Ski Season 2020/2021

[NTVTXN 1432]

1 hour ago, Sbbruin said:

Anyone ever ski Snowbasin in UT?  I ask because this new airline, Avelo, based out of the Burbank Airport, flies to all of these secondary airports like Ogden.  SUPER cheap flights.  Thought maybe a family trip out of town may make sense if we fly in Ogden and hit Snowbasin.

R/t flight from Burbank to Ogden for 4 would be $313.  TOTAL.  For all 4 of us.  

No, Sir. I’ve not- I’ve only skied CO & Canada- and I sure as heck didn’t get 4 flights for $313.  

New airline? Hmmm- unless you have to help clean the latrines post flight or sit and listen to a two hour sales pitch, I’d say go for it! 

<DO.IT.> gif. 

[texasdago 7589]

3 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

Anyone ever ski Snowbasin in UT?  I ask because this new airline, Avelo, based out of the Burbank Airport, flies to all of these secondary airports like Ogden.  SUPER cheap flights.  Thought maybe a family trip out of town may make sense if we fly in Ogden and hit Snowbasin.

R/t flight from Burbank to Ogden for 4 would be $313.  TOTAL.  For all 4 of us.  

Looks like a legit mountain.  I mean... why not?  Assuming all four of you are good skiers based on that trail map.

[Sbbruin 21904]

1 hour ago, texasdago said:

Looks like a legit mountain.  I mean... why not?  Assuming all four of you are good skiers based on that trail map.

Yeah, the daughter may struggle, but enough intermediate stuff to keep her busy.  And the lodges/dining are supposed to be legit, so she and the wife can bail and do that.

[Johnny Chimpo 481]

On 1/3/2022 at 4:42 PM, Upgrayedd said:

Thought about hitting Snow Summit yesterday.  Decided to play golf instead of fighting the masses.  

Tahoe Squawalpine over MLK.  TBD Presidents.  Mammoth week of St. Patrick's.  Mammoth in April.  Gonna be a stretch to get to 20.  I figure 17 is where I end up.

I was looking at mammoth In April too. If the snow keeps up it will be a great year for spring skiing. 

[AUinHsv 579]

11 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

Anyone ever ski Snowbasin in UT?  I ask because this new airline, Avelo, based out of the Burbank Airport, flies to all of these secondary airports like Ogden.  SUPER cheap flights.  Thought maybe a family trip out of town may make sense if we fly in Ogden and hit Snowbasin.

R/t flight from Burbank to Ogden for 4 would be $313.  TOTAL.  For all 4 of us.  

Yes but years ago so not much help. However I learned to ski at Ogden and it was great - almost no crowds during the week.  You can also fly into Ogen and drive down to SLC. It's not that far

[Upgrayedd 5822]

14 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

Anyone ever ski Snowbasin in UT?  I ask because this new airline, Avelo, based out of the Burbank Airport, flies to all of these secondary airports like Ogden.  SUPER cheap flights.  Thought maybe a family trip out of town may make sense if we fly in Ogden and hit Snowbasin.

R/t flight from Burbank to Ogden for 4 would be $313.  TOTAL.  For all 4 of us.  

Skied Snowbasin and Powder Mountain up there.  Snowbasin is fun and where they held the Olympic downhills.  PowMow is legit and would be my choice between the two.

Hit up the Shooting Star Saloon for a fantastic burger on your way back to Ogden.

[ballrific 215]

