Ski trips are a fun idea for a long weekend. Three full days of skiing is just enough time to have fun and wear your body out. After going to Telluride, Colorado last year, we were excited to try somewhere new. Salt Lake City is known for its many ski resorts, so we joined my sister-in-law at one of her favorites – Alta.

Here is a quick guide if you’re considering skiing at Alta.

Why Ski Alta

Alta is a favorite ski-only area near Salt Lake City. The terrain is 15% beginner, 30% intermediate, and 55% advanced, meaning there are more options for people who know how to ski. Skiing is open from December to May, and the mountain averages 540 inches of snow every year! It snows harder in December but snows the most days in February.

It’s a beautiful, challenging mountain where lots of locals visit. Its low-key, ski-focused vibe was a perfect fit for us.

Alta Quick Ski Guide

Here are some things to know about skiing Alta.

• Alta’s lifts open at 9:15 a.m. and the area opens at 8 a.m.
• Parking fills up, so if you want a spot close to the entrance, get there early. Paid reservations ($10) are needed on the weekends.
• There was little to no traffic during the weekdays before 9 a.m. and when we left around 3-4 p.m., but traffic will double on the weekends.
• There is a rental shop at Albion Base that you can walk in on your first day. The prices ($47-77 per day depending on gear type) are comparable to a rental shop like Christy Sports, so make it easy and rent here.
• Restaurants – There are a few cafeteria-style dining options on the mountain. They serve warm and hearty options like chili, sandwiches, and soups. They also have lots of seating.
• While we found it easy to store our things in the car while we were skiing and store our rentals in our hotel at night, there are lockers available.
• If you want to try more than Alta, Snowbird (more advanced) is next door and there are lift tickets to be able to experience both. There is also a connection on the mountain.
• Lift line wait times ranged from walk-on to 10 minutes. Typically it was about 5 minutes or less.

If you’re looking for a comparison of the ski resorts in Salt Lake City, see the Powerderhound website for more information.

One thing I’ll mention is Park City is one of the most popular ski areas near Salt Lake City. We decided not to go here because while the mountain is bigger (more runs), it has a lower percentage for beginners and the area (rental stays, restaurants) are more expensive.

About the Runs

I am a green/blue skier and there were just enough runs to satisfy me. Their greens are short and limited (did all of them and they are pretty easy) and blues are a bit steeper to me (who skied blues for the first time this trip). See the trail map here and these are some runs I liked:

• The Sunnyside lift will take you to all the greens. Crooked Mile and Home Run are two long green runs.
• After the Sunnyside lift, take the Supreme lift to my favorite run Big Dipper. It’s an easy blue with a few challenging spots. You can also veer off of Big Dipper to Rock ‘n Roll, which is a harder blue with a few steep drops.
• After the Sunnyside lift, you can also take the Sugarloaf lift up. Devil’s Elbow is an easier blue with some tricky spots.
• The Sugarloaf lift will also take you to the slow EBT to Collins and connect you to Mambo – Meadow – Corkscrew, probably the hardest of the easy blues. You’ll end up on the Collins lift.

Alta Weather

We visited the last week of February and got lucky. Alta had recently gotten snow and two of the days the high was almost 20 degrees F but it was 0-10 degrees most of the time. This meant a few breaks were necessary to thaw out fingers and toes! On the third day, it was up to 30, which feels like a big difference (so hot!) when you’re bundled up in thermals.

It was hard to get warm sometimes. I was wearing two layers of thermals (wool) on top plus my ski jacket, a fleece gaiter, fleece headband, two sets of gloves, thermal pants under my ski pants, and ski socks. If I’m skiing at this temperature in the future, I’ll need to find warmer gloves and socks and/or use warmers.

My Telluride post goes into more detail about ski gear.

How to Get There

You’ll fly into Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), which is about 15 minutes from the downtown area and an hour away from Alta. Everything is relatively close when you stay just outside of downtown. Keep reading to learn more about where to stay.

How to Get Around

You’ll need to rent a car with four-wheel drive in the winter and there are plenty of rental options at the airport. We rented a Jeep and it was about $40 extra a day for a four-wheel-drive vehicle. The total price was around $500 for four days.

Having a car is ideal (and my preference if/when we visit again) but there is an extensive light rail – TRAX – and there are bus routes that take you to the ski areas. However, remember you’ll need to tote your ski rentals to/from your place.

