You most likely do not want me to inform you this, however snowboarding within the U.S. has gotten costly — very costly.
There are methods to cut back the associated fee, similar to with a preseason or early-season buy of the main ski passes, particularly if snowboarding at a big-name resort within the Epic Cross or Ikon Cross community. However it may nonetheless simply be a whole bunch of {dollars} per day per individual if you think about tickets, gear, classes, lodging and extra.
However consider it or not, there are nonetheless a handful of resorts which are inherently reasonably priced, even and not using a go buy. And one of the crucial reasonably priced full-service ski resorts in america is one you could not have heard of but for those who do not frequent Utah: Brian Head, positioned in southwest Utah.
At Brian Head, carry tickets begin at simply $29, children ski free with out restrictions, senior residents ski free, there’s $25 snow tubing, a ski faculty and you should purchase a burger and fries on the mountain for simply $12 … which, for those who’ve eaten someplace like Aspen or Vail anytime lately, you understand is a relative discount that rings in at half the traditional on-mountain burger basket charge (which turned out to be a theme all through the journey).
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What’s the Brian Head ski resort?
What began as a one-chairlift operation in 1965, recognized initially as Monument Peak on account of its excessive elevation, has grown. Not solely that, however with the very best base elevation in all of Utah at 9,600 toes, Brian Head Ski Resort has some legit snow and runs.
Brian Head’s snowfall averages are available in at 360 inches throughout its 650 acres and two related mountains, every with its personal base space.
The resort boasts 71 ski runs and eight chair lifts. To present some context, Breckenridge Resort in Colorado averages an analogous quantity of snow at 355 inches yearly and has 35 chair lifts. In different phrases, Brian Head has stable snowfall and is smaller than some ski resorts, however it additionally is not so small that you just’re relegated to only a daytrip.
Brian Head sometimes opens for the season in mid-to-late November and closes in mid-April, situations allowing, with lifts open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays. As well as, it is among the resorts that gives evening snowboarding on Fridays and Saturdays through the Blackfoot Elevate till 9 p.m., with costs beginning at $25.
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Brian Head has 5 eating choices within the winter:
- Final Chair Grill and Brews in Large Steps Lodge with a pub-style menu
- Large Steps Eatery within the Large Steps Lodge with informal choices like pizza and rooster fingers
- Navajo Eatery within the Navajo Lodge with burgers, sandwiches and related objects
- Elevate Bar and Pation within the Brian Head Lodge with breakfast buffet, burgers, appetizers and a Prime Rib dinner on Saturdays
- Navajo Espresso & Deli within the Navajo Lodge with espresso, sandwiches and pastries
The ski faculty presents personal and group classes for each kids and adults. Youngsters ages 3-6 can enroll in First Tracks, which presents a half-day personal instruction. Group or personal classes can be found to these 7-12 years previous.
On prime of that, there is a free program for first-time skiers ages 13 and up; we’ll get to extra on that shortly.
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The place is Brian Head ski resort?
Like many ski resorts, Brian Head is a little bit off the crushed path, in that it is a few hours from any main metropolis.
Nonetheless, it is only a snowball’s throw from Interstate Freeway 15 in Parowan, Utah, which makes it comparatively straightforward to get to, even when it takes a few hours to take action from both Las Vegas (2.5 hours) or Salt Lake Metropolis (3.5 hours). It is also one hour from Zion Nationwide Park and 35 minutes from Cedar Metropolis, which is the place you may discover quite a lot of (normally) reasonably priced funds and midrange accommodations, similar to a Courtyard by Marriott, Vacation Inn Categorical, Hampton Inn and Finest Western.
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There is a free shuttle that may take you the 14 miles up the mountain to Brian Head, which could be additional helpful in winter driving situations. However for those who do make the drive up the mountain your self, parking is free at Large Steps Lodge and Navajo Lodge (area allowing), with newbies and people with classes possible eager to park at Navajo Lodge.
