Location: About nine miles from the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon and 26 miles from the heart of downtown Salt Lake City.
Lifts: Two high-speed quads, seven doubles and one tram (125 people).
Base elevation: 7,760 feet. Top elevation: 11,000 feet.
Skiable area: 2,500-plus acres—25 percent beginner, 30 percent intermediate, 45 percent expert.
Lift passes:
All-day tram $56
All-day chair $47
Half-day tram $48
Half-day chair $40
Combined Snowbird/Alta $68
What it's known for: Some say it's the picturesque setting that attracts thousands of skiers and non-skiers alike. Others say its most distinguishing feature is the tram, a symbol of Snowbird recognized around the world. But it's hard to not recognize the 'Bird's snow . . . so light and fluffy that people come from all over the world to bury themselves in it. Ski magazines consistently rate its snow conditions as among the best in the country. Along with its gently flowing terrain, the resort also has some of the most challenging runs anywhere.
The tram at Snowbird gives skiers a warm trip to the top.
Ravell Call, Deseret News |
If you go: Get there early and head up to Mineral Basin. Once there, set some of the first, and possibly second, third and fourth tracks. Area skiers know they can get a lot of vertical in a short time. A four-minute lift ride opens up 1,400 vertical feet of terrain off the Mineral Basin lift. The next stop are the long runs, 3,240 vertical feet — off the tram. Another trick is to listen to the tram driver on the way up. He or she won't announce newly opened runs, but a savvy skier, while others are watching the scenery, listens to which runs have recently been taken off the closed list. The most popular run at the 'Bird is Big Emma, mainly because it's the most direct route to the bottom and along the way skiers and snowboarders run into the half-pipe and coin-op ski racing. A popular stop for locals after a day of skiing is the small sushi bar at the top of the Cliff Lodge—it's quiet, offers a great view, and the sushi is well worth the stop.
Best-kept secret: Discount tickets, dropping the price of a chair pass to $36, are available through Smiths. Along with that adult pass, the resort offers two free passes for accompanying children 12 and under. That means a family of six—mom, pop and four kids 12 and under—can ski for $72. Another is the oft-forgotten Baby Thunder lift on the western boundaries of the resort. Locals ski out the more popular runs and then while others move to the packed runs, they head for Baby Thunder and runs like Thunder Alley and Alice Avenue to grab some more powder runs.
For more information check out Snowbird's Web site at www.snowbird.com.
