Interconnect offers a unique ski adventure

On a map, a thumb print can cover Utah's five central ski resorts. On skis, it takes less than a day to connect the dots. In the minds of most people, the impression is the resorts are separated by whole mountain ranges.

In truth, all that stands between five Utah ski areas in Park City and Big and Little Cottonwood canyons is a couple of mountain slopes and a few patches of trees.

All of which makes skiing between the five, a trip called the Interconnect, an adventure that is very possible. It also makes this skiing experience unique in this part of the world — five world-class ski areas, all different, all unique, and all skied, top to bottom, after the ski lifts open and finished before the ski lifts close.

And, for the most part, it's all downhill, albeit for the rides up the chairlifts and a short hike over the Highway to Heaven.

The Interconnect was introduced 23 years ago and, over the years, basic routes haven't changed much. It starts at Park City Mountain Resort, goes to Solitude, then to Brighton, back to Solitude for lunch and then over the mountain to Alta and Snowbird.

What has changed, said Mark Menlove, one of the guides for the daily tour, are the options.

"The route varies according to conditions and ability levels of the group," Menlove said.

"There's some really good skiing if you traverse over to some powder fields, or we can continue down and pick up Diana's and Doll House, or go down the Guardsman's Pass road and through the trees to the Mill F drainage," he explained as he pointed out features in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

The trail finishes across the road from Solitude. Three chairlifts then drop skiers off at the Summit, which looks down over Brighton. The Upper SolBright trail leads down to Twin Lakes, and from there a series of rollers drops skiers at the base of Millicent lift.

"We can traverse to an area and pick up some good powder or ski down to the lift," said Menlove. "We can also traverse Brighton Bowl and pick up Pole Line. It was cut for an old power line. The poles are gone now and the snow is usually excellent in there, even when it hasn't snowed for a time."

The route then returns to Solitude, where lunch is served. After dining, two chairs return skiers to the Summit, where a short climb takes skiers to the entrance to Highway to Heaven, a 500-yard walk up a slight incline to the pass that overlooks Alta.