Where to Stay

There is not really a restaurant area in Alta (lodges have their own restaurants), so if you want a little more adventure, your best bet is to stay outside of the ski area. Hotels and rentals can be found 30-45 minutes away. We considered rentals in Draper, Midvale, Murray, and Millcreek. All of these areas are about 20-30 minutes from Downtown Salt Lake City and had lots of restaurant options, so skiing and exploring the city’s restaurants are relatively easy and you get the best of both worlds.

If you want to stay as close to the ski area as possible, there are five lodges and 11 condos in the Alta area. View all the Alta lodging options here.

We stayed at Tru by Hilton in Midvale, which was a no-frills, limited-service hotel. It included breakfast and quick access to the highway. We would have preferred a vacation rental, but since we booked last minute (so options were limited), a hotel would be comfortable enough and would save us some money.

I would check vacation rental sites months in advance. The typical price is $136 per night. There are a lot of cute options, and I would look for a place with free parking and a hot tub.

Where to Eat – SLC Restaurants

We focused on healthier restaurant options this trip and enjoyed our meals. We ate very well, so these might be a bit “fancier” restaurants on the budget. (Though we found it was also more affordable when compared to Austin prices!)

Redmond Heritage Farm Store – Quick stop for a warm cup of soup and grilled cheese

Takashi – Voted one of the best restaurants in the city, a popular place for sushi downtown. Get the toro truffle gunkan maki.

SLC Eatery – Cute restaurant on a quiet street, creative dishes focused on local ingredients. The intermountain mushroom dish and handmade pasta were really good.

Provisions – Also a cute restaurant serving ingredient-driven plates. The cod was amazing.

Rawtopia – Healthiest restaurant during our visit! Plenty of flavorful, gluten-free, and dairy-free dishes with quality ingredients. This Dandelion Salad with added salmon was a favorite.

Roots Cafe – Go early for brunch. Who knew after taking this picture that the star of the table was this amazing side pancake

Gourmandise – Delish pastries and dessert, plus a cafe. Three locations including one in the airport. Get the kouign amann! Also liked the cranberry oatmeal cookie

We grabbed breakfast at the hotel and were typically on the mountain during lunch, so here are some other options on my list that we didn’t visit.

• Beaumont Bakery & Cafe
• Vessel Kitchen
• GR Kitchen
• Nomad East
• HSL
• Copper Onion
• Sagato Bakery & Cafe

There are about 24 breweries in the Salt Lake City area, and you can visit many of them through the Salt Lake Brewery Mobile Pass. It might not be a good option if you’re focused on skiing, so here are some of the breweries I considered:

• Proper Brewing Company – We stopped by after dinner one night, and it’s a low-key option.
• Kiitos Brewing
• Wasatch Brewery
• Hopkins Brewing Company

Alta Ski Trip Budget

Here’s the breakdown per person cost for a four-night trip with three days of skiing:

• Roundtrip flight from Austin to Salt Lake City: $612
• Lift Tickets: $390
• Ski Rental: $150
• Hotel: $188
• Car Rental: $157

The total is close to $1,500, and when compared to our Telluride trip, our Alta trip was $250 less per person based on the above costs.

Alta, Utah vs Telluride, Colorado

This is a very specific comparison based on the two ski areas I’ve been to recently! (Here is my post on Telluride skiing.) They have pros and cons in different areas.

First, based on the above, Alta was more cost-effective than Telluride. Telluride had more expensive lift tickets and ski rentals.

If you want a ski-in/out experience in a walkable city, pick Telluride. The time from hotel/rental to skiing is about the same in Telluride and Alta. I understand Park City, Utah is similar to this, but more expensive compared to Telluride’s small-town charm.

If you want more advanced and challenging skiing, Alta will give you that. Telluride has more run options for beginners (more green runs).

Dining and nightlife-wise, Telluride is walkable and has enough restaurants to try during a long weekend. Salt Lake City is a big city and with that comes better quality restaurants. We also commented multiple times how quiet Salt Lake City was everywhere we went. Visitors are drawn to the outdoor activities rather than its city attractions.

Conclusion

Honestly, I like skiing enough to go on a ski trip and it’s still growing on me. It is also scary and tiring, and I’d choose the beach over skiing most days. But snowy mountains provide a different kind of wonder and it brings me back, enough to endure the cold! I hope you have as much fun in Alta as I did!

P.S. See this post for information about my trip to Telluride.

The post Alta, Utah Ski Trip Guide appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

This post will give you tips about planning a trip to Telluride and beginner skiing in Telluride.

Why Ski in Telluride

We picked Telluride because the town is smaller and the ski mountain would be less busy than the bigger ski resorts in Colorado near Denver. It is also a beginner-friendly mountain. We also considered Breckenridge, Keystone, and Steamboat Springs. The charm of the town of Telluride won us over.

