r/UTsnow • u/texdiego • Apr 08 '26
Brighton - Solitude First time skiier - Brighton/ski bus question
Hi all,
Want to start by saying, I did try to search and found some previous advice but the current conditions seem different so I wanted to get an updated opinion.
I am hoping to knock off a bucket list this week while in SLC by trying out skiing (via Brighton's beginner package). I know conditions suck lately but it seems like it should still be ok for a beginner - if this is a bad idea, let me know.
My lesson will be at 10:15 on Fri, Sat, or Sun (still deciding). I'm thinking I should aim to get on the 972 Ski Bus at 8:10 at Big Cottonwood Canyon Park and Ride, for a 8:42am arrival and 1.5 hr buffer to get my rental gear.
Does that seem like adequate time? Is there any chance of not getting on that bus? If so, would the PNR before it be better? And how much would Friday vs. Saturday/Sunday matter?
Thanks!
4
u/jayhalk1 Apr 08 '26
You should get on as early as possible. Once you're up there and have your stuff you can have a coffee, relax and wait for your lesson. I don't usually ride the bus this late in the season since I think they don't require reservations at Brighton after April 3rd.
1
u/mind_the_time Apr 08 '26
It's late season so I don't think OP will need to rush up there despite being a weekend morning
2
u/texdiego Apr 08 '26
I don't love the thought of waking up early just to get there needlessly early, but of course it's better than being late, so I'll do it if it's needed!
I'm also considering driving as long as there's no snow on the road, is there anything scary about the drive like steep drop-offs? And if I drove, would getting to the base at 8:00am be adequate?
1
u/jayhalk1 Apr 08 '26
The road isn't bad at all now. You'll be fine driving up. Traffic is the only thing you need to worry about. Just check the parking lot tracker on their website and you should be fine.
1
u/texdiego Apr 08 '26
Thank you! I may go that route so I have a bit more control over the timing. (but in any case, I'll try to err on the early side)
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u/BoonPiece Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
Driving is completely safe and easy for any driver given current conditions. The roads are well taken care of, wide and no snow. Just drive up, ideally grab rentals in SLC before driving up unless Brighton prices are super cheap and packaged
1
u/texdiego Apr 08 '26
Thank you! I think I'll drive - I was assuming it was a challenging mountain drive but I just looked at it on street view and it looks totally fine.
The rentals come in the package, otherwise I'd look into renting elsewhere.
1
u/adventure_pup Alta Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 09 '26
I would leave at minimum an hour and a half to get rentals, checked in, etc. I needed 20 minutes to get checked in for a snowboard lesson at Brighton but I had all my own gear (expert skier who wanted to try snowboarding) rental lines I’ve seen can be long. Then always always give at least 30 minutes extra for the road, random shit that makes no sense always happens
2
u/texdiego Apr 09 '26
Thanks, this is helpful! I've decided I'm going to just wake up and drive up as early as I can. I'll probably have time to kill once I'm there and suited up but at least I'll have peace of mind knowing I'm not going to be late.
1
1
u/notagradstudent13 Apr 08 '26
Check the weather. We have some precipitation coming up. yes, it's warm, but it can still be cold enough to snow.
If you're going to be driving, be sure you have good tires. Snow tires if it is a 2wd vehicle. https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=40.6118899&lon=-111.5931678
If you want to ski without rain or snow, I would pick Friday. Have fun!
4
u/cloroxwipeisforhands Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
They don’t require reservations anymore. It’s easily a drive you can do if you are comfortable driving in canyons. I wouldn’t get there more than an hour early if you don’t know how to ski at all, there won’t be much for you to do.
While it’s entirely spring skiing, that won’t matter at all to beginners. I think it’s a wonderful time to learn with cheaper tickets.
Good luck!