FAKE CHRISTMAS AT THE BIRD

(me on the lip photo cred. qthegiant)

My old post about my first trip to Jay Peak (VT) has been getting a ton of traffic.
So, i thought i'd do a more "informative" piece about our fake Christmas trip to Snowbird this Dec.

(the giant getting it)

Christmas to me = being on the hill. Sun Valley (ID), to be exact- but this year it was my turn to spend Christmas with the giants family on the east coast. So we decided to have an early fake Christmas out west. Fake Christmas is actually a fantastic idea because there are better snow deals and the Christmas crowds haven't shown up yet.

It's super easy to hop on a plane from NYC and be in SLC. Snowbird (UT) was a no-brainer because my sister teaches and works there, also it's one of the most amazing places in the universe. Snowbird has an early season deal- your 4th night is free. So for $592 the giant and i stayed for four nights and rode four days. My parents got the same deal. That's $74 a person. Other things you can get for $74: a tank full of gas in New York, a half day Mount Snow (VT) lift ticket, a beer at a club in Manhattan.

(pops coming down Regulator Johnson)

Snowbird is in the Wasatch range in the Little Cottonwood Canyon (UT). The top of the resort is 11,000' and the base is 7,760'. The longest run is Chips which is 2.5 miles. Somehow I always manage to choose this as a "warmup" when i first get to Snowbird- taking care of those leg cramps and my cat-track-quota right away. 

(trail map for drooling purposes)

BIRD TIPS
    •    Snowbird has 10 lifts and a tram. Like Jackson, there is a prevalent box scene here (agro locals who claim to only take the tram). Find one if you need a vaporizer.
    •    The park is a joke, but talking about a park at Snowbird is a joke. It's all about the natural hits at the bird. Cliffs are everywhere.
    •    The only ski tunnel in North America is a tunnel through the mountain at the top of the Peruvian lift. You have to run through as fast as possible to get to Mineral Basin or you will be trampled by locals.
    •    Wilbere lift goes until 4:30 PM- clutch on those can't-stop-won't-stop days.
    •    And you simply must find the natural banked slalmon that makes me hit trees.

(the giant on the beginning of the banked- already too far out- tree smash coming up)

FOOD FACTS
    •      Best fancy diner- Wildflower hands down. (mussels are amazing)
    •    El Chanate is good cause my sis works there.
    •    Gritts makes banging breakfast bowls and their sandwiches are the best for pocket food.
    •    Trap bar always has a beer and a shot for $5. Also my sister works there as a troll.
    •    Free water is next to Tram Car Pizza 

(the giant all up in the brush)

We arrived on a bluebird Monday, which was great to review the mountain. Then it snowed from Wed. to Sunday. It dumps in UT. Even when the weather says it's not going to. God says it's like that in heaven too.
We spent a lot of our time in the trees off of Gad II. Most of my favorite runs weren't quite ready yet (snow wise) but that's never really stopped me before. I helped the giant get a giant sized core shot on the Blackjack Traverse. I didn't know the line was going to turn from snow to rock on rock. "Just use that tree as a stopping point"- my excellent advise.
The giant and I were going to spend Fri. and Sat. night with my sister, but i had some terrible hacking disease and the giant asked at the Inn if they would give us the same deal so we could stay on the hill. They did! Thank goodness because walking was becoming a problem.
 Our room had a separate room just for disgusting-retch-smelling boots and there was a laundry room in the basement.
Also waking up to avalanche bombs as an alarm clock is the raddest.

(me in heaven  photo cred. the giant)

IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BIRD
    •    You are not allowed to bring pets to snowbird. Something about the locals being crazy and eating animals raw for sport.
    •    Beer is not real here! Real beer must be bought at a liquor store or at a bar in a bottle.
    •    You need four wheel drive or chains. Really, they won't let you leave in a storm otherwise.
    •    Snowbird has their own emergency room. i think it's required because of Snowbird's high gangsta rating. i know this because i sprained my knee and went to the ER last Dec. Also my dad and bro broke ribs here. Hooray! (not in the ER, on the hill- duh)
    •    Alta is attached to Snowbird like an asshole.