Category Archives: Outdoor News

Utah Season Pass Sale; Get Them While They’re Hot

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Talk about time sneaking up on you. Feels like just a few months ago we were debating whether the Mountain Collective should be the only pass you purchase. The first big deadline to buy a season pass before a hefty price increase, rolls in after Labor Day. If you’re thinking about pulling the trigger, do it sooner rather than later. No reason to lose any more of your hard extra money.

A lot will go into your decision to purchase a season pass but make sure you do the math. Figure out how many days you might ski this coming winter. Be realistic. Last year was one of the worst ever. Folks who normally skied 60+ days were only booting up 30-40. If you think you’ll average about 20-25, consider buying ticket books or something like the $150 Alta Gold Card that gets you half-off lift tickets and it’s got RFID so it’s straight to the lifts just like you would with a pass.

At Solitude, you can buy a 10-Pak ticket book for $500. Whatever days you don’t use roll over to next season. Be aware that there’s no more ‘cherry picking’ your days now that Deer Valley is running the joint. Solitude used to sell a multi-ride pass that was not only unique but effective. You could buy, say, 30 ‘rides’ and then ski only three runs a day and make it last for 10 days. Gone.

Here are some figures to help with your decision; in ascending order. FYI, there are less expensive midweek options in addition to the ticket packages available at all of the resorts, so click on the individual areas for the full rundown:

 

Sundance

Prices rise Oct. 31, 2015

Adult Unlimited = $529

Junior Unlimited (ages 6-12) = $209

Students Unlimited (ages 13-18) = $259

College Unlimited = $439

Powder Mountain

Adult = $740

Young Adult (ages 7-21) = $300

Family Pass (2 Adults and 2 K-12 – each additional K-12 $100) = $1620

Snowbasin Resort

Prices rise September 7, 2015

Adult Premier (age 27-64) = $749
Adult Value Pass (age 27-64) = $549
Young Adult Premier (age 19-26) = $499
Teen Premier (age 13-18) = $299
Youth Premier (age 7-12) = $199
Child Value (ages 6 & under) = $10
The Value passes have holiday blackouts and do not come with the Powder Alliance benefit.

Park City Mountain/Canyons at Park City

Full Adult Epic = $769
Epic Pass Child = $399

Epic Local Pass Adult = $579  Epic Local Pass Teen = $459

Epic Local Pass Child = $299

Cheapest option for Utahns in school, and who only want to ski Park City-

Park City Youth Pass College = $399
Park City Youth Pass Teen = $309
Park City Youth Pass Child = $289

FYI- There are blackout dates on the Epic Local- Vail, Beaver Creek, Park City, Heavenly, Northstar, & Kirkwood restricted: 11/27/15-11/28/15, 12/26/15-12/31/15, 1/16/16, 2/13/16-2/14/16.

 

Brighton

Prices rise after 9/16/15

Brighton bucked a forever trend by actually REDUCING pass prices this season.

Adult (ages 24+) = $799

Young Adult (ages 17-23) = $499

Youth (ages 11-Grade 12) = $299
Kids 10 and under Free!

Solitude

Adult Season Pass = $849

Young Adult (Age 18-23) = $529

Junior (ages 13-17) = $319

Youth (ages 7-12) – $219

Big Cottonwood Pass (valid at both Brighton and Solitude)

Adult – $1,199

Young Adult (18-23) – $839

Junior (7-17) – $479

Kids 6 and under ski free

Alta*

Adult: $999 ($1,119 after 9/30/15)

Mid Week Pass (Monday-Friday): $799

Ages 18-25: $599 ($1,199 after 9/30/15)

Utah College Student / College Spouse: $599

Kids 7-12: $159; 13-17: $199

The best deal by far if you can wrangle a gang together is the Family Season Pass Package (2 Adults / 2 Children): $1,999 ($2,229 after 9/30.15)- you’re basically getting two free kids’ passes!

Snowbird*

Prices rise 9/10/15

Adult Passes Unlimited = $999 ($1,199); Chairs Only = $799 ($1,099)

Young Adult (Ages 18-25) Unlimited = $659 ($729); Chairs Only = $449 ($599)

College Student Passes Unlimited = $659 ($729); Chairs Only = $449 ($599)

Childs Pass (Ages 7-18) Unlimited = $349 ($438); Chairs Only = $279 ($369)

Kids under 6 = $25

Alta / Snowbird Passes (Skiers Only)

Adult Unlimited = $1,399 ($1,599)

Young Adult Unlimited = $1,148 ($1,348)

Senior Unlimited = $1,148 ($1,348)

Family 4-Pack (2 Adults + 2 K-12) with Unlimited Tram & Chairs = $1999 (after 9/10- $2,399); Chairs Only = $1599 ($1,999)

