Alta Ski Area

Alta Ski Area, one of the world's premier ski resorts, is located in the Wasatch Mountains just east of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Related Topics:
Ski resort - Wasatch Mountains - Salt Lake City - Utah

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Renowned for "The greatest snow on Earth," the skiable area consists of 2,200 acres (8.9 km²) beginning at a base elevation of 8,530 ft (2,600 m) and rising to 10,550 ft (3,216 m) for a vertical gain of 2,020 ft (616 m).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Receiving over 500 inches (12.7 m) of snow a year, Alta is home to some of the most remarkable powder skiing in North America - indeed, Alf Engen developed what is usually recognized as modern powder skiing technique at Alta in the mid-20th Century. Alta is one of the oldest ski resorts in the country and still maintains a mystique as one of the havens of "skiing's soul" as exemplified by the "skiers-only" policy at the resort - no snowboarders are allowed. It should be noted that there are some mixed feelings about this among the skiing community, as some feel this policy does not preserve "skiing's soul", but instead excludes a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts. Alta's unique location just East of the Great Salt Lake allows for huge lake-effect storms to dump copious amounts of snow at the resort, even when neighboring ski areas and Salt Lake City receive little or no snow. This has led to Alta being ranked #1 in North America for Snow Quality, Powder, and Value by Skiing Magazine.

Related Topics:
Snow - Alf Engen - 20th Century - Snowboarders - Great Salt Lake - Lake-effect

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The slogan, "Alta is for skiers" is more than just a marketing ploy, as many skiers feel that Alta's culture and atmosphere of "old school" or "authentic" ski culture is the way skiing should be.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~