You most likely do not want me to let you know this, however snowboarding within the U.S. has gotten costly — very costly.
There are methods to cut back the price, resembling with a preseason or early-season buy of the most important ski passes, particularly if snowboarding at a big-name resort within the Epic Go or Ikon Go community. However it may possibly nonetheless simply be a whole bunch of {dollars} per day per individual whenever you think about tickets, gear, classes, lodging and extra.
However imagine it or not, there are nonetheless a handful of resorts which might be inherently reasonably priced, even and not using a cross buy. And one of the reasonably priced full-service ski resorts in america is one it’s possible you’ll not have heard of but in case you do not frequent Utah: Brian Head, situated in southwest Utah.
At Brian Head, elevate 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, in case you’ve eaten someplace like Aspen or Vail anytime just lately, you realize 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 resulting from its excessive elevation, has grown. Not solely that, however with the very best base elevation in all of Utah at 9,600 ft, Brian Head Ski Resort has some legit snow and runs.
Brian Head’s snowfall averages are available 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, but it surely 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, circumstances 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 without doubt one of the resorts that gives evening snowboarding on Fridays and Saturdays by way of the Blackfoot Raise 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 hen fingers
- Navajo Eatery within the Navajo Lodge with burgers, sandwiches and comparable gadgets
- Raise 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 provides non-public and group classes for each kids and adults. Children ages 3-6 can enroll in First Tracks, which provides a half-day non-public instruction. Group or non-public 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 slightly 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 simple 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 will discover various (normally) reasonably priced price range and midrange lodges, resembling a Courtyard by Marriott, Vacation Inn Categorical, Hampton Inn and Greatest Western.
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There is a free shuttle that can take you the 14 miles up the mountain to Brian Head, which will be additional useful in winter driving circumstances. However in case you do make the drive up the mountain your self, parking is free at Large Steps Lodge and Navajo Lodge (area allowing), with inexperienced persons and people with classes doubtless eager to park at Navajo Lodge.
Brian Head elevate tickets
Here is the place we get to the actually good elements about Brian Head; the low price of elevate tickets.
First, know that youngsters 12 and below ski without spending a dime with no restrictions or necessities, apart from you’ll want to signal them up for the free Energy Children Go, which you are able to do on-line in only a minute or two. That is unusually easy on the earth of kids-ski-free choices. On prime of that, these ages 75 and up may ski without spending a dime with out restrictions, which can be fairly uncommon nowadays. That is what gave start to our three-generation ski journey concept because the youngest and oldest within the group would ski free.
For everybody else, elevate ticket costs begin at $29 per day, with a typical supply being $10 in included “Corduroy Money” with every ticket to spend on issues like mountain eating, classes, purchasing and gear leases.
Costs aren’t all the time fairly that low, however $45-$60 per day is widespread 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 a minimum of 5 days out. Evaluate that to elevate ticket costs of $200-$300-plus per day at many main ski resorts in case you do not plan months prematurely 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 cheap elevate ticket costs that we simply mentioned, you will 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 primary 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 will wish to price range for. Snowboarding throughout weekends and holidays will drive these costs upward some, in addition to not reserving a minimum of 5 days out.
In order for you a personal lesson, these are less expensive at Brian Head than many different mountains, as half-day non-public classes will be had beginning round $250, when that quantity can simply method $1,000 elsewhere.
Contained in the Brian Head Lodge
You’ll be able to 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 elevate ticket buy (with some blackout dates). Good luck discovering free on-mountain lodging with a elevate ticket buy just about anyplace else.
Whereas I did not keep within the lodge personally, as we stayed at a points-friendly lodge in Cedar Metropolis, the images appear like the resort hasn’t been renovated shortly. Nonetheless, it does have a traditional lodge vibe and an indoor pool/waterfall, outside sizzling tub and on-site spa. There’s additionally a recreation room with issues like air hockey and traditional video video games.
In case you 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 very good 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 purpose is primarily simply to be taught 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 superb alternative not solely to your pockets however for teenagers that you do not 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 isn’t any cost to begin studying the fundamentals past your elevate ticket and kit, which you’ll want to pay for.
Past that, this season, from March 1 till closing day (aside from March 11-17), the resort is providing those that buy elevate tickets the power to e-book a $100 afternoon newbie group lesson and a typical $25 ski rental bundle, that are costs a lot beneath what you’d usually discover elsewhere, making this not simply an reasonably priced place to ski, however an reasonably priced place to be taught.
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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 awesome worth for what we obtained. 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 seeking to have a great, reasonably priced day on the mountain like we had been.
It is not a elaborate mountain — the services 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 momentary 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 set free. 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 had been there, and the primary half-hour or so had been devoid of any noticeable elevate strains, which made for an effective way to get in just a few fast runs earlier than the strains did develop on the busy lengthy weekend.
- Like at most ski resorts, you might be greatest served to keep away from the bottom elevate strains throughout peak hours in case you can.
- Attempt to eat early — particularly if it’s a busy weekend — as meals strains can get very lengthy, particularly on the Navajo aspect of the resort, as there aren’t a ton of shops to choose from. I like to recommend checking lunch off the listing by 11:30 a.m. if potential, and positively earlier than half-day ski faculty will get out at 12:30 p.m. That is whenever you’ll wish to head again up the mountain whereas the elevate strains are barely shorter.
- Talking of the Navajo aspect, that mountain has extra beginner-friendly terrain. However, as quickly as your group can graduate to simple blues, we discovered the Large Steps aspect to be a bit much less crowded. You’ll be able to nonetheless do just a few inexperienced runs there off the Blackfoot elevate that had considerably shorter strains than the first categorical 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 prematurely simply to make them reasonably priced, you’ll want to do it a minimum of every week or so prematurely of your journey, as costs soar 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 amount of cash, aren’t in search of a flashy ski scene and are OK driving just a few 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 just a few 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 spending a dime, as we did.
On the flip aspect, if you’d like Aspen-style eating choices or Vail-style purchasing and revel 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 in case you want — or actually need — issues like ski valets, table-service eating, a hybrid ski program for preschool-age children, a luxurious ski-out lodge and different nice-to-haves that may admittedly make snowboarding slightly simpler (and dearer).
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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 purpose, sticking to the price range is essential and we aren’t in search of a ton of extras to go together with it. However that stated, there isn’t 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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