Creste Butte or SLC for new years?

So my girlfriend and I have a 3 day weekend and two free nights stay in a hotel via a very generous Christmas gift from the family. We also have free C.B. tickets (for one day) and a pretty good looking storm that will most likely hit Crested Butte, and will almost definitely hit SLC (anti-jinx). Here are the options:

-Ski Saturday at Monarch to check out the newly opened terrain and then go to Crested Butte for New Years Eve and skiing on Sunday, and then maybe sking CB on Monday or go back to Monarch/Summit County.

-Drive to SLC late night on Friday and ski all weekend which might mean a lack of New Year's partying, but it's not really that big of a deal.

Any CB mags want to chime in on this one? SLC looks pretty decent right now, but I haven't heard anything out of CB in a while.

Might want to PM some of the Crested Butte mags. These are the ones I know of:

ML8locochica
Einan
Sheeps
Goldenboy

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Originally Posted by Below Zero

Might want to PM some of the Crested Butte mags. These are the ones I know of:

ML8locochica
Einan
Sheeps
Goldenboy

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Thanks BZ!

http://www.skicb.com/page.php?pname=mountain/grooming

Looks like large portions of the NF stuff are still closed, 47" isn't that much base down there.

That said, few towns go off as hard as the butte and NYE = extra going off.

In this case: Point = SLC.

CB on New Year's is a raging party. SLC, prolly not so much. High Lift is already open and North Face Lift should be open by now. Teo Bowl, Spellbound/Phoenix, 3rd Bowl, yeah, CB is where you should go. Of course, I'm completely unbiased on this matter.

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Originally Posted by LIP

Teo Bowl, Spellbound/Phoenix, 3rd Bowl, yeah, CB is where you should go.

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Is that all open now, though?

want better snow go to Salt Lake - want a better party go to CB

Yeah lip- CB's webpage sez no go on a lot of those as being open.

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Originally Posted by lemon boy

http://www.skicb.com/page.php?pname=mountain/grooming

Looks like large portions of the NF stuff are still closed, 47" isn't that much base down there.

That said, few towns go off as hard as the butte and NYE = extra going off.

In this case: Point = SLC.

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So those are large portions? It's hard to tell and I'm embarrased to say I've never been there to know. I think CB would be a blast for New Years Eve, but even if it snows the terrain open doesn't seem to be worth it to use our free day passes (Nuggets opening night score). Red Baron is optimistic about the weekend storm in SLC so I'm leaning towards going there. Maybe Brighton, Solitude or Snowbasin to avoid the crowds and since I can't go to Alta with the GF.

If a majority of the "Extreme Limits" terrain is not open, I wouldn't bother going to CB.

SLC is the better snow bet. In about 1 week I will be in the Southern rockies (Taos), and they ain't got shit for snow. I will be a carving fool. Of course, maybe the weather gods will be kind to me.

New Year Party = CB (I've done it a couple of times, I think...), but I am with the others, if you are looking to chase snow I would assume SLC would be the way to go.

Small Hi-Jack - Sorry I missed you at Alta Mcwop, ran into a man sporting some Bro's (Eon) and he showed me some good stuff at the 'bird...

Robo- attached is a general blackout of what is closed and what isn't. The very finest of terrain is not open currently (some good stuff is though).

I say: Wait on the butte.

Also, FYI if you haven't been, going with someone who has will pay big dividends in not getting cliffed out or in over your head the butte opens serious terrain with serious consequences and IME are not very agressive with the signage (a good/bad thing IMO). Also, when you go make sure your GF is proficient in T-bars (if she wants to ride fun terrain) b/c that's what gets the goods at the butte.

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Originally Posted by lemon boy

Robo- attached is a general blackout of what is closed and what isn't. The very finest of terrain is not open currently (some good stuff is though).

I say: Wait on the butte.

Also, FYI if you haven't been, going with someone who has will pay big dividends in not getting cliffed out or in over your head the butte opens serious terrain with serious consequences and IME are not very agressive with the signage (a good/bad thing IMO). Also, when you go make sure your GF is proficient in T-bars (if she wants to ride fun terrain) b/c that's what gets the goods at the butte.

