Snowbird Utah

I have been fortunate enough to ski out west the last two years. This year I didn't expect to go but a last minute opportunity came and I couldn't pass it up. I flew out to Salt Lake City and the views of the outlying Wasatch Mountains were gorgeous. I drove up to Snowbird which was only 30 minutes from the airport. Sarah and I stayed at the Cliff Lodge right at the base of the slopes. They got about 15 inches of snow that night and the skiing was off the hook the next day. Utah is legendary for it's light snow and I was lucky enough to experience it. Everywhere we went powder came up over our boots. The majority of the slopes had a steeper pitch then Breckenridge, Heavenly and North Star at Tahoe so most of the terrain is for intermediate to advanced skiers. Mineral Basin was my favorite part of the mountain because of the wide open terrain, reminded me of Squaw Valley a bit. There is a great mixture of steeps, tree skiing and wide open bowls. The added bonus and biggest difference from anywhere else I have skied is the constant snowfalls. It has about the same amount of groomed runs that Squaw Valley has which isn't many. (Just the way I like it) Overall the skiing experience was fantastic. I enjoyed this mountain just as much as Squaw Valley USA. Squaw seemed to have even more open terrain but not as much light fluffy snow. One downfall most people point out is lack of nightlife. If you ski hard all day and want to get a beer after the slopes close there are plenty of places to go, they just are not open late. The access is easy, flight is relatively short, and the skiing is top notch. I think it will be hard to top this trip in the future unless I go back.