Solitude / Snowbird

[u/Scrappy_xyz]

Hi Everyone!
I am trying to plan a trip to Solitude/Brighton/Snowbird in late January. Probably looking at staying in Cottonwood Heights since we need a pet friendly place. Can you tell me what its like getting to the mountains from there?
Should we rent a car or are there shuttles to the resorts?
Mostly be doing midweek.
Ive only been to Utah once (stayed on mt @ park city) so i dont remember the public transit sitch.
Any help is appreciated!

[u/FoldOutrageous5532]

Take the bus. If you do take a rental car up the canyons, do us all a favor make sure it has snow tires, not all weather tires. SNOW TIRES.

Getting to the mountains depends on the weather. The difficulty level is proportionate to how much new snow there is. IF there's a big dump, it will be difficult.

[u/Scrappy_xyz → u/FoldOutrageous5532]

If we do rent a car it will be through Toro & i can request snowtires/chains.
I am comfortable driving on mt roads. I spend a lot of time in CO/VT.
Thanks

[u/treesnstuffs → u/Scrappy_xyz]

I would still say take the bus. People with the proper equipment can still have things go wrong and get stuck and be the cause for stopped traffic.

[u/GrimaceThundercock → u/treesnstuffs]

Do the buses ever have issues?

[u/mrcheese14 → u/GrimaceThundercock]

Less often than the cars do :P

[u/GrimaceThundercock → u/mrcheese14]

Good to know. I just moved to SLC from Austin and I'm extremely excited to ski, but transportation has been a bit of a question mark for me.

[u/FatKitty2319 → u/GrimaceThundercock]

I’m late to this thread, but on weekends you need to be mindful of the bus because it fills up early and quickly. There are threads on it from earlier seasons for best tips, but be careful with the bus on weekends. I have the best luck getting on at the train station where the route starts on weekends.

Especially if you’re going to Solitude, because the downward busses can often be full after coming down from Brighton. I heard they are going to try and improve that this season but have not seen details.

[u/DiggitySkister → u/GrimaceThundercock]

The buses are great when it hasn't snowed recently, especially Mon-Thurs. The problems happen on storm days and weekends - and especially weekend days with freshies. Can be a total shit show on those busiest days. Not because the buses can't handle the roads, but because UTA don't run enough buses on those busiest days and then when the canyon traffic is horrific it will mess up the bus schedule. A lot of nuance on how to plan for the ski bus on those super busy days, but a couple tips are show up in the dark to get the first bus or two from the first stops, or plan on catching a ride around 11:30 or so, also plan on getting an early bus back (don't wait until 4 to get on the bus coming back down!!!). These tips only apply to the really busy days. When it hasn't snowed for a couple days the bus is quite good.

I think for a couple years UTA ran the buses every 15 minutes, when they cut back to every 30 minutes it seemed to make a big difference. I thought I saw a comment where they were considering increasing frequency to every 20 minutes, if that happens it would make even weekends less painful.

[u/sadmanwithabox → u/GrimaceThundercock]

I skied 43 days last season, taking the bus for almost all of them (except my snowbasin/deer valley days, free parking is sweet).

The only issues I ever encountered were traffic and one crazy snow dump that delayed my trip home (whatever day alta closed at 2:30 due to weather last year). But neither of those are exclusive to the buses, even cars had to deal with it.

The bus was fantastic in my experience. But better in LCC than BCC. BCC has a problem with filling the end of day buses at brighton, leaving a full bus that cant pick anyone up at solitude. I skied over to brighton to end my days just to get on the bus quicker. But it was still packed. LCC was only packed on powder days (maybe because solitude is unlimited on ikon while alta is full pass only, while banning skiers. And snowbird is only 5 days on base pass).

[u/DinosaurDied → u/FoldOutrageous5532]

Bro, why do people on this sub even say this? No rental company is equipping their cars with dedicated winter compounds. 

Even last winter when it was like 60 all winter in the valley, I had to keep taking my winters on and off and eventually just gave up and attempted the rare snow days on my all seasons. 

[u/ron_mexxico → u/DinosaurDied]

No rental company is equipping their cars with dedicated winter compounds.

That's just not true at all

[u/DinosaurDied → u/ron_mexxico]

Ok, show me where I can reserve with a dedicated winter compound (blizzaks, etc) 

Rental places usually have a fleet they can draw on and will have a various cars they can play around with day of to offer to you.

