Top 5 Things We Love About Alta
This isn’t your grandfather’s resort. (Or, actually... if he was a skier, it probably is.)
Let’s get this out of the way. Alta is for skiers. That means two things: 1. Snowboarding is not allowed; 2. Alta is for those who actually like to ski, as opposed to those who drop ridiculous amounts of money on the latest clothing and gear to wear in the lodge. It’s an Old World–style resort that’s been doing skiing right for four score years (and disgruntling snowboarders for 30 of them).
So, high five to Alta for earning its icon status with 80 plus years of awesomeness. A very high five. Like, all the way at the top. Top 5. This is our top 5 things we love about Alta, is what we’re trying to say.
1. The most snow
If you like skiing, you really like snow, and Alta’s got more of it than any other resort in Utah. With 551” a year (46 feet?!), there’s plenty of powder to go around.
2. More than 100 runs
A perfect resort for beginners and experts alike. A day (or two… or seven...) at Alta will never get old. A series of steep, challenging runs await the experts (or the unjustifiably confident), but two-thirds of Alta’s runs actually cater to beginner and intermediate skiers.
3. No snowboards
Okay, we’re going to offend some dudes and dudettes we legit think are way chill, but sometimes skiing is like picking a cable news network and you just want to hang out with people who share your biases. (And hey, snowboarders, more skiers at Alta means fewer skiers at Brighton!)
4. Stay & play
Alta has a variety of on-resort lodging options. Though downtown Salt Lake City is just 20 minutes down the road, staying at the resort gives you the maximum mountain time. Here are a few options:
Alta's Lodge not to be confused with…
Alta Peruvian Lodge not to be confused with…
5. Alf Engen Ski School
This renowned program offers group or private lessons for adults and children of all skill levels. As good for the 100th timer as it is for the first timer.