Ride Utah Blog

Park City has received nearly two feet of snow in the past week (it’s still snowing) and we’re opening a lot more terrain in the next couple of days! By early next week, we will have 90 percent of our lifts open. The forecast calls for storms on Friday, Monday and through Christmas Day!!

Here’s our scheduled opening plan (conditions permitting*):

Friday, December 19
Thaynes Lift
Pioneer Lift

Saturday, December 20
Crescent Lift
McConkey’s Lift

Sunday, December 21
Motherlode Lift
Three Kings Lift
Mid-Mountain Lodge Restaurant

Tuesday, December 23
King Con Lift
Eagle Lift
Silver Star Lift (Uploading/Downloading only)
Eagle Superpipe

Thursday, December 25
Night skiing on PayDay and First Time Lifts from 4:00 - 7:30 pm

Taken from the Ski Utah Blog because I’m a little too tired to rewrite this this morning.

Canyon Sports and Red Rock Brewery of Salt Lake City have combined their efforts this ski season to raise money and awareness for the Avalanche Center of Utah.

Canyon Sports and Red Rock Brewing Company have teamed up to provide discounts for any skier or brew lover (which often times is all of the above) during this season with proceeds from purchases benefiting the Avalanche Center of Utah.

“We are really excited to be giving back to the local community and I couldn’t think of a better fit for skiers than supporting their safety and awareness on the slopes”, states Kevin Rogers of Canyon Sports, “This is the first annual BrewSki Event but we hope this is a tradition that can grow and continue every year”.

An open house/benefit kick-off will be held on Thursday, December 4, at the Canyon Sports location downtown at 517 South 200 West, if you would like to attend this event please RSVP to Kathy at Canyon Sports at kathy@canyonsports.com, space is limited.

The event will feature door prizes, auction items, food and the unveiling of Red Rock Brewing Company’s “Avalanche Pale Ale” in honor of the Avalanche Center.

Since 1980, The Avalanche Center’s goal has been to keep people on top of the Greatest Snow on Earth instead of being buried beneath it. They provide critical avalanche and mountain weather information to help skiers make life-and-death decisions in the backcountry.

They also teach a number of free avalanche awareness courses and provide special avalanche advisories when conditions are especially hazardous or unusual.

Just got this in the old email from Burton:

FREE LIFT TICKET AND LESSON!

Burton Snowboards is pleased to announce GO SNOWBOARDING, a collaborative effort with select North American partner resorts designed to introduce people to snowboarding. With the purchase of select Burton snowboards you can obtain a FREE lesson and lift ticket package. Better yet, the lesson and lift ticket package is fully tranfserable, so if you’re simply too rad for free stuff, then do us all a favor and hook a friend or family member up.

SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER:

Your LTR lesson and lift ticket package is fully transferable.

Blackout dates vary, so double check with the resort you want to visit ahead of time.

You have to call the resort at least 48 hours ahead of time so that they can plan for your arrival

This Saturday is the third annual Fat Flake Festival at the Gallivan Center in Salt Lake City.  We’ll be celebrating the beginning of winter with music, a ski boot race, DJ’s, a photo contest and more!

Snowbird just announced that they will be opening on Friday.  I heard that they would be opening the Tram, Gad Zoom, and Mid Gad.  That may or maynot be true.  Either way wax up the boards, it’s time to go shred.

The economy is rough, gas is expensive, and airline tickets aren’t much better.  Does that mean you shouldn’t come shred the Greatest Snow on Earth this winter?  HELL NO!  Here are some tips for planning a winter vacation on a budget from an article I found on MSNBC that originally appeared on WeJustGotBack.com.

Book now: Every year around this time, awesome early-bird ski vacation deals begin popping up all over. But time is ticking; you have to snap them up before ski season gets underway. For example, if you book the “Lift Off” package before November 23 at Copper Mountain, a family-friendly resort in the Colorado Rockies (see our review), you can save 15 percent on lodging when you book a lift ticket. Book a four-night stay at Steamboat Springs by November 3 and get 20 percent off lodging, lift tickets, and equipment rentals. Book before November 15 at Mont Tremblant, voted the No. 1 ski resort in eastern North America by SKI Magazine readers, and you can save up to 25 percent on your stay of three nights or longer. These act-quick opportunities are a dime a dozen right now, but they typically dry up by Thanksgiving.

