Sandi M. wrote:

Me and some friends are going to SLC around 20. December for 2-3 weeks
for skiing/snowboarding.

As we wanna do some off-piste/backcountry skiing (is there a difference
btw? Is offpiste patrolled and backcountry not? Sorry, might be
different in Europe) and on a shoestring as well, we we're thinking
about getting the Deal at Solitude: 6 days for $36/each

So do you think it's worth it? I mean will we get an easy access to the
lifts when we ski down? Honeycomb? Or is it better to get single ride
tickets (I know they got those at Brighton)?
What about the other resorts around (even in the north like Powder
Mountain)? Does somebody have a better suggestion than Solitude?

SLC on a shoestring budget? Stay in Sandy (at the base of Little
Cottonwood Canyon & Big Cottonwood Canyon), buy your discount tickets at
this place: http://www.canyonsports.com/tickets.html before going up the
canyon, and go where the best snow is. That may mean going to Park
City, Snowbasin or Powder Mountain, or maybe even Sundance. Don't lock
yourself into a particular plan - you may find that you can't even get
up the canyon if it really dumps, in that situation drive around to one
of the resorts you *can* get to.

The deal you talk about is $10/day cheaper than buying them on a day-by
day basis. $60 is $60, but the way I'd play it is to remain flexible.
Do you have to use them on consecutive days? If not it's probably a
viable way to go - three weeks in SLC, every third day at Solitude.

There is easy access out of Honeycomb canyon via the lift they put in a
few years ago. Much to the consternation of the locals. You could
probably yo-yo Honeycomb for six days straight and never take the same
route twice.

BTW, Solitude sells tickets by the ride too. $55 for ten rides. If
you're serious about spending most of your time backcountry that may be
the way to go.

Powder Mountain has cheap cat skiing - you might want to check that out
one of the days you're there.

good Luck. Have fun.

//Walt