Ski resort of the week: Brian Head Resort

History: The Brian Head area was first visited by area settlers in the 1850s and was used for the grazing of cattle and sheep. In the 1890s, as the area's population grew, it became the region's sawmill headquarters because of the abundance of lumber and streams. In addition, Brian Head was famous at that time for its production of butter and cheese, produced in an area called "Little Ireland" at the base of Brian Head Peak. The development of Brian Head Resort as a ski area began in 1964. The resort opened for business in January 1965 with a T-bar and warming house. It has been in continuous operation since. Over the years, it has added six chairlifts, two surface lifts and the Giant Steps and Navajo day lodges during the 1980s. To reflect the growing popularity of the area, the town of Brian Head was incorporated in 1975 to provide basic services and an infrastructure to support the growing ski resort. The resort added a lift-served, six-lane snow-tubing park to its offering in 1998. Brian Head Resort was one of Utah's first winter resorts to offer snowboarding, welcoming snowboarders back in the early 1990s. It will celebrate its 40th anniversary during the 2005-2006 ski and snowboard season, with its guests coming primarily from Las Vegas, southern California, Arizona, St. George and Cedar City.

What you know: Brian Head Resort has two mountains — Navajo and Giant Steps. Navajo Mountain is an entire area dedicated to beginners and children, with two chairlifts, a surface lift, beginner terrain park and 10 runs. There is a full-service learning center at the base of the mountain, with all-inclusive children's programs, a state-licensed day-care center, ski/snowboard school, lift ticket offices, retail shop, day eatery and a fully stocked ski and snowboard rental shop. Chair 6 (Pioneer) is the first stop for beginning skiers, snowboarders and children, with the longer Chair 4 (Navajo) providing access to longer runs and sweeping vistas of the surrounding red rock country. Navajo Mountain is also home to the resort's popular lift-served snow tubing park.

Giant Steps Mountain features four chairlifts and more than 40 intermediate and advanced runs, intermediate and advanced terrain parks and a 12-foot-high, 300-foot-long halfpipe. There is a day lodge at the base of the mountain, with a fully stocked ski and snowboard rental shop, lift ticket office, retail shop and day eatery. The most popular lift is Chair 2 (Giant Steps), which transports guests from the base area to the top of the mountain, providing instant access to the entire mountain. Sunburst is the most popular run on the mountain. It is a wide-open, groomed intermediate run with great views of Cedar Breaks National Monument and the Great Basin Desert.