Bird chairs or tram pass?

elle*

elle*

Member
i'm a student at the u right now and it's about time to decide what pass i want to get. i know i'm going to snowbird, but i don't know if it's worth it to pay the extra $130 for tram.
all of my friends are getting tram/chairs passes, but i have to pay with my own money and i'd like to save if i don't need the tram.
input?
also, how is brighton in comparison to snowbird/alta?
my family wants me to get a brighton pass because it's cheaper, but i've heard that bird's terrain is a lot better.
THANK YOU NS.
 
The thing about the tram is that in the middle of winter is it's super packed and very annoying. I just take p-dog up and go through the tunnel if I want to get to mineral or if you want to hit the ampitheater and all the other popular spots you can just get there from Pdog anyway.
Brighton has sick terrain and if you are into any sort of slackcountry/backcountry skiing you'll love it way better there. There are a select few slack spots that the Bird has (pagan, White Pine, Twin Peaks) and that's really it. Brighton has some awesome stuff in the rock gardens and Wolvy is just right over the hill. I don't suggest going up there if it is your first year out here though, that could easily turn into a bad situation.
One thing that absolutely pissed me off to no end this year was the massive amount of people in little cottonwood. I was getting very very sick of having to spend 4 hours to travel 25 miles. Brighton on the other hand was usually empty and still gets almost as much snow. Also everything you could want to hit is tracked if you don't time it right at the Bird.
Basically Bird is full of tourists and has lots of idiots around. Yet there are a ton of good/cool people at the Bird. Brighton has less idiots and some awesome locals that shred and are super friendly. You're much more likely to meet someone at Brighton who wants to show you around then someone at the Bird who won't give you the time of day. Not saying there aren't chill people but per capita Brighton takes it.

 
Just buy chairs the extra $100 or whatever it is totally isn't worth it. You'll end up riding the tram once the entire season. After waiting for 30 mins on the tram deck you'll ride up in a packed, smelly cabin only to have to get out and put your skis on again. You could ride the same terrain at least twice lapping peruvian.
 
Come shred chairs at the bird!The tram has sucked every time I've been there on a good day. It's overcrowded and smelly.The chairs are where its at
 
I would never ski the bird without a tram pass. The tram isn't as crowded weekdays as it is weekends, and the quickest way to North Chute and Hanging Bowl as well as all of Baldy is via the Tram.
 
i had the same dilemma and was stoked on just the chairs pass. as long as you're with friends it'll be a good time. plus you can typically use the chairs pass on the tram early season and late season.

and brighton is for sure sick but not worth a season pass if your friends won't be there. buy a day pass or get the hook up from someone.
 
just get the chairs pass. Save yourself some money. Plus the chair pass is good on the tram for early and late season.
 
the tunnel is way cooler than the tram. and you don't need to be shoulder to shoulder with some 40 year old dudes with matching smith goggle/helmet combos and arcteryx kits.
 
last year i got a tram pass and looking back i wish i hadnt. every powder day the tram line was packed so i ended up just riding chairs. the only time i can say i rode the tram consistently was late season when you dont even need a tram pass to ride.
 
^this. Two years ago i had a chairs pass and would be so pissed when people got off the first tram and got to the cirque while I was still on little cloud. This past season I got a tram pass and rode the tram maybe five times the entire season excluding early and late season when you could ride with a chairs only pass anyway. I personally can't stand the tram on pow days. This year I will be going back to a chairs only pass.
 
I would definately take a closer look at brighton.. sick terrain and cliffs galore. also an extremely accessible side country and great backcountry
 
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