Spring 2026 in Utah Cottonwood Canyons
- Thread starter cbgarrett
- Start date
jimk
Well-known member
I'll be at Snowbird approx 10am to 2pm today. Give me a shout if you see old guy in black and yellow.
ChrisC
Well-known member
I thought Alta was safe now that "Frank" is gone.
So what led to the cancellation of Utah’s most popular closing-day ski party? And, why are many locals not shedding a tear over it?
www.sltrib.com
And by the way, does SnowBrains just ask for an AI-generated summary of the SLC Tribune article? This is an award-winning journalism site?!
snowbrains.com
So what led to the cancellation of Utah’s most popular closing-day ski party? And, why are many locals not shedding a tear over it?
The Frank, Alta’s infamous end-of-season celebration, is canceled. Locals rejoice.
The Frank World Classic, Alta Ski Area's bawdy and infamous end-of-season celebration, has been canceled. Here's why locals aren't mad about it.
And by the way, does SnowBrains just ask for an AI-generated summary of the SLC Tribune article? This is an award-winning journalism site?!
The End of an Era at Alta? Why Utah's Classic "The Frank" Celebration Has Been Canceled for 2026 - SnowBrains
For 15 years, the closing day at Alta Ski Area was defined by a specific kind of chaos. It was “The Frank”—a celebration of old-school hot-dogging, denim-clad skiers, and a rejection of the high-performance attitude often found on the slopes. But as Alta prepares to close its 88th season this...
snowbrains.com
jimk
Well-known member
I've only been to a couple Alta closings in last ten years. Had my own gang of friends and didn't partake in Frank stuff. Today is snowy, cold and low viz, lousy day for spring outdoor parties. I am going to Snowbird in the hopes that the ski surface is good. Dropping my son off at Alta, he has a free ticket for today. LCC only had 3" overnight, but might get another 3-6 during the day.
Last edited:
jimk
Well-known member
Me and the King are like ships passing in the night
25 April 2026, nice spring day at the Bird. Not too hot, snow stayed fast until I quit at 130 pm.
Small crowds.
Spotted a Wiggle near Upper Chips Run while riding the Peruvian chair.
It was cool enough that there were icicles inside the Tunnel, rather than spring drips of water.
Big soft bumps in Gheen Gully near Mineral Basin chair.
26 April 2026 at Snowbird again, but this time skied in about 5 inches new snow. Visibility was an issue at times, but often decent. Up high it was pretty fun, down low the snow was very wet/heavy. Beggars can't be choosers in late April in the wimpy winter of 2026.
I got into Mineral and Little Cloud, but Peruvian/Chips side offered the best viz and good snow, esp upper half of mtn.
Upper Chips:
Was skiing by myself, but buddied-up with a nice guy from Ukraine for a couple hours, "Andy". He travels to US on business, but this was his first ever ski day in the US. He was a good skier and very pleased to get some fresh snow, which he considered high quality and a rare treat.
This shows the depth of snow we had to play with, Andy toughing it out on rental gear with a very lightweight jacket in cool, soggy conditions. He did not plan to ski on this visit to UT, but couldn't resist when he saw the forecast.
It was dumping at times:
Despite the new spring snow, It's my strong hunch that May 3 will be Snowbird's last day. A couple of hot days will kill some of the cat tracks. I've spent quite a bit of time at Snowbird in the last ten years, this will definitely be earlier than normal if my hunch is correct. I will probably head back to the Wash DC area soon. Might get one or two more ski days.
Also, I understand Alta drew a big crowd today, Frank or no Frank . Not a great day for their typical outdoor closing tailgate parties, but pretty cool to end their season with a mini-powder day.
25 April 2026, nice spring day at the Bird. Not too hot, snow stayed fast until I quit at 130 pm.
Small crowds.
Spotted a Wiggle near Upper Chips Run while riding the Peruvian chair.
It was cool enough that there were icicles inside the Tunnel, rather than spring drips of water.
Big soft bumps in Gheen Gully near Mineral Basin chair.
26 April 2026 at Snowbird again, but this time skied in about 5 inches new snow. Visibility was an issue at times, but often decent. Up high it was pretty fun, down low the snow was very wet/heavy. Beggars can't be choosers in late April in the wimpy winter of 2026.
I got into Mineral and Little Cloud, but Peruvian/Chips side offered the best viz and good snow, esp upper half of mtn.
Upper Chips:
Was skiing by myself, but buddied-up with a nice guy from Ukraine for a couple hours, "Andy". He travels to US on business, but this was his first ever ski day in the US. He was a good skier and very pleased to get some fresh snow, which he considered high quality and a rare treat.
This shows the depth of snow we had to play with, Andy toughing it out on rental gear with a very lightweight jacket in cool, soggy conditions. He did not plan to ski on this visit to UT, but couldn't resist when he saw the forecast.
It was dumping at times:
Despite the new spring snow, It's my strong hunch that May 3 will be Snowbird's last day. A couple of hot days will kill some of the cat tracks. I've spent quite a bit of time at Snowbird in the last ten years, this will definitely be earlier than normal if my hunch is correct. I will probably head back to the Wash DC area soon. Might get one or two more ski days.
Also, I understand Alta drew a big crowd today, Frank or no Frank
. Not a great day for their typical outdoor closing tailgate parties, but pretty cool to end their season with a mini-powder day.
Last edited:
I've never heard of "Frank" festivities from former admin. That may be because he operated his own excellent tailgate in Alta's parking lot with his deep fryer for Alta closing.
The SL Trib article says the first "Frank" was on Easter Sunday (April 24) 2011. That was not Alta's closing day. May 1 was closing day in that best North American ski season of all time, and I was fortunate to be at Alta for it. That weekend was also the start of the first week Liz and I spent together after first meeting in person when the Diamond Dogs were at Mammoth in March 2011.
The SL Trib article says the first "Frank" was on Easter Sunday (April 24) 2011. That was not Alta's closing day. May 1 was closing day in that best North American ski season of all time, and I was fortunate to be at Alta for it. That weekend was also the start of the first week Liz and I spent together after first meeting in person when the Diamond Dogs were at Mammoth in March 2011.
I presume you could still ski to the bottom this past weekend. Is Snowbird still willing to run Little Cloud and Mineral Basin with tram up and downloading? IIRC there's an issue with when Snowbird wants to do tram maintenance. If that is soon, the mountain can run once you can't ski to the bottom.
Brighton is now the only Utah area open midweek!