The Freedom of a Higher Powder
The colors of the season are green, black and blue.
Whether you are a professional ski bum or have never stepped a foot into a ski boot, it’s time to get ready for the season.
With so many nationally acclaimed ski resorts near by, it would be a crime not to take advantage of them.
This season, we’ve done the homework for students by providing everything you need to know about seven of Utah’s northern ski resorts:
The Canyons:
The Canyons is one of the four largest ski and snowboard resorts in the United States. It caters to skiers of all skill levels. According to their Web site, they have a total of eight peaks, 146 trails and 3,500 acres “of the most diverse skiing and riding terrain in Utah.”
Scheduled to open:
Nov. 19
Lift Information:
Beginner: 14% (Green Circle)
Intermediate: 44% (Blue Square-more difficult)
Expert: 42% (Black Diamond-most difficult)
1 eight-person gondola
5 high-speed quads
7 other fixed-grip lifts
Rental rates:
Ski: Full-day-ski/boots/poles: $36
Snowboard: Full-day package $36
All rates posted for the 2005/2006 season are price per day for one to four days. Every day after four days is charged at 50 percent the one-day rate.
Location:
Park City, Utah
Approximately 115.62 miles from Logan
Estimated distance: 2.5 hour drive.
Beaver:
Close to home, Beaver Mountain is just 27 miles outside of Logan. A trip from campus to Beaver Mountain takes about a 30-minute drive up Logan Canyon. At 7,800 feet, the summit provides a great view of Bear Lake.
Scheduled to Open:
To be determined
Lift Information:
5 total lifts
Rentals:
All-day package ski/boots/poles: $18
Half-day package: $13
Snowboard Package: $23
Half-day board package: $16
Location:
27 miles east of Logan.
Powder Mountain:
With 5,500 acres and 86 runs covering three mountains, Powder Mountain is the biggest ski resort in the United States. Powder Mountain has no need to bother with artificial snow, since they gain 500 inches of real snow each year. Their motto is “More Fun, Real Snow.” According to their Web site, Powder Mountain is renowned for untracked powder, a variety of runs and freshly groomed trails each morning.
Scheduled to open:
Mid-November
86 total runs: 10% beginner, 50% intermediate, 40% advanced
Lift Information:
2 Double
1 Triple
1 Quad
7 total lifts
Rental rates:
Complete Ski Set: $15.50
Location:
Eden, Utah.
Drive time: 1 hour, 10 minutes from Logan
Estimated distance: 60 miles
Snowbird:
Providing 3,240 Ski-able acres with more than 500 inches of annual snowfall makes Snowbird the number one resort in America according to the 2003-04 Ski Magazines. Snowbird has Utah’s longest ski season, which usually runs from mid-November through mid-May.
Scheduled to open:
Nov. 19
85 total runs: 27% Beginner, 38% Intermediate, 35% Advanced
Lift Information:
1 aerial tram
10 chairlifts
3 high-speed detachable quads
7 doubles and two rope tows.
Rental rates:
Snowbird has four on-site ski and snowboard shops available to rent, buy or demo a variety of skis and snowboards.
Location:
Snowbird, Utah
Total distance: 108 miles
Drive time: 2 hours
Park City:
With a total of 3,300 acres, seven peaks and nine bowls, Park City Mountain Resort was recently named a top-five resort in the 2005-06 reader’s poll in Ski Magazine.
Scheduled to open:
Nov. 19
100 trails: 18 Easier, 44 More Difficult, 38 Most Difficult
Lift Information:
14 total lifts
4 high-speed, six-passenger chairs
2 high-speed quads
Rental rates:
Ski: skis/boots/poles: $40
Snowboard: Board/bindings/Boots: $31
Location:
Park City, Utah
Total Distance: 115 miles
Drive time: 2.5 hours from Logan.
Sundance:
Sundance Ski Resort was named one of the best lesser-known areas in the country to ski by the editors of Ski Magazine. Sundance has 450 acres of terrain and snow, a vertical drop of 2,150 feet and a variety of runs all the way down.
Scheduled to open:
Dec. 10
Lift Information:
Runs: 41
Lifts: 3
Rental rates:
Ski: skis/boots/poles: $28
Snowboard: Board/bindings/boots:
$31
Location:
Sundance, Utah
Total Distance: 133 miles from
Logan
Drive time: 2.5 hours
Brighton:
The resort started out with a half-inch wire rope and an old elevator drum. Brighton became the first serviced ski area in the state of Utah, according to their Web site. Now, the resort features expanded night terrain, more than 200 acres of snowmaking, a new base lodge facility, a remodeled Ski & Snowboard School and state-of-the-art grooming equipment.
Scheduled to open:
Mid-December
Lift Information:
3 high-speed quads
1 fixed quad
2 double
1 triple
Rental rates:
Adult ski/board package: $28
Location:
Brighton, Utah
Total Distance: 111.5 miles
Drive time: 2 hours
-etippets@cc.usu.edu
(The Canyons)
(The Canyons)