Brian Head carry tickets
This is the place we get to the actually good elements about Brian Head; the low price of carry tickets.
First, know that youngsters 12 and underneath ski without cost with no restrictions or necessities, apart from that you must signal them up for the free Energy Youngsters Cross, which you are able to do on-line in only a minute or two. That is unusually easy on the planet of kids-ski-free choices. On prime of that, these ages 75 and up may also ski without cost with out restrictions, which can also be fairly uncommon lately. That is what gave beginning to our three-generation ski journey concept because the youngest and oldest within the group would ski free.
For everybody else, carry ticket costs begin at $29 per day, with a typical provide being $10 in included “Corduroy Money” with every ticket to spend on issues like mountain eating, classes, buying and gear leases.
Costs aren’t all the time fairly that low, however $45-$60 per day is frequent a lot of the season, with advance buy costs topping out round $99 on essentially the most peak days, like President’s Day weekend, so long as you e-book not less than 5 days out. Evaluate that to carry ticket costs of $200-$300-plus per day at many main ski resorts for those who do not plan months upfront to buy one thing like Epic or Ikon Passes, and it is an enormous distinction, particularly since children ski free.
Professional tip: Brian Head typically has a 20% off sale on present playing cards throughout Black Friday that you possibly can use to decrease your efficient price much more.
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How a lot does it price to ski at Brian Head?
Along with the affordable carry ticket costs that we simply mentioned, you may have another prices to ski. On-site gear leases at Brian Head begin at $25 per day throughout March and April in 2024 however can price $35-$40 per day for a fundamental grownup ski rental bundle for the remainder of the season.
Group ski faculty for teenagers 7-12 years previous begins at $145 for a half-day and $310 for a full day with lunch, so whereas that’s lower than at another mountains, it is nonetheless a hefty sum you may wish to funds for. Snowboarding throughout weekends and holidays will drive these costs upward some, in addition to not reserving not less than 5 days out.
In order for you a personal lesson, these are less expensive at Brian Head than many different mountains, as half-day personal classes could be had beginning round $250, when that quantity can simply method $1,000 elsewhere.
Contained in the Brian Head Lodge
You may select to remain up on the mountain at Brian Head within the 100-room Brian Head Lodge, which has lodging beginning at round $100 per evening with some frequent promotions such because the second or third evening free and even a free evening with a carry ticket buy (with some blackout dates). Good luck discovering free on-mountain lodging with a carry ticket buy just about wherever else.
Whereas I did not keep within the lodge personally, as we stayed at a points-friendly resort in Cedar Metropolis, the photographs seem like the resort hasn’t been renovated shortly. Nonetheless, it does have a basic lodge vibe and an indoor pool/waterfall, out of doors sizzling tub and on-site spa. There’s additionally a sport room with issues like air hockey and basic video video games.
For those who select to not keep on the Brian Head Lodge, you’ll be able to as an alternative keep in Cedar Metropolis, about 30-35 minutes away, at locations just like the Courtyard Marriott Cedar Metropolis, Springhill Suites Cedar Metropolis or quite a lot of different budget-friendly manufacturers.
A great resort for first-time skiers
Many first-time skiers and snowboarders suppose lengthy and laborious about the place to take that first ski journey. And if the aim is primarily simply to study to ski or journey, the reality is, you needn’t go to an enormous resort — you will not ski many of the mountain on that first journey anyway.
Brian Head is a good alternative not solely on your pockets however for teenagers that you don’t need venturing too far off however you wish to give some runway to. It even has a reasonably distinctive on-snow expertise that gives a free hour of ski and snowboarding fundamentals at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. for these 13 and older.
The resort recommends pre-booking a slot to make sure area, however there is not any cost to start out studying the fundamentals past your carry ticket and kit, which that you must pay for.
