What it’s like snowboarding at one of many final ‘hidden gem’ inexpensive ski resorts: Brian Head

You in all probability do not want me to inform you this, however snowboarding within the U.S. has gotten costly — very costly.

There are methods to scale back the fee, equivalent to with a preseason or early-season buy of the key ski passes, particularly if snowboarding at a big-name resort within the Epic Cross or Ikon Cross community. However it may possibly nonetheless simply be lots of of {dollars} per day per particular person while 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 inexpensive, even and not using a go buy. And one of the vital inexpensive full-service ski resorts in the USA is one you might not have heard of but when you do not frequent Utah: Brian Head, situated in southwest Utah.

At Brian Head, carry tickets begin at simply $29, youngsters 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, when you’ve eaten someplace like Aspen or Vail anytime lately, 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 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 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 provide some context, Breckenridge Resort in Colorado averages an identical quantity of snow at 355 inches yearly and has 35 chair lifts. In different phrases, Brian Head has strong snowfall and is smaller than some ski resorts, however it additionally is not so small that you simply’re relegated to only a daytrip.

Brian Head usually 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 night time snowboarding on Fridays and Saturdays by way of the Blackfoot Raise till 9 p.m., with costs beginning at $25.

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 comparable objects
• 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 gives personal and group classes for each youngsters and adults. Youngsters ages 3-6 can enroll in First Tracks, which gives a half-day personal instruction. Group or personal classes can be found to these 7-12 years outdated.

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 somewhat off the overwhelmed 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) inexpensive finances and midrange resorts, equivalent to a Courtyard by Marriott, Vacation Inn Categorical, Hampton Inn and Finest Western.

There is a free shuttle that can take you the 14 miles up the mountain to Brian Head, which will be additional helpful in winter driving circumstances. However when you do make the drive up the mountain your self, parking is free at Large Steps Lodge and Navajo Lodge (house allowing), with newcomers and people with classes probably 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 value of carry tickets.

First, know that children 12 and below ski free of charge with no restrictions or necessities, aside from it’s worthwhile to 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 ski free of charge with out restrictions, which can also be fairly uncommon as of late. That is what gave start to our three-generation ski journey concept for the reason that youngest and oldest within the group would ski free.

For everybody else, carry ticket costs begin at $29 per day, with a standard supply being $10 in included “Corduroy Money” with every ticket to spend on issues like mountain eating, classes, procuring and gear leases.

Costs aren’t at all times fairly that low, however $45-$60 per day is frequent a lot of the season, with advance buy costs topping out round $99 on probably the most peak days, like President’s Day weekend, so long as you e book at the least 5 days out. Evaluate that to carry ticket costs of $200-$300-plus per day at many main ski resorts when you do not plan months prematurely to buy one thing like Epic or Ikon Passes, and it is an enormous distinction, particularly since youngsters ski free.

Professional tip: Brian Head typically has a 20% off sale on present playing cards throughout Black Friday that you might use to decrease your efficient value much more.

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How a lot does it value to ski at Brian Head?

Along with the affordable carry 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 value $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 outdated 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 need to finances for. Snowboarding throughout weekends and holidays will drive these costs upward some, in addition to not reserving at the least 5 days out.

If you need a non-public lesson, these are less expensive at Brian Head than many different mountains, as half-day personal 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 night time with some frequent promotions such because the second or third night time free and even a free night time 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 images appear like the resort hasn’t been renovated shortly. Nonetheless, it does have a traditional lodge vibe and an indoor pool/waterfall, outside scorching tub and on-site spa. There’s additionally a sport room with issues like air hockey and traditional video video games.

In case you select to not keep on the Brian Head Lodge, you possibly can 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.

An excellent resort for first-time skiers

Many first-time skiers and snowboarders assume 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 experience, the reality is, you needn’t go to a giant resort — you will not ski a lot of the mountain on that first journey anyway.

Brian Head is a superb alternative not solely to your pockets however for teenagers that you don’t need venturing too far off however you need to give some runway to. It even has a fairly 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 house, however there isn’t any cost to start out studying the fundamentals past your carry ticket and equipment, which it’s worthwhile 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 carry tickets the flexibility to e book a $100 afternoon newbie group lesson and a normal $25 ski rental bundle, that are costs a lot under what you’d usually discover elsewhere, making this not simply an inexpensive place to ski, however an inexpensive 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 important 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 trying to have a superb, inexpensive day on the mountain like we had been.

It isn’t a elaborate mountain — the amenities have not been really up to date shortly from what I may inform (although an enlargement venture is underway) — and most of the little issues that larger resorts do to make issues simpler (like placing non permanent 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 take a seat, and the road for meals on President’s Day weekend was near an hour proper after ski faculty let loose. However … the meals was inexpensive 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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Ideas for snowboarding at Brian Head

• Parking is free at Brian Head, however the heaps can replenish 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 carry traces, which made for an effective way to get in just a few fast runs earlier than the traces did develop on the busy lengthy weekend.
• Like at most ski resorts, you might be greatest served to keep away from the bottom carry traces throughout peak hours when you 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 select 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 while you’ll need 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 simple blues, we discovered the Large Steps facet to be a bit much less crowded. You’ll be able to nonetheless do just a few 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 superb worth at $25 for limitless runs for 90 minutes.
• Whilst you needn’t make your Brian Head purchases months prematurely simply to make them inexpensive, you’ll want to do it at the least every week or so prematurely of your journey, as costs soar 15% inside 5 days and 30% inside 24 hours.

Is Brian Head value visiting?

If you wish to ski on typically above-average snowfall for an inexpensive amount of cash, aren’t searching for 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 value visiting. It is a midsize mountain that gives a superb number of terrain for just a few days and will not put a everlasting dent in your pockets. And it is the plain alternative if snowboarding with a multigenerational group the place the youngsters and the 75-plus can each ski free of charge, as we did.

On the flip facet, in order for you Aspen-style eating choices or Vail-style procuring and luxuriate in expansive mountains that take a full week to discover, then Brian Head in all probability is not the appropriate spot for you. It additionally is not the appropriate ski vacation spot when you want — or actually need — issues like ski valets, table-service eating, a hybrid ski program for preschool-age youngsters, a luxurious ski-out resort and different nice-to-haves that may admittedly make snowboarding somewhat simpler (and dearer).

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As for us, we absolutely intend on returning to Brian Head for journeys when simply getting some days on skis is the purpose, sticking to the finances is necessary and we aren’t searching for a ton of extras to go along 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 inexpensive ski resorts the place you do not have to be a one-percenter to have some enjoyable on the snow.

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