Fall is upon us again, and before you know it snow will be falling and ski season in full swing. Prepare early by purchasing a season pass at your favorite resort and getting familiar with this list of resort upgrades.
ALTA SKI AREA
Always wanted a blue run back to the base? This season Alta is easing the pitch of the popular Corkscrew run, making it better for less advanced skiers. Skip the ticket window with Alta’s new app, which lets you reload your Alta Card on a smartphone.alta.com
BEAVER MOUNTAIN
Ditch the crowds and take your family to this Logan ski gem. A new Little Beaver Lift has been installed that’s 400 feet longer than the old one, providing access to more beginner terrain.skithebeav.com
BRIAN HEAD
This Southern Utah resort is adding a new restaurant, Chair 9 Deli & Pub, and real-time snow alert texting capabilities this winter. More demo and high-performance rental packages will also be available. brianhead.com
BRIGHTON RESORT
njoy better skiing and riding conditions with Brighton’s $500,000 investment in snowmaking upgrades, along with $20,000 in terrain park enhancement. New high-end equipment will also be available in the demo center. brightonresort.com
DEER VALLEY RESORT
Teach the little ones (or yourself) to ski at the redesigned beginner’s/learning area on Wide West ski run, and try out the newly-added Sunkid surface lift. This season’s snowmaking capabilities will greatly increase with the purchase of 41 energy efficient air-water snowmaking guns. deervalley.com
EAGLE POINT
Ski 200 additional acres of trees and steeps during Eagle Point’s second season. Make a weekend of your visit and enjoy new amenities at the Canyonside Lodge like an outdoor hot tub garden and spa services.skieaglepoint.com
PARK CITY MOUNTAIN RESORT
Experience a towrope-free beginner’s area at PCMR’s new learning zone, featuring two just added conveyor lifts. Then take a break from skiing to race down the exhilarating, new year-round zip line. This season the Three Kings Lift will be overhauled to double its rider capacity, and the terrain park’s signature 22-foot Eagle Superpipe will open earlier than usual, thanks to dirt work done over the summer. parkcitymountain.com
POWDER MOUNTAIN
Make tracks in fresh powder using Powder Mountain’s expanded single ride snowcat service, which will add 350 more skiable acres and a new snowcat to its services. One ride to this area is just $15. Get in a full day of snowcat skiing on a Snowcat Powder Safari, which includes guide service, lunch, avalanche beacon and the chance to try new, challenging tree runs. powdermountain.com
SNOWBASIN
Take a break to warm up on cold days at new outdoor gas fireplaces on Earl’s Patio. And mark your calendar for the Winter Dew Tour Finale, which returns for its second consecutive year on February 9 –12, 2012. You’ll see top freeski and snowboard athletes compete for victory on a 22-foot superpipe and slopestyle course. snowbasin.com
SNOWBIRD
Advance your abilities with new programs at Snowbird’s Mountain School: an Expedition Team for expert skiing and boarding youth ages 10-15 and an Adult Adventure program for parents of Adventure Team kids. The Flaik system will be used to track terrain and vertical feet students cover. If you’re an iPhone user, download Snowbird’s new app and get snow reports, live mountain cams and road conditions throughout the season. snowbird.com
SOLITUDE
Buying a ticket pak, but not sure you’ll use all the passes this season? Pay $4 extra for any 5-,10- and 15-day ticket pak and you’ll be able to roll over extra days to next season. Or if you can’t get enough skiing, add on extra days to your pak at the same rate you paid when you purchased it. Free Wi-Fi is now provided throughout the Village to keep you connected and updated on resort happenings via Solitude’s Twitter Feed and Facebook page. skisolitude.com
SUNDANCE
Ride the improved, expanded terrain park day or night, due to its relocation. The park will be larger with more features and have additional lighting to promote a better, safer experience for all. More pass options will boffered this winter, including a 5-punch pass for $199 and a 10-punch pass for $399. Add unlimited UTA Sundance Ski Bus service to any pass for $25. sundanceresort.com
Wolf Creek Utah
Best for families looking for a casual atmosphere, this resort has improved multiple ski runs, added new snowmaking machines and updated the lodge. The resort will offer new ticket options, like 12-hour, morning, afternoon and evening passes, to better fit guests’ schedules. wolfcreekutah.com