Great choice. We just got back from CB. Our 9th consecutive trip. We love it.
Both our girls learned to ski at CB. It’s got lots of Greens for learners, plenty of Blues for those who want to challenge themselves or “grow” their skills and of course, Blacks & Double Blacks for the wild ones, if they’re so inclined…I am not. A man’s got to know his limitations.  As John Maxwell says, “We’re all one step from stupid”.
Go here for all things, Rentals/Lift Tix/Lessons-> https://www.skicb.com/
Re: Lessons- Book early- They fill up fast. EVERY INSTRUCTOR with whom I’ve come into contact has been nothing short of awesome.  This, prior to and now post Vail’s takeover.
Eat?
our faves- 
On Mountain
Avalanche Bar & Grill
Uli’s Cabin- Sort of pricey- outstanding views / Very good food.
in town-
Secret Stash Pizza - my favorite pizza anywhere. Period. Get the Notorious FIG.
bonez- Mexican- fun place. Good food.
The Slogar - GREAT Fried chicken. Pricey though. We ALWAYS have enough to take home for lunch the next day.
The Last steep- Bugers and beer. Yum.
Ryce- Asian. Delicious.
Teocali Tamales- delicious. Fast. Affordable.
For ice cream- Third Bowl is a must. Outside of Amy’s, it’s my favorite on the planet. 
Slap Burger/ Brand new burger joint. Didn’t get to try it. But people raved about it. 
Feel free to DM me for more information. Happy to help where I can.

Do you guys stay on the mountain or in town?

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

[Axle Hongsnort 208]

Do you guys stay on the mountain or in town?

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

IMO they are both fine options based on how the town is set up, just depends on your traveling crew details. There is a free bus that loops between the town and mountain and is like a 5-10 minute drive depending on stops. It gets a little sleepy on the mountain at night and there’s way more bars and restaurants in town.

So either enjoy ski in/out’ish on the mountain and bus it into town for dinner, or enjoy the town offerings for happy hours / dinners / shops and bus up and back to ski.

Literally can’t go wrong. If you’ve never done CB a rental house in town steps from a bus stop and walkable to elk avenue is probably ideal. But if you have a crew of younger kids (where gear and getting to the slopes can be a beating) then something on the mountain may be better.

There are a couple mountain neighborhoods away from the main base that are a bit out of the way which would be my third choice, but not a bad one.

[Sbbruin 21904]

12 hours ago, AUinHsv said:

Yes but years ago so not much help. However I learned to ski at Ogden and it was great - almost no crowds during the week.  You can also fly into Ogen and drive down to SLC. It's not that far

Yeah, the drive to Park City is only an hour from Ogden, and that time is made up being in a small airport with a quick in and out.  I’ve been to PC 7 or 8 times (and going again in 2 weeks), but none of them have, so maybe that is the better call.  Do PC on Friday and Canyons on Saturday.  More dining options in PC for sure.

or just cheap out and do Mammoth again.

Edited January 6, 2022 by Sbbruin

[NTVTXN 1432]

3 hours ago, ballrific said:

Do you guys stay on the mountain or in town?

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
 

We stayed on mountain; slope side. It’s a bit more expensive, but since we only get one week a year, we make the sacrifice to avoid time wasted parking, hauling stuff to/fro and listening to whining kids 😂

[texasdago 7589]

12 hours ago, NTVTXN said:

We stayed on mountain; slope side. It’s a bit more expensive, but since we only get one week a year, we make the sacrifice to avoid time wasted parking, hauling stuff to/fro and listening to whining kids 😂

Yup - this is going to be us and while we'll have our Jeep with us (driving to CB), we understand the bus is right next to the Grand Lodge.  Last year, in Purgatory, we stayed 20 minutes south of the resort and loading up every day was a PITA.  This year I just wanted to be able to walk and the Grand Lodge apparently provides complimentary slope-side ski storage.

We have friends who are pushing us to switch out to Keystone.  I don't think we're going to switch.  For Keystone I see the advantage of a quick jaunt over to A-Basin, access to Breckenridge and old town Frisco, tubing up top, etc. but man... I just do not want to deal with I-70 and heavy crowds.  Not liking our lodging options there either.  We're locked into a good rate at CB with a Whetstone suite at the Grand Lodge and right now CB is sitting at an 85" base vs 40"ish base at Keystone.  I know there's less to do for the family as a whole in CB but I always have people tell me how much they love CB... in all my years skiing in Summit County, I always rated Keystone as 4 out of 4 when it came to the town/mountain vs the others.

