Two of our states got the bulk of the best skiing in the world: Colorado and Utah. And in the latter state there is one place that earns my plaudits as one of the best ski areas in the country. Alta. While resorts around the country like Vail and Mammoth have gone the way of glitz, turning their hills into settings from Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous and increasing prices to stratospheric levels (it now costs $78 to ski a day at Mammoth), Alta has maintained the rustic charm that has made it the ski area of choice for most Utahans that I know.
This piece over at AP makes a better case than I can about why Alta is such an excellent place to ski. It’s not just that it’s cheaper. It’s the attitude and the vibe and the location (tucked away up in the Canyon). It;s also the policy of keeping out snowboarders and restricting the number of skiers on the hill. All these things, as you will read here, make Alta one of my favorite ski areas on the planet.