 

Deer Valley

Prices rise after 10/31/15

Adult (Ages 24-64) = $2085

Young Adult (Ages 18-23) = $1295

Teen (Ages 13-17) = $890

Child (Ages 5-12) = $535

DV passholders also get four tickets to Solitude, three tickets to Snowbird and three to Alta (skiers only)

 

*Those who purchase a Snowbird or Alta pass early also receive the Benefit of the Wasatch (3 tix to Alta or Snowbird, and 3 tix to Deer Valley) and the Mountain Collective for 50% off tickets at: Aspen|Snowmass, Jackson Hole, Mammoth, Lake Louise/Sunshine Village, Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, Whistler Blackcomb, Sun Valley, Stowe, Taos, Thredbo. Alta passholders get an additional 50% off tickets at Homewood, Red Lodge, Wachusett Mountain, and Bridger Bowl.

Demo Day Fun Opens The Outdoor Retailer Show 2015

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I swear one of these summers I’m going to get in the water and spend all day there. The Summer Outdoor Retailer Show for 2015 kicked off with the annual demo day at Pineview Reservoir near Ogden, Utah, and once again I looked longingly at all the bodies paddling but kept my distance.

It’s actually ridiculous when you think about it. The Demo Day is set up for exactly the opposite effect. You’re supposed to get down and wet with the gear. Of course, I’m touching and feeling and asking pertinent questions but there are so many other things to see that by the time I’m through the booths, I’m hot hungry and ready for a nap not a paddle.


The weather cooperated with 80+ heat and no clouds. Ripe for testing Beyond Coastal’s new pump sunscreen and checking out bug repellents.


Solar chargers owned the event this year. They came all shapes and sizes; new and improved. Like those from Biolite. The wood-powered stove designer has a new panel that features a crosshatch so you can get the most power from your sun.


Even if we’re looking to go off the grid we still want our toys powered on.


Speaking of powered, Polaris arrived to give attendees the opportunity to test out their mountain eBikes. The power you feel as you pedal is unreal.

The abundance of kayaks on the Demo Day waters has now officially been supplanted with standup paddle boards. By last summer it felt like a 50/50 showing of sitting paddle products to standing ones but now those monster surfboards dominate.


Kayaks – especially flatwater and recreational boats- are still a sizeable part of the outdoor market but it looks like buyers prefer boards for next year. Aside from boards and traditional boats, there weren’t as many crazy devices on the water as in year’s past but you could pick out one or two.


 

The Outdoor Retailer Summer Show 2015 is the largest showcase of its kind for outdoor recreation brands in the hiking, biking, paddling, climbing and lifestyle categories. Not only is it the place for retail shops to connect and purchase from manufacturers but it’s the launching pad for technical innovations and trends. This year, organizers estimate 27,000 manufacturers, retailers and media will fill Salt Lake City’s Salt Palace Convention Center and will generate $25 million dollars for the state over the five-day period. It’s also one hell of a block party.

Legendary Ski Pioneer Dick Bass Dies at 85

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Photo courtesy Snowbird Resort

 

Richard Daniel “Dick” Bass, Everest mountaineer and Snowbird Resort co-founder has reached the “eighth summit.” The Oklahoma native passed away in his Dallas, Texas, home Sunday, July 26, 2015, at 85, and the sentiments and Facebook comments continue to pour in.

“I remember Mr. Bass standing in the lift line on Peruvian just a few years ago, greeting all of his guests. What an honor to have known Snowbird in the Dick Bass era – may it continue in his spirit,” commented Andrea Korval.

“RIP To the legendary Dick Bass. He changed the sport of skiing forever for the better. His death is a great loss to so many who have had their lives changed by one great man. I am thankful for having met him several times and for him having given me “lifetime piano privileges” in the resort. I was lucky to know ragtime music, one of his favorites. He inspired me to ski, to play music, and to appreciate a beautiful canyon. Thanks Dick!” posted Ron Rubin.

And Roger Thomas lovingly wrote: “Dick, the world will never see another soul like you. Thanks for all the adventures of yours that you always shared with us, and thanks even more for creating SnowBird, the place that we’ve all had so many of our own adventures at! I hope the powder is always deep and fluffy for you in your adventures in the next realm!”

Bass made history when he tackled the highest points on each of the seven continents, finishing his journey of the “seven summits” by conquering Mount Everest at the age of 55. He had partnered with Ted Johnson in 1971 to develop Snowbird Resort and was the sole owner until he sold a majority interest to Ian Cumming last May. Bass had been suffering from pulmonary fibrosis but lived a long rich life surrounded by loving fans and family.

“The Snowbird family is mourning the loss of a great man who changed so many of our lives for the better,” said Snowbird President Bob Bonar, who worked for Bass since before the resort opened.

