Going to Park City Utah and need some advise - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

littlethunder · 02-09-2012, 09:45 PM

Where is the best place to rent and ride? Some of the places I called want to take you on a guided tour for 6 hours and 100 miles. Hell I put on a hundy before lunch. Input needed!

**kccats** · 02-10-2012, 06:54 AM

You wont put that many miles on out west! Have you ever been up before! I worked out for 5 mo before hand to get in shape, and I couldn't carry my bag to the first landing!

rgoers · 02-11-2012, 03:05 PM

You got that right, kccats!!!

Flat-landers just don't get it, unless they've ridden out west. I did about 85 miles in 6 hours yesterday, and I'm beat. If the thin air doesn't get them, the sheer workout of muscling a 400+ pound machine through feet of powder will.

Park City is going to be pretty much ALL tours, no matter where you go or who you rent with. Good luck finding snow out near Park City though!!! Check the SnoTel site... I don't think Park City has very much on the ground right now, other than on the ski slopes. You'd be better off to drive 45 minutes and hit Monte Cristo instead. Seriously.

ClubRec will rent you a sled and let you take it on your own. Snowmobiles Prices are average, and they usually will toss in a free trailer to haul it where you want. They have a few outlets that rent on-site, like Monte Cristo. I was there yesterday with my daughter and her boyfriend. I only have a double trailer, and 2 sleds, so we rented the third sled from ClubRec. It only took minutes - no hassles - and her boyfriend is from out of state.

Monte still has a good 50" on the ground, with fresh on top in the higher elevations. There was snow falling while we were up there. We were busting trail for most of the ride. It wasn't very sunny, but at least we were the only ones making tracks up there... (see pic)

One more thing... don't expect trails to be marked like they are back east! You're lucky if there are orange poles sticking up. Some places you just have to circle around (a lot) to find the next pole (if there is one). In many places, your tracks will blow over as soon as you make them... so bringing a GPS and setting it to "tracks" is highly advised. These trails are not for the faint of heart. Bring survival gear with you. It's a MUST!

**kccats** · 02-12-2012, 07:01 AM

Take the guided tour, we went with 24 people and broke it down into 3 different tours, The trail runners, The steep and deeps, and the Mountain Goats! I went on all three! I rode threw Yellowstone, Learned how to Carve, and found out EXACTLY where you REALY can put a 121!

rcslsafut · 02-12-2012, 10:06 PM

you could find tons of places from park city to ride !! snow sucks out here this year but lots of riding out here
east of park city about 30 mins is the mirror lake highway trail system with riding clear over to wyoming ! (bear lake service )
south of park city about 30 mins is the town of heber city , lodging , resteraunts and rentals can all be found here as well with another 20 min drive up the cayon takes you to the strawberry valley , with tons of miles of riding !! rentals and lodgeing ,can be found at daneils summit lodge ! with riding right out the back door of the place !
good little restuarunt (was there yesterday ) too bad the conditions werent better though ! monte cristo has more snow (sounds like to me ) but i am not familair with that area ... its father north ( out of logan i believe ) tons of trails up there too ! riding clear into idaho !!! google is your freind

you can find all the info you need , lodgeing,food , rentals , pics , maps , etc.....

rgoers · 02-13-2012, 11:23 AM

I was not being generic since it seemed (to me) the OP wanted real-time info. Yes, there is riding near Park City by this time in the season, *most years*.

I usually ride Mirror Lake (out of Kamas) as well as Monte. Right now Monte has 2x the snow as Mirror lake or Strawberry area. Strawberry is barely ride-able. Mirror Lake just started grooming about a week ago.

The Monte trail system will take you up towards Logan and Bear Lake, but it starts just East of Huntsville. It's only about 45 mins from Layton area.

If the OP isn't coming for a couple more weeks (no date mentioned), the snow may be significantly better by then.

rcslsafut · 02-15-2012, 08:40 PM

so how do you get to monte cristo ? up ogden canyon ? if so do you go twoards the ski resort ? or continue going straight past pineview instead of turning across the dam ?? ? i cant think of anything other than ogden canyon or sardine canyon ?? is there a canyon in layton ?
i am not trying to cause waves , just trying to give / get info ???

rgoers · 02-16-2012, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcslsafut

so how do you get to monte cristo ? up ogden canyon ? if so do you go twoards the ski resort ? or continue going straight past pineview instead of turning across the dam ?? ? i cant think of anything other than ogden canyon or sardine canyon ?? is there a canyon in layton ?
i am not trying to cause waves , just trying to give / get info ???

You're right on track there... to avoid the hills on Trapper's Loop, I take Ogden Canyon (12th street). Don't cross the reservoir, keep heading up the road on the RIGHT side of PineView, around the bend to the left, then look for the sign. It's the same intersection if you were going to the beach, but TURN RIGHT instead. You'll be on 39, and you'll immediately see a "road closed" sign (about 17 miles ahead). There's a HUGE plowed parking area where they close the road.

