PRIVATE FAMILY SKI VACATION HOMES IN
BRIGHTON & SOLITUDE SKI RESORTS, UTAH

The snow gods forgot it is only early November.

Yep.  We got 29 inches in one day.  Brighton is opening November 12th.  That is the earliest I can ever remember.  Now I need to get the snow tires on the car, wax my skis and pull out my gear.  So much to do.  See you on the slopes.  

It has been snowing all day.  I am sitting by the fire knitting socks watching the snow pile up. I learned how to knit these socks at a class taught at Soul Spun Yarn.  Check out their website http://www.soulspunyarn.com/.  It is so cool.  Knit one, purl one….. I just know the resorts will open soon. 

 

Last night, the family went to Warren Miller’s annual ski movie, “Children of Winter”.  I can’t believe this “epic” show has been going on for 59 years.  As usual, there were many classic deep powder shots in some pretty gnarly locations in the Wasatch mountain range of

Utah.  It fired up the entire audience (yelling and cheering) to get psyched and prepared for another record snow year.  They reported that Alta Resort measured 700 inches of snowfall the 2007-08 season. WOW!  There was also a tribute to Billy Poole, the 28 yr old veteran skier who died at Alta Ski Resort last year doing what he loved most.  The best news for me last night was that I surprisingly won the raffle during intermission which was a $100 to Ski-n-See.  I never win anything and the kids were so excited about it.  They had it spent by the time we got to the car.

Here is an updated photo of the day lodge at Brighton Ski Resort. Looks like they are on schedule. Good timing. We are supposed to get 8-12 inches of new snow tonight.

Again, booking your Utah Winter vacation NOW with Mount Majestic for home and cabin rentals in Brighton and Solitude will save you lots of money on the slopes.

Enjoy Solitude Ski Resort’s best for as little as $40 a day. Pick up an 11 Pak + Card and get 11 or more days for just $40 a day. Or grab a 6 Pak + Card and get 6-10 days for only $43 a day. Purchase your ski days and bypass the ticket window with direct-to-lift service. Credit from unused days will rollover to next season; days are transferable (one per day per card), and you can add more days during the season at the pre-season price. Remember, with each adult pass purchased, kids under age 10 receive a free matching Pak of tickets.
The Family Pak works like this - 30 days to split amongst your family as you see fit! You must put a minimum of five days on each card. If you go over 30 days you can purchase additional days in groups of five at $39 each. This is a non-transferable picture pass.

Booking your winter vacations NOW with Mount Majestic for home and cabin rentals in Brighton and Solitude, Utah will save you money on the slopes. It’s that time of year to open your pocket book to save on lift passes for the 08-09 Brighton, Utah ski season. Just go to Brighton Ski Resort’s website to get the skinny on it. They are maximizing the family dollar by offering a child’s 7-10 unlimited ski pass for $50 when you purchase from one of their early season ticket plans, such as a book of 10 passes. This offer is available through September 12th. You don’t even have to drive up the canyon (what an awful drive) to cash in on these deals. You can get them online www.brightonresort.com, or at the following outdoor retailers for four days beginning Aug 29: REI-3285 E 3300 S, Sports Authority 5590 S. 900 E.

I was just reading the 2007-2008 Utah Ski and Snowboard Survey and saw some interesting stats I thought I would share. 

Utah had a 4.8 percent growth in skier/snowboard days this season, attributable to the high snowfall we had (up 39% from last year). Median income of visitors to Utah ski resorts was $76,000, up from last year by $1,000.  Do they take into account inflation? Average age of visitors decreased from 34 to 33 years of age even though, in my experience, there were more people in the 55 years and up category than in years past.  My, how we baby boomers are getting old.  There were less locals skiing the powder than out of state guests, and there were more international visitors than in any year yet - Utah is truly becoming THE place to ski globally.  One of the reasons is the weak US dollar. Most skiers/snowboarders were coming from California (22%), New York (8.3 %), Texas (7.1 %) and

Illinois (4.2 %).  Those who think the snowboarders are taking over the hill are wrong.  While this segment is growing, they still only represent 31 percent of visitors.  We are also getting smarter.  The percentage of visitors with a bachelors degree or higher increased from 58% to 60%. Hmm so we are getting younger, but smarter on average.  Singles take the lead on who tends to come with  a second segment of parents with children at home the next.  I bet there would be more from the latter segment if they surveyed only Brighton Ski Resort visitors.   Good news for you late planners - only 39% started planning their trip by October.  Most trips were booked in January.   Finally 61 percent of respondents indicated they would definitely return to

Utah within the next two years.  Why???? Need you ask?  A majority of respondents indicated snow quality and their number one reason for returning, followed by presence of family and friends, was the proximity of the ski resorts to the Salt Lake City Airport, and better value for the skiing.

July 18, 2008

As I continue to mention to all of my guests that come to Utah to rent Mount Majestic’s ski homes in Brighton and Solitude in the winter months, our area of Utah is full of adventure and nature during the summer months, as well. In the winter, “Ski Utah” is the common tagline. In the summer, I should coin the phrase “Hike Utah”.

For example, today, my friend Linda and I hiked down to Solitude from Brighton to attend the Wasatch Wildflower Festival which was started to not only celebrate the blooming of wildflowers but to show people how to care for them and to expose them to the finiteness of the ecosystem. Included in the festivities were art shows, theater, live music, food and, of course, hikes and walks which Utahans enjoy with great regularity.

This year is a particularly good year to attend the Wasatch Wildflower Festival because the Wasatch Mountains have had a lot of moisture this past spring. The many 6-8 inch snow storms we had in May and June have yielded green shrubbery and wildflowers with bright and strong colors of every sort.

We chose to take the moderate wildflower walk by boarding the Sunrise lift to the top then enjoyed a short walk to Solitude Lake. We were met by many curious ground squirrels and enjoyed a few hours of meeting people from San Diego, Hartford and even a big group from Minneapolis who were in Utah for a family reunion. We chose to hike back down the hill to the bottom so we could get an ice cream at the Stone Haus Restaurant before heading back home.

July 20, 2008

Other members of my family embarked on a tandem trip over the pass to Park City and then on to Francis, Kamas, Oakley and then back to Park City for dinner and a sleepover at the Washington School Inn which is one of the famous bed and breakfasts in this area of Utah. My daughter is the resident vegetarian in the family and chose Thai cuisine for refueling. All were sore and tired from a long afternoon of biking but fun was had by all.