It’s not hard to over hear in lift lines or even on message boards and forums across the internet how special of a place Alta Ski Resort is.  “One of a kind”, “Unbelievable”, “Unique”.

If you’ve not been to Alta and skied it on a powder day, it is something you need to do before you cash in your chips.  Regardless of equality and “justice for all”, most who ski Alat will contend that all powder is not created equal while other resorts will claim injustice!

No matter how undiscriminating Mother Nature is,  she does play favorites when it comes to the quality AND quantity of snow at Alta.

This video highlights the experience of skiing Alta and tries to put into words the feeling that is often so hard to verbalize.  It’s a good effort but perhaps comes up short, as words often can.

Utah Vacation Homes has more than a few properties close to Alta – Check them out.

The anticipation was palpable among the 125 lucky skiers willing to brave early morning lines.  At 8:15 I was somewhat near the back of the line.  I condemned myself to the fearful fate of missing first tram. 

Tram line 40 minutes before Snowbird Ski Resort opened on Novemeber 7, 2008

 But it was not to be!!!!  I made it in the golden carriage, otherwise known as “blue tram”.  Me and 124 other lucky skiers and snowboarders won the right to enjoy nearly five feet of the greatest snow on earth.

After uloading, I turn to see the blue tram at Snowbird Ski Resort traveling back down to get skiers 252 to 376 waiting below.

It’s difficult at this point to believe how beautiful the mountains look.  My last tram departure was on June 14th, 2008.  Yep, Snowbird was still open with fantastic coverage even in summer! 

Little Cloud Bowl - every true skier or boarder has been tested here.

I didn’t come to sight see, so I turned my eyes down to Regulator Johnson below.  Was it worth it? 

Regulator Johnson waits below with armfuls of Utah powder.

Is the biggest always the best?  Well, that’s hard to say and harder to argue but one things for sure – The Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah has enough terrain to last for days.  The fact that I’ve probably skied at The Canyons well over 500 days (I worked there for 8 years) and still find stashes of powder and unique vistas is evidence.

The Canyons holds 3700 acres of lift serviced skiing terrain.  It’s somewhat split by the southern end and the northern end with the Gondola and the Saddleback lift as the middle ground.  For a new comer skiing The Canyons can be a bit confusing given its shear size.  It’s one of those resorts where a few minutes familiarizing yourself with the trail map is worthwhile.

But don’t fret, if you happen to take an unintended turn chances are you’ll find a new adventure on a trail that meanders through aspens, pines or even a glade or three. Variety is the menu at The Canyons.

Kendall Card on Murdock Peak at The Canyons - photo by Erik Seo

Take for example this image above, taken on Murdock Peak by my friend and photographer Erik Seo.  Everything you see in the background is part of The Canyons, waiting to be explored.

So bring a sense of adventure and at least a couple of days to explore and you’ll likely find things I still haven’t managed to sniff out.

Lodging Options Near The Canyons Resort

Utah Vacation Homes has a number of properties in Park City and more specifically near The Canyons. Here are a few:

Vintage on the Strand
Do you like Ski In Ski Out? Vintage on the Strand is a new luxury town home slopeside at The Canyons. It doesn’t get any closer than this. Why go to the day lodge for lunch when you can ski back to the town home and cook up something nice, slip off the boots, enjoy some couch time before heading back out on the slopes? 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths will sleep up to 12 with a pile of amenities to make your stay heavenly.

Hidden Creek #1
When Ski In Ski Out isn’t in the budget, perhaps right at the base of the mountain is. Hidden Creek #1 is literally 50 yards (110 steps in ski boots) from the base of The Canyons cabriolet. No need to rent a car as you can walk to skiing or take the free town shuttle to ski Deer Valley or Park City. 4 bedrooms and 3 baths sleep up to 11 people. Soaking in the private hot tub while other skiers are waiting in traffic to get back to their hotel will remind you how very worth it Hidden Creek is.

Penthouse at Bear Hollow
There are a number of homes, town homes and condos that Utah Vacation Homes offers in the Bear Hollow Village but the Penthouse at Bear Hollow is a great option for a familyski vacation to Park City. 3 bedrooms and 2 baths sleep up to 7 within 1330 square feet. If you’re planning on skiing the Salt Lake Resorts but want to stay in Park City, this is a great location. It’s less than 2 miles from The Canyons

After the kids were fast in bed following a night of tricks and treats, mother nature laid a nice treat on Utah the next day with 10″ of snow reported at Snowbird’s Hidden Peak summit.

As I type this another storm is rolling in and is estimated to lay another 1-2 FEET of Utah’s World famous snow on the Wasatch Mountains.

How good is Utah’s snow?  Well, not every snowflake is Utah worthy. Watch this little video and decide for yourself.

iPhone Users

Want to get the latest snow report to your iPhonesn this winter?  Check out the Ski Utah iPhone Snow Report app. I found it while at the Utah Life Elevated microsite where you can also download the widget for your desktop which is certain to decrease productivity even more.

Just doing what we can to help ease the pain, or increase the anticipation that is if you’ve already landed a sweet deal on a vacation package.