Utah’s Spring Skiing Party
You would think with the snowpack we’ve had this winter that we’d be skiing into July. Darn, if the snowgods didn’t hightail it the Bahamas and leave us skibums to sweat in the 60-degree heat this month while we watch the resorts close all too soon. It’s now time for Utah’s spring skiing party.
Anticipated Closing DatesAlta : April 16 |
Though sad to see our powder days in the rear view, spring skiing, with its corned-up groomers, funky retro ski clothes, and tailgate parties holds a certain charm. We wear lighter clothes and carry lighter hearts even if the snow is heavier and wet. After all, spring isn’t really about epic powder anymore, it’s about the epic, all-day spring skiing party.
Each day on the hill becomes your own personal spring break so don’t sit home and let it pass you by. There is the spring skiing party and picnics, music streaming from backpack speakers, rainbow wigs and the occasional man in a Speedo with corresponding sunburn. Despite the ever-melting conditions there are still plenty of turns and hi jinks left around the Wasatch. Bring the family and the outrageous costumes. It’s time to enjoy the deals, decent weather and debauchery.
ALTA
Look to the corners of the Wildcat parking lot on any given sunny afternoon from now on. Those hardcore Alta locals are grillin’ and guzzlin’ and they’re happy to share both the food and tales. One story you will tell for years to come is how you sat up at the top of High Rustler on the last day of the season, dancing and tossing snowballs, and skied to the bottom at dusk with a few hundred of your closest buds. Make sure you’re there!
Saturday, April 8 – Demo Day. Demo 2017-18 skis from dozens of manufacturers and enjoy apparel sales, music and more.
Wednesday, April 12 – Beer and Bratwurst for $10 at Alf’s Restaurant.
Saturday, April 15 – Alta Earth Day.
Sunday, April 16 – Alta Community Enrichment Easter Egg Hunt.
Snowbird
The spring skiing goes off here longer than any other in the Wasatch. The March/April days flit from sunny spring bumps to white-out powder days in an instant. There are unofficial pond skims, costumed clowns, torch-faced tourists, and parking lot BBQs. Although the mountain doesn’t really have an official closing date, the big party of record is the day the Tram stops spinning (usually the first weekend in May). “Jortski” celebrates the redneck in all of us with denim shorts and red, white and blue attire, and PBRs in the parking lot.
Spring passes are on sale now if you want to take advantage of this late season ho-down. Ski 12 times between now and close (TBD) and the $579 pass has paid for itself. The second spring pass sale starts April 1st but there’s no price for it yet.
March 25-26 – Subaru Winterfest. A one-of-a-kind mountain destination and lifestyle tour where skiers and snowboarders can come together. Enjoy live music, s’mores and craft OZO coffee. Participate in daily giveaways and test the latest gear from Nordica, Lib Tech, Thule, Klean Kanteen, and Under Armour. Plus, plan to meet adventurous Subaru owners and learn how you can support Avalanche Rescue Dogs.
April 16 – Easter at The Bird.
Easter Sunrise Service on Hidden Peak (stay tuned for timing)
Easter Egg Hunt
9 a.m. in Chickadee Bowl (meet on the Plaza Deck near Christy Sports)
Free Easter Egg Hunt for children up to 11 years of age. Bring a basket and let the Easter Bunny help you find his eggs! The three age divisions are: 4 & under, 5-7 and 8-11.
Easter Brunch at The Aerie
11 am – 3 pm Reservations Recommended: 801-933-2181 or in-house ext. 3663.
Brunch at The Forklift
June 10-11 – Brewfest. Live music, food stations, crafters/vendors TWENTY-SIX local and national breweries sampling 3-5 of their finest brews.
Solitude
As the days wax longer, the number of coolers and barbecues in the lower Moonbeam parking lot multiply. The season hits a crescendo when Solitude pulls off a last-run celebration akin to Alta’s. The on-hill party starts around 3 p.m. from the top of Powderhorn lift, where skiers and riders tough it out until the last chair reaches the summit then the hoard hauls down to the base of Eagle Express for the apres tailgater.
March 19 – Rossignol Demo Day. Test the latest in ski and snowboard technology. Visit the Last Chance Lodge to participate.
March 25 - 27th Annual Chocolate Lovers' Tour. Begin your day at 9 a.m. by grabbing a complimentary “Chocolate Lover’s Passport” from the Chocolate Lover's Tour booth in The Village (under the clock tower) or at Moonbeam Lodge (on the patio by the ski slope). Follow the map on your passport to find different stations on and off the mountain, where complimentary goodies are offered throughout the morning. Receive a stamp from each station and you will be entered to win great prizes. The completed passports are due by noon and the prize drawing is at 1 p.m.