Aim off-peak: Timing is everything. Depending on where you want to ski, the season can last anywhere from four to six months. Many resorts out West are open by mid-November and remain open through April. In general, prices at ski resorts are highest when there is a greater chance of snow (read: coldest months) and also during school breaks. Resorts’ rates can fluctuate wildly throughout the season. To wit: At Smugglers’ Notch, voted the No. 1 resort for family programs by SKI Magazine readers (see our review), prices during SuperSaver Value Weeks are a full 50 percent lower than over the New Year or President’s Week. Opting to ski before December or after mid-March can almost always save you a bundle. Hint: If your travel dates fall on the fringes of ski season, it’s wise to choose a resort with a reputation for good snow-making capabilities, in case Mother Nature doesn’t oblige with a layer of the white stuff.

Go midweek: Lodging and lift tickets are always more expensive on weekends, so a Monday-to-Thursday ski break can cost half of what a Thursday-to-Sunday getaway does at the same resort. But saving money is just the beginning of the good news. Midweek typically means fewer crowds, shorter lift lines, and smaller group sizes during lessons.

Read the rest of the articles tips here:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27361902/

Appeared originally here: http://wejustgotback.com/default.aspx?mod=oct_10easyskideals

The Utah Office of Tourism new winter ads.  Wonder where the lame snowflakes go.

Last night I was at the Gateway in Salt Lake for the Utah Premiere of It’s Always Snowing Somewhere.  The kids were out in force last night and pro riders were out front signing autographs.  Inside the theatre filled up quickly and everyone was ready to shift their mind to winter mode.

It didn’t take long.  Within the first 1 minute of the movie starting we were thrown straight into a world of nipple deep powder and pillow lines.  The Burton crew only showed the Northern Hemisphere section of the movie, but, that was enough to get the stoke flowing.  From the East Coast, to Japan, to Alaska, and of course Utah the movie traversed the globe in search of deep powder, steep lines, and huge air.  The Burton Team clearly had a constructive season last year getting after it all over the world.  The music in this flick was also really good.  Each track pumping loudly through the THX system at the Gateway.

Definitely pick up this movie.  I want it just so I can see the Southern Hemisphere stuff as well.

The Burton Team movie, It’s Always Snowing Somewhere is coming to the Gateway tomorrow.  Don’t miss this.  Meet some of your favorite pros, maybe get some free stuff, and watch a sick movie for free.  Autographs start at 5.  Movie starts at 7.  Tickets available first come first serve.  After party starts at 8.  See you there.

We all know that the economy is rough right now.  And finding a job in a down economy can be hard.  Especially when you’re trying to find a job that you can balance with snowboarding.  If you’ve never thought about working at a resort, now is the time to consider this option.  Here’s why:

1) A FREE SEASON PASS - duh, do I even need to say this.

2) Lunch Breaks on the slopes.

3) A paycheck - usually not much of one, but hey you’ll be able to afford McDonalds.

4) A FREE SEASON PASS.

I’ve worked at the resorts for almost 8 years, you might even say I still work at the resorts.  But, that’s besides the point.  I’ve done everything from bumping chairs to managing a crew of kids.  Here’s what I’ve learned from some of the jobs I’ve done.

Lift Op/Ticket Checker - Not a bad job, but, you’ll have to get over all the dudes getting on the chair telling you how sick it is right now.  You’ll get yours, but, you’ll have to get patient.  Being a lift op usually results in quite a bit of riding time, hopefully getting some goods before the public, and being the first on the hill and the last off.  Another hidden benefit is the great views while working the top shack.  This is one job you don’t really do for the money, you do it because you love shredding pow.

Ticket Sales - Usually pays a little better and has the best ride breaks.  You’ll have to sit out a lot of first chairs for this job, but, if you’re off the clock by 10am or Noon, you’re loving it.  You can ride every single day or just powder days if you want to.  Also, you’re inside and warm.

Mountain Host - Doesn’t pay at all, but that’s not the point.  Minimal responsibilities and a free pass.  Does it get any better than this?

Management - One season I managed a crew of kids on the hill and it was the worst season of my life.  Too many headaches and too much of work intruding on my shred time.  There’s nothing like getting ready to drop into a sick run only to have your radio start squawking at you about how Billy hasn’t gotten his lunch break because Sally couldn’t make it up the canyon that day.  If I learned anything it’s that the less responsibility in your resort job the better.  You’re not going to get paid much regardless of your position so focus on the fun.

Well, you’re probably asking “How can I find one of these jobs?”  Well, that’s the easy part.  Right now all resorts are hiring for the upcoming season and are holding job fairs.  Check this page to get a hold of the individual resorts HR departments.  https://www.skiutah.com/company/employment/ Also, many resorts and other Ski Utah members are posting their listings on the brand new SkiUtahJobs.com.  Check it out and GET A JOB!  IF it’s a job that gets you on your board, you won’t regret it.