Tony Gill

Season passes for skiers and snowboarders are increasingly bound to the two-party system of Epic and Ikon Passes. Both Vail Resorts and Alterra have gone on the offensive acquiring assets in the battle to earn your preseason dollars, and both options offer an impressive portfolio of powder-filled assets. No matter which conglomerate you pledge allegiance to, Utah season pass deadlines are fast approaching. Don’t get caught throwing more money than necessary at our corporate skiing overlords this winter. All the season pass options listed here deliver immense value compared to the earth-shattering prices that will greet you at the resort ticket window.

Price increases for the Epic Pass are scheduled to take effect on October 13, while Ikon Pass price increases kick in on October 17. Read on for more details on Utah season pass deadlines, benefits and pricing.

Epic Pass

Vail’s Venerable Epic Pass broadened its appeal to Utah skiers and snowboarders by expanding its regional offerings with up to seven days at Snowbasin in Ogden and Sun Valley in Ketchum, Idaho. That’s a welcome bit of variety since previously, Park City Mountain was the only Beehive State resort on the Epic Pass.

Full Epic Passes are currently available for $969. Epic Local Passes are available for $719, and Epic Day passes can be had for as little as $108 per day. Prices are scheduled to increase for all options on October 13.

The October 13 deadline also applies to the awesome free Epic Utah Schoolkids Utah Pack. The program offers five free days of skiing at Park City Mountain for Utah Kindergandeners through fifth graders, in addition to one free first timer ski or ride lesson with equipment rental. The Epic Schoolkids Utah Pack is an excellent program that aims to get more local kids out on the slopes, so take advantage the opportunity before its too late.

Epic Schoolkids Utah Pack helps get more local kids on the slopes. Photo Courtesy of Vail Resorts

Ikon Pass

Alterra’s Ikon Pass offers unlimited local skiing and riding at Solitude on top of up to seven days at Deer Valley, Brighton and Alta/Snowbird. That Utah portfolio is tough to beat, which doesn’t even take into account the regional offerings with up to seven days at Aspen/Snowmass, Jackson Hole and, most recently, Arapahoe basin.

Full Ikon passes are available online for $1,049, while the Ikon Base Pass, which includes select blackout dates, can be purchased for $749. Prices for both options will increase on October 17, so act now to get the best deal.

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Who wants to buy a movie studio? Utah Film Studios has been put on the market by its ownership group, Quinn Capital Partners, less than two years after they acquired the property as part of a lawsuit settlement in 2017. The property is listed for sale without an asking price, but for those of you reading this, if you have to ask, you can’t afford it.

The studio casts a hulking silhouette over Park City’s eastern entrance in Quinn’s Junction. Its muddled development history left many Parkites wondering just what was going on behind those walls, but after the purchase and a name change to Utah Film Studios the operation seemed to be on stable ground. Utah Film Studios even appeared to become the epicenter of a rejuvenated Utah television and film development movement by serving as the studio location for Kevin Costner’s hit show “Yellowstone” and Ari Aster’s Sundance darling “Hereditary” among other projects. Alas, it appears as if the studio’s future is once again uncertain.

Utah Film Studios boasts 45,000 feet of state-of-the-art sound stages.

The property currently contains 90,000 square feet of developed space, including 45,000 square feet of state-of-the-art sound stages and 25,000 square feet of additional production space and offices. The listing, however, includes the entire property, which the City has approved for 374,000 square feet of development. With less than a quarter of available development completed, the Utah Film Studios property holds a lot more value to potential buyers than just the existing production space. The initial approval foresaw a hotel and film school among other ideas, but what the space will ultimately look like is anyone’s guess.

Longtime critics of the studio’s viability will likely take the news as a sign their predictions were accurate, but it’s unclear if the current ownership group ever planned to pursue additional development themselves or if a sale was always their next move. A sale of this magnitude likely won’t be complete before the end of 2019, but we will update the story as developments occur.

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Take a look to the east just before the sun comes up and you’ll see Sirius rising just ahead of our friendly neighborhood star. The dog star’s heliacal rise is what led the Greeks and Romans to refer to the annual midsummer heat wave as the “dog days,” but my dogs are obeying our ideological misinterpretation by lousing around even more than normal. Sure, people call it “a dry heat,” but it’s still hot.

