UTAH

 

Utah's 'Snowbird' is the word

 

This story was Published in The Daily Item with 3 accompanying photographs

Published: January 24, 2004

By Heather Burke

Utah mountains have already seen over 25 feet of snow this season. Over the holidays, Little Cottonwood Canyon, home to Snowbird and Alta, received 9 feet of the coveted white stuff in 8 days. North shore skiers looking for quiet turns, a nice break from New England hard-pack, deserve a direct flight to powder nirvana.

With over 40 feet of snow annually, these Utah resorts have a lot more powder in their immediate future, making Snowbird prime now well into April, (they closed after Memorial Day last season).

Snowbird’s self-contained resort is just 29 miles from the Salt Lake City airport. With a direct morning flight from Boston, then a shuttle to the mountain (no need to rent a car – you came to ski, not drive), you can be boarding the aerial tram by noon, and floating through Snowbird’s deep fluffy powder by 12:08p.m.

The “Bird,” as its known to the vertically obsessed, is famed for its extreme bowls and numerous steep chutes reached by the aerial Tram.

To double your fun, two years ago The Bird installed the second of two high-speed lifts on the backside to expand the vast Mineral Basin, and interface with neighboring Alta.

The management teams then launched a reciprocal ticket allowing skiers to ski both Snowbird and Alta, nearly 5,000 combined acres.

Even with all this acreage, there is limited tame terrain - so this may not be the destination of choice for the average intermediate skier.

Here is a day’s itinerary at the Bird: Wake to the sun beaming into your slopeside room at Snowbird’s Cliff Lodge. Grab your gear from the mezzanine level ski lockers, complete with glove and boot dryers.

Click into the boards and ski to breakfast at the Plaza. That’s a fancy name for an outdoor concrete courtyard, which encompasses three stories of shops and restaurants.

At the Forklift café, you can enjoy a filling, though not fanciful, skier’s breakfast. Snowbird is not noted for its culinary delights – you come here to ski. From the café, you are perfectly positioned to catch the Tram at opening bell.

To be part of the Tram Club, you have to cram in with the first on - first up locals at 9am.
If only for a day, it is an ego-blast riding with the Bird’s inner circle. These folks clearly view skiing as a lifestyle not a hobby. Sure enough, I bumped into World Freeskiing champ Jeremy Nobis – quite literally – tramcars are generally packed sardine tight.

I should mention the tram ride is a head rush; the 125-passenger cattle car in the sky whisks you up 2,900’ vertical feet in six minutes. This lift ride is a panic for anyone who fears heights. As you follow the crush off the Tramcar, you are at the 11,000-foot summit of Hidden Peak where the air is thin, the view is fantastic, and the downhill options are bounteous.

You can ski in all directions off Snowbird’s summit. Chip’s Run is a pleasant 2.5-mile warm up run tradition. Beating your tram to the bottom is another rite of passage, then ride back up to the summit to taste another side of the Snowbird snow cone.

The sun hits Mineral Basin first, so this 500-acre backside bowl, added four seasons ago, is a good choice for early morn turns.

Next, head over to “Regulator,” a classic pitch at the Bird. Midway down the mountain, make a water stop at the post and beam Mid-Gad lodge (you must stay hydrated at 11,000-feet to avoid altitude sickness).

From here take a few on the speedy Gadzoom quad. At least take a peak at STH (that’s “Steeper Than you know what”) as you ride up the venerable Gad 2 chair.

If terrain parks are your thing, slide over to the Baby Thunder chair – this western most part of the ski area is brimming with hits, spines and rolls.

Up the Little Cloud lift, in the sun by late morning, you can drop over the backside again, this time bound for the Baldy Express and yet another ski area on the same ticket – Alta.

Crossing over the ski area border is reminiscent of skiing from Zermatt, Switzerland (Snowbird’s sister resort) to Cervinia, Italy. You are surrounded by incredible alpine peaks, but thankfully no language barriers or snooty Europeans. The high altitude ticket checker gives you a nod (and a trail map if you ask), as you enter all new territory – the classic “skiers only” Alta. Snowboarders are turned away at this border, Alta remains one of four areas that prohibits them.

Alta has the flavor of a traditional skiers-only mountain from the 1960’s – it is retro from the chalet architecture to the earthy staff.

Take a few traditional cruisers on the Sugarloaf quad (yes, there is an 11,051’ Sugarloaf in Utah – much bigger than Maine), ski into Germania Bowl to Watson’s Shelter. Score a linen-covered lunch table with views of Alta’s High Traverse and the legendary Baldy Chutes. If you want to call yourself a true Altan, these are must-ski adventures to consider.

After lunch, drop down the “Corkscrew” to Alta’s base and hop on the Wildcat Lift. This classic double chair delivers you to the Keyhole or Westward Ho Gates, either return you to Snowbird in a backcountry blaze. Or you can go the more beaten path from the top of Sugarloaf, which is recommended for less-advanced skiers.

Back at the Bird, you have yet to charge down Snowbird’s most notable steeps under the Tram, Great Scott chute and Mach Schnell. As you descend into Peruvian Gulch, the basin opens up with a dramatic view of the resort below. The Cliff Lodge and Spa, where you booked a 5pm massage, is calling out to your quivering quads.

As you ski toward the Plaza mid-afternoon, you must choose between another Tram ride or the Tram Bar. Locals are way ahead of you - partaking in their earned beverages.

Snowbird’s après ski is ultra laidback, like most Utahans you will encounter. The focus here is on skiing, not glitz, glamour, matching outfits or haute cuisine. After a brew with ski cohorts, your feet are ready to escape the confines of your ski boots.

A refreshing splash in the Cliff Spa’s rooftop pool is the perfect prelude to your therapy of hot stones, salt scrub or traditional Swedish massage. All of the Spa’s treatment rooms have superb views of the slopes, a rewarding reminder of your big Bird day.

Once your muscles have been kneaded, it is time to dine. The resort’s eateries include Mexican, Italian or a steakhouse. The best food, in my opinion, is at the Cliff Lodge Sushi bar (sushi in Utah? that’s what I thought too). The sashimi was fabulously fresh. The views from this top floor are even more outstanding.

For evening amusement, there is usually live music, a lecture series on topics like wolves or avalanche rescue, and sports on the big screen at the Tram Bar.

The other option is to conclude your Snowbird day with a fluffy pillow, and rest up for tomorrow’s predicted powder!

If You Go: You can reserve Snowbird lodging, lifts, and even flights by calling: 1-800- 453-3000 or go to www.snowbird.com
 

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All Photography by Greg Burke

 

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