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Trip Report RTW Part 3 - USA - Utah

Discussion in 'United States' started by DidSurfNowSki, Jan 25, 2020.

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  1. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    This is part of my around the world jaunt to Japan, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, USA and Canada.

    The planning for this trip can be found here.
    RTW Part 1 - Japow can be found here.
    RTW Part 2 - Austria, Italy and Switzerland can be found here

    This trip report covers flying into Denver, then Salt Lake City from Munich. Plan is to ski various Utah resorts on the Yeti Pass. Could also just end up skiing Snowbird for week. We'll see happens :)
     
    #1 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 25, 2020
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  2. dawooduck

    dawooduck relaxed and comfortable Ski Pass: Gold

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    @scottski Is not to far away and looking for a ski buddy.

    YOUTAAAAHHHHH !!!!
     
    #2 dawooduck, Jan 25, 2020
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  3. Sbooker

    Sbooker One of Us

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    Youtaw.:)
    I will be flying in to SLC on the 18th of Feb. Please leave some soft snow for me.
     
    #3 Sbooker, Jan 25, 2020
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  4. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Well that’s a good start. My travel agent said Lufthansa might charge to put my skis on the plane for this leg, they didn’t :)

    Zero chance of that happening on my US regional flight with Delta. I’ve got the lube ready to go.
     
    #4 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 25, 2020
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  5. CarveMan

    CarveMan Pool Room Ski Pass: Gold

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    Snow is great there now and nothing wrong with Snowbird for a week!
     
    #5 CarveMan, Jan 25, 2020
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  6. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Today’s taxi.

     
    #6 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 25, 2020
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  7. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Waiting for my connecting flight to SLC.

    Even lubed up that still hurt.



    $70 USD for a checked bag and a pair of skis one way.

     
    #7 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 26, 2020
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  8. skifree

    skifree A disciple of the blessed avi giraffe Moderator Ski Pass: Gold

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    Chill petal, it's just money.
     
    #8 skifree, Jan 26, 2020
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  9. Sbooker

    Sbooker One of Us

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    where did you fly into?
     
    #9 Sbooker, Jan 26, 2020
  10. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Last leg was Denver to Salt Lake City
     
    #10 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 26, 2020
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  11. Sbooker

    Sbooker One of Us

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    Staying downtown or closer to the Cottonwood Canyons?
     
    #11 Sbooker, Jan 26, 2020
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  12. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Cottonwood :)
     
    #12 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 26, 2020
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  13. MarzNC

    MarzNC One of Us Ski Pass: Silver

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    Snowbird? Always wonder where people eat when they stay for a week at Snowbird.

    I'm arriving in SLC on Feb. 9 and skiing there thru Feb. 13 with a few ski buddies. Staying in the city this time so will be skiing BCC and Deer Valley on the Ikon pass in addition to Alta. Then heading to Steamboat to check it out for future reference.
     
    #13 MarzNC, Jan 27, 2020
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  14. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Nice location this :)

    That valley to the left is Little Cottonwood.



    So we went and skied Snowbird. A very nice place indeed although a bit of queuing at the start.







    So many black runs, so much off piste potential.

    Had a very nice chilly beef for lunch, but something was missing...



    Luckily the lack of wiesbeer was made up by the quality of the lifts, a magic carpet ride in a tunnel !!!



    Looking at the weather forecast, something special may be happening for the rest of the week here. Snow, snow, snow and more snow.

     
    #14 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 27, 2020
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  15. CarveMan

    CarveMan Pool Room Ski Pass: Gold

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    #15 CarveMan, Jan 27, 2020
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  16. Heinz

    Heinz Old n' Crusty Ski Pass: Gold

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    No Studel either.
     
    #16 Heinz, Jan 27, 2020
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  17. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    9” of snow fell up top last night. Been told to get ready early to go for a ski :)



     
    #17 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 28, 2020
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  18. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Snow is rubbish. Can’t make snowmen or snowballs or see your skis.



    Don’t bother ;)
     
    #18 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 28, 2020
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  19. skifree

    skifree A disciple of the blessed avi giraffe Moderator Ski Pass: Gold

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    Gee that’s a bummer after going all that way.
     
    #19 skifree, Jan 28, 2020
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  20. Legs Akimbo

    Legs Akimbo Grumblebum Ski Pass: Gold

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    I remember the first time I skied Alta. We were having a couple of runs on the Albion side to get our legs working. I skied off the groomer into about a foot of fresh. I didn't slow down.
     
