![]() These runs show off the wide open powder bowl skiing Alta is famous for! Solid black skiers should love the first few lines – named Race Course, Sunspot, and Columbine. In general, the farther you ski down the traverse, the more advanced the terrain becomes. Skier’s should make sure they’re confident before venturing off! It can be a bumpy and adventurous ride, and on a powder day, pretty chaotic. The High Traverse is a long, often single file ski path cutting along Alta’s main mountain ridge. Overall, intermediates at Alta certainly have some solid options, but they may also find themselves longingly wishing they could tackle the fantastic advanced/expert runs that engulf Alta blues on all sides.Īlta begins to reveal it’s best side for the advanced skier.Īn ability to ski advanced terrain unlocks what may be Alta’s defining feature – The High Traverse. The Supreme lift likewise includes a few great blues, although each run in this area is somewhat plagued by slow, flat runouts back to the chairlift. However, they’re a little on the narrow side, so letting the speed fly might not be a wise option on a crowded day. ![]() Off the Sugarloaf lift, Devil’s Elbow, Razorback, and Rollercoaster are all fun blue groomers. This area represents wide open bowl skiing at a choose your own difficulty level – the farther you continue to traverse, the steeper it gets.Īlta’s other two main lifts also shuttle skiers to intermediate options however, they aren’t quite the same intermediate perfection found off Collins. After dropping in on Main Street, intermediates can veer skier’s left towards the Ballroom bowl. Fantastic!Ĭollins also provides access to one of the most approachable intermediate powder experiences to be found anywhere. These runs are 2,000+ continuous vertical feet of uninterrupted groomer zooming. From here, intermediates can ski Mambo or Main Street all the way down to the mountain base. The heartbeat of the intermediate’s trip to Alta will no doubt stem from the Collins lift. Good lucking finding them all!įor intermediates, Alta serves up a respectable amount of terrain. After all, this is the birthplace of powder skiing, and the mountain’s history and emphasis on skiing oozes from every nook and cranny. Yea, Alta management and the locals take their sport (and preservation of snow for that sport) seriously. Stay for the Skiing.”ĭid we mention snowboarding is strictly forbidden at Alta? No, it’s “Alta Ski Area” and the marketing tagline doubles down on the commitment. The name makes that clear – Alta doesn’t define itself as a destination, a resort, or any other luxurious moniker. In fact, on my first visit, I really only pulled the trigger on the trip because the dates conveniently lined up with an all expenses paid flight, courtesy of my employer.Īnd yet, all it took was my first drive up the perilous Little Cottonwood Canyon road, ascending higher and higher into snowier and snowier mountains, for everything to make sense.Īlta is for skiers. To be honest, I’ll admit I never really “got” Alta. Alta receives the highest quality and most consistent snowfall of anywhere in North America. (In fact, Alta only has six lifts on the entire mountain, strategically placed not to bring you to the goods, but to preserve powder and reward those adventerous skiers willing to explore.)īut there is one metric which easily defines the mystique of the second oldest ski resort in the country. ![]() Alta is a place whose magic is hard to define. ![]()
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