Heads up Ikon Pass holders in Utah, because the landscape at Wasatch ski resorts is about to shake up. Alterra Mountain Company announced changes to the Ikon Pass that is good news for Full Ikon Pass holders, and very bad news for Ikon Base Pass holders. Snowbasin and Sun Valley Join Ikon The big news…
Tag: Alta
Outdoor News Roundup for January 21, 2022
Alta to Replace Sunnyside Chairlift with High-Speed 6-Pack More new lift infrastructure is coming to Alta, when the Sunnyside lift will be replaced with a detachable, high-speed 6-pack. Sunnyside is a high-speed 3-seater servicing beginner terrain, and is also used as a feeder lift to Supreme and Sugarloaf. Alta Ski Area is planning on replacing…
How to Make Sense of Confusing Alta Parking Reservations
December 18, 2021 marks the first time Alta will require paid parking reservations at the resort. With overflowing crowds due to the Ikon Pass, as well as swelling outdoor recreation use as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon has seemingly reached a breaking point. In an attempt to bring order to…
Friday Video: Alta’s Farmer Dave
If you’ve ever skied Alta, perhaps you’ve seen dozens of perfectly spooned ski tracks falling in a row across a slope. Those parallels of turns were “farmed” by Dave Van Dame, also known as “The Farmer.” Van Dame is an icon at Alta, with his recognizable, sun-faded red Marmot jacket. Ever more recognizable are the…
Central Wasatch Commission and Alta dispute escalates
The dispute between Alta Ski Area and the Central Wasatch Commission (CWC) continues to escalate. On Wednesday, Alta sent emails to its subscriber list asking their pass holders to sign a petition in support of the resort. This after Alta was carved out of the Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Act. In that email…
Alta Ski Patrol gives back for Adam Naisbitt Living Memorial
Trails and boulders in Little Cottonwood Canyon look a lot cleaner now after Alta Ski Patrol spent a day this week giving back to the community. With Alta Ski Area under limited operation for the remainder of the season, Alta Ski Patrol took time to gather and remove graffiti from boulders and do maintenance work…
Close the season with a Ski Utah Powder Alert
It’s mid April and many Utah ski resorts are closed for the season. But don’t hang up those skis and snowboards just yet, because a big storm is on the way and it will bring winter back to the Wasatch. This late-season storm is so impressive that Ski Utah has issued a Powder Alert. Powder…
Ikon Pass announces price structure, lands with thud in Utah
When the newly-formed Alterra ski company announced a new season pass product called the Ikon Pass, skiers were hopeful for an alternative to Vail’s Epic Pass. With top-notch Utah resorts as part of the Ikon Pass, including Deer Valley, Alta and Snowbird, many were excited to see what the price structure would be. Did Alterra…
February frenzy: a look back at the biggest storm of the season
It’s the storm we’ve all been waiting for! A huge blast of deep powder plastered Utah from mountain summit to valley floor. After a dismal start from November to mid-February in terms of snowfall, it finally happened: the reason skiers live in Utah. A huge round of the greatest snow on earth created a February…
Wasatch ski conditions update: 02-12-18
A little bit of powder goes a long way. Once again a small storm swept over the Wasatch Mountains, leaving 5-6 inches on the ground. While that doesn’t sound like much to local skiers used to storms that drop snow measured in feet, not inches, this season those small amounts have meant a world of…