    #20 Legs Akimbo, Jan 28, 2020
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  21. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Well that was a special ski day. Got woken up early and told to get ready. We skied the day at Solitude. So good skiing with a local that understands how the snow is coming in and how to get to it..



    After getting lift tickets we skated down to the lift.



    Yep we were 1st in the queue.

    There was a lot of blower powder. As the day wore on we just went wider and wider in the resort. Excellent skiing and snow all day.



    After lunch they opened the gates to the side country which we had to sample.

    A most excellent day :)

     
    #21 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 28, 2020
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  22. skifree

    skifree A disciple of the blessed avi giraffe Moderator Ski Pass: Gold

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    You are cranking up the Ks and Vs this trip @DidSurfNowSki , good thing you are fit and have all your limbs functioning at elite level. Not sure I'd be able to keep up.
     
    #22 skifree, Jan 28, 2020
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  23. Sbooker

    Sbooker One of Us

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    Cottonwood Canyons have to be contenders for best lift served skiing in the world. A combination of quality snow that falls in big numbers with killer terrain.
     
    #23 Sbooker, Jan 28, 2020
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  24. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Plan is to ski Alta today. More fresh on it’s way tonight! Might also do some skiing retail therapy this afternoon :)
     
    #24 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 29, 2020
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  25. MarzNC

    MarzNC One of Us Ski Pass: Silver

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    Jealous!

    Best place to have a hot lunch in my opinion is at Alta Lodge. Can be cheaper than on mountain, quiet with quick table service. People who stay at Alta Lodge are there to ski all day. Although my ski buddy says Rustler has a better beer selection, but eating there takes a little longer. Both have good views.
     
    #25 MarzNC, Jan 29, 2020
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  26. CarveMan

    CarveMan Pool Room Ski Pass: Gold

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    My deepest ever Utah day was at Solitude. Total dumb luck being at the top of the lift when they dropped the rope for Honeycomb Canyon after a week of it being closed due to a massive snow cycle.
     
    #26 CarveMan, Jan 29, 2020
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  27. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    The entrance to Honeycomb was a bit scratchy, once you got into it though ... :) :) :)
     
    #27 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 29, 2020
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  28. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Yet another great day in the Cottonwood.

    Today we skied Alta. Notice anything missing ???



    Not a single snowboarder to be seen in sight :). Also, Alta opens at gentlemen’s hours, at 9:20 or so.

    As we were going up the first chairlift snow patrol were doing avi control on some of the side country runs. You’d see the flash of the explosions going off, hear the initial sound wave then a secondary sound wave off the other side of the canyon.



    This meant yet more great untracked powder runs.



    Once the clouds fully rolled in we bailed back to town for some shopping



    I picked up another pair of AT bindings for my Nordica Endorcers.



    Lastly I broke the buckle cable on my boots. After a short tour of SLC ski shops a replacement cable was sourced and fitted. Pretty lucky. I don’t think there was anywhere else on this trip where it could have been fixed so easily.

    It’s currently snowing up in the hills again. Tomorrow could be another powder day :)
     
    #28 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 29, 2020
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  29. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Just a few trail maps to add to the collection. More coming !



    Top row Asia.
    Middle row Europe.
    Bottom row North America.
     
    #29 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 29, 2020
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  30. skifree

    skifree A disciple of the blessed avi giraffe Moderator Ski Pass: Gold

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    Don't forget the ski crampons to suit those bindings and the ski width. :)
     
    #30 skifree, Jan 29, 2020
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  31. skifree

    skifree A disciple of the blessed avi giraffe Moderator Ski Pass: Gold

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    #31 skifree, Jan 29, 2020
  32. skifree

    skifree A disciple of the blessed avi giraffe Moderator Ski Pass: Gold

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    #32 skifree, Jan 29, 2020
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  33. Genghis Khan

    Genghis Khan Hard Yards

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    Only back for a week myself but already missing it. Am enjoying reading your posts. You will definitely enjoy filling in more of that google earth map with red if you get back there! Pushing out beyond your current edges will be lots of fun too....
     
    #33 Genghis Khan, Jan 29, 2020
  34. Crystal

    Crystal (Sly made me Cry) - Sand skier extraordinaire Moderator Ski Pass: Gold

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    OMG, you'll need a holiday after the holiday
     
    #34 Crystal, Jan 29, 2020
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  35. Kletterer

    Kletterer Thredbo Doughnut Tragic Moderator Ski Pass: Gold

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    Uncle Carl loves a Skimo outlet .
     
