Fly to Utah in the morning, ski all day, have dinner on the mountain, fly home that night.
By John Newlin
Recent storm notwithstanding, at the rate we’re going,
the winter of 2007 will be remembered for being totally forgettable. As of mid-February,
snowfall totals in the Sierra mountains are at 50 percent of the average for this
time of the year. Needless to say, we need snow. Or rather, needed snow.
Tahoe is a magical place, there’s no arguing about that. The only downside
to skiing in Tahoe is getting there. Years ago, the drive to the Sierras was maybe
three and a half hours. But recently, it’s more like five. Coming back,
it’s usually worse. Reason being: Cheap season passes. When Heavenly offers
a season lift pass for under $350 (the regular price is $900), everyone gets in
on the deal. That’s good for the mountain, bad for skiers driving to the
mountain.
We all still do it, of course, because it’s Tahoe. But here’s an alternative:
If one was so inclined, one could wake up at 5:30am on any weekday, fly to Salt
Lake City, Utah in your ski clothes (and I use the term “ski” to include
“ski and snowboarding”), take a shuttle to the mountain, ski all day,
and fly back in less time than it would take to drive to Tahoe or Big Bear and
back.
Why would someone do this? Saving time, the novelty of going to Utah for the day,
and the quality of snow are all probable factors. Utahans claim to have “The
Greatest Snow on Earth” – a bold statement, yes, but it pans out once
you factor in the science. Because Utah is the second driest state in the nation
(behind Nevada), when Pacific storms pass over the Great Salt Lake, they absorb
the moisture in the air like a sponge. Then, as these wet storms hit the Wasatch
mountain range, they’re forced upward, where their temperature drops significantly.
Higher altitudes and lower temperatures, combined with an especially dry region,
produce that fluffy “powdery” snow that skiers won’t shut up
about.
Obviously, you can go to Utah and spend as much time as you want. But if you need
a quick fix and can get away, here are some tips.
Choose your day wisely. If you’re going for just the day, try to
pick one where you’ll be least missed at work. Don’t lie about your
whereabouts; just take a personal day. Feigning illness to go skiing rarely works
out. You’re going to come to work the next day a little sun-kissed, which
will be hard to explain when you claimed you had the stomach flu. Then there’s
the ski-into-a-tree-and-break-something factor – in which case, you’re
not only busted for lying, but have a broken collarbone.
Getting there. US Airways, Alaska, America West, Delta, and Southwest all
have fairly good deals to Salt Lake City. As of press time, Delta has a 6:20am
flight for $264. If you book it far enough in advance, Southwest can get you there
for just over $200 (and maybe even cheaper, if you get a special internet fare).
It takes about an hour and 45 minutes to fly to Salt Lake, then about 20 minutes
to get to the resorts, give or take, depending on where you’re going.
The resorts. There are plenty of places to ski in Utah, many of which
are regarded as “the best.” Snowbird is amazing and has some of the
best overall conditions in the region, in this writer’s opinion. The Canyons
is also great. If you ski Park City and stay in downtown Park City, you have the
novelty of skiing right into the painfully cute downtown area. Utah is hardcore
skier country – that is, skiing, as in the use of those two planks and poles.
Thus a few of the resorts do not allow snowboarding. They are Alta and Deer Valley
– both of which, incidentally, are incredible.
There’s also a great program called “Quick START,” wherein you
fill out some requisite forms and exchange your same-day boarding pass for a lift
ticket. It’s part of that whole “fly here in the morning, ski that
morning” concept. Check it out at www.parkcityinfo.com.
Participating resorts are Park City Mountain Resort, The Canyons, and Deer Valley.
Certainly there are more efficient ways of going about skiing in Utah. Ideally,
you’d stay a week at Snowbird, then a week at The Canyons, and then a week
in downtown Park City, where you can easily get to any of the other resorts by
shuttle. Or go for the day. Just don’t lie to your boss about it.
