Where to Ski and Why

Sage Carson, Staff Writer

unnamedEveryone living in Utah has heard the phrase ‘best snow on earth’ it’s on license plates, t-shirts, hats, you name it! What a lot of Utahans don’t realize is that Utah truly is a hub for winter sports such as snowboarding, skiing, and snowshoeing. The snow in Utah is truly some of the best snow on earth, because of our dry atmosphere, the snow is dry, which means it isn’t sticky and is a lot more fun to ski or snowboard in.

Skiing is an opportunity that you can learn at any age, with nearly any condition. For beginners who are interested in skiing, almost every ski resort offers beginning programs – but warning! Not all ski resorts are preferred for beginners! A good resort to start at would be something such as Powder Mountain, a large ski resort with lots of green (easy) and blue (moderate) runs to test out skills on.

For skiers who already have some experience and are looking for something with a little more powder, or just looking for a new place to try out, the ones best reserved for experts would be Snowbird, which has more difficult slopes, Alta, or Snow Basin, all of which have a lot of powder, even if they’re a bit more expensive.

The cold is what is holding most people back from trying out these winter sports, but believe it or not – there are alternatives! Contrary to popular belief, skiers generally don’t get cold going down the slopes (exceptions such as wind or crashing aside) unless they’ve been skiing for a while, but instead the chilling ride in the wind up the lifts is what gets to them. Great alternatives for this would be the gondolas at Snow Basin (which are basically enclosed lifts) or the tram at Snow Bird.

Tight on money? Alta offers a ski free after three program, where anyone can ski free after three! Other than that, day to day prices are rather expensive, but sometimes good deals can be found that can make all the difference.

Of course, there’s also luxury skiing. With posh dining, beautiful bathrooms, and warm lodges – these resorts may cost more, but they certainly have a lot to offer. One of the most commonly known ones is Deer Valley, the ski hub for expensive buyers everywhere. There’s also Snow Basin, which has two high-class lodges and good skiing abound.

These are not all the resorts Utah has to offer, there are certainly many options to choose from, all with different features that make them unique. Utah has so much to offer in the nature department, and if you already like skiing, or have a interest in becoming a skier or snowboarder, this is the place to learn these skills.