This cam points at the parking area, where you pull in. It's mounted on a pole near the gate they close on 39. Ant Flat road would be near the hill you're looking at in the background (to the right).

http://commuterlink.utah.gov/1_devic...R-39mile36.jpg

It costs $5 to park there, so have cash handy. From there, you'll see the trails from the parking area. Ant Flat is towards where you came in (behind sled rental building). That leads directly to Hardware Ranch, but can be in POOR shape depending on the snow conditions. Hwy 39 exits out the far end of the parking lot on the same side the hwy barn is on. It may be rough for the first mile or so, but once you get a ways out, it gets a LOT better.

rcslsafut · 02-19-2012, 12:43 PM

nice!! thanks for the info !1
i have been up there ( odgen canyon) as far as the reservoir . thats it ! but i know right where your talking about (research from google maps ) i keep saying im going to
get up on that end of the state to go riding

just easier for me ( coming from utah county ) to go to the berry , or white river , or af canyon !

littlethunder · 02-19-2012, 04:34 PM

I dont think Im going to ride when I go there this week. They are making it just way too difficult for a guy to try and have some fun.

When I called Loft Peaks yesterday I spoke to one of the tour guides named Tom. Great guy and he told me all about the different trips they offer what they are about. Toms said they offer a 4 hour, 6 hour, and over night trip. So after talking to my buddy today I called there and told them we both want to do the 6 hour trip on Tuesday and Wednesday and the guy who answers the phone tells me that the 6 hours trips are for a minimum of 3 riders only!! WTF!

I explained to the guy that when I spoke to Tom he never said anything about a 3 rider mini for the 6 hour tour? The guy tells me well Tom should have explained this. So then he says well maybe Tom was going to make an exception for us but never offered to check with him.

Then I asked if we could just rent and go unguided and was told no, guided tours only. I may check with another operator and just forget it all together.

rgoers · 02-19-2012, 08:28 PM

See above... post #8. Drive 45 minutes to Monte Cristo!!! You can rent a sled, and take off on your own... for about the same price as Lofty Peaks.

littlethunder · 02-19-2012, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgoers

See above... post #8. Drive 45 minutes to Monte Cristo!!! You can rent a sled, and take off on your own... for about the same price as Lofty Peaks.

Any who would you reccomend I rent from?

rgoers · 02-21-2012, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlethunder

Any who would you reccomend I rent from?

ClubRec is on-site right there. Snowmobiles

You show up, park, and ride. No reservation needed unless you want a particular sled (model/size). They have a bunch of sleds they keep right there. May have to bring in a specialty model if you request one...

I have no interest in their business. My daughter's BF rented from them a couple weeks ago. Prices were reasonable, and they were easy to deal with. No complaints.

littlethunder · 02-22-2012, 09:03 AM

When I got to PC on Monday the guys that were already there made a reservation to ride with Thousand Peaks on Tuesday (yesterday). Without going in great detail it sucked and it was not for me at all. I would never recommend this operator to anyone unless you are a family or group that just wants to mix a little snowmobiling with their sightseeing.

Tomorrow I made a reservation to go with Club Rec.

rgoers · 02-22-2012, 01:46 PM

Just be careful out there. Last time I went, I stopped to help a couple guys get one of their rental sleds (800 Cat) un-stuck. He had somehow wedged it against some brush at the bottom of a small hill. It was too deep to go up, so we had to spin it around to drive it out. Took 4 guys (and a girl... my daughter) about 40 minutes to get him out of there. We passed those 2 guys several times over the next couple hours of riding, and they had totally mellowed out their riding after that incident.

They've been getting hit with snow up there, so you should have plenty of "fresh" to ride on!

Here's the parking lot cam... http://commuterlink.utah.gov/1_devic...R-39mile36.jpg

littlethunder · 02-24-2012, 04:38 PM

Well I am finally back home in Michigan and I rode yesterday in Utah at Daniels Summit Lodge. Oh my gosh what a great time. Mountain riding is awesome and very different than riding here in Michigan. Im Michigan we ride a couple hundered miles a day on groomed trail but in the mountains you may only ride 100 miles per day or less but the fun factor of carving in bowls and jumping hills is the whoop! We tried to ride with ClubRec yesterday but due to scheduling conflicts it didnt work out but we had a fantastic time at Daniesl.

This place is incredible and you mountain guys should thank god everyday you have such a wonderful playground. The lodge has a 48 room hotel, store, restaurant, polaris dealer, rentals, and gas right on sight plus they do their own grooming. First place I ever saw that had anything you need right on sight plus their own mountain.

The mountain is only about a 40 mile loop but dont let that fool you. One can spend days just playing on all the hills and bowls with in the loop and still only be 15 minutes from the lodge. The loop also hooks up to the state trail system and you can go anywhere from there basically. We actually went unguided and were lucky enough to hook up with a couple of locals on top the mountain and invited us to roll with them. I even have no idea where they took us but it was an incredible 100 mile ride. Then at the end of the day they were kind enough to bring us back to the lodge.

