Snowbird and Alta, Utah Skiing
After your first Utah Ski visit, you’ll say “There’s nothing quite like a Utah ski vacation at either Snowbird or Alta ski areas, with some of the driest, deepest powder found anywhere”. Both resorts are up Little Cottonwood Canyon which is serviced by UTA buses. There are pickup locations throughout Salt Lake City, but for complete flexibility your best bet would be to rent a car.
Skiing Alta Utah is the ultimate skiers’ ski mountain! It’s a big, fun, no-frills Uah Ski resort with spectacularUtah scenery, breathtaking ski runs and air so crisp, just drawing a breath becomes a novel experience. With over 2,200 acres of skiable terrain and a vertical drop of 2,020 feet, Alta Utah offers plenty of excitement for advanced and expert skiers. And Alta Utah lift tickets may well be one of the last great bargains anywhere. For the 2007/08 ski season, an adult full day ticket (9:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily) cost just $59. Cheap Alta lift tickets cost $54. Alta Utah skiing may not, however, be the best choice for beginners. At least 75 percent of this spectacular terrain, located in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest, is rated intermediate or expert. And snowboarders should note that Alta Ski Resort is one of the last major ski resorts resorts in the world to deny access to snowboarders.
For familes and resort aficionados, Snowbird ski resort, located adjacent to Alta ski resort, may be the better choice. With even more terrain than Alta, Snowbird also offers luxuries missing at Alta Utah, such as shops, sophisticated restaurants and expensive lodging. With a vertical drop of 3,000 feet, a peak elevation of 11,000 feet and more than 500 inches of annual snowfall covering 2,000 acres of skiable terrain, it’s almost impossible to run out of new trails to try at Snowbird ski resort. Adult lift tickets, with tram, are $69 for the 07/08 ski season. Snowbird lift tickets cost $59. Skiers who elect not to use the tram and rather ride the chair pay $59 per day. $52.00 for discounted tickets.
Snowbird ski resort recently added more attractions for snowboarders & skiers, such as a new terrain park and half pipe. And for beginners or families, the resort’s ski school and children’s programs are excellent. Although Snowbird accommodations and lift tickets are far from inexpensive, Snowbirds steep terrain and deep, dry snow are virtually unparalleled.
But the excitement and sheer visceral joy of Utah skiing a huge mountain with a scant handful of other hearty souls makes it well worth any risk. After all, how often do you get to ski for ten or twenty minutes without seeing another soul, all the while surrounded by awe-inspiring magnificence? Only skiing in Utah offers this.