The Moab area is paradoxically inviting this time of year—the desert is rather famed for being warm, after all—if you’re willing to abstain from its postcard-certified attractions you can find cool Moab adventures. Towering above Moab, the La Sal Mountains are an oft-overlooked asset with elevation-induced coolness. Deep within the walls of Cataract Canyon, the Colorado River provides an oasis among an arid sea of rock. Look high or low, and you can find unexpectedly temperate climes in unlikely places.

Experience a Mountain High Yurt

Photo courtesy Talking Mountain Yurts

 

Whether you’ve just finished up a mountain bike ride down the Whole Enchilada or gotten off the river, it’s important to keep cool by ingesting an outrageous number of refreshing calories at Milt’s Stop & Eat. Milt’s isn’t a well-kept secret, but once you put down a buffalo burger and shake with homemade ice cream—I’m particularly partial to Oreo and peanut butter—you’ll know exactly why Moab’s oldest restaurant is still so popular 65 years after it opened.

356 S. Mill Creek Dr, Moab, 435-259-7424, miltsstopandeat.com

“Geyser Pass is right around 10,500 feet. Mount Peale is the highest point in the state outside of the Uintas. People don’t realize how big the La Sals really are,” says Jonathan Dutrow, owner and operator of Talking Mountain Yurts. Talking Mountain operates three yurts, primarily for backcountry skiers in search of southern powder on the steep slopes of the La Sals, but the Geyser Pass Yurt is open year round and is an ideal high-elevation getaway.

“Because the yurt’s up so high in Geyser Pass, The weather in the summer is much cooler than people expect,” Dutrow explains. “It’s a perfect starting point for Moonlight Meadows, Burro Pass and the famous Whole Enchilada mountain bike trails. There are four pretty impressive peaks you can hit in an easy day, and you can quickly get to Clark Lake, which isn’t accessible by car so it’s rarely crowded.” The Geyser Pass Yurt comfortably sleeps eight, which makes the $175 for the first night—$125 for each subsequent night—a bargain. You can park about 70 yards from the yurt, allowing you to get gear for the whole family up there without drama.

If a well-appointed yurt sounds a bit lavish for your tastes, there are nearly endless high-elevation camping options in the Manti-La Sal National Forest. Mike Craig is a ski patroller in Park City who worked summers as a mountain bike guide in Moab. Craig spent his off hours camping up in the La Sals, which allowed him to avoid succumbing to late-season heat waves. “There are primitive camp sites all along Geyser Pass Road. And they’re on public land, so they’re free. If you’d rather camp in a public camping area with some amenities, Warner Campground is above 9,000 feet right next to Warner Lake.” Craig says. “No matter where you camp, you can access great hiking and running trails. One of my favorites is the Miner’s Basin Trail. You start at Warner Campground and head up over Gold Knob with views of Canyonlands National Park and Castle Valley.” 435-260-7601, talkingmountainyurts.com

Get Wet With Some River Rafting Fun

Photos courtesy OARS

Moab’s parched character draws apt comparisons to a Martian landscape, but the Colorado River has carved through the land, indelibly altering the scenery and providing the perfect playground to beat the summer heat. Cataract Canyon is the jewel of whitewater rafting in Southern Utah, a 46-mile chasm of jaw-dropping scenery and rowdy whitewater. Rafting in Cataract Canyon is like taking on a miniature version of the Grand Canyon, and while late summer may not have the massive flows you’ll find during peak spring runoff, the challenging whitewater provides plenty of thrills.

Photo taken during a guided OARS rafting trip down Cataract Canyon, Utah.

For the full Cataract Canyon experience without having to manage the myriad logistics of a multi-day adventure through technical whitewater, book a trip with OARS. You’ll enjoy several days of relaxing flat water floating and one day of raucous rapids. Along the way you’ll stop to explore side canyons and ancient ruins, float through Canyonlands National Park, eat incredible meals while camping under the stars and enjoy a scenic flight back to Moab after entering Lake Powell. Plus you’re never more than a quick jump away from cooling down in the water. The minimum age for six-day trips down Cataract Canyon is nine years old. Trips can be booked directly through the OARS website. 800-346-6277, oars.com 

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