[Eugene11 379]

Not quit the destination ski tips y’all are talking about but we ski timberline lodge on mt. hood fairly regularly since it’s right out side our front door.  About an hour and half drive up the mountain for us. Our tradition for 5 years or so is to go up there early on New Year’s Day.  We aren’t big partiers for New Years so that’s easy enough. This year it dumped fresh powder all week up there and then the sun broke out on Saturday. Absolutely the best way to start a new year. What a day on the mountain we had. 
hardly any lines at the lifts also since it was “early” New Year’s Day.  Got tons of runs in. 
That was our third day boarding this year. 
 

 

 

in case anyone cares. Lol. In the picture with the lift pole in it there is a tiny dot up on the side of the mountain.  That’s were we are getting married next February. It’s pretty. Cool. Guests have to take a snow cat 20 minutes up the mountain from the lodge. 

Edited January 6, 2022 by Eugene11

[strangulation! 1716]

14 minutes ago, texasdago said:

This year I just wanted to be able to walk and the Grand Lodge apparently provides complimentary slope-side ski storage.

they do, in the lobby of the hotel right by the front desk. super easy, and it's a ~5 minute walk from there to the lifts. i think it's up a tiny hill, so not exactly slope-side, but pretty close. there is a ski valet closer that is legit slope-side, but it's restricted to certain rental companies and/or hotels, of which i don't think the grand lodge is one.

and i would much rather stay on the mountain and take the bus into town for dining as you're obviously not hauling around ski stuff, and you're probably in less of a rush in general.

[ballrific 215]

16 hours ago, Axle Hongsnort said:

IMO they are both fine options based on how the town is set up, just depends on your traveling crew details. There is a free bus that loops between the town and mountain and is like a 5-10 minute drive depending on stops. It gets a little sleepy on the mountain at night and there’s way more bars and restaurants in town.

So either enjoy ski in/out’ish on the mountain and bus it into town for dinner, or enjoy the town offerings for happy hours / dinners / shops and bus up and back to ski.

Literally can’t go wrong. If you’ve never done CB a rental house in town steps from a bus stop and walkable to elk avenue is probably ideal. But if you have a crew of younger kids (where gear and getting to the slopes can be a beating) then something on the mountain may be better.

There are a couple mountain neighborhoods away from the main base that are a bit out of the way which would be my third choice, but not a bad one.

Yeah, the last time we went we opted for in town and did the shuttle but that was long before kids.  Don't think I knew there was even a lot of lodging on the mountain but maybe there is now (it's been ~ 20+ years).

[NTVTXN 1432]

4 hours ago, strangulation! said:

close. there is a ski valet closer that is legit slope-side,

There WAS a ski valet…until CB got nuked with 100” in 8 days…

It collapsed on 12/31. Thankfully, no one was under it. And the STUD crew got everything out but a few pairs of skis and I think one board. 

They’ve moved the valet to the basement of the Rental Cntr.
 
“Rest In Pieces”, as my 13yo would say… 

 

[strangulation! 1716]

12 minutes ago, NTVTXN said:

There WAS a ski valet…until CB got nuked with 100” in 8 days…

It collapsed on 12/31. Thankfully, no one was under it. And the STUD crew got everything out but a few pairs of skis and I think one board. 

They’ve moved the valet to the basement of the Rental Cntr.
 
“Rest In Pieces”, as my 13yo would say… 

 

holy crap.

but also, maybe they can rebuild that pretty quickly?

[NTVTXN 1432]

2 minutes ago, strangulation! said:

holy crap.

but also, maybe they can rebuild that pretty quickly?

Hopefully… (at least by Dec’22 for my own selfish reasons 😬).

There was a helluva lotta snow on top of that thing. 

[Upgrayedd 5822]

20 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

Yeah, the drive to Park City is only an hour from Ogden, and that time is made up being in a small airport with a quick in and out.  I’ve been to PC 7 or 8 times (and going again in 2 weeks), but none of them have, so maybe that is the better call.  Do PC on Friday and Canyons on Saturday.  More dining options in PC for sure.

or just cheap out and do Mammoth again.

