Utah Ski Preview 2011-2012

Utah's ski/board season will get underway during the next few weeks, and all indicators suggest it will be one of the best ever. The weatherman says we can expect another La Niña pattern, which means we will probably get more snow than normal. We may be in for a repeat of last year's epic snow totals. To be ready, our resorts have been making improvements, including the addition of new runs, lifts and terrain.

More and better are buzz words being heard at the resorts. And the world is taking notice. Utah resorts dominated many categories in the latest SKI magazine reader survey. Below is a synopsis:

• Deer Valley Resort earned the overall number one spot as the best resort in North America, for a remarkable five years in a row
• Park City Mountain Resort, Canyons Resort and Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort joined Deer Valley in the top 20 overall
• Deer Valley won top honors for weather, grooming, on-mountain food, dining, lodging and service
• Alta topped the rankings for overall satisfaction, character and snow
• Powder Mountain for value
• Snowbird came in at #2 for terrain challenge

Insider Tip
Resorts offer some of their best values during the early season. Many offer early-bird discounts on lodging and lift passes. The week before Christmas brings the first big surge of skiers. Until then, resorts will not be crowded and there will be plenty of discounts available.

For example, Snowbird is offering an "Early Bird Stay and Ski Package" starting at just $99. See details.

Solitude Mountain Resort plans to open on November 11 (conditions permitting). Other resorts will follow quickly and most will be open by the Thanksgiving holiday.

Last year it looked like the ski season would never end. Snowbird, which typically has one of the longest seasons in the world, offered skiing through the Fourth of July.

Resort Improvements
Major resort improvements include a new lift at Park City. The historic Three Kings lift has been replaced by a triple chair that will increase capacity by 50 percent to the popular Three Kings terrain park.

Park City also added two conveyor lifts in the new beginner’s area and made modifications to its 22-foot Eagle Superpipe.

Beaver Mountain added a lift and nearly 450 acres of new skiable terrain.

Powder Mountain has added 350 acres

Eagle Point has added 200 new acres of skiable terrain.

All of our resorts have worked to improve snow grooming and overall facilities.

National Park Trips

November is a great month to visit Utah's red rock country. Most of our national parks are located at lower elevations where temperatures are mild. Fall foliage is still blazing with color and crowds are non-existent.

Late fall is the perfect time to auto tour, hike and bike in the Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Grand Staircase and Zion areas.

Bryce Canyon is located at a higher elevation and it will soon start to pick up snow. Even with snow, it is still possible to tour the Bryce Canyon rim and enjoy the many majestic viewpoints. Many people think Bryce is most beautiful when snow flocks the pine bows and dusts the multicolored hoodoos.

All of our parks are open year-round. The parks will wave entrance fees November 11-13, in celebration of Veterans Day weekend.

Moab bustles with activity during the warm months but is delightfully deserted during the late fall and early winter. Several fun events are scheduled during the cold season, but they do not attract nearly as many tourists as the warm weather festivals. It is fun to visit the town when hotel rooms and campsites are plentiful, and when you can find solitude on the trails.

St George is a year-round destination offering great winter activities. People enjoy golfing, hiking and biking during the winter months because the weather is usually very mild. Many appealing events are scheduled in the area during the next several weeks.

See our events calendar for details about events all around Utah.

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