Telluride is great for beginner skiers, with class options and plenty of beginner runs. From what I’ve read, Telluride also has plenty of variety for advanced skiers. One of the best factors I experienced was a maximum 10-minute wait for a lift. Locals say a maximum wait can be 40 minutes but that’s rare, compared to bigger resorts where that is normal. I guess your decision on where to go skiing depends on if you want to have a longer journey to the destination with shorter lift lines (Telluride) or an easier journey with longer lift lines (somewhere near Denver). Keep in mind, Telluride is getting more popular every year, so this will change!

(Edit: We skied Alta, Utah the next year and I liked Telluride more! See that trip and comparison in this post.)

Best Time to Ski Telluride

The ski season in Telluride is from Thanksgiving to the first weekend in April. The end of January to President’s Day has the best ski conditions and fewer people. The middle of March to the end of the season is busiest because of spring break and it can get very warm. We visited in the middle of March and the high got up to the lower 50s, which made some slopes icy in the morning and slushy in the afternoon. Some runs were a little crowded for me, but skiing around 11 am when many have gone to lunch and you almost have the run to yourself was perfect.

Getting Around Telluride

Telluride is a very walkable town, meaning everything you need is a short walk away. I think our longest walk was about 15 minutes. But there is a free shuttle – Galloping Goose – that makes a constant loop if you don’t want to walk. You can see the schedule here.

To get up to Mountain Village, there is a free gondola that is less than a 15-minute ride. It runs early and ends late, so plenty of time to get your skiing in.

How to Get to Telluride

The nearest large airport is Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ), which is about an hour and a half drive to Telluride. The non-stop flights come from Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, and San Francisco. From Austin, we had stopovers in Dallas (on the way there) and Phoenix (on the way back). Telluride has an airport also if you are flying from Denver. A round-trip flight to Montrose is usually $200-400.

Since Telluride is very walkable, you likely won’t need a car during your trip. For that reason, a shuttle from Montrose to Telluride is a popular way to get to Telluride. There are shared 14-person vans and private SUVs available. We used Telluride Car Service for a private ride and they were excellent! Service was great and their pricing is lower than other shuttles.

Where to Stay in Telluride

First, decide if you will stay in the town of Telluride or Mountain Village. We decided to stay in the town because it was less expensive and there were more lodging options to choose from in Telluride. The average lodging price per night (when we looked for five people) in Telluride was $500-800 while Mountain Village was $1,000-2,000 per night. 

The difference is the 15-minute gondola ride up and down the mountain. It’s an extra trip back to your place in Telluride after skiing. If you’re skiing until the lifts close (until 3:30-4:30 pm), you’ll have a 15-30 minute wait in the gondola line to get down. The commute wasn’t too bad, and I would stay in the town of Telluride again. This might be different if you decide not to rent a locker and have to lug your ski gear to and from your rental.

Since we wanted at least four beds and enough space so it didn’t feel cramped, the options were limited for our price range, especially booking about a month out. We ended up staying at Cimarron Lodge, which was great for us. The six-person condo had a living room space to hang out and a kitchen with an oven, stove, and dishware. It was a short walk to the grocery store and about a 10-minute walk to the free gondola. If I could change something about our lodging, I would want more comfortable beds and an overhead fan or A/C in the bedroom.

I would highly consider a place with a hot tub because it would feel great after a long day of skiing!

Here are some other options we considered in town.

• Bachman Village Rentals
• Telluride Lodge
• Boomerang Lodge
• Ballard House Condo
• Camels Garden Hotel
• New Sheridan Hotel
• The Hotel Telluride

I recommend looking at the Alpine Lodging website and Airbnb for condo rentals, but booking through Alpine Lodging is cheaper than Airbnb. Telluride Ski Resort and Telluride Resort Lodging also have listings.

What to Wear When You Ski

As someone who was born and raised in Texas and who has prioritized beach vacations, winter clothes were a big endeavor. Thankfully, I borrowed a lot of my ski clothes from friends. If you’re looking for cheaper options, look at thrift and outlet stores. You can find gear at REI, Columbia, and Eddie Bauer, among others.

The high temperatures during my ski trip were around 35 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and it felt warmer than I thought it would be. Being comfortable and dry (in case you fall down) will make skiing much more enjoyable! I recommend having thicker and lighter options of jackets, gloves, and gaiters so you can switch out.

