad at all for crowds this weekend).

So I hope to hit the slopes early. The wife hasn't been out yet this year, so I'm hoping to find a mellow nice groomer which will be easy enough for her and good for me to make some carves. Any suggestions on what lifts/runs? I see lots of blue under King Kong. Good bet?

I'll be out on a Donek Axis 177; give me a shout if you see me. I'll have my phone on me, too (608-212-3612), though I usually can't hear it but on the lift. =)

[Kirk]

John,

If the Sundance thing is too crazy (and it can), come on up to Snowbasin - I'll be up there bright and early tomorrow morning!

[Guest Jared Q]

The runs off King Con tend to be pretty icy in the morning as they don't get the sun until around 11:00. Try the Bonanza lift, there are plenty of nice groomers off that way and it gets some morning sun. Muckers or Jonseys are great groomers.

[johnstewart]

Kick ass day at PCR. Ran into Bordy on my first lift up; good to meet you! I headed over for King Con right away (I didn't see your post, Jared), and the snow was firm but truly amazing. I think some of those runs have to be close to 100 yards wide, all beautiful white carpet, and pretty much empty (the Sundance folks appear to have stayed in town).

Actually, Jared, I think I may have met your wife over there, who was on a carve board for her first day? An F2 Sliverfarfennugen or whatever. =)

Hands down, no doubts, Park City is the best place for carving I have ever laid eyes on. Wow.

I did some racing on some public NASTAR after a couple of hours on KC. Very nice course. Courses, actually. Nice to be able to get an edge in the slope reliably, as opposed to the ice cube that Tyrol Basin usually is.

http://www.nastar.com/index.jsp?pagename=results&page=comp&compid=309793

Rode the day out (until 2; I couldn't hack any more) over on the runs under the Payday lift, which were nice even greens with acres of beauty groomers, which was all I could manage by then (my legs gave out racing; I blew out 3 out of my last 4 runs).

Definitely carver mecca. I'll be back either tomorrow or the next day. My wife is lobbying for a day at Sundance (and with 2 of us, PCR would be pretty pricey).

You guys there are some lucky sons of bitches.

[tilledog]

:) :) :) :)

[johnstewart]

Hah... only Bordy beat me on a snowboard at Park City yesterday NASTAR:

http://www.nastar.com/index.jsp?pagename=raceresults&race=45386&year=2006

I think I can live with losing to him. =)

Pretty sure I'll be back tomorrow. Hope it didn't get too warm today. My wife talked me into Sundance today (the combined lift tickets did cost less than a single one at PCR). Definitely the Tyrol Basin of Utah (i.e. tiny in comparison). One good carving run at the top, though.