The atmosphere in the Sitzmark Club, the bar at Alta Lodge, is unique: the guests I spoke to could talk for days about the adventures they have had here over the course of their lives. Almost all of them have been here several times. The mixture of a simple 70s hostel paired with Michelin-starred cuisine and a communal atmosphere like in your own four walls makes this location in the farthest corner of Little Cottonwood Canyon truly unique and worth a visit.
Alta boasts that it has the "best snow on earth". And indeed, the clouds with the dry Utah powder, which the region owes to its location on the Great Salt Lake, unload particularly abundantly over the Cottonwood Canyons.
Just like Deer Valley, Alta is also closed to snowboarders. I have no animosity towards snowboarders, but enjoy the benefits of the ban for the simple reason that the restrictions keep the powder untracked for longer. The main part of the ski area stretches across the northern slopes of the 3374 meter high Mount Baldy. When the snow conditions are good, the steep Baldy Chutes from the summit ridge down to the ski area are a great challenge.
We start our day at Collins Ridge. The High Traverse leads to the starting point of numerous variants on both sides of the ridge. With 20 cm of fresh snow, we really let it rip between "Sun Spot", "Watson Line" and "Stone Crusher". Thanks to the sparse coniferous forests, visibility on the west side is usually quite good, even in snowfall or fog.
After a few runs, we leave Collins Ridge and head over to the Supreme Chairlift, the mountain station of which we used yesterday to ascend towards Brighton. Today we are interested in the local side of the ski area, or Inbounds Alta, as they say here. Catherine's Area is the name of this part of the area, which is particularly suitable when it's too windy around Mt Bouldy. The terrain around the Supreme Chair is varied. While steep gullies and cliff bands criss-cross the forests below and immediately next to the lift line, the terrain flattens out somewhat on the rider's right side. On the "So Long" and "Last Chance" runs, there is usually still fresh snow several days after the last dump.
When the sun briefly makes an appearance, we can see the flanks of Mt Superior on the other side of the valley. The descent from its summit is the highlight of every stay in Alta. The ascent takes two and a half to three hours with skins. The peaks to its right are served by both the Wasatch-Powderbirds heliski company and Grizzly Gulch Catskiing.
We take advantage of the short snowfall break to get to know the eastern slopes of Collins Ridge. They are wider and less steep than the western slopes we skied in the morning. On the five hundred or so vertical meters down to Greeley Bowl, you can enjoy one turn after another and finally end up at Sunnyside, Alta's beginners' area.
Skiing in Alta definitely has a wild touch. And this is not only due to the rugged mountains that rise up from the narrow valley head. The lack of safety bars on the chairlifts also contributes to the overall Alta experience.
Finally, we take a look at the front side of Collinsridge. Most of these variants are quite narrow tree runs. The deeper you penetrate into the woods, the greater the hope of untracked snow patches. However, it takes a lot of fresh snow to make the high moguls that form here disappear completely.
After skiing, it is best to head straight to the Alta Lodge. Here, in the cozy bar or in the whirlpool, you can review such powder days perfectly.