Utah's Powder Haven Reveals Updates Ahead of Opening Day

As the ski season approaches, Alta Ski Area, Utah, is thinking about how it can do things better.

Over the summer, the resort underwent several efforts that covered everything from improved traverse roads to new ski conveyors. None of this is major or particularly Earth-shaking—Alta isn’t getting a fabled 14-person high-speed quad—but those little tweaks add up. You know what they say: a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Or, in the case of Alta, a few new conveyors—and a lot of plants.

In Albion Basin, Alta Ski Area is installing two new covered conveyors, Big Griz and Little Griz. They’ll replace the old ski school conveyor and require less snowmaking, enhancing the resort’s beginner terrain experience. Big Griz is for public use, while Little Griz will be reserved for Alf Engen Ski School lessons.

Two traverses—the High Traverse and Ballroom Traverse—have seen improvements. The Ballroom Traverse’s entrance from Upper Main Street is smoother, and several employees spent six weeks widening the High Traverse as part of a two-year project. The latter will allow the High Traverse to hold more snow and be more dependable during drier periods.

On Sugarloaf Pass, Alta Ski Patrol has received a new patrol building, replacing a decades-old predecessor. The new digs are near the upper terminal of the Sugarloaf lift.

Alta Ski Area is also turning a problem into a solution. Crews are hard at work removing hazardous trees that threaten chairlifts, and taking them to the Alta lumber mill where they can be turned into snow fencing or used for other on-mountain projects.

The ski area is adding vegetation, too. The Alta Environmental Center (AEC)—an initiative started in 2008 to lead sustainability efforts—planted over 12,000 native plant seedlings throughout the summer. Nina’s got 1,000 plants per acre, marking the conclusion of a three-year effort to revegetate the area after it underwent grading in 2021. Crews have also dropped some new plants in Upper Sleepy Hollow, formerly known as Erosion Gully.

The final arrow in the ecological quiver at Alta is reforestation efforts, which, in part, involve removing trees from groomed runs before replanting them elsewhere.

This flurry of activity comes ahead of Alta Ski Area’s planned opening date , which is November 22nd, conditions permitting. It'll be Alta's 87th season in business—that centennial is just around the corner.

Related: Wisconsin Ski Area Makes Snow for First Time This Season

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