    #35 Kletterer, Jan 29, 2020
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  36. NeoSamurai

    NeoSamurai One of Us Ski Pass: Gold Ski Pass: Silver

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    Did you buy your regional flights separately? My 16yr old daughter just travelled/returned economy from MEL~LAX~SLC~DEN~LAX~MEL with a 2xbag/46kg baggage limit all the way through.
     
    #36 NeoSamurai, Jan 29, 2020
  37. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Yes, that's just how this trip panned out.
     
    #37 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 29, 2020
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  38. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Today’s ski resort....

    Brighton



    @Normo is being slack with car park photos so I’m filling in ;)
     
    #38 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 30, 2020
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  39. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Eeeeekkkkk....

    This is not Alta or Deer Valley !!!

     
    #39 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 30, 2020
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  40. MarzNC

    MarzNC One of Us Ski Pass: Silver

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    Gonna stay for night skiing? I would guess that the percentage of boarders goes up after school lets out. High school and middle school kids take the bus up the canyon. Then when they leave, someone picks them up at the parking lot at the base of BCC.

    Boyne Resorts knows what they are doing to compete for the local market with Solitude, Alta, and Snowbird.
     
    #40 MarzNC, Jan 30, 2020
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  41. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Well I’ve now skied all of the Cottonwood resorts. What an unbelievably great set of 4.

    The day started out overcast, quite cold with an inch of fresh snow overnight. We started on the groomers between the trees. Silky smooth runs, I can’t get over how soft the piste is here. After an early lunch the cloud burnt off and we hit the higher regions of the resort.



    What was for afternoon tea you ask ??? Off piste skiing in Millys Bowl !!!



    This resort punches above its weight in my opinion.


    Heading down back into the valley we went back into the clouds.



    On tomorrow’s menu, deer !

    Unfortunately no night skiing tonight, the word chatting to people on the lift is that it has been pretty good. Best ever according to one snowboarder, but he's probably only been boarding for a day ;)
     
    #41 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 30, 2020
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  42. Sbooker

    Sbooker One of Us

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    Oh I have some great memories from that region. I will be there in 20 days. Not that I'm counting.
     
    #42 Sbooker, Jan 30, 2020
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  43. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Today’s carpark picture after dodging the elk ;)

     
    #43 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 31, 2020
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  44. DidSurfNowSki

    DidSurfNowSki One of them Ski Pass: Gold

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    Today we skied Deer Valley, former stomping ground of @CarveMan. This place is very swish.

    At the ticket office, there’s a gate to check your pass.



    And a place to leave your skis overnight



    And to warm your boots before you put them on.



    While you are attending to important pre-skiing business, a place to put your gloves. ( Near the gold inlay taps)



    There was also some great on piste skiing on Bald Mountain. We beat the Sundance crowd out of bed and had the place to ourselves for most of the morning.



    Lunch was turkey chilly and carrot cake :). I know that @Astro66 was concerned about the lack of cake pics of late;)



    This was washed down with some extra soy latte.





    After lunch we enjoyed some turns in the sun.





    One more ski day left to go in Utah !
     
    #44 DidSurfNowSki, Jan 31, 2020
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  45. CarveMan

    CarveMan Pool Room Ski Pass: Gold

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    When I was in Park City a few weeks ago we didn't ski DV as my friends didn't have passes there, but I did go up for exactly that, Turkey Chili and Carrot Cake!
     
    #45 CarveMan, Jan 31, 2020
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  46. Froff Life

    Froff Life A Local Ski Pass: Gold

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    $10.40 AUD for a large coffee :eek:
     
    #46 Froff Life, Jan 31, 2020
  47. dawooduck

    dawooduck relaxed and comfortable Ski Pass: Gold

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    Two for the price of two ....
     
    #47 dawooduck, Jan 31, 2020
  48. Legs Akimbo

    Legs Akimbo Grumblebum Ski Pass: Gold

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    It's the US. That's 600 ml of coffee.
     
    #48 Legs Akimbo, Jan 31, 2020
  49. CarveMan

    CarveMan Pool Room Ski Pass: Gold

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    I paid just under $10AUD for a gatorade at Park City.

    It's best to not do the conversion.
     
    #49 CarveMan, Jan 31, 2020
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  50. dawooduck

    dawooduck relaxed and comfortable Ski Pass: Gold

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    Never do the conversion
     
    #50 dawooduck, Jan 31, 2020
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