Snowbird ski resort

Infobox ski area
name=Snowbird
logo=
picture=Snowbird_resort.jpg
caption=Arial view of the Snowbird resort in July. In the upper left, the red aerial tram can be seen.
location=Little Cottonwood Canyon
nearest_city=Salt Lake City, Utah
lat_degrees=40
lat_minutes=34
lat_seconds=52
lat_direction=N
long_degrees=111
long_minutes=39
long_seconds=23
long_direction=W
top_elevation=11,000ft.
base_elevation=7,760ft.
skiable_area=2500 acres
number_trails=89
longest_run=2.5 miles (Chip's Run)
liftsystem=13 lifts
snowfall=500+ inches
external_link= [http://www.snowbird.com Snowbird.com] |

Snowbird is a year-round ski and summer resort located in the U.S. state of Utah on the eastern border of the Salt Lake City suburb of Sandy in the Little Cottonwood Canyon of the Wasatch mountain range in the Rocky Mountains. It is 29 miles (46 km) from Salt Lake International Airport, 24 miles (38 km) from downtown Salt Lake City and 4 miles (7 km) east of the suburb of Sandy. The resort first opened in December 1971.

Snowbird shares the canyon with neighbor Alta Ski Area. Both receive over 500 inches (12.7 m) of snowfall per year, with a single storm capable of producing over 100 inches due to lake effect enhancement from the Great Salt Lake, making it the greatest area of snowfall in the mainland United States outside the Cascades. Unlike the humid and wet snow of the Cascades near the Pacific Ocean, Snowbird being in the arid Great Basin is known for its unusually dry and powdery snow.

Snowbird usually closes on Memorial Day in late May while the occasional ski year can last as long as the Fourth of July. Snowbird has a skiable area of 2,500 acres (10 km²) with a vertical drop of 3,240 ft (990 m) from the summit of Hidden Peak, which has an elevation of above 11,000 ft (3400 m). Hidden Peak is serviced by an aerial tram from the lodges.

Facilities

Snowbird currently has 11 ski lifts (4 High-Speed Quads, 6 Doubles, and a surface lift), an aerial tram, and a 600-foot tunnel enclosing a one-way conveyor lift connecting Peruvian Gulch to Mineral Basin allowing easier access for beginners and intermediates to new terrain. The tunnel, the first of its kind in North America, also allows for skier transport when winds require the closing of the aerial tram.

Skiers can access the resources of both Snowbird and Alta through a joint pass that allows skiers access to both resorts using one pass, allowing access to 26 total ski lifts and tows and a skiable area of 4,700 acres (19 km²). Since Alta does not allow snowboarders, this option is only available to skiers, although Snowbird allows snowboarding within its boundaries.

The terrain at Snowbird is 27% beginner, 38% intermediate, and 35% Advanced.

Snowbird has a total of four lodges, including the Iron Blosam, the Inn, the Lodge at Snowbird, and the Cliff Lodge. The resort also has many gift shops, restaurants, arcades, a popular fine-dining Sunday brunch, hiking trails, several pools, a full-service spa, and a luge.

Awards

Skiing Magazine ranked the Alta-Snowbird ski area second in North America overall and first in the United States for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons.According to SKI Magazine (October 2002) Snowbird ranked 20th in North America with Gold Medals in Snow, Access, Challenge, Terrain, Scenery, Weather and Lifts. In specific categories it was ranked No. 3 in North America for Snow, No. 4 in North America for Challenge, and No. 5 in North America for Terrain.The Ski School at Snowbird is well-regarded and two of Snowbird’s Mountain School Instructors, Rob Sogard and Nancy Thorsen, made SKI Magazine’s Top 100 list.

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External links

* [http://www.snowbird.com Snowbird.com] - official site
* [http://www.snowbird.com/about/history.html Snowbird] - resort history
* [http://www.skiutah.com Ski Utah.com] - official state tourism site
* [http://www.feedthehabit.com/skiing/crossing-tracks-at-snowbird-on-may-13-2005/ FeedTheHabit.com] - Snowbird review
* [http://www.firsttracksonline.com/snowbird2002.htm First Tracks Online.com] - Snowbird
* [http://extremeskiphotos.com/pages/2007-10-14-0216.htm Riding at Snowbird] - In Photos