Snowbird is one of those resorts that people keep coming back to for many reasons, each of them their own. For some, it’s the snow (over 540” this season). For others, it’s the terrain (it’s the 2nd largest resort in Utah). And even yet for others, it’s the atmosphere. On this particular sunny April 12th day, I got to experience all three of those reasons—and understand why each one is so dead-on to describe Snowbird.

We had missed the early April snow, but that was OK. Two days previous to our arrival at the ‘Bird, they had received 13”, followed by another 5” the day after. We knew that this snow was going to make for great off-piste skiing, so upon our arrival we aimed to get on the Baldy traverse. We took the Gadzoom chair up and a soft, corduroy groomer down to the tram that deposited us at the top of Hidden peak. We made our way to the Baldy traverse, and after a 15 minute boot pack (we opted for the lower traverse instead of the higher, as the trek higher up didn’t appear to reap any additional benefit besides a few more vertical feet), we clicked in and traversed out to find nearly-untouched glades that held knee-deep snow. It was just before 10am when we got to the glades on Baldy, and the snow was still soft and fluffy from the colder temps that brought it earlier that week. Our first big April turns in Utah were no different than our February powder turns just a few months back. Newbie-like screeches of joy could be heard probably all the way over to Gad valley as we enjoyed turns that are in the pictures of ski magazines. It was an excellent way to start the day.

To see what else was around the resort, we took the Peruvian Chair up to the tunnel and made our way through the mountain back into Mineral Basin. The sun had reached the area and amazingly turned the snow quickly into mashed potatoes. After some soft, buttery turns down we rode the Mineral Basin Express up to the top and took the Bookends traverse to check out the conditions in one of my personal favorite areas in Snowbird. The Bookends contain small cliffs, short chutes, or wide glades: an area of Snowbird that—with a little effort—really brings home the saying “beggars can’t be choosers.” After taking in the amazing view of Mineral Basin, we split briefly, with one person in our party opting for some of the short chutes, and the other person and myself traversing a little farther to skier’s right to find more shin- and knee-deep snow. Soft, creamy snow took a lot out of my out-of-shape, Midwest-trained legs, but the conditions were too good to let it get the best of us. Determined not to give up after only 4 runs (but almost 7,000 vertical feet), we shot down Chip’s Run to the Mid-Gad lodge for lunch.

Mid-Gad is an imposing facility with a glass façade that faces out at most of Gad valley and the valley below Snowbird. It boasts an espresso bar, made-to-order café, and even a small beer selection. It’s the perfect place to beat the larger crowds that gather during the day at the tram deck or other base facility. The food is good, and the beer is cold. It’s all you really need to let your calves and quads cool down for a bit.

After lunch, we decided to try out an area that, despite all of our trips here, had only recently been “discovered” by our group. After taking the Gad 2 chair, we screamed down a short way on a groomer (that I fell on, coincidentally,) to skier’s right at the top of the chair. There, we went through a gate and traversed for about 5-7 minutes until the woods opened up around us, revealing wide, powdery pine glades with the imposing backdrop of Mount Superior and the rest of the Wasatch staring down at us. This amazing view—the towering mountains literally shooting above me, almost disorientating me—literally took my breath away. After a few pictures, it was time to give the legs one last burn test, and we picked our way around the pine tree glades. The snow was shin deep and soft, forcing you to really drive your tips and keep speed in your turns, as the wetness of the surface gobbled up your speed. We made our way down to just above the Baby Thunder chair with only two real stops—one to rest, and the other to pick myself up off a pine tree I juiced while attempting an ill-planned sharp left turn—we stopped to watch some people hit a large embankment of snow, throwing back flips and 360s. Deciding it was time to call it a day to save our legs for another day of skiing, we tore down the softly pitched, untouched corduroy around Baby Thunder and back to the Gadzoom chair to head to the car.

We packed up and made our way to the tram deck to enjoy some cold beers. We found the place alive with activity: live music, people socializing and talking about the day’s conquests. It was exactly the type of environment a skier yearns for as après. With the sunny Wasatch Mountains and Mount Superior hovering above for the background to the end of a perfect day, we bid farewell to Snowbird for the 2007-2008 season with a hoist of a cold Coors Light (sorry, Wasatch, I know we’re actually “tapping the Rockies,”) as people laughed and reveled in the waning hours a gorgeous bluebird day.

No matter what aspect you love in skiing—or all of them at once, as I do—Snowbird can fill those blanks for you. If you desire snow, you can find it in the right spots—such as Baldy and above Baby Thunder, even in April. If it’s terrain, there’s no end to it. With a little traversing or a little hiking, you can pick your lines through the Bookends. And if it’s the atmosphere, you can find it anywhere people gather at Snowbird; such as the tram deck after the last chair passes through the fly wheel. Snowbird offers it all, wrapped neatly with amazing scenery and packaged as stories that you’ll tell your friends for years to come.

User Photos (click to enlarge)

I find the reviews here interesting to say the least. If you want to ski, then Snowbird is the place. If it is pampered accomodations and great food....go somewhere else. The Bird has the best lift accessed steeps in the country. I have been skiing here since 1982, at least one week a year. Have ALWAYS got a powder day even in the lean years. They are starting to groom more runs each night for the intermediates. With a diverse group the advanced can leap into the upper cirque and the intermediates can ski a groomer and still hook-up part way down. If you like it steep and deep this is the place. Wimps should go somewhere else.

I have been coming to Snowbird for almost 25 years, long before wife, kids, etc. For some time the latter (wife & kids) have been getting me to try other mountains, so we have skied many advanced places in Europe and North America (even Portillo in Chile a couple of summers ago). Now that my kids are old enough and advanced enough, they agree with me. THERE IS NO PLACE ON THE PLANET AS GOOD AS SNOWBIRD!!! (if you like steep & deep).

lcc (little cottonwood canyon) is very unique it is a closed canyon and snowbird is almost at the top so the storms can't leave till the clouds are lite enough to rise OVER the top of the canyon.the great salt lake is 30 miles northwest of snowbird.the storms pick up energy and saltwater as the storms come in .the salt sucks the moisture out and the snow gets lite.I mean lite.you can be snowboarding on a 20 inch day and still be hitting the bottom.You also can get 100 inches in a week and still get 2 bluebird days in there somewhere.it is a safe bet for a ski trip they always have tons of snow it snows often,the snow quality stays good for the most part even day or 2 after a storm.The fresh snow does get skied out really quick maybe under 1 hour.Lots of pros skiing and boarding, all the locals are hardcore.Do not go to snowbird if you do not consider yourself to be an expert skier that can ski deep powder and very steep tight rocky exposed areas. if you can then go there bring a camera pack a snorkel for the powder and ski it hard.It is not for the family skiers,and it is not good for kids.The resort on a good day in the right spot is as equal as any heli run out there but you got there from the tram.

Snowbird makes every other resort in the west look like childs play. Every resort in Colorado would kill to be as steep, challenging and would only hope to get half as much snow. Colorado is the minor leagues, if you think you are ready to step up to the big leagues come to snowbird.