Past that, this season, from March 1 till closing day (aside from March 11-17), the resort is providing those that buy carry tickets the power to e-book a $100 afternoon newbie group lesson and a regular $25 ski rental bundle, that are costs a lot beneath what you’d typically discover elsewhere, making this not simply an reasonably priced place to ski, however an reasonably priced place to study.
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What it is like snowboarding at Brian Head
We skied for 2 days at Brian Head over President’s Day weekend and located it to be an ideal worth for what we received. There was good snow, pleasant skiers (with an enormous variety of guests coming from San Diego that weekend) and a laid-back perspective shared by skiers and boarders simply trying to have a great, reasonably priced day on the mountain like we have been.
It is not a flowery mountain — the amenities have not been really up to date shortly from what I might inform (although an enlargement mission is underway) — and most of the little issues that greater resorts do to make issues simpler (like placing short-term labels in your rented skis, having a ski valet system or offering wagons to haul your gear) do not at present exist right here.
Additionally, there aren’t many locations to sit down, and the road for meals on President’s Day weekend was near an hour proper after ski faculty let loose. However … the meals was reasonably priced and did the trick to fill you up and get you again out on the mountain — which was what you got here for.
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Suggestions for snowboarding at Brian Head
- Parking is free at Brian Head, however the tons can refill on busy days within the late morning, so I like to recommend arriving about half-hour earlier than lifts open to have a straightforward choose of spots to park.
- Lifts opened at 9:30 a.m. whereas we have been there, and the primary half-hour or so have been devoid of any noticeable carry traces, which made for an effective way to get in a number of fast runs earlier than the traces did develop on the busy lengthy weekend.
- Like at most ski resorts, you’re greatest served to keep away from the bottom carry traces throughout peak hours for those who can.
- Try to eat early — particularly if it’s a busy weekend — as meals traces can get very lengthy, particularly on the Navajo facet of the resort, as there aren’t a ton of retailers to choose from. I like to recommend checking lunch off the checklist by 11:30 a.m. if doable, and positively earlier than half-day ski faculty will get out at 12:30 p.m. That is if you’ll wish to head again up the mountain whereas the carry traces are barely shorter.
- Talking of the Navajo facet, that mountain has extra beginner-friendly terrain. However, as quickly as your group can graduate to straightforward blues, we discovered the Large Steps facet to be a bit much less crowded. You may nonetheless do a number of inexperienced runs there off the Blackfoot carry that had considerably shorter traces than the first specific lifts.
- Do not skip snow tubing, as it is also a great worth at $25 for limitless runs for 90 minutes.
- Whilst you needn’t make your Brian Head purchases months upfront simply to make them reasonably priced, you’ll want to do it not less than every week or so upfront of your journey, as costs leap 15% inside 5 days and 30% inside 24 hours.
Is Brian Head price visiting?
If you wish to ski on typically above-average snowfall for an affordable sum of money, aren’t searching for a flashy ski scene and are OK driving a number of hours from Las Vegas (or Salt Lake Metropolis) to get there, then 100% sure — Brian Head is price visiting. It is a midsize mountain that gives a great number of terrain for a number of days and will not put a everlasting dent in your pockets. And it is the apparent alternative if snowboarding with a multigenerational group the place the youngsters and the 75-plus can each ski without cost, as we did.
On the flip facet, in order for you Aspen-style eating choices or Vail-style buying and luxuriate in expansive mountains that take a full week to discover, then Brian Head most likely is not the precise spot for you. It additionally is not the precise ski vacation spot for those who want — or actually need — issues like ski valets, table-service eating, a hybrid ski program for preschool-age children, a luxurious ski-out resort and different nice-to-haves that may admittedly make snowboarding a little bit simpler (and costlier).
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As for us, we totally intend on returning to Brian Head for journeys when simply getting some days on skis is the aim, sticking to the funds is vital and we aren’t searching for a ton of extras to go together with it. However that stated, there is not any doubt that Brian Head is a gem of a vacation spot as one of many final really reasonably priced ski resorts the place you do not have to be a one-percenter to have some enjoyable on the snow.
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