Alta, Alta

I have skied in just about every state with an elevation exceeding 10K. Lake Tahoe is probably the most scenic, Jackson Hole has the most wildlife, Utah has the best snow and of all of the resorts in Utah, Alta in undoubtedly my personal favorite.

I grew up skiing at Alta. It was an iconic ski area back in my early years when I was using wood skis with metal edges, spring bindings and leather lace-up ski boots...and while thankfully the ski gear, clothing and resort technology has changed, Alta has remained true to it's ski roots, catering exclusively to skiers - which preserves the outstanding quality of every type of ski terrain - especially the moguls and fresh powder. So many other resorts and their formerly great mogul runs have been reduced to flattened down sheets of ice, because of the hoardes of unskilled snowboarders that scrape down each slope they touch with the same spatula-like effect. I really have nothing against snowboarding, per se. It's just that the vast majority of snowboarders never learned to ski and take painfully long to ever become skilled enough to not spend most of their time sliding sideways down the hill. Enough about that. Alta's terrain is both rugged and breathtaking, with vistas of both the Salt Lake Valley (down Little Cottonwood Canyon), as well as Utah Valley - facing toward Timpanogas Peak off Sugarloaf, while also taking in the spectacular Lone Peak Wilderness Area. The annual snowfall seldom leaves reason to grumble, even on "bad snow days". This is better appreciated when you are no longer a local and have only a fly-in relationship with Utah skiing. All of the other resorts in Northern Utah are truly world-class (the kind of world-class that actually defines the term). All deserve equal attention. But if you are a skier and understand what it means to pine for the days of real ski-only resorts, you will appreciate Alta. If only one of your ski days can be spent at Alta, it will be one of your best and most memorable ski days. Families will appreciate the family-centered approach that the entire resort has. Veteran skiers will appreciate the unspoiled, rugged beauty of Alta that remains far less commercialized than neigboring areas.