Salt Lake City, UT – With 11 of Utah’s 14 ski and snowboard resorts located less than an hour’s drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport, skiers in the know who vacation in Utah spend more time enjoying the slopes and less time in the car. A host of new on- and off-hill improvements, pass offerings, packages and more will greet those skiers this winter.
New Pass Offerings
Utah’s resorts are stepping up their pass offerings for the 2013-14 season. Alta and Snowbird have announced that both resorts in Little Cottonwood Canyon are offering 50% off day tickets within 24 hours of arrival if they pre-register, although full details about the new program were not yet available at press time. Next door in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Brighton Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort have teamed up to introduce the Big Cottonwood Pass with access to over 3,700 acres of terrain, more than 130 marked runs and 15 lifts. The scenic SolBright trail connects the two resorts and has been regraded and widened this winter to accommodate riders of all abilities. For $999, this joint pass is valid at both resorts throughout the entire season with no blackout dates and includes night skiing at Brighton.
Alta, Deer Valley, Park City Mountain Resort and Snowbird have teamed up to offer qualifying season pass holders at the four participating resorts three days each of free lift access at each of the other three mountains. With a Snowbird or Alta season pass you also get free ridership on UTA Ski Bus Routes and TRAX, 50% off day passes at Aspen/Snowmass, Jackson Hole, Mammoth, Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, Whistler Blackcomb, Durango Mountain Resort, Red Lodge Mountain, Homewood Mountain Resort, and Wachusett Mountain Ski Area and discounts to on-hill amenities.
Now under Vail Resorts management, Canyons Resort’s Epic Pass is priced at $709, and includes unlimited skiing and riding at Canyons, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Eldora, Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood. The Epic Pass also includes five days at each Verbier, Switzerland; Arlberg, Austria; and now Les 3 Vallées, France.
Alta was one of the four inaugural destinations in the Mountain Collective last season, which for the 2013-14 season has combined with Snowbird. The Mountain Collective is an alliance of independent resorts Alta, Snowbird, Aspen/Snowmass, Jackson Hole, Mammoth Mountain, Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows and Whistler Blackcomb. Those who join the Mountain Collective for $379 receive two free days and an unlimited 50% off lift tickets at each destination, plus exclusive lodging deals.
Snowbasin, along with 12 mountains in the West have joined forces to create the Powder Alliance. The participating resorts offer three free days of skiing to anytime pass holders from other participating Powder Alliance areas, plus special offers on lodging, rentals, buddy tickets and more. These 12 mountains include Snowbasin Resort, Crested Butte, Sierra-at-Tahoe, Stevens Pass, Timberline, Schweitzer, China Peak, Mountain High, Arizona Snowbowl, Mt Hood Skibowl, Angel Fire Resort, and Bridger Bowl.
Improvements On and Off the Mountain
On the hill, Snowbird is installing the only new chairlift in Utah for winter 2013-14. The original Gad 2 chairlift, dating back to 1971, is being replaced with a high-speed detachable quad, which will cut the ride time in half. Snowbird is also expanding their Cat Skiing for Nature operations to open up more terrain without the traverse. Cat Skiing for Nature was introduced to the resort last season and gives clients access to the Mary Ellen Gulch, the next drainage southwest of Mineral Basin.
Snowbird is launching a new blog called SkiMums. It is all about moms taking care of themselves and having a great time on the mountain. The SkiMums will meet on Mondays and the group will periodically ski with an instructor and other days adventure on their own.
Deer Valley is building a new ski run on Little Baldy Mountain called “Gnat’s Eye” for the upcoming season, aimed at beginner level skiers. The resort is also investing $4.5 million for upgrading air water snowmaking guns, purchasing two more ultra low energy-efficient SnowLogic tower guns, 24 new EPA-approved Ski-Doo mountain snowmobiles and three new Prinoth snowcats. For summer 2014 operations, Deer Valley is cutting a new hiking-only trail on Flagstaff Mountain.
Solitude has spent the summer regarding and widening the SolBright trail to better facilitate its connection with Brighton Resort, with which it is offering the new combined season pass this winter. Brighton Resort is implementing a hands-free, RFID (radio frequency identification) Access Ticket system this summer, which will allow access through entry gates to get on the lifts. The Access Ticket system is the same system that Solitude uses and allows the two resorts to partner on the new Big Cottonwood pass.
A new girls only terrain park will also open at Brighton during the 2013-14 season. Brighton is working with Grete Elliassen, a professional freeskier from Salt Lake City, to design the girls-only park along with Burton and Red Bull.
By digging a fourth water well, Snowbasin Resort increased their snowmaking capacity to over 615 acres. More snowmaking will mean that the resort can open more terrain earlier in the season for their guests. The resort is also partnering with Burton Snowboards to build a dinosaur Riglet Park and Learn to Snowboard program for ages 3-6 years old. A Rossignol Experience System is being introduced as the rental outlet and will feature all the new Rossignol Experience equipment.