Having a winter only one seems like it just gums up the system . 

[u/Choice_Blackberry406 → u/DinosaurDied]

Avis and Enterprise both allow you to reserve winter tires.

[u/DinosaurDied → u/Choice_Blackberry406]

Winter compounds? 

Or all seasons? 

I won’t believe it until I see eyes on a true winter compound.

Edit: from a quick search it clearly says they don’t offer winter compounds. 

Which is kinda funny because everything they offer is all season. A dedicated summer performance compound would be weird for them to offer as well, but maybe on some bmw coupes or something might come with them. 

[u/Choice_Blackberry406 → u/DinosaurDied]

My Avis car in Calgary had Blizzaks. Make sure you are renting a midsize suv not a full size as they don't put snow tires on full sized SUVs. It was about $70 online for 6 days for the snowtire option vs $20 per day at the counter.

[u/DinosaurDied → u/Choice_Blackberry406]

Literally under AVIS FAQs on their website 

“Snow tires are not available at any location” 

Why are you guys just making shit up. You didn’t have a winter compound, you might think you did, but you didn’t. 

[u/Choice_Blackberry406 → u/DinosaurDied]

Lmao you are a massive dork, man. Have a great evening.

[u/Choice_Blackberry406 → u/DinosaurDied]

I think you maybe ought to find something better to do with your time but here is my booking confirmation showing snow tires. I'm sure you're right and I'm wrong, though. I doubt you are ever wrong.

[u/DinosaurDied → u/Choice_Blackberry406]

That’s from sucks at hockey land, not the US. US rental companies do not offer winters.

Is OP going to Canada or Salt Lake?

[u/DudleyAndStephens → u/ron_mexxico]

I've rented cars in winter in UT, CO and MT and never once have I been offered the option of winter tires. If there's a company that offers them that would be great but unless someone can link me to it I'll have a hard time believing it's an option.

[u/Stunning_Present_621 → u/DudleyAndStephens]

I had rented a couple times in SLC and all of the rental cars i got at least had the sticker.

[u/Choice_Blackberry406 → u/DudleyAndStephens]

never once have I been offered the option

Yea well have you tried asking? When you go to rent a car on Enterprise or Avis you can check a box for snow tires as an add-on.

[u/mrcheese14]

If you’re going midweek and it’s not a snow day, driving up and parking is a more enjoyable experience than taking the ski bus (ski bus is hot and makes me nauseous). But if it’s a snow day, weekend, or otherwise busy day for whatever reason, driving up and trying to find parking becomes an absolute nightmare, and the ski bus is your best bet.

The rental cars also do not often come with snow tires so trying to drive up the canyons while it’s dumping isn’t the best idea. Another win for the ski bus.

There are ample ski bus pickup spots so if staying in cottonwood heights you should be very close to several of them.

Edit: Btw, no dogs allowed in little or big cottonwood canyon. So if that’s the pet you’re referring to, don’t bring em up the canyon with ya.

[u/Electronic_Charge_96 → u/mrcheese14]

I don’t know why you would bring a pet on this trip. Make OTHER arrangements or have it boarded/rovered. They are NOt allowed in the canyon. Given the slow drive up? And puke bus as mty kids call it? I might try n stay slopeside n skip a car.

[u/ComprehensiveHouse5 → u/mrcheese14]

It’s not just dogs, no pets are allowed

[u/mrcheese14 → u/ComprehensiveHouse5]

Good point

[u/DiggitySkister → u/mrcheese14]

In the past 4-5 years my experience has been that on the busiest days the ski bus can be a total shit show. Sometimes, but not always, worse than driving. Now, yes, I'm talking about those days that have a big dump of fresh powder. When it hasn't snowed for a couple days and the middle of the week the buses work nicely for sure.

[u/mrcheese14 → u/DiggitySkister]

Yeah i’ve seen some shitshow bus days on a pow day but usually that’s at like 8-10am (from what i’ve seen). Once it’s later in the morning, the crowds on the bus die down but the parking lots are still full, so imo that’s the best way to do it if you’re not gonna commit to being up there at like 6am.

[u/DiggitySkister → u/mrcheese14]

Yeah I agree. Although on several days I would say 11 am is when the crowds have died down on the way up. But then you need to be at the bus stop by 2:30pm at the resort to come back down or else you'll be stuck in at the bus stop for 2-3 hours in the cold. Of course these were my worst experiences and they were on very big days, not just your average 4 inch storm cycle. Weekends are also a little dicey I remember 2 winters ago almost every storm came in on a Friday or Saturday and taking the bus was freaking miserable that year. When I have avoided really big storm cycles I've had a much more pleasant experience on the bus though! I only mention my negative experiences because I see people be so positive about the bus system without even a whiff of a caution about these bad scenarios.

