Alta / Snowbird (Utah)
Alta and Snowbird are adjacent mountains offering a dual ticket with a tremendous amount of fun and exciting terrain. Here are some of the lifts and lines that were memorable, intended for experienced skiers. Conditions are always changing but for what it’s worth:
Alta
Sugarloaf Lift
Devil’s Castle - Go left off the lift and hike 10-15min up into Devil’s Castle and traverse as far as you want. It’s open. It’s powder. It’s magical.
You can also ski down from Sugarloaf and enter through gate on right into Cecret Saddle. Maintain speed to get through flat area and make your way to another gate on the right that requires a short 3-5 minute hike up to a brief traverse and really nice powder. I think it’s the Cecret Chutes. Beware of cliffs. This area is also accessible from the top of Devils Castle. It’s just sacrificing the powder at the top of Devils Castle for a less intense hike.
We had been eyeing the Main Chute of Baldy Chutes but it never opened. The traditional route is from top of Sugarloaf and takes 40-60 min. Others said a less intense route is to hike it from the top of High Baldy from the Snowbird side. Need more research but the Main Chute run looked fun and full of powder from the bottom when we went across Ballroom traverse to check it out.
Supreme Lift
We found hidden powder looker’s left of the lift that required you to hold on to a rope and lower yourself along the edge of a cliff. We skied down off lift, entered a gate on skier’s right, and followed an arrow to skier’s left (instead of going down right into a cliff gully) into thick trees and carefully stepped through them until we found the rope. Powder after the rope is open and beautiful.
Collins Lift
There was nice powder in the trees just beneath the beginning of the Ballroom Traverse.
Wildcat Lift
We kept hitting the powder and steep entries off of Wildcat lift. Either enter early to the left or right for fun open powder or traverse to the right for steep entries into the Punch Bowl.
Keyhole to Snowbird. Heaven. See below.
Snowbird
Gad2 and Little Cloud were a blast.
Traversing under Peruvian and to the left through the gate led to some fun powder options back down to the bottom of the lift.
The fastest way to go from Snowbird to Alta is to take the Tram at Snowbird and ski down Mineral Basin to the Baldy Lift and then the Alta Snow Gate Entrance is at the top. You can also take Peruvian Lift which is next to the Tram, and go through the Peruvian Tunnel which is so cool (600ft carpet ride through tunnel with historical photos throughout). The tunnel pops you out in Mineral Basin and then you can ski down to Baldy Lift the same way and get to Alta. That seemed to be the only way to ski from Snowbird to Alta.
Skiing from Alta to Snowbird is a lot easier. There are two additional snow gates. The Keyhole is accessed by a short uphill walk at the top of Wildcat lift. Skiing the Keyhole was some of the best powder of the trip but beware of cliffs. You can also take traverse to the right when you get off Wildcat and hike up to the square building on your left. This is also advanced terrain on the other side. The White Cliffs are easier. More of just a long traverse. If you miss the White Cliffs, you can still get over if you try hard and are okay walking from Blackjack condominiums which is only about 300ft to where you can ski down to Snowbird.
Apres
The Saloon at Goldminer’s Daughter at the Wildcat base of Alta is awesome. Pool table and fooseball.
Albion Day Lodge was good to eat our packed lunches also. Adirondack chairs outside in the sun. Transfer Tow allows you to get back and forth between the two bases.
Wildflower at Snowbird has great pizza and a pool table.
Parking Tips
Best place to park if you have 3 people is Wildcat Base at Alta because carpools can take front rows. There are two single bathrooms inside the locker room area of Skier Services building next to Wildcat lift. It’s a great place to warm up and take care of business before the first chair at 9:15am.
Otherwise the first two entries at Snowbird (Creekside and Wilbere lift) are the best parking. You can boot up at your car and go right on the lift.
We left Salt Lake City at 7:45am and got to Alta by 8:15-8:20am to avoid massive traffic if you leave house after 8:30am. Cars are required to have 4x4 or snow tires/chains to enter Little Cottonwood Canyon when it snows.