You dont have to stay at the lodge or rent from them to enjoy the mountain. They charge a small parking fee if you trailer in. The only minor draw back I see to this place is the biggest seld you can rent is a Polaris RMK or Switchback 550 fan cooled. Kind of hard to get the adrenalin pumping on a 550 fan but the scenery is a nice offset. I would suggest anyone to check this place out. An entire resort dedicated to snowmobiling.

Roughin' It Outdoors, Daniels Summit Lodge Snowmobiling - YouTube

rgoers · 02-25-2012, 09:47 PM

Glad you got some real riding time.

I hate to bust your bubble though... out of the 3 areas I usually ride (Monte Cristo, Daniels/Strawberry, Mirror Lake/Kamas), Daniels had the WORST conditions at the time you rode. Daniels had a full 2 feet LESS snow on the ground than either of the other 2 areas I mentioned. Funny though, our "worst" is often the *best* NE riders have ever seen.

I took my daughter out on Friday. I posted a couple pics from our ride at the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway complex... see http://www.snowmobileforum.com/snowm...tml#post504190

I have to get some of my vids posted. I have been cutting back on taking stills since I got my Contour cam...

littlethunder · 02-26-2012, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgoers

Glad you got some real riding time.

I hate to bust your bubble though... out of the 3 areas I usually ride (Monte Cristo, Daniels/Strawberry, Mirror Lake/Kamas), Daniels had the WORST conditions at the time you rode. Daniels had a full 2 feet LESS snow on the ground than either of the other 2 areas I mentioned. Funny though, our "worst" is often the *best* NE riders have ever seen.

I took my daughter out on Friday. I posted a couple pics from our ride at the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway complex... see http://www.snowmobileforum.com/snowm...tml#post504190

I have to get some of my vids posted. I have been cutting back on taking stills since I got my Contour cam...

Great pics there Rgoer. A friend of mine books a trip every year to Wyoming. They fly into Jackson Hole and ride and Yellowstone for a week. He has been begging me to go so I commited for 2013. However I like your pics so much and also the Utah area I want to try and get them to divert and go your way and ride Monte Cristo. I would just want to make sure ClubRec can rent us 600 liquids cause the 550 fans that they rent at Daniels Summit just dont get it. Where would you reccomend for us to stay in the Monte Cristo or Mirror Lake areas? I would hope that there is some place that is set up similar to Daniels Summit, right on the trail with gas food and lodging all in the same place. Any thoughts here? Who knows if it all gels together maybe we can hook up and ride one day and you can then say you rode with the crazeeee Michigan flatlanders!

rgoers · 02-26-2012, 02:41 PM

Club Rec rents 550 fans, as well as 600 and 800 liquids, so you have your choice.

Daniels is nice, because of the lodge.

There is a similar place in Logan Canyon... nice lodge, rental sleds, and gas on-site. They connect to groomed trails in some of the best riding in all of Utah. Try Mountain Lodge in Utah - Beaver Creek Lodge to learn more. It's only a few miles ride from the lodge to the town of Garden City. This trail system connects to the Hardware Ranch and Monte Cristo trails as well.

If you want to stay on the Evanston end of the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway, check out Utah Cabins Vacation Rentals | Park City Snowmobile Rentals | ATV Rentals UT. This is another small operation with cabin and sled rentals, and gas available right there. If you're going to WY anyway, this would be a great place to stay. Trail starts right outside your cabin door.

Again, I'm not affiliated with any of these places. Just trying to help you out a little.

Don't forget, I'm an "EX" crazy NY flat-lander, so I understand the differences in riding between the NE and Utah. I'd love to ride with you if you come out next year. That is - if you can keep up with this old man...

We can at least have you doing some carving before you go home!!!

rcslsafut · 02-26-2012, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlethunder

Great pics there Rgoer. A friend of mine books a trip every year to Wyoming. They fly into Jackson Hole and ride and Yellowstone for a week. He has been begging me to go so I commited for 2013. However I like your pics so much and also the Utah area I want to try and get them to divert and go your way and ride Monte Cristo. I would just want to make sure ClubRec can rent us 600 liquids cause the 550 fans that they rent at Daniels Summit just dont get it. Where would you reccomend for us to stay in the Monte Cristo or Mirror Lake areas? I would hope that there is some place that is set up similar to Daniels Summit, right on the trail with gas food and lodging all in the same place. Any thoughts here? Who knows if it all gels together maybe we can hook up and ride one day and you can then say you rode with the crazeeee Michigan flatlanders!

there is a place such as daniels summit lodge , on the mirror lake highway ...
you need to come into it from evanston wyoming , (up I 80 from park city )
then back towards utah about 30 miles , they have lodging ,rentals ,gas etc..
on the property, a buddy of mine took his family out there a few years ago
and said he would give it a thumbs up ! its called "bear river lodge " the locals call it bear river service !
it says it takes about 90 mins from park city in the winter , on the website (bearriverlodge.com)