SLC Help - Just bought my trip Dec 25th - Jan 3rd

factory81

factory81

Active member
So I bought my trip for SLC. First ski trip out west. Staying at the Super8 in Sandy.

I am going to be in the process of

A. finding a state liquor store

B. finding cheapest transportation from airport at 11:05 PM on christmas day to the hotel (I am guessing taxi or bribe one of you locals?)

C. finding the smartest(also cheapest) way to get to alta / park city / snowbird / probably a few others.

Some points to bring up, rental cars right now, are fucking expensive, oh yeah and I am under 25, so guess what, make that like 20% more expensive. Even with coupons and all this BS; the cheapest you can find an economy car for is like $330. SUV, tack on a couple hundred more.

You guys have that SLC Super Pass, probably retarded for locals. But attractive for tourists. It says it has transit included. But I am going to guess this transit sucks balls, stops at every hotel everywhere, and takes 2 hours to do a 30 minute drive. I know Park City isn't on this pass, but we could rent a vehicle for maybe 2 of the 8 days of full skiing I will have.

Makes me laugh. I just convinced my girlfriend who can't even turn, stop, or ski parallel to go skiing in titty deep powder on the day after Christmas......for 8 days (she doesn't even ski all day at hills in Michigan... and finds our terrain difficult enough)

One last question.

For those of you who have traveled on a plane with your gear.....do you need an indestructible hardshell case for your gear basically or do you guys just ship your gear UPS to the hotel and have the hotel hold it for you because UPS isn't retarded.

Lets hope I get there....leaving O'Hare at 6 heading to Dallas / Forth Worth then to SLC. Layover in Dallas /FTW for 40 minutes. Then from there to SLC.

I told my girlfriend, your gift for Christmas is 40 minutes of 80 degree weather lol

 
Getting from sandy to resorts shouldn't be too bad for getting to the cottonwood canyons hit up UTA busses, they'll be coming right past you from all sorts of parts of slc. As for getting to PC, renting a car sounds like your only option, but honestly, PCs park will barely be getting banger by the end of december so i wouldn't recommend skiing there more than 1-2 days(unless you really wanna ski park, brighton will have a shity park but from where youre coming from youll probbaly enjoy it), especially since youre gonna be so close to the other resorts(brighton/solitude/alta/snowbird).

I suggest tryin every resort out(brighton/solitude/alta/snowbird) and then choosing a favorite or two and go again, each has their own style and terrain and each should have enough gaper terrain for your GF. Then with 5-6 days out of the way, you have 2-3 days where you could hit up PC which is the most gaper friendly. Possibly even consider hitting up the canyons too.

As for liquor store, hit up google, you got a couple options.

http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=sandy+ut&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=us&ei=dkadSov9LZLatgPQ2Owg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1

Also, uta bus website...

http://www.rideuta.com/
 
Found the liquor store, 6 minute drive north from the hotel.

UTA doesn't do anything on Christmas. I got a non-stop flight now and I get in at 9:55 P.M.

I think I might just have to plop down $414 to rent a "jeep compass or comparable". While I am looking in to that I mys well start checking out the DUI laws.

Park City to SLC service is...expensive to say the least, and I know I am going to Park City a 2 days of the 8 probably. So renting something makes sense.
 
a helpful tid bit in case you didnt know. but if it snows enough they WILL restrict traffic in both LCC and BCC to 4wd only. so renting something with 4wd is a must. unless you want to take the bus up.
 
Yeah I am going to call to book a jeep compass or comparable compact SUV. I hate riding on other peoples schedule.

If I want to go get 4th meal at 2 A.M cause I am a drunken space cadet I want to...have my designated non drunk girlfriend drive my ass there to get it!

I would spend so much money on taxi's, and shuttle buses......

My dad still thinks I go craigslist it out and find some college kids with a reliable large vehicle and see if they want to get paid like $200 to be my personal driver for the week haha....

 
Who here thinks a full size car would not do the job?

Aka, do you REALLY fuckin need an SUV? It's like $1000 vs. $413 comparing an SUV to a full size car.
 
Thats what I heard.....

And I am like come on that can't be legal.....

Do they restrict it on "all 3", aka I-80, Little Cottonwood Canyon Road, and Big Cottonwood Canyon Road? Or just the interstate?

