This blog is going to be a combo of Snowbird and Alta ski resorts. My husband is a snowboarder, so we went to Snowbird. I couldn't help but dip into Alta for several hours of skiing.
It is extremely easy to get between the two resorts. On the Snowbird side, you can take the Peruvian, then the Tunnel to Mineral Basin, or Ariel Tram from Snowbird to the top. You can then ski down the mineral basin, take up the Badly chair, and skate to the Alta-Snowbird interconnect gates.
To get from Alta over to Snowbird, you will take the Collins lift and ski down to the Sugarloaf lift. At the top of the Sugarloaf lift, you can ski right over to the interconnect gates, and voila!
Skiing
Skiing at Snowbird was amazing. This is the place for you if you want huge bowls and trees. With 140 trails and 12 lifts, they do offer plenty for everyone. They had a great mountain flow, which led to shorter lift lines.
The Gad 2 chair serviced some awesome gladed areas and great moguled runs. The main side of the mountain had tighter trails that required more skill to navigate.
They need to add another shorter chair on the Hidden Peak side of the resort. The Peruvian lift had so many amazing trails under it, but that lift was the only way to ski over there. The 8 min ride was top to bottom, which made lapping the area difficult.
The backside, the Mineral Basin, has amazing huge open bowls full of powder. It is great for those who don't want to ride in moguls and want to feel the sun on your face as you glide through the fluff. The terrain is primarily advanced in the mineral basin. Be aware that there is a drop when a cliff sign is posted.
Village/ Food
There are almost too many options for dining choices at Snowbird. There are twelve casual dining options and five fine dining options. We ended up grabbing lunch at the Mi-Gad restaurant. A restaurant mid-mountain. We ended up grabbing the following:
Chili ($13.50)
Fries ($7.50)
Reuben ($14)
Fountain Soda ($4.50)
The pricing could have been better because getting food to that mountain area is hard. They had run out of most utensils before I got my food, so I had to eat my chili with a fork. Not the biggest deal, but you do expect to have utensils.
I wish we could visit the Summit restaurant, Utah's highest restaurant. You also don't have to be a skier to go there because it is serviced by Tram. This means everyone can have the chance to experience the views and elevation.
One thing I noticed was that all bathrooms smelled like sewage. It must be how they operate bathrooms, but I did not expect that at this resort.
The Village had a lot to do and many places to kick your feet up and relax. Multiple stores with different merch options were also in the main base area lodge. Their item pricing was expensive, so I could only justify buying stickers.
Parking:
Most of the parking at Snowbird is free; however, they do have valet parking. I have never valeted my car, mostly because I needed to be cooler. The valet was only $25, which is extremely cheap compared to the average parking costs in Colorado.
They also have other options for parking:
Carpool (4+): there are carpool-only spots available
Paid Parking & Reservations: you can reserve a spot ahead of time in the preferred parking lots
Day-of Self-Parking: First come, first serve to park
Preferred Parking Pass: this is for those who are making Snowbird their home mountain
The big thing to know about Alta is that they are a skier-only mountain. Snowboarders are not allowed and should go over to Snowbird. They are very serious about this rule and will escort or even fine those caught breaking it.
Skiing
We were skiing mid-week, so I didn't expect too much of a line, but I was wrong. Riding in the singles line for each lift I went to was about 30 mins of waiting. No matter how great the terrain may be, waiting in long lines ruins it. I want to take more than 6 runs for the day. The main bottleneck is at the Collins chair, primarily because it is the main chair to help you to other lifts at the mountain. They have 7 lifts and 119 trails.
I enjoyed the Supreme Lift terrain and the Catherine area. It had some nice glades, moguls, and more advanced terrain. Everything a skier would love. I was advised that the area could have been better because of all the recent snow.
Village/ Food
The base area is more of the original ski rustic vibes. Everything reminds you of old-school skiing. The lodges are less up-to-date than I have seen but have character. I did not get food while on the Alta side, so I can't speak to how it is.
I loved the base area shop. It was everything I had hoped for when thinking of what their shop would be like. There were retro sweaters, and it was amazing. I could have bought everything there. They also had way better pricing than Snowbird.
Parking Alta Parking | PARKING BASICS
Though we didn't park at Alta, they have some strict rules about parking. You have to make reservations to park for weekends and holidays. If you plan on parking before 8 am, then you need to reserve an early morning spot. The cost to reserve parking if you have a pass is $25.
Parking is first come, first serve from Monday through Thursday (non-holiday). It does fill up fast, so make sure to get up there early.
There are a few exceptions, so check out their parking policy to see what will apply to you.