April 16 - Easter Egg Hunt and Ski with the Easter Bunny. Children ages 2 to 10 meet at the Snowsports Academy in the Moonbeam Base Area. All guests are welcome and the event begins at 9:30 a.m. In addition, Swire Coca-Cola will be offering complimentary, full can samples at the Monster tent, located in the Moonbeam parking lot from 2 to 4 p.m.
Brighton
The end of season got so rowdy at Brighton that they had to split the party into two days. And with the area celebrating their 80th anniversary, the last weekend is bound to go down in the rager history books. The beach bash and snowboard jam usually takes place on Saturday but it's closing day's Dummy Downhill that locals anticipate. Around 5 p.m. locals and employees of the mountain's various departments hike up to the top of the halfpipe and send hand-crafted "sleds" with "dummies" on top careening down the slope until they crash into bits. Throngs of drunken onlookers cheer. Money and prizes go to the contraptions that travel the farthest or look the slickest. The contest starts around 5 p.m.
If you want to join in the BCC 'derby' you need to register in advance. Your dummy will be judged at 1 p.m. and only the best are chosen to actually compete. They have to weigh less than 50 pounds with no pyrotechnics.
Thru March 30 - Friday night s'mores. Free treats at 6pm on the Alpine Rose Deck. ALL AGES WELCOME!
Snowbasin
March 17 - St. Patrick's Day Party. Bag-Pipers, Corn Beef and Cabbage, Guinness Stew, Green Beer, and Free Music. Search for pots of gold on the mountain and win a 17/18 season pass. Après ski party in the Cinnabar at the end of the ski day with more FREE live music in Earl’s Lodge at 2:00pm
April 1 - Tap Takeover Semi Finals. Three local breweries vying for a chance to be named the favorite brewery from the Snowbasin crowd.
April 8 - 9 - Tap Takeover Semi Finals. Uinta Brewing will be facing off against either Wasatch Brewery, Squatters or Bohemian Brewery (votes are still being tallied).
April 8 - 9 - Retro Weekend and Pond Skim. Break out your spandex and best costume. On Saturday, enjoy spring skiing and live music from 80’s cover band, Breakfast Klub. On Sunday, join the annual pond skim and DJ Richie from X96. The Pond Skim starts at 12:00pm. Registration is on Earl’s Plaza between 9:00am and 10:30am. Cost is $5 unless you are dressed in your best retro costume attire.
April 15-16 - Tap Takeover Finals
April 15 - 16- Closing Weekend. On Saturday, April 15, there will be a last chair party at the top of Wildcat following the regular operating hours. Load and ride Wildcat chair one last time at 4:00pm. Participants will need to have a day ticket or season pass. At the top there will be a toast to Wildcat at 4:30pm with beverages for purchase by cash or check. Skiers and Riders who didn’t have a chance to purchase a Wildcat chair, can enter in a drawing for one of the chairs at the top. The winner will be announced following the toast.
April 16, Easter Egg Hunt. Bring the children up to Snowbasin Resort for an Easter Egg Hunt and to see the Easter Bunny before enjoying a delicious Easter Brunch! Ages 6 and under - 10:00 am, Ages 7-12 - 11:00 am
Get thee to The Beach. Every posh DV patron knows to snag a plastic white Adirondack chair outside the Silver Lake Lodge and never relinquish it. This is the place to see and be seen as one of the Deer Valley elite. Beer is served inside but you can also sip blueberry mojitos from the Royal Street Cafe.
March 25 – Avalanche Rescue Dog Awareness Event. The Deer Valley Avalanche Rescue Dogs and their handlers will be on the Plaza at Snow Park Lodge on Saturday, March 25, from 3 to 4 p.m. Guests can stop by and have their picture taken with the dogs and visit with their handlers. Deer Valley Avalanche Rescue Dog logo merchandise such as t-shirts, stickers, pins and mugs will be available for purchase and the proceeds will benefit the Avalanche Rescue Dog team.
April 16 – Easter Bunny Visits. Guests and their children are invited to bring a camera and take their picture with the Easter Bunny. Snow Park Lodge area from 9 to 11 a.m.
Park City Mountain
In the days of old, Park City threw the best party of all time- Clown Day, April 1. But resort officials and local police silenced the event when the crowd- and drinking -got too outrageous to contain. Anyone arriving in a clown costume would have their pass confiscated and be ejected from the resort. Clown Day was dead. The event eventually rose from the ashes some years ago, reincarnated as “Gaper Day” but it would never again match the status of its extinct ancestor. Dress in a one-piece or neon but leave the clown wig at home.