All the travel agents are telling me like yeah the SUV's are booked up months ago.....we have nothing AWD, and those who do have them are asking $1000+

I am like fuck, I will buy a used SUV for less.

NS....you guys need to setup your own transportation business out in SLC. I see there are tons of them, but they all charge an arm and a leg. $37 one way from SLC to Park City and thats not even hotel pickup.

 
Fuck it. I am going to rent the full size car. It's better than nothing, and sure as fuck better than paying $1000 for an SUV. With the money I saved if shit gets that bad you can expect me on NS trying to bribe you guys to take me to the hills.

How bad can it really get? I am from Michigan, I've put up with this shit for 23 years now. I've drove in 6-8 standing of snow plowing my own way going 30mph in an Alero for more than an hour.

Plus I'll just throw some chains on the thing. I hear thats legal out there surprisingly, yet last call is at 1 A.M? lol

 
Yeah dude, coming from Wisconsin, the 1am bar time is crazy. All that means is you have to start drinking an hour and half earlier, and it all evens out. I guess it's a fair trade-off for mountains and snow though....
 
Try and get an outback or something. If you don't have a car, you aren't going to have a good time.
I don't know why you convinced your girlfriend to come. I can hear the nag from here. She's not going to have a good time skiing here if she finds michigan hills difficult.
 
Ha.... ballsy move bringing the girlfriend... but it should be fun. And I don't think you need the full size SUV. You can always drive to the bottom of the canyon and take a bus up... the busses come every 15 minute or half hour or something and aren't too bad. if you get on at the bottom park and ride you're only on the bus for like 5 or 10 minutes longer than you'd be in a car. It's saving you a few hundo... and really not that bad. Hell, I live here and I used to do it just so I didn't have to drive.

Should be a good trip though.... Some of my best days of skiing ever were around the week you're coming. Hope it dumps for you.

 
The road does get pretty bad. So bad in fact that they need to blast the side of the road to control the snow. Depending on the storm LCC can be closed most of the morning while they clean up the road, or close super early in the afternoon if it's been snowing all day... In which case if you don't get out in time... You're stuck up there for the night. I have not had nearly as many poor experiences with BCC as I have had with LCC. I would recommend hitting up Brighton FOR SURE. Best resort of the 4 in my opinion. They have way less crowds than LCC, a park (LCC does not have one worth mentioning), some super fun terrain, and still a shit load of snow. And the vert is shorter which means your girlfriend has a better chance of making it an entire day.

The canyon road up LCC is super sketchy and has almost zero guard rails (because avalanches will tear them out) and lots of steep drop offs. According to wikipedia the average grade of LCC is 9.2% and it climbs over 4,000 feet in elevation. Quite possibly the gnarliest road I've ever driven in a storm.

The buses from the bottom of both canyons are on a regular schedule by December I believe so as long as you can get to the park and ride (and get a spot) you're all set. Chains are allowed when the canyon is restricted to 4wd only. But definitely a little sketchy and chains are a bitch to put on sometimes, in my opinion. The bus sounds like your best option on storm days if you're not renting the SUV.

Also, from what you said, bringing your gf is going to be the biggest drag of your trip. No hate, but I have one who is a very strong skier and she gets super nervous at some of the terrain in LCC and BCC. If your girl can't turn, stop, ski parallel, and finds Michigan hills tough and can't ski a full day you will have a pretty poor time in the Cottonwood Canyons with her. Unless you want to stick to groomers and cat tracks all day. Which you won't want to once you see the terrain. It sounds like you should take her to PC and the Canyons and rage groomers/park for a few days. Then maybe let her rest a day or two while you hit up LCC for a storm. Have her drop you off at the bus and introduce her to the Gateway, a big outdoor mall in downtown SLC that she'll probably be stoked on (my gf loves the place). Just my $.02 on the gf thing.

As for bars.... there are a few at the base of BCC that are somewhat legit. The Canyon Inn (cougar central!), The Hogwallow (the chillest of the bunch), and the Huddle (sweet sports bar in a shopping plaza booya!) are spots I'd recommend hitting up. All of them are right on or off of Ft. Union Blvd (7200 South). I'm not too sure what's good down in Sandy though. There are also good ones up at the resorts as well. The Tram Club at Snowbird is pretty sweet, and Molly Greens at Brighton is a rad place as well.

Hope that helps!
 
farmskier, that post was awesome man.