Cheap and and ski Mammoth which is waaaaaay better than PC/Canyons.

[NTVTXN 1432]

4 hours ago, Eugene11 said:

Absolutely the best way to start a new year.

THIS RIGHT HERE. I always tell my Kids; “we’re ending our year and beginning the next in our happy place” (CB). 
THAT is a blessing. 
 

And many congrats on your upcoming nuptials! 

[Sbbruin 21904]

3 minutes ago, Upgrayedd said:

Cheap and and ski Mammoth which is waaaaaay better than PC/Canyons.

Yeah, I would only do it to give the fam some new terrain.  Mammoth has it all when it comes to variety of runs.  My daughter is all about intermediate (at most) groomers, as is the wife.  They can spend all day doing that and be happy.  Canyons is a little limited in that regard, and you have to work to try to get to those spots.

[Upgrayedd 5822]

1 minute ago, Sbbruin said:

Yeah, I would only do it to give the fam some new terrain.  Mammoth has it all when it comes to variety of runs.  My daughter is all about intermediate (at most) groomers, as is the wife.  They can spend all day doing that and be happy.  Canyons is a little limited in that regard, and you have to work to try to get to those spots.

Those girls are ripping runs off 23 when your'e not looking.

[texasdago 7589]

That 100" dump is also why Keystone didn't sound so great... CB is setting up for an amazing base.  Anyway, yes, Grand Lodge does claim to provide slopeside valet.  

BTW, convinced our friends to pick CB over Keystone.  Thank God.

[NTVTXN 1432]

6 minutes ago, texasdago said:

That 100" dump is also why Keystone didn't sound so great... CB is setting up for an amazing base.  Anyway, yes, Grand Lodge does claim to provide slopeside valet.  

BTW, convinced our friends to pick CB over Keystone.  Thank God.

I am SO envious of those going skiing these next few weeks. The week we were there 12/26-1/2 it snowed 24/7. Definitely needed the low-light lenses. 
The coming days look awesome…

[Chewbacca 7788]

4 minutes ago, NTVTXN said:

I am SO envious of those going skiing these next few weeks. The week we were there 12/26-1/2 it snowed 24/7. Definitely needed the low-light lenses. 
The coming days look awesome…

Too bad Colorado is full or some of you guys could move here.  I'll be skiing each of the next ~10 weekends.

[NTVTXN 1432]

3 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

Too bad Colorado is full or some of you guys could move here.  I'll be skiing each of the next ~10 weekends.

No one likes a braggart, Chewie.

[Chewbacca 7788]

4 minutes ago, NTVTXN said:

No one likes a braggart, Chewie.

WP got 13 inches last night but Berthoud was closed.  Nobody from Denver could get there.  Should have been an epic powder day for the locals (schools were closed - it takes a lot to close the schools in Grand County).

[NTVTXN 1432]

22 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

WP got 13 inches last night
 

 

Obligatory- “So did South Austin’s mom…”😕

[Chewbacca 7788]

19 minutes ago, NTVTXN said:

 

Obligatory- “So did South Austin’s mom…”😕

You fucked her 4 times?  She must be sore.

[texasdago 7589]

18 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

Too bad Colorado is full or some of you guys could move here.  I'll be skiing each of the next ~10 weekends.

Its OK... I live in Austin and its full so this hits close to home.

[MoJames 8256]

20 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

Too bad Colorado is full or some of you guys could move here.  I'll be skiing each of the next ~10 weekends.

Yup, it's a bummer none of you guys can come skiing with us.

[Chewbacca 7788]

1 hour ago, texasdago said:

Its OK... I live in Austin and its full so this hits close to home.

I went to school in SA.  You guys can keep that fucking heat to yourselves.  Thanks, but no thanks.  I'll take 20 below over 107 any day.

[texasdago 7589]

33 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

I went to school in SA.  You guys can keep that fucking heat to yourselves.  Thanks, but no thanks.  I'll take 20 below over 107 any day.

