Author: Jenny Willden

Spring is finally here! Bouts of illness and an abundance of powder have kept me from running this winter, and I’m paying for it with a serious lack of endurance. To motivate myself to get fit, I entered the lottery for one of my favorite races, Philadelphia’s Broad Street 10-miler, and I got in! This means it’s time to hit the trails and streets to log some serious miles before race day. If you’re in the same boat and just starting your spring training, use our 20th annual Keeper as your guide. That’s right, we’ve been publishing Utah’s biggest race…

Hot Potatoes Photos by Clay Cammack The great state of Idaho is famous for more than potatoes. With more than 130 usable hot springs, it has one of the highest concentrations in the country—and they’re not as far from Utah as you might think. Next time you’re looking to fight winter’s chill, take a drive north for a soak in these five thermal springs. Downata Hot Springs Location: 25900 South Downata Road, Downey Take a dip in our northern neighbor’s waters at Downata Hot Springs, a two-hour drive from Salt Lake City. This full-service hot springs resort features new hot pools with…

Best On-Mountain Meals at Utah Ski Resorts The long reign of burgers and fries at Utah ski resorts is finally ending, ushering in a new era of fresh flavors like ramen bowls, fondue, oysters on the half shell, and from-scratch Himalayan fare. On your next ski day, skip the broken granola bar stuffed in your pocket and elevate your lunch break at these slopeside dining hot spots. ALTA Collins Grill It’s possible that you’ve skied right past Alta’s elegant on-mountain eatery and not even known it. Located near Collin’s Lift on the Watson Shelter’s third floor, Collins Grill serves white…

I’ll never complain about Utah snow again. That’s what I thought after falling about 32 times in a day of snowboarding in Stowe, Vermont over the holidays. Turned out what I’ve believed is “ice” in Utah is nothing like ice in the East! Despite the conditions that day, I’ve loved season passes like Epic and Ikon for the opportunities to explore multiple ski resorts—without costly lift tickets. Visit sportsguidemag.com for more on my adventures Skiing the East in Vermont. In this issue, we’re showcasing the best in Utah skiing from our favorite resort eats to exploring six Utah resorts in…

What You Need to Know at Deer Valley’s FIS World Championships If you LOVE the Winter Olympics, get a taste of the Games in Park City, Utah at the 2018 FIS World Championships where the world’s best aerial and mogul skiers take to Deer Valley Resort to compete. The event is celebrating its 21st year and begins Wednesday, February 6 and runs until Saturday, February 9.  The stunning men’s and women’s aerial finals competition takes flight on Friday, February 6 and 7 at 7:00 p.m. Men’s and women’s moguls begin at 7:00 p.m. on February 8 and 9.  Finals are followed by fireworks each night.…

Utah Locals Score Discounted Lessons for Learn to Ski & Snowboard Month in January If you’re living in Utah but haven’t learned to ski or snowboard—January is the month to learn. Utah offers cheap lessons, rentals, and lift tickets for its annual Learn to Ski & Snowboard Month, making it an ideal way for first-time skiers to get started. Alta Ski Area The Learn to Ski Program is a great way for first-time skiers (children and adults) to get started in skiing. You can participate in this package up to four times. This pay-as-you-go program can be completed anytime during…

Join Ski Utah and Protect Our Winters (POW), in partnership with Utah Transit Authority (UTA), Alta Ski Area, Powder Mountain, Snowbird, Solitude Mountain Resort, and Sundance Mountain Resort for a day carpooling, ridesharing, or riding UTA to the slopes for POW Day on January 13, 2019. This fourth annual event was created to help lower CO2 emissions, reduce traffic congestion, and increase awareness around environmental accountability. January 13 is statistically the snowiest day in Utah based on 50 years of snow data so we’re crossing our fingers for a good forecast! If you carpool, rideshare or take UTA to participating ski resorts on January…

Park City Mountain just reopened its iconic Mid-Mountain Lodge after an extensive remodel over the summer. Built originally as a miners’ boarding house in the 1800s, Mid Mountain Lodge is located near McConkey’s lift and is now one of the state’s only on-mountain cocktail bars at the Public House. (And the drink menu looks good. Can’t wait to try the Canary’s Call.) We haven’t visited yet but will update this story with our full review once we’ve tried Mid-Mountain Lodge for ourselves. Beyond Burgers and FriesOn-mountain meals are changing, and now there are way more dishes to choose from than burgers and pizza. Mid-Mountain…

Exploring Nevada’s Great Basin National Park One of the least-visited national parks in the Continental U.S. is right in Utah’s backyard, and despite its grove of ancient bristlecone pine trees, dark skies, and massive limestone and marble cavern, many Utahns haven’t visited, or even heard of, Great Basin National Park. At just four hours and 240 miles from Salt Lake City, you’ll find none of the crowds of Utah’s national parks, but plenty of epic wonders and fall colors. Getting there requires an easy (and albeit boring) drive that passes through Delta, Utah and empty desert to Baker, Nevada—just across…

Explore the West’s Best Fall Color Getaways Fall is a fleeting season. You only have weeks, or days to catch colors at their peak. Make the most of it with these spectacular autumn driving, hiking, and adventure tours through the American West–with a bonus trip to Wisconsin’s Door County if you’re heading east! Staying in Utah but looking to see changing leaves? Read our story on the best fall drives around the Beehive State. With fall colors changing earlier due to drought, schedule your trip ASAP so you don’t miss the the leaves! Glacier National Park, Montana Where to Stay:…