Salt Lake City: The Wasatch At Your Ski Tips -
Salt Lake City is the capital of Utah and, despite any lingering reputation, you can party the night away. A tour of the Mormon Tabernacle is a must.
The ski resorts are within easy drives of downtown Salt Lake in several directions. Let's start in the Park City region at Park City Mountain Resort, broad and steep, and offering some of the most varied terrain in the Wasatch Range. This is home base and training site for U.S. Skiing, the parent corporation of all the American snow sports teams. There are 15 lifts and you can ski or ride on more than 3,300 acres.
The Canyons is just plain big. There are 3,500 skiable acres and terrain for everyone. You'll find long, cushy cruisers, steep and deep adrenalin enhancers, and wide, appealing bowls. It's only four miles from town and the accompanying nightlife.
The third resort in Park City is Deer Valley, where Stein Eriksen, the charming Olympian of many moons ago, is your host. You'll swear he hasn't aged. Deer Valley prides itself on its commitment to customer service - and consistently raises the bar for itself in this regard.
Head up Little Cottonwood Canyon for about 30 miles to Snowbird and Alta, just a mile (and another world) apart from one another.
Snowbird has the largest vertical rise in Utah and is among the top ten in the nation. It offers a challenging brand of skiing and riding, along with good intermediate terrain. There are 2,500 acres with 11 lifts serving 89 runs. The lodges are stylish and comfortable.
Alta feels like skiing as it used to be. The skiing and lifts are as modern as the day is long, and the handful of classic ski lodges are as warm and comfy as the night is cold. Alta is one of those areas that never changed its desire to preserve and protect the ski experience of its guests. The Alta "skiing emphasis" attempts to match the number of skiers with its facilities. There is little question that the small cluster of classic ski lodges atop Little Cottonwood Canyon is home to one of the finest ski experiences in the world. If you need a big city fix, Salt Lake City is just down the canyon.
Now, to Big Cottonwood Canyon and skiing and riding at Brighton and Solitude ski areas. Brighton has been welcoming skiers for almost three-quarters of a century. There are 1,050 acres with all terrain accessible by highspeed quads, terrain parks, and all the expected resort amenities. There's night skiing and riding, too.
Some say it’s a serene, peaceful work 12 miles up Big Cottonwood that is best described as “solitude.” Solitude Mountain Resort has been around for a half century and offers a European style-lodging village, and skiing and riding a vertical of 2,047 feet. There are eight lifts, including one high-speed quad, one fixed quad, two triple chairs, and four double chairs.
The gateway airport, of course, is Salt Lake City International. There are shuttles to all the resorts and downtown is very close for a quick taxi ride. There may be no more convenient ski center in the U.S. than here.
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