I seen the shopping mall you were talking about, plus the one by the hotel we are staying at. If we rent the vehicle we can take it when we can, and out to eat whatever ya know. Maybe see the Olympic stuff left behind. Check out Park City together.

The ski hills are only open till 4:30 unless the place has night skiing. And from what I am learning there is limited night skiing available (only a few places like PC, Solitute, and Canyons?) have decent night skiing. I dunno just what I've read.

So there will be tons of time to kill in the evening...and since we are there for like 8 full days we aren't out blowing $57.93 for 2 steak's at a 5 star in park city. I definitely need to stay in Sandy because the state liquor store is near by. None of that 3.2% beer I hear.

Renting a vehicle is the only logical choice, even if it is just a 2wd vehicle. The canyons I hear (atleast from Utah Department of Transit, you guys, and other forums) are the only routes that have real problems, and it takes a pretty good storm to take I-80 down or whatever.

Every day my girlfriend doesn't ski is $56+ dollars saved on a lift ticket. So letting her go to a spa or something makes sense. I am going to work with her and get her skiing better. Once she gets a better sense of control her confidence will grow and yada yada.

It is a ballsy move...and I am trying to convince her to bring a friend with. But out west skiing for 8 days during christmas break is the least of most girls minds usually.

Yeah I am stoked to ski out west for the first time. Can't wait to have to worry about an avalanche (not really, but jah). I hear that even for the most fit people skiing 20,000 feet of vertical a day is pretty hard or something.

I am not that good in the park, so I won't be trying to slay it (and hurt myself), but I will try and dabble in it.

No matter where I go in the Wasatch I am sure I will find fun terrain, and hills for her to go on. Park City is like MADD expensive though during Christmas. We have to hitup that canyons sports or whatever to get discount tickets. I am not exactly Glen Plake but I want to play around in a bunch of mega pow bowls and see how gnarly I can handle myself out there. Try and huck some stuff. I am not sure how safe it is to be skiing out and about with virtually no one knowing where I am going though myself.

 
The Olympic park is a must, she'll be stoked on that. And downtown PC is a great place for her to check out and shop. And I-80 up to PC does not as much as LCC and BCC, if at all. Brighton and PC are the only two places that have night skiing I believe, and not really worth it in my opinion. Unless it's snowing all afternoon/evening, then Brighton can be a super fun time skiing some pow at night. It's damn cold though.

You can also get real beer at the State Liquor store, but it is pretty expensive and they sell it per bottle (weird)... and to be honest the way the 3.2% thing works doesn't affect how drunk you can get that much. It's alcohol by volume, where as most other states put the % by weight. Or maybe vice versa...

I've heard it's about 9 - 3.2% beers = 8 - regular beers. Not a huge difference, however it does taste pretty different, at least to me. Just get booze and you're all set. The Jager (or whatever your drink of choice is) here is just as good as anywhere else!

Definitely prepare yourself for an ass kicking if you try to rage Snowbird/Alta alll day in a storm. There is a lot of vert and TONS OF TRAVERSING to access the good shit. It will definitely work your legs/knees.

As long as you get one storm while you're here the trip will be a memorable one. Canyon sports is a good place to score cheaper lift tickets, the Lift House at the bottom of Big Cottonwood Canyon is another shop that is worth stopping at to score some discounted tix sd. You may also be able to purchase some ahead of time on Backcountry.com as well, just to be prepared and have them for the trip already. There aren't any on the site yet, but they'll usually carry some discounted tix to most of the resorts.
 
3.2% by weight = 4% by volume. "Real" keystone light is 4.2%, PBR is 5%, so yes 9 "utah" beers = 8 "real" beers (PBR).
 
As long as you are inbounds it's not really a problem. just don't get ballsy and try to duck ropes!
 
I hope when I am out slaying the pow I might be able to find someone to ski with. Maybe help show me some good stashes.

HEY I might even have a job for a NS'er who is good in filming / photography (hello eheath?) to record me skiing. Since there is no way my girlfriend will be anywhere near where I am on the mountains she won't even be able to record me unless we have a camera with 9000x optical zoom or something.

We already know most of our trip on the hills will be spent apart. But I ain't spending all this money to ski groomers.

Do any of you guys knwo any local car rental places that don't blow ass? I've tried all the big national companies, and some local places....but I can't find much for less than $420 a week.
 
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