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LB thanks for the advice. I didn't realize that much of the North Face was closed. Looks like it'll be SLC for now. Good call on the T-bar but we lived in Breck for several years so she's comfortable in that she fucking hates T-bars but is over the falling over on a powder day and getting snowballs thrown at her for holding up the line thing. By the way can the "T" in T-bars stand for Thunder?

It can stand for whatever you want as long as she can ride them. I have mixed feelings about the NF lift being a tbar now. 2x uphill cap = less lines but more people and a t-bar is way easier to ride than the old poma which kept a significant population of texans out of dangerous terrain.

Give me a shout if you come to town. Basin is starting to shape up pretty good. Yesterday we must've had 25,000 vert of untracked. We never even left the JP chair or tram. Also never waited in a line. If these next couple storms do what they're supposed to and it'll be on. :D

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Originally Posted by meatdrink9

Give me a shout if you come to town. Basin is starting to shape up pretty good. Yesterday we must've had 25,000 vert of untracked. We never even left the JP chair or tram. Also never waited in a line. If these next couple storms do what they're supposed to and it'll be on. :D

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Will do. Jen's never been to Snowbasin so it would be fun to take her there...and WAY less crowded than LCC. Do you still have the 720 #? If not PM me your # and I'll give you a call Saturday morning.

Cool. I'm keeping the 720#. Saturday it is. :D

I heart UT, but this time of the year, in your shoes I would do CB.
I do love that town.

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Originally Posted by Woodsy

I heart UT, but this time of the year, in your shoes I would do CB.
I do love that town.

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Yeah the partying is going to be good in CB for sure, but we have 10 friends who have free day passes too and none of them can make it this weekend so when we all do finally make it down there together it'll be a blast. Plus hotels in CB on New Years are ridiculously expensive.

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Originally Posted by robokill1981

Plus hotels in CB are ridiculously expensive.

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Pssssssstt.. the wildwood hotel in gunny. Nice, cheap and they have CHEAP tixs (cheap enough that you save more than the price of two tixs per day than the price of the room for a night).

Patrollers have been spotted taking a lot of rope, signs, etc to phoenix and spellbound bowls, meaning they will probably open soon. If you catch that opening, you will have some runs to remember. North face, Sock-it-to-me ridge, Teo bowl and Headwall are all already open, plus some of the frontside. Coverage is quite good for this time of year. Gunny hotels are of course cheaper, but Gunny kinda sucks. The Hostel is actually really nice and has private rooms. Hope that helps

What? Gunny doesn't suck. It's my home, and one of my favorite places in the world. As far as coming here - skiing right now is very very good Not everything is open, but it's coming. And a 47" base for CB is pretty damn good, especially before New Years. I've seen Phoenix/Spellbound open with a 36" base. Peace.

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Originally Posted by robokill1981

Will do. Jen's never been to Snowbasin so it would be fun to take her there...and WAY less crowded than LCC. Do you still have the 720 #? If not PM me your # and I'll give you a call Saturday morning.

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Hey I backed out of Jackson.... you have room for another this weekend?

Just talked with my old roomies in CB. North Face lift is OPEN!! It's on like Donkey Kong!!!! Now I just need the recently surgically repaired knee to heal up a little more and it will be time to go to CB and scare the snot out of myself!!! Mmmmmmmmm, 3rd Bowl!!!!!

Funken, clean your box

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Originally Posted by LIP

Just talked with my old roomies in CB. North Face lift is OPEN!!

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yeah, but that doesn't mean that Phoenix/Spellbound and Third Bowl will be open. Or did you already confirm with old roommates that they are opening that terrain?

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Originally Posted by shmerham

Funken, clean your box

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clean as a whistle

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Originally Posted by Below Zero

yeah, but that doesn't mean that Phoenix/Spellbound and Third Bowl will be open. Or did you already confirm with old roommates that they are opening that terrain?

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3rd bowl generally takes a little longer. Didn't get into details as I'm at work and couldn't get past, "It was my best day on the mountain in 2 years" That's about all I needed to hear. Sometimes they open Spellbound/Phoenix at the same time as the North Face, sometimes not. Once the good terrain starts opening, they try to get it open as fast as possible to get everything compacted. I'll get more info. tonight. Plenty of gnar to be had even if it's "just the North Face" that's open.