Skiing — Park City, Utah — Day 5: Skiing Snowbird and Alta, Utah

A day at Snowbird and Alta — does it get any better?

February 2015

On day 4 of the ski trip, I was pretty excited to be skiing Deer Valley again. The day’s outcome was mixed — good snow, but the place wasn't as I remembered it.

My next stops were the ski areas of Alta and Snowbird. I had skied both areas before, and I remember both as great places to ski. Would they live up to my memories?

I last visited the ski areas of Alta and Snowbird in the 1990s, and I have fond memories of the places. I recalled the skiing was challenging, and it was also at these ski areas I sustained my severe first ski injury — an injured left knee that still causes some problems today.

As we left Park City, we keyed in ‘Snowbird’ on the SatNav, and it said it was 9 miles (ca. 14 km). I was sure that wasn’t right, and it wasn’t. Once it had calculated the route, it was about 40 miles (ca. 64 km). We had to leave the Park City canyon, drive down towards Salt Lake City and then drive up the next canyon to get to Snowbird and Alta.

We skied both areas in one day to take advantage of the joint lift pass and use the crossover point up the mountain.

Skiing Alta, Utah

Alta is next to Snowbird, and a mountain crossover point now links the two.

We drove to Snowbird, parked, bought the pass covering both ski areas, and headed to the cross-over point.

There was something about Alta that clicked with us. The lifts weren’t great, but the snow was fantastic. Was it the skiing with the trees by the side of the trails? Was it the fact that we were in a large bowl surrounded by mountains and not perched on top of a hill as in Deer Valley? I don’t know. There was something about the place that resonated with us.

Alf's Restaurant, Alta, Utah

We had a mid-morning snack at Alf's Restaurant, Alta.

Alf's was a nice mountain-side restaurant with a small shop and a ski tuning place next door. They offered a "get your skis tuned whilst you eat" service. There were some stunning views from the place.

Skiing Snowbird, Utah

One neat feature at Snowbird was the tunnel that linked one part of the ski area to the other. As you rode along the tunnel, there were several exhibits and old photos — all very interesting.

We had a blast in Snowbird. There were some great runs, and the snow was excellent. There was much more snow than at Deer Valley or Park City.

Indeed a stunning day, with excellent conditions. We had a blast.

We thoroughly enjoyed Snowbird. There were no lift lines, the weather was perfect, and there was great snow. It is a skier paradise.

Afternoon snack stop at Mid Gad, Snowbird, Utah

In the afternoon, we stopped at Mid Gad for a snack and a drink.

It was a great place to stop on a sunny day. The deck was busy, and the sun was hot — perfect. And with a great view.

Snowbird has several cafés and rest stops around the mountain, and they looked good and had a great design.

Skiing Snowbird and Alta, Utah — a summary

Well, that was a great day of skiing.

We skied to two cracking resorts — Alta and Snowbird — and we had a blast. They more than lived up to my previous memories of the place.

Both resorts had excellent snow. They are similar but different. Snowbird feels a little more up-market, and Alta feels a little like the poor cousin of Snowbird. Don’t get me wrong, both were exceptional, and I would go back to either or both.

The resorts had similar terrain, and I liked that they were in bowls — you felt the mountains surrounded you. You didn’t get the feeling of exposure that I experienced in Deer Valley.

Snowbird had some great restaurants on the mountain. It felt like more money had been spent on it when compared to Alta, which also tended to have the older, slower lifts.

Yet, having said the above, if you were to press me and say I could only ski one, I would have to go with Alta. There was something about Alta that worked for me.

Thin cover and rocks — the damage they can do

While skiing one run at Snowbird, I knew I had hit a rock. I felt a severe jolt up my leg and heard a terrible crunching sound.

When I looked at my skis, I found:

That is a big chunk out of the base right underneath the bindings. I have never done one that bad. I was lucky not to pop the edge.

The good news was that I had taken out insurance against such damage.

Dinner at Red Banjo Pizza, Park City, Utah

After skiing Alta and Snowbird, we went for dinner at Red Banjo Pizza on Main Street, Park City. Again we took the free bus into town.

The free bus was an excellent service. A bus stop was a few minutes from our hotel — The Yarrow — and the buses were frequent. I doubt we had to wait more than 10 minutes before a bus arrived.

The Red Banjo was a bit basic inside, but don't let that put you off. The pizza was superb, the beer was excellent, and the service was fast.

A good meal to end off a great day of skiing.