It doesn’t take a caucus to reach consensus on why Utah should be near
the top of any wish list. Take it from three non-political ski writers
who every year agree on a pilgrimage to Salt Lake City and its great
array of ski resorts.
Bob Dever, Paul Hand and I got a jump on
a new ski season by flying from Philadelphia to Utah in the first week
of December. We picked up a car at the airport on the lake and within
an hour we unloaded our gear at a time-share condo in Park City.
In about the same amount
of time we could just as easily have arrived in Alta, Snowbird,
Brighton, or Solitude. But we like the central location of Park City,
for its size and choices. Only minutes away are The Canyons and Deer
Valley and we visit the other resorts on agreeable day trips through
breathtaking landscapes.
We timed our trip to be
at Deer Valley first for their annual celebrities race, in which pros
ski with show-biz personalities. We got a chance to interview stars
like the Mahre brothers, Tommy Moe, Heidi Voelker and Hilary Lindh.
And the posh resort’s corduroy slopes gave us a comfortable first day
out on our own skis..
A different area every
day, plentiful snow and pleasant weather---Hamlet never had a better
“consummation devoutly to
be wished.”
At Alta we hooked up with friends from
the east, who every year return to the slopeside Goldminer’s Daughter
lodge. They, however, stand pat; they are so happy with the terrain at
the historic ski area that they don’t venture elsewhere.
We had a great day at The Canyons, skiing with Nathan
Rafferty, president of Ski Utah, who lamented that his state at the
moment didn’t have for us fluffy new snow that Utah is so proud of
that license plates toot “the greatest snow on earth.” But we were
happy enough to ski on manicured trails. Had there been deep powder,
we would have been relegated to the sidelines while Nathan blasted
through the trees.
BRIGHTON
By
Paul Hand
Whenever I go to Utah, Brighton is an area to
be revisited. The topography and the tree lined slopes remind me of
the trails in New England. Additionally, located at the top of Big
Cottonwood Canyon, Brighton gets over 500, and occasionally, over 650
inches of snow annually. This guarantees the opportunity to ski on
the world famous “Utah Champagne Powder”.
Brighton is easy to reach, only 25 miles from
downtown Salt Lake City or the SLC Airport. Take Route I-215 South
(goes East) to Wasatch Boulevard to the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon
and at the 7-Eleven on the corner, turn left. It is a breath taking
ride up the canyon with great views.
My method of skiing Brighton is to take two
or three warm-up runs from top to bottom off the Crest Express
Hi-speed quad and then move to Snake Creek Express area. There
are several trails through the trees which are great cruisers. The
third area is the most challenging on this side of the resort. It is
reached by Great Western Express. Here are steep “Blues” and
“Blacks” with side trails dropping into gladed areas. The base lodge
is easily reached from the bottom of Great Western, completing the
circle.
On the east side of Brighton is Mt. Millicent
with Millicent and Evergreen chairs. This area has
bowls and ungroomed terrain, along with groomed trails to use to
escape if necessary. It is more open and Utah-like then the central
and western sections.
Brighton offers three slope side dining
choices. The base lodge has a cafeteria while Molly Green’s is a full
service private club. The Brighton Chalet is located at the base of
Mt. Millicent for mid-day snacks.
A Burton Learn-to-Ride Method center is
located at Brighton and snow boarders are ever present. They are
courteous and know how to board safely and share the hill with others.
The area is seldom crowded and offers enough
terrain for a full day’s skiing or boarding.
SNOWBASIN
By
Bob Dever
The secret is getting out and that may
concern the locals. Seventeen miles each of Ogden, UT with easy
access from the Salt Lake City airport and metropolitan area via
Interstates 15 and 84; Snowbasin has “2,650 areas of varying terrain
and a vertical drop of 2,959 feet.” Kevin Stauffer, Guest Service
Supervisor, described the areas as having three distinct
characteristics: Strawberry Peak is similar to Alta; the Needles
central sector, similar to Park City and the Mt. Ogden area to the
eastern boundary like the back bowls of Vail; three resorts for the
price of one.
When the Holding Family, owners and operator
of Sun Valley Idaho and the Grand American and Little American Hotel
Chains, purchased Snowbasin, old timers and season ticket holders were
concerned that ambiance of the resort would disappear. As it turns
out, this was a false fear. A local dentist who has skied at
Snowbasin for years had only praiseworthy comments for the current
status of the resort. He “loves it”.
State of the art gondolas serve the
Strawberry and Needles areas and a hi-speed quad serves the Ogden and
Eastern Bowl areas. Each lift goes to the area peak and provides
access to groomed runs with over 2400 feet of vertical or to ungroomed
and bowl skiing.
After four runs on different trails from the
top of Needles, it was impossible to choose a favorite. Each was
equally excellent with varying challenges and steeps. This proved to
be a great cruising area.
The coup-de-grace is Earl’s Lodge. This
edifice is what concerned the “Locals”. The best of Sun Valley and
Deer Valley is encompassed in this castle at the base. In spite of
the opulent appearance, the cost, quality and service are as good or
better than any other area in UTAH. The “down home” touch and feel of
Snowbasin is felt everywhere at the Lodge and on the mountains. Kevin
and his staff do a great job.
Snowbasin is a “must” on any trip to Utah.
