Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1187612
NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 44 DECEMBER 2019 FAC E S + P L AC E S PHOTOGRAPHS, TOP TO BOTTOM BY LEE COHEN, COURTESY OF SOLITUDE MOUNTAIN RESORT The view from Salt Lake City, Utah, is a towering phalanx of brightly lit jagged peaks. One is even called Mt. Olympus. It seems a miracle that two roads simply wind up the canyons to some of the best skiing in the world and the drive is completed in less time than it takes you to commute into Boston. The Wasatch Range's famously light powder (up to 2 feet in any snowstorm), blown from the Pacific and dried out on the way over, sends four ski areas to the top of the U.S. ski area snowfall list: Alta, Snowbird, Solitude, and Brighton, with up to 500 inches a year. Easy access from Salt Lake City and ticket options make it possible to ski all four in one vacation. Here's the best tip for families: Stay in Salt Lake in affordable hotels with lots of suite options, and eat in a variety of restaurants from ethnic to casual California chains with takeout; the city has a well-earned foodie reputation. Ski high but sleep low (the city has an average altitude of 4,300 feet, while summits reach 11,000 feet). Start with the grand dame, Alta, at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Altaholics follow the adage "If you can see it, you can ski it." Basically, everywhere you look is a way down. Six chairlifts provide access to groomed runs plus untouched cliffs and chutes from two base areas, Albion (ski up to Alta Java's window for an espresso) and Wildcat (near Goldminer's Daughter Lodge), or you can linger at Watson Shelter in the late afternoon. From the hiking and traversing that can be involved, in some ways it makes sense that Alta has a no-snowboard policy. Established as a mining town in the 1800s, Alta opened to skiing the 1930s, and over nine decades has drawn loyal generations of families. They stay in basic lodges like Alta and Peruvian Lodge (all meals included), with a simple agenda: Ski, eat, sleep, repeat. Regulars nearly went into cardiac arrest last January when the former funky Snowpine Legendary Utah powder is within easy reach. BY TAMSIN VENN SKI WEST Lodge broke ranks and reopened with a $50 million overhaul complete with spa, firepits, outdoor pool, and Swen's upscale restaurant, open to the public. For powderhounds: Alta staggers opening its bowls over several days after a storm, and not just the ones you hike to. Considering Alta's reputation, many might be surprised at the number of beginner and intermediate trails, which make up 45 percent of its trails. Lying just below Alta, Snowbird is more rad, established in 1971 by Texas oilman Dick Bass. A 200-passenger tram whisks you to the 11,000-foot summit at Hidden Peak in six minutes, and nine high-speed chairlifts keep you lapping the super-charged terrain that skews toward the experienced skier. At Snowbird you can follow the sun around the mountain, starting with Mineral Basin on the backside in the morning and then swinging around to the front to Peruvian Gulch with the tram and Peruvian Express and Gad Valley with Gadzoom, Gad 2, and Little Cloud chairs. Snowbird development is ongoing. The Summit Restaurant at the top of the tram, built in 2015, resembles the type of edgy modern architecture you might find in the Alps, including a 360-degree view. Executive chef Patrick Diessner serves up healthy organic dishes in French rotisserie traditions, with subtle hints gleaned from the secret recipes of a Rocky Mountain barbecue pitmaster. The "bunker chic" Cliff Lodge E AT + D R I N K E AT + D R I N K F A C E S + P L A C E S Alta is the Grand Dame of ski areas in Salt Lake. Below is Solitude has a base village with lodging.