In 2013-14, Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) will celebrate half a century of skiing, snowboarding, and an intimate connection with one of the world’s great ski towns. First as Treasure Mountain, then Park City Ski Area and finally as Park City Mountain Resort, PCMR has grown into a premier winter resort that attracts guests from all over the country and the world. From the “Skiers’ Subway” (an early effort to use a mine train and tunnel to access the slopes) to high-speed six-packs, PCMR has been at the center of skiing and snowboarding’s growth in North America over the past five decades. The resort has scheduled a full slate of activities and events to commemorate the occasion.
Also celebrating a milestone, Ski Utah’s Interconnect Tour is enjoying its 30th birthday this year. The tour takes advanced and expert alpine skiers on an odyssey exploring Utah’s resorts and off-piste terrain. Groups ranging from three to a maximum of 12, ski with highly educated guides who lead tours departing from either Deer Valley or Snowbird. New for the 2013-14 season, private trips can be completely customized to suit the wishes of the skiers.
Both Snowbird and Park City Mountain Resort recently welcomed brand new search and rescue puppies. At Snowbird is Marty, a Czech German Sherpard named after Marty Hoey, a Snowbird ski Partroller who passed away climbing Mt. Everest. And over at PCMR is Lilly, a Labrador–Pointer mix.
Off the mountain, the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) completed its latest project last spring, a new TRAX light rail line from Salt Lake City International Airport to downtown Salt Lake City. This new line not only provides streamlined transit to Utah’s urban core but, with a quick transfer at Salt Lake’s Intermodal Hub, skiers and boarders can find bus connections all the way up to the hill, and to Ogden and Provo as well. Salt Lake City is developing public transit faster than any other city in North America.
Alta’s Rustler Lodge is getting a makeover this summer. It includes brand new guest rooms with gas fireplaces, new indoor and outdoor Jacuzzis, a new sauna, three new spa-treatment rooms and a new pedicure-manicure room.
New Packages
Deer Valley’s new Ski, Stay & Dine Package allows guests to enjoy the resort’s award-winning cuisine, luxury accommodations, renowned skiing and service along with a 20% savings on lodging and lift tickets at participating properties. The package includes a $50 dining certificate valid at any of Deer Valley Resort’s owned and operated evening restaurants.
Guests can also stay at Sundance Mountain Resort and ski for free this winter. Book your stay in one of Sundance’s luxurious mountain cottage and receive two free lift passes per night of stay, along with night skiing and cross-country access to the Sundance Nordic Center. Sundance also offers an opportunity to experience the Sundance Film Festival at the place where it all began. Enjoy screenings in the Sundance Screening Room, as well as in Park City in late January.
Alta’s First Sleep-around is an introduction to the unique lodging and skiing that Alta has to offer. With the package, scheduled for Dec. 5-8 only the guest will get three nights of lodging at a different lodge each night including daily breakfast, on-mountain lunch and dinner, three days of skiing, demo skis each day and a tour of the mountain on the first day. Alta promises that they’ll make the nightly move from lodge to lodge seamless for the guest.
New Dining Options
The classic hearty ski lunch — burgers, nachos, pizza — will always be popular, but many resorts and their creative chefs are now offering healthier on-hill options.
New management brings some “fancy” additions to the pub menu at Powder Mountain’s Powder Keg, including a mouth-watering Kale and Grapefruit Salad. Crisp and tart, this delightful surprise is unpretentiously served up on a paper plate in true Powder Mountain style. Located at mid-mountain off Alta’s Collins lift, both Collins Grill and Watson Café use suppliers who are as local and sustainable as possible. A favorite, the balsamic beet salad is tossed in sweet balsamic dressing over fresh organic spinach with gorgonzola and basil.
Utah resorts aren’t only offering more unique food options, but are expanding their exceptional wine selections. The Aerie in the Cliff Lodge at Snowbird Resort features over 1,000 wines to choose from, with expansive choices in Bordeaux, Cabernet and wines from the Alsace that complement the menu of sushi and game. Wine Spectator, the authoritative magazine on viticulture, recognized Deer Valley Resort’s restaurant, The Mariposa, with its Award of Excellence for 2013.
Olympic Legacy
Utah hosted the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and 12 years later boasts the most active ongoing Olympic venue use in the world. From ski jumping events to the naming ceremony for the first-ever U.S. Olympic Freeskiing Team, the road to Sochi starts in Utah.
Upcoming events include U.S. Nordic Combined and Ski Jumping at Utah Olympic Park on Dec. 29, the FIS Freestyle World Cup at Deer Valley Jan. 8-11, and the U.S. Sprint Grand Prix, including the U.S. Olympic Freeskiing Team announcement ceremony at Park City Mountain Resort Jan. 17-19.
With unprecedented accessibility to the Salt Lake City International Airport, world-class event venues and training facilities, many Olympic athletes choose to call Utah home. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association is based in Park City and Olympic hopefuls train at the 85,000-square foot Center of Excellence, which opened in 2009 and offers programs in everything from cardio to sports physiology and nutrition. The 2002 Games put Utah on the map for skiers and the state has seen a 38 % increase in skier day visits since then. Direct expenditures from skier and snowboarders have increased 83% from $704 million in 2002-03 to $1.29 billion in 2012-13.