I'll take all in moderation... except -20.  I'll work in the garden in the shade at 107.

[Chewbacca 7788]

Just now, texasdago said:

I'll take all in moderation... except -20.  I'll work in the garden in the shade at 107.

It was -20 last weekend in the mountains.  I love that shit.

[texasdago 7589]

2 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

It was -20 last weekend in the mountains.  I love that shit.

I remember it hitting -20 when I was visiting my college roommate's parents in Conifer, CO.  C O L D - too cold!

[PRONG HORN 3160]

 

[conVINCEd 21474]

On 1/7/2022 at 11:46 AM, Chewbacca said:

It was -20 last weekend in the mountains.  I love that shit.

The only time I ever quit skiing was when on the first run of the day we got to the top of the lift and the thermometer at the top read -25 with snow blowing sideways because of the high winds.  I’ve never been more miserable in my life and I’ve endured my share of physically painful experiences.  8 guys on the trip on we all looked at each other, nodded, skied down to the bottom as fast as we could, and cashed in our lift tickets for the half day value.  We spent the money we got back in the bar.

[blacklab 11957]

Heading to SF for a conference and then taking the rest of the week off and heading up to Tahoe the first week of March. Can't wait. Wife and kids fly up a day after I get there, so I at least get one day to myself.

[Chewbacca 7788]

The only time I ever quit skiing was when on the first run of the day we got to the top of the lift and the thermometer at the top read -25 with snow blowing sideways because of the high winds.  I’ve never been more miserable in my life and I’ve endured my share of physically painful experiences.  8 guys on the trip on we all looked at each other, nodded, skied down to the bottom as fast as we could, and cashed in our lift tickets for the half day value.  We spent the money we got back in the bar.

Let's be clear, i do not enjoy skiing when it is that cold.

[Brew 3049]

On 1/5/2022 at 5:00 PM, Sbbruin said:

Yeah, the drive to Park City is only an hour from Ogden, and that time is made up being in a small airport with a quick in and out.  I’ve been to PC 7 or 8 times (and going again in 2 weeks), but none of them have, so maybe that is the better call.  Do PC on Friday and Canyons on Saturday.  More dining options in PC for sure.

or just cheap out and do Mammoth again.

Snow is pretty thin in Park City in places still. This is the earliest we have ever been out here by a couple of weeks and we should have waited a little longer. Of course it doesn’t look like much help is on the way either. The last couple of years of skiing Canyons we have been spoiled by powder everyday and a solid base where you could stay off the trails easily. Not really getting away from the trails this year.

[Johnny Chimpo 481]

Solid base in the sierras. Just got some days in at kirkwood and mammoth. 
kirkwood was an icy bitch but the snow is nice in mammoth. 

[wild_turkey 3187]

Spent the past 2 days skiing Telluride. They had a decent base so most runs were open but no fresh snow in the past ~1 week so it was mostly just groomers. Still fun though.

Normally go with a group but due to different life circumstances it was just my wife and myself this time. She learned to ski about 10 years ago as an adult and struggled big time those first few outings, but since then she’s become a very competent skier and can easily do blues, most groomed blacks, and moderate moguls. I planned to take it fairly easy skiing with her but she kicked ass and we knocked out 41 runs and 45,449 vertical feet in 2 days. Mix in occasional stops at Bon Vivant for food and drinks and it made for an excellent ski weekend.

Telluride now has ski tracking built into their app which can also generate a 3D map at the end of the day. I thought that was pretty cool compared to 3rd party apps I had always used before.




Also, for anyone familiar with Telluride, we got to do a dinner at Alpino Vino which was a great experience. They take you up in a snowcat, 14 people total, and you get a 4-course prix fixe Italian meal with wine pairing. Not cheap and not something we will do often, but a fun and memorable evening for anyone who likes that type of thing.

[Chewbacca 7788]

2 hours ago, wild_turkey said:

we knocked out 41 runs and 45,449 vertical feet in 2 days.

I will never understand why people track this shit, let alone post it for others to see.  

 

But yes, Telluride kicks all kinds of ass.