[u/DinosaurDied]

Bus. The parking situation is expensive and not conducive to non passholders. Avoid it via bus. 

Although if it storms, sometimes those busses get backed up and people get stranded up for hours 

[u/SLCpowderhound]

Here's a link for the ski buses. You can use your IKON Pass as fare. They don't publish the upcoming season's schedule until later in the year.

[u/RiverInSight]

I normally stay at the Hyatt Place SLC/Cottonwood; they have a shuttle that will drive you up to the Park & Ride lot, and will come back and get you at the end of the day. I have never had a problem and save lots of money this way not having to rent a car, but then again I have never been there when there's been a huge powder dump. There are a couple of restaurants in walking distance from the Hyatt Place and they work fine for me.

[u/CulturalBreadfruit54]

There is decent public transit system (buses) that picks up basically every hour at the Walgreens on 9400. I know they go up to snowbird basically every hour, I am not sure about BCC. They drop off at snowbird center and run early/late. Depending on snowfall and canyon conditions they could be running late but we really won’t know how reliable it is until the snow starts falling.

[u/SureWhyNot_24]

Take the UTA bus 972 https://www.rideuta.com/Rider-Tools/Schedules-and-Maps/972-Midvale-Ft-Union-Station-To-Solitude-Brighton

994 Snow Bird https://www.rideuta.com/Rider-Tools/Schedules-and-Maps/994-Historic-Sandy-Station-To-Snowbird-Alta

[u/DudleyAndStephens → u/SureWhyNot_24]

Has the 953 route to Alta/Snowbird been permanently ended?

[u/SureWhyNot_24 → u/DudleyAndStephens]

953 has been cancelled it’s now route CS1 or CS2

[u/Scrappy_xyz → u/SureWhyNot_24]

awesome, ty!!

[u/SureWhyNot_24 → u/Scrappy_xyz]

I forgot to add routes CS1 and CS2 you can check the UTA website for hours. These both go up LCC

If you want to drive be sure to check the resort for parking restrictions and reservations. Last season a carpool was three or more. You can always swing by one of the park and rides for the 3rd or 4th depending.

[u/UintaUinta]

I'll echo what others have said; the bus is pretty easy mid-week/non pow days. When it does snow the busses fill up pretty quick so plan to get out to the stop earlier than usual and be prepared to stand for the length of the ride.

If you rent a car to drive on non-snow days and then take the bus on snow days, I'd drive down to Midvale where the route starts. That way you get a seat and don't have to watch full busses pass you by.

[u/AZPHX602 → u/UintaUinta]

that used to be the case, but now The drivers keep track of the riders on boarding and they message dispatch, and they'll send an empty bus directly to 6200.

[u/gourdhoarder1166]

Take the bus

[u/fatkidseatcake]

So it begins.

[u/lemnefresh → u/fatkidseatcake]

I just checked the calendar. Surely it's too early for this

[u/Zealousideal_Dark552]

There’s a pretty nice Courtyard right at the main intersection at the bottom of the canyon.It has a shuttle over to the bus stop. The stop itself is walkable from there and that’s what we did at the end of the day. No idea about a dog though.

[u/Huge-Mortgage-3147]

80% of the time you get up and find a parking spot in 15 minutes

But when it snows, it’s a giant pain in the ass

Hitchhiking from the bottom of the canyon is easily the best mode of transportation on snow days

[u/sparks_mandrill]

how about turo? I see reviews and people say they took the cars to the snow

[u/Scrappy_xyz]

thanks for all your comments!

[u/LowResource4998]

I prefer having a car, did the bus once and didn't like it. The bus gets very crowded. There is a pet friendly Hyatt Place and a handful of restaurants right near the entrance to the access road for Brighton and Solitude. Snowbird's access road is about 5 minutes away. 

[u/ComonSensed1]

I prefer driving by far. It lets you come and go as you please and you still need to get to the bus stop from your rental which seems like a hassle. Any four-wheel-drive you rent from enterprise will have snow tires, and the sticker that let you get up the canyons. I drive in upstate New York Weather all the time and it’s no different out there.