March 25- April 9 – Spring Gruv.
Park City presents the 10th annual Spring Grüv. Sixteen days of free concerts in the two villages, as well as the 21st Annual Pond Skimming Contest! It’s one of those traditions that has been wild from the start.
NOTE: No outside alcohol is allowed in for our spring concerts. We will have food and beverage options available in the Park City Base Area and Canyons Village, so don’t worry! And, please carpool. Celebrate. Compete. Watch. Ski. Ride. Grüv.
Canyons Resort
March 25- April 9 – Spring Gruv.
Park City presents the 10th annual Spring Grüv. Sixteen days of free concerts in the two villages, as well as the 21st Annual Pond Skimming Contest! It’s one of those traditions that has been wild from the start.
Saturday & Sunday S’mores at the Umbrella Bar in Canyons Village
Hang around the fire pit on the Umbrella Bar deck in Canyons Village for all your s’mores fixings free from 3-4p.m.
April 8 – 21st Annual Pond Skimming. It’s one of those traditions that has been wild from the start. The Pond Skimming Contest is Park City’s most popular party and is the true indicator that spring has arrived. Contestants must dress in costume (the funkier the better) as they attempt to cross a 100-foot pond on skis or a snowboard. The pond and the excitement happen at mid-mountain just outside Red Pine Lodge. Must be 10 years of age or older to enter. Spectators will need a lift or gondola ticket to watch. Then, hit up the Canyons Village for a free concert.
RULES:
No teams allowed
Minimum age is 10 years old
No nudity, thongs, or bare butts allowed
No full-face masks or costumes that inhibit full visibility
No fire allowed in costumes
No animals allowed
Must compete on skis or snowboards. No sleds, sit-skis or ski bikes allowed
Costume must be able to fit inside the Red Pine Gondola with the doors closed
Poles may be used but must be dropped before skis touch the pond
No pre-runs; each competitor gets one run to be judged
Sundance Resort
March 17 – F3T FLY FISHING FILM FESTIVAL. This fundraiser for Trout Unlimited will include multiple short films, fly fishing activities and great raffle prizes. This year will feature two screenings, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Doors open at 3 p.m.
March 18 – Banked Slalom. Junior and open classes for skiers and snowboarders. Same day registration is available. Race begins at 10:30 a.m. Lifts open at 9 a.m. Racer check-in at Jake’s Ticket Office: 8 – 9:30 a.m. To register, call 801.223.4849. $25 reg, $20 ticket.
Powder Mountain
The last two weekends of the season turn into Powder Daze at this area. The party kicks off with a mountain scavenger hunt for tons of swag. It’s rounded out with live concerts and barbecues in the parking lot.
Eagle Point Resort
March 18 – Banked Slalom
March 31- April 2 – Fool’s Gold Winter Cabin Ski Party. Bring your neon ski onesies along with your best 80’s ski attire (or WHATEVER funky cool ski outfits) and get ready for a lodge/ condo/ ski dance party like none other! Canyonside Lodge.
The Event Includes: A whole ski resort to ride with event attendees, two nights (Firday and Saturday) of costumed live music, dance, DJ’s, performances, a pond skimming event, and a hearty family group style pre-show dinner inside the Canyonside Lodge (dinner is on Saturday evening).
Brian Head Resort
April 1 – Spring Carnival
- Cardboard Sled Race 10:30 a.m. – Build your best and most creative sled out of Cardboard and Duct Tape. Awards for 1st, 2nd & 3rd Place for Race time and Appearance
- Around The Mountain Noon – Snowmazing Race that sends your team of 2 you on a scavenger hunt all around the mountain. Best time WINS !
- Bikini Slalom 12:30 pm– Female & Male – Wear your hottest bikini and ski/snowboard through our Racecourse – Awards for 1st, 2nd & 3rd Place for Race Time and Appearance
- Pond Skimming 2 pm – Our Crazy Texan “Chuck” wants to know: Can you make it across our Brian Head Resort pond on your skis or snowboard? Awards for 1st, 2nd & 3rd Place for Best skim, Best Crash and Best Appearance
Registration will be held at the Last Chair Saloon from 10:00am to 11:30am.
April 15-16 – Kids Easter Festival. 11:00 to 3:00 – Navajo Lodge, Kids Carnival Games, Fish Pond, Lady Bug Toss, Hole in One Golf, Face Painting, Balloon Animals, Dino Dig and more.
April 16 – Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Adults hunt for the Season Pass Egg hidden somewhere on Brian Head Resort property open to everyone. Kids Easter Egg Hunt, 13 and under, behind Navajo Lodge, three age divisions, 4 and under, 5 – 8 and 9 – 13.