Snowbird is set to premiere their new Hidden Peak Lodge this season; something Bass championed for nearly two decades. It’s sad that he wasn’t able to live to see this stunning addition to the world-famous ski area. It will be no surprise if they dedicate the building to him.

Bass is survived by wife Alice, four children and 13 grandchildren, as well as five step-children and 11 step-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be Friday, July 31, 4 p.m., at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas, Texas.

High West Reaches Blue Sky- Whiskey Making History in Park City

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Park City celebrated Utah’s Pioneer Day or (Pie and Beer day as non-Mormons call it) a bit differently this year. Christening the new High West Whiskey distillery on July 24 not only toasted the historic arrival of Mormon settlers but the tasty beverages they brought with them.


 

The pioneers of 1847 showed up with handcarts, wives and plenty of distilling experience. Even back then, you could get a drink in Utah. Alcohol was not only soothing medicine but a food preserver. Mark Twain wrote: “the exclusive Mormon refresher; valley tan is a kind of whisky, or first cousin to it; is of Mormon invention and manufactured only in Utah. Tradition says it is made of [imported] fire and brimstone. If I remember rightly, no public drinking saloons were allowed in the kingdom by Brigham Young, and no private drinking permitted among the faithful, except they confined themselves to Valley Tan.”(from “Roughing It”, Mark Twain, 1871). Utah’s revenue records show that between 1862 and 1869 there were 37 distilleries, all owned by Mormons- Brigham Young among them. But by 1870 they were all gone.

Photo courtesy Mike Miller

Park City’s High West Saloon became the first distillery in Utah in 2007 after an aggressive competition for the historic location. Any question that Dave Perkins’ “Ski-in gastro-distillery” was a gimmick or fad when the city awarded it the “National Garage” livery stable just west of Main Street in Old Town has long been laid to rest with rave ratings and restaurant reviews and continual expansions including a satellite location at the Salt Lake City Airport.



Now, on July 24, 2015, the whiskey house celebrated the launch of a brand new 30,000 square foot building, dining hall and ‘aging’ storage unit on the Blue Sky Ranch property in Wanship, 20 minutes northeast of Park City.

 





 

 

The new space will allow High West to produce 200 thousand bottles a year of varieties ranging from Bourbon and malts to ryes and vodka. Now, I’m no whiskey connoisseur but mix it in drinks like the Dead Man’s Boots (Rendezvous Rye, tequila, lime juice, sugar cane syrup and ginger beer) and you’ve created an instant fan. Plans for the new facility include daily tours and lunch amid mountain views, afternoon breezes and nostalgic architecture. The educational tours, tastings and lunch cafe will be available to the public starting on Labor Day weekend and will run Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. thereafter. Evenings are for events, weddings and private parties.



 

The Blue Sky Ranch itself has major plans. They lured away Jackson’s Amangani General Manager Stuart Campbell to oversee the construction of a luxury boutique hotel and plush guided activities like horseback rides to mountain-top banquets. The Ranch will also offer daily activities like skeet shooting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and yoga in the summer; snowshoe and snowcat tours in the winter.

 

Vail Rebrands Park City Mountain Resort

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vail

Treasure Mountain, Park City Ski Area, Park City Mountain Resort, PCMR. Now Vail Resorts has put a new name on the 50+ year-old ski area’s business card- Park City Mountain. The rebranding (the first since the mid-1990s) will go full-bore public in a week or so.

Colorado-based Vail finally got their mittens on PCMR in 2014 after acquiring the lease on (The) Canyons Resort in 2013 and is in the process of linking the two into a single property. The lift line for the new Interconnect Gondola is already in and foundations are being poured for the lift towers.

“Unveiling our new brand will mark a historic day for Park City Mountain. The ambitious $50 million capital improvement project to connect Park City and Canyons to create the largest resort in the U.S. is well underway and we are excited to share the new identity of the combined resort with our community,” said Bill Rock, the chief operating officer at PCMR (PCM?). Notice the missing “The” in his statement.

 

Park City Ski Area became PCMR when Powdr Corp. moved onto the property in 1996. The new owners were out to play nice with snowboarding, just like USSA did when they started calling themselves the United States Ski and Snowboard Association rather than the United States Ski Association.

 

So now Park City Mountain Resort becomes Park City Mountain and Canyons becomes ‘Canyons at Park City.’ Are we confused yet? The Vail Resorts statement said it would “continue to maintain the unique history and atmosphere of the two base areas with differentiated marketing for the diverse hotel and hospitality experiences.” Um, okay. Not really a whole lot of differences between the two areas that would need preserving but whatever.

 

VR plans to release more details at a public party July 29. A new logo and a redone trail map will also be unveiled.


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