“…Alta remains a shrine, where you come to worship mountains and snow and do a little skiing.” - Denis Bogan
I have to report 3 new inches of snow in Alta – it was on the wet side and a bit heavy, but it’s still a powder. This morning I was riding a chairlift with three East Coast tourists who were discussing state-of-the-art amenities of their Park City 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom Condo. There are two types of skiers in Alta: those who ski Alta and those who visit Alta. My three “liftmates” were not Alta skiers, they were visitors. I have to explain why they were not Alta skiers. If your idea of ski vacation is a hot chocolate or cocktail between each run, heated tram ride up, kobe beef burger for lunch and massage at the end of the day, Alta is not for you. You need to be in Park City (were my three "friends" were actually staying). Alta is a different type of place. First of all it’s one of the only two resorts in the country that doesn’t allow Snowboarders to ride the lift (Vermont’s Mad River Glenn is the second) – Alta is for skiers only. It’s best and likely only amenities are “luxurious” mountains and “gourmet” snow. There are several lodges in Alta, but you will not find flat-screen TV’s, moose or bear heads mounted on the walls or a five-star dining. The “Alta Lodge” is the old wooden hut, where you can change from civilian shoes into ski boots, strap on backpack, shovel, probe and ride the lift for a few “warm up” runs, before going “on the back side” for the rest of the day. If you forgot your thermos with coffee or a peanut-butter sandwich, a twenty-something bearded dude with dreadlocks will pour you some “Joe” and throw a frozen beef-patty on the grill. But he is not there to serve food. He is there to ski. The only reason he is making your lunch is the fact that he is given a free Season Pass for his services. And as for his “training”, no, the dude is not holding a Cooking Arts degree from the CIA. Most likely he attended some no-name college in New Hampshire on ski scholarship, didn’t make USA X-Games team, dropped out and is a professional ski bum now. Just like Mad River Glen, Alta has a huge population of Telemark skiers. Since I am one of them and I come to Alta only for skiing, you can see why I love the place.
I have to report 3 new inches of snow in Alta – it was on the wet side and a bit heavy, but it’s still a powder. This morning I was riding a chairlift with three East Coast tourists who were discussing state-of-the-art amenities of their Park City 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom Condo. There are two types of skiers in Alta: those who ski Alta and those who visit Alta. My three “liftmates” were not Alta skiers, they were visitors. I have to explain why they were not Alta skiers. If your idea of ski vacation is a hot chocolate or cocktail between each run, heated tram ride up, kobe beef burger for lunch and massage at the end of the day, Alta is not for you. You need to be in Park City (were my three "friends" were actually staying). Alta is a different type of place. First of all it’s one of the only two resorts in the country that doesn’t allow Snowboarders to ride the lift (Vermont’s Mad River Glenn is the second) – Alta is for skiers only. It’s best and likely only amenities are “luxurious” mountains and “gourmet” snow. There are several lodges in Alta, but you will not find flat-screen TV’s, moose or bear heads mounted on the walls or a five-star dining. The “Alta Lodge” is the old wooden hut, where you can change from civilian shoes into ski boots, strap on backpack, shovel, probe and ride the lift for a few “warm up” runs, before going “on the back side” for the rest of the day. If you forgot your thermos with coffee or a peanut-butter sandwich, a twenty-something bearded dude with dreadlocks will pour you some “Joe” and throw a frozen beef-patty on the grill. But he is not there to serve food. He is there to ski. The only reason he is making your lunch is the fact that he is given a free Season Pass for his services. And as for his “training”, no, the dude is not holding a Cooking Arts degree from the CIA. Most likely he attended some no-name college in New Hampshire on ski scholarship, didn’t make USA X-Games team, dropped out and is a professional ski bum now. Just like Mad River Glen, Alta has a huge population of Telemark skiers. Since I am one of them and I come to Alta only for skiing, you can see why I love the place.
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