[wild_turkey 3187]

I will never understand why people track this shit, let alone post it for others to see.

Same reason people track how far or fast they run or ride a bike, how many laps they swim, record their golf score, or bowling score, or pretty much any sport or exercise activity with trackable metrics. It’s fun and makes them happy?

The Telluride app has a built in leaderboard for the season, month, week, and day. Pretty cool to see how much some people get out there.

But I’ll get off your lawn now.

[Chewbacca 7788]

24 minutes ago, wild_turkey said:

 

Same reason people track how far or fast they run or ride a bike, how many laps they swim, record their golf score, or bowling score, or pretty much any sport or exercise activity with trackable metrics. It’s fun and makes them happy?

The Telluride app has a built in leaderboard for the season, month, week, and day. Pretty cool to see how much some people get out there.

But I’ll get off your lawn now.

 

So you just ski a shitload of groomers as fast as you can to see if you can get on the leaderboard?  Like I said, I don't get it.

[wild_turkey 3187]

So you just ski a shitload of groomers as fast as you can to see if you can get on the leaderboard?  Like I said, I don't get it.

I ski what I feel like skiing that particular day. I personally prefer moguls and trees but the snow isn’t particularly ideal for that right now.

[wild_turkey 3187]

Here’s a few pics from the weekend for anyone interested.

[Axle Hongsnort 208]

Spent the past 2 days skiing Telluride. They had a decent base so most runs were open but no fresh snow in the past ~1 week so it was mostly just groomers. Still fun though.

Normally go with a group but due to different life circumstances it was just my wife and myself this time. She learned to ski about 10 years ago as an adult and struggled big time those first few outings, but since then she’s become a very competent skier and can easily do blues, most groomed blacks, and moderate moguls. I planned to take it fairly easy skiing with her but she kicked ass and we knocked out 41 runs and 45,449 vertical feet in 2 days. Mix in occasional stops at Bon Vivant for food and drinks and it made for an excellent ski weekend.

Telluride now has ski tracking built into their app which can also generate a 3D map at the end of the day. I thought that was pretty cool compared to 3rd party apps I had always used before.




Also, for anyone familiar with Telluride, we got to do a dinner at Alpino Vino which was a great experience. They take you up in a snowcat, 14 people total, and you get a 4-course prix fixe Italian meal with wine pairing. Not cheap and not something we will do often, but a fun and memorable evening for anyone who likes that type of thing.

Similar deal with my wife. Pretty hard core athlete who didn’t ski until early 30s. It’s part of the family vibe with the kids now, but there is a lot to be said for learning to ski that late.

[JCHIL 414]

Taos Ski Report - Just got back from MLK weekend of skiing Taos.  Good base, amazingly still very soft quality snow even though it hasnt snowed in 2 weeks, no crowds - exceeded my expectations.  TSV still needs 12-15" more inches to have most of the steeper stuff open....Green chilis on everything you eat is almost worth the trip alone:)

[LonghornJones 837]

5 hours ago, JCHIL said:

Taos Ski Report - Just got back from MLK weekend of skiing Taos.  Good base, amazingly still very soft quality snow even though it hasnt snowed in 2 weeks, no crowds - exceeded my expectations.  TSV still needs 12-15" more inches to have most of the steeper stuff open....Green chilis on everything you eat is almost worth the trip alone:)

Ty. Heading there at the end of the month and there is no relief in site before I go, snow-wise. I was really hoping that after 3 weeks of no precipitation the pattern would flip, but no dice. I'm sure it will dump the day after I leave. I'm just hoping I don't get injured. 

[JCHIL 414]

44 minutes ago, LonghornJones said:

Ty. Heading there at the end of the month and there is no relief in site before I go, snow-wise. I was really hoping that after 3 weeks of no precipitation the pattern would flip, but no dice. I'm sure it will dump the day after I leave. I'm just hoping I don't get injured. 

Looks like snow this Wednesday (1-2") and again on Friday (3-5") so better than nothing...Injured because of no snow?