Planning a ski trip late Novemeber and need some questions answered please !

[aussie_american]

All the resorts in the Park City and Salt Lake areas have man-made snow making but the number of runs open will be limited and the snow quality not-so-great if you have to rely on the man-made stuff. Last year we had our first snowfall on Sept 30th, but there was no reliable skiiable snow until after Thanksgiving. Last year on Thanksgiving weekend all the visitors at the Park City resorts were travelling to the Salt Lake resorts to ski because they were the only ones that had any runs open. Moving your visit to Dec 11 was a smart move. There certainly should be good skiiable "natural" snow by then. As for what resorts to visit, since your wife is a beginner I personally would recommend either The Canyons in Park City or either Solitude or Brighton in Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Salt Lake City area. I am in my 40's and a beginner skiier (moved to Salt Lake City early last year). From my experience The Canyons has the greatest number of "easy" runs and the green slopes there seemed easier than any greens at any of the other resorts. However, the Canyons is much more expensive and more crowded than either Brighton or Solitude. Solitude really does seem to match its name every time I have been there (apart from the day after Christmas) it has been much less crowded than any of the other resorts - no waiting in lines at the lifts. I had my first ski lesson at Solitude with an "older" instructor called George (he's there every year and everyone knows him) and I can't speak highly enough of his patience, knowlege and encouragement. Brighton is the most reasonably priced resort and is where lots of the locals go to ski. I did a "women's workshop" there at the start of last season and found it was a great way to progress off the "bunny slope" to some real green runs. Here too the instructor was the right balance of knowlege, patience and encouragement. However, Brighton is an older resort so there's no "fancy" hotel accommodation or restaurants but there is a decent cafeteria/eating area and some basic accomodation available. Snowbird and Alta are the two more well-known ski resorts in the SLC area but in my opinion their runs are steeper and perhaps not so great for a beginner.
As for transport. Obviously if you stay at a resort you will have quick access to the slopes and not have to worry about road conditions although you will likely pay more for your accommodation. Also, when you stay at one resort you tend to do everything there - eating, skiing, shopping. Is getting around to see other places in the area important to you? As a beginner, your wife may prefer to just ski in one place where everything (the lifts, the runs, the instructors) are familiar. In that case a one-stop resort like Solitude or The Canyons might be the best option. If you decide to stay in Salt Lake City you can go the car hire route, or you can catch a bus to all the above-mentioned resorts. The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) runs dedicated ski buses to the resorts and you can catch buses from most of the down-town hotels. Of course then you have to decide whether you want to hassle with carrying ski gear on the bus or if you want to rent at the resort once you get there.
Whichever way you go I would recommend you check out the skiutah.com website. It has lots of information on the resorts, transport, trip-planning, package deals etc. I hope you enjoy your visit!

[heydade]

AUSSIE....thanks for the reply. Your right ! I was looking at the trail maps online for park city and alta and was hard pressed to find any green runs ! I was shocked. Then I checked out Canyons and it was as green as christmas tree ! But since you mentioned they are super busy...out of Canyons, Solitude and Brighton, which would you recommend ?

PS...we are staying at the Park City Peaks hotel in Park City ( park city hotel, Park City Lodging - Park City Peaks Hotel, Park City, UT ) they mention they have the shuttle stop right outside the hotel for easy drop off at all the ski resorts in the area. It has gotten excellent reviews on tripadviser.com as well as expedia. We in South Florida....our flight leaves from Miami to Atlanta to Denver and then finally to SLC....so two stops. I wish they had direct flights, but none were offered ! Anyhow, thanks for advice...we look forward to our ski trip and just plain relaxing in the mountains !

[aussie_american]

Originally Posted by heydade

I checked out Canyons and it was as green as christmas tree ! But since you mentioned they are super busy...out of Canyons, Solitude and Brighton, which would you recommend ?

PS...we are staying at the Park City Peaks hotel in Park City... they mention they have the shuttle stop right outside the hotel for easy drop off at all the ski resorts in the area...

Heydade, since you are staying in Park City then I would recommend The Canyons. As "the crow flys" Brighton and Solitude are just over the ridge from Park City but there is no direct access during the winter. You would have to travel to Salt Lake City and then up Big Cottonwood Canyon - about an hour's drive. I doubt that the shuttle bus includes the SLC resorts but you could ask if you we're looking for somewhere different to go for a day. Since you are going to be here in early December before school vacations start, rather than Thanksgiving, the resorts should not be crowded.

[heydade]

I can't wait !