Snowbird, Utah

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Snowbird is a locale based in Little Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains in Utah. It is perhaps most famous for the Snowbird ski resort, an alpine skiing and snowboarding area, which opened in December 1971.

Snowbird ski resort has 2500 skiable acres and receives more than 500 inches of snowfall per year. The strong point of the resort is the arial tram which provides access to 3000+ vertical feet.

The resort covers three drainage areas, each with a unique character. The Peruvian Gulch side is the least crowded of the three and is exceptional on a good powder day. The Gad Valley has the widest range of skiable terrain, from the slow-skiing Big Emma to steep Regulator Johnson. The third, and most recently developed bowl, is Mineral Basin --- which tends to be warmer and more open then the other two. It ranks as the second best resort in North America, being runner-up to the famed Whistler Blackcomb resort in Canada, according to Skiing Magazine.

It is adjacent to Alta Ski Area, and with a special lift ticket skiers can interchange between the two resorts via the Baldy Express lift (Snowbird) and Sugarloaf lift (Alta).

[edit] External links

• Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort's official Web site
• Ski Utah, The Utah Ski & Snowboard Association's official Web site
• Ride Utah, The Utah Ski & Snowboard Association's official snowboarding-specific Web site
• Utah Office of Tourism official Web site