“I feel like a better skier here,” says the stranger at the other end of the chair as we ride the Collins lift at Alta Ski Area. And I immediately understand what he means.
Alta — the resort at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon — is known for having some of the best snow in the state. In subpar snow years, Alta gets more visitors than in good snow years because skiers can always rely on snow at Alta’s elevation.
Alta also feeds the spirit of adventure in its visitors. There aren’t many specified runs marked with signs. Instead, there are more general areas to ski, which require traversing across slopes to tree runs or long bowls covered in fluffy powder. Traversing is so fundamental to the Alta experience that the resort provides a how-to for traversing on its website .
“Everything you see is open for skiing,” Andria Huskinson, Alta’s communications manager, tells me as we look over the resort. She explains that areas inaccessible from the lifts are safe to ski if you’re willing to hike, side-step or traverse. Alta even offers private guides to skiers who have $900 to burn and want to explore every corner of the off-trail terrain.