Long Wait to Ski in Utah

After 36 years, we made it back to some favourite Ski resorts. Utah is known for fantastic winter sports and some of the best powdery snow.

Solitude

Located in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Solitude is one of two ski resorts. Solitude is the first stop up the canyon, and Brighton is at the top. Both Ski resorts are high quality and offer some of the best snow. Both ski resorts are popular. Arrive early or take the ski bus from the bottom of the canyon.

Solbright

In the 1980s, Solitude and Brighton began a new feature called the Solbright. Skiers can ski in both resorts with the Solbright pass. Traversing between the two resorts is an actual workout (much like cross-country skiing). The narrow trail between the resorts becomes level in some parts. The narrow trail requires you to slow down to avoid skiers, and the level sections require extra effort to travel. Along this trail is Twin Lakes Reservoir. A considerable amount of water is stored from the snow melt in the spring.

Park City

Park City is home to several Premium Ski resorts. As usual, with Utah snow, the resorts in Park City are incredible.

• Park City Mountain
• Deer Valley Resort

Imagine walking out of your hotel to a ski lift in town. Capitalism makes this a possibility at Park City. The Ski resort is fantastic; you can ski the entire mountain for days.

If skiing is not your thing, plenty of restaurants, shops, and art stores exist. We stopped in an art store and stumbled across some of our favourites during our travels.

Then and Now

I found myself in the same location decades apart at the Alamo Bar. My first visit limited my ability to see what was inside the Alamo. Age restrictions prohibited me from satisfying my curiosities. In a late project (2022), I scanned some film negatives from Thanksgiving 1986. The location in the 1986 photograph interested me, and I found myself drawn to its location in 2023. Finally, I was able to see the inside of this historic building.

From the Historical Sign

Built in 1905 by the M.S. Aschiem Mercantile Company on property adjacent to its thriving, landmark store, this Mission style structure was one of the few brick commercial buildings on Main Street in its day. The building has design features unique to Park City. It is a Spanish Colonial revival design with decorative Queen Anne brickwork, and an interior ceiling composed of a series of barrel vaults.

Until 1911 the building was occupied by the Utah Independent Telephone Company, a rival exchange which eventually merged with Rocky Mountain Bell. In subsequent changes of owners and uses, the building housed Utah Power & Light Company offices, a bowling alley and a liquor store, before establishing the Alamo Saloon existing today. Careful restoration in 1981 presents a building who façade today closely resembles that of the building when constructed.

Bonneville Salt Flats

One of the exciting features of the Salt Lake City region is the nothingness of the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Bonneville Salt Flats are situated on I-80 between Salt Lake City and Wendover, Nevada. The area is covered in water in the Winter, and during the Summer, the salt flats are dry and hard enough to support diving. The drive between the Salt Lake City area and West Wendover, Nevada, is an empty expanse of beauty. You can also marvel at The Tree of Utah and the salt flats. If you continue west, you will encounter the small city of Wendover, Utah and the larger city of West Wendover, Nevada. To us, the gambling area is not worth the visit. These facilities differ from what you may expect, especially if you see casinos in movies. We strive to succeed through our natural intellectual gifts, networking, and hard work. With games of chance, you have very little to do with the overall outcome.

We encountered the closed Saltaire resort on our way back to the Salt Lake area. At this point, the resort is far from the shore due to the lake’s retreat due to drying. For those unfamiliar, the Great Salt Lake is at its lowest level, and residents in this area are concerned that the lake may disappear. In 1986-1987, this exact location was flooding. The flood threat was so high the state had to take extraordinary measures to pump water out of the lake into the salt flats. Nature’s cycles are hard to predict.

Snowbird

Located in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Snowbird is one of two ski resorts. Snowbird is the first stop up the canyon, and Alta is at the top. Both Ski resorts are high quality and offer some of the best snow. The snow and terrain are much better than the snow conditions in Park City. This resort has many ski run with many levels of skill. Some of the most advanced and sustained ski runs are found at Snowbird. Both Snowbird and Alta ski resorts are top-rated. Arrive early or take the ski bus from the bottom of the canyon.

Return

Upon return, the aircraft’s cabin replaced the dry cold air in Utah with the cold, damp air of the Pacific Northwest. How much I missed the climate in Utah. One item at our home airport raised my attention.