• Rentals – A typical rental package includes skis and ski boots. Helmets are also available. Helmets also cover your ears, so no need to worry there.
• Jacket – Get a waterproof and warm jacket. If you’re skiing in the warmer part of the season, I would consider getting a jacket with vents and/or bringing a lighter option (jacket shell) you can switch into.
• Pants – Get your waterproof ski pants ready. If you’re wearing thermal pants or leggings, something that hits right below the knee is ideal so that you’re not constricting your legs inside your boot (your calves) as much. A ski bib is like overalls and aims to keep snow out of your pants from the top. It’s typically a more snug fit around the waist and very comfortable.
• Gloves – You’ll need waterproof gloves. Same as the jacket, consider bringing a lighter option if you’re skiing later in the season.
• Goggles – You can buy some online for about $40. I recommend getting a pair that reflects the sun/snow well (like sunglasses) and won’t fog up.
• Socks – You want crew socks (tall socks that hit mid-calf) that are warm yet breathable. If you’re afraid of being cold, look for thicker, wool socks. Ski-specific socks may also have extra padding in the shin area.
• Warm layers – Since it was warmer when I visited, I only wore a long-sleeve thermal shirt on top under my jacket. If it’s colder, you could try a fleece layer on top of that. Layers are necessary!
• Neck Gaiter – Having this was so useful! I had fleece and lightweight options. These will keep you warm and save you from wind and sun.
• Sunscreen – Don’t forget to apply in the morning and reapply in the afternoon!
• Snow boots – You’ll need these for walking around if it’s snowy and/or icy. Typically, most ski places will have walkways shoveled and ice-free, so it’s not necessary, but if you’re walking around or the temperature is lower so that ice and snow can build up, these will keep your feet warm and keep you from slipping and falling.

How Many Days Should You Ski Telluride?

I recommend skiing for three to four days, especially if you’re a beginner and/or skiing for at least five hours every day. That’s about six to eight runs a day with a break for lunch. You can easily ski all the green courses in this length of time.

I also recommend taking a class at any level. It’s a good refresher and there’s always something to improve or learn.

Is Telluride Hard to Ski? Is Telluride Good for Beginners?

As a somewhat beginner skier, I didn’t think Telluride was hard to ski. The greens were an easy challenge. I think Telluride is good for beginners but it could have had more green runs and/or flatter green runs. You can easily ski all the greens in two or three days, so you’ll either move on to blues or re-run the greens, which could get boring.

What are the Best Easy Runs in Telluride?

From Mountain Village, you’ll ski down Meadows or The Peaks to get to the main lift for green runs. From there you’ll take Sunshine Express up to all the fun.

Favorite Run From the Top:

• Take Sunshine Express – lift 10 then Ute Park Express – lift 11.
• Ski down Little Maude and Madison to Prospect Express – lift 12.
• At the top of lift 12, follow this route: Galloping Goose > Bridges
• Bridges (Double Green) has some great fast sections!

Other Favorites:

• Meadows and The Peaks (Single Green) – You’ll probably take these every day. They’re good to warm up on.
• Ute Park (Single Green) – This big open route is easy and good for practice.
• Little Maude and Madison (Double Green) – You’ll ski through lots of trees and it’s a fun jaunt before going up lift 12.
• Galloping Goose (Double Green) – You can take this run from the top all the way to the bottom. It can seem a little narrow and there is a drop-off on one side. When I was there, the bottom section was very slow because it was so warm.
• Nellie (Double Green) – this is a nice little tree-lined, quick run
• Village Bypass (Double Green) – One of the harder double greens, this run is at the top of Village Express – lift 4 and is the steepest green on the mountain.

How to Make Your Ski Trip Better

You’ll probably be very sore the first two days, so be sure to hydrate, stretch, and use muscle patches or rubs to relieve your legs. A hot shower after skiing feels great and I bet a hot tub would be excellent! (So sad our condo’s hot tub wasn’t available!)

What to Do in Telluride Besides Skiing and Snowboarding

While we didn’t make time to do anything other than ski, there are options for non-skiers or if you don’t want to spend all day skiing! Here are some winter options:

• Snowmobile Tours
• Sleigh Rides
• Fat Tire Biking
• Cross-country Skiing (like hiking on skis)
• Spa Time at Pure Beauty and Wellness, The Peaks, or Madeline Resort
• Telluride Historical Museum

What to Eat and Drink in Telluride

Since we made breakfast and lunch every day, dinner and drinks were the time we explored Telluride’s restaurants. We visited Telluride to ski and the food isn’t something I’d write home about, but the restaurants were good after a day of skiing. We tried the first five on the list. If you’re staying in Telluride town, here are some options:

• Smugglers Union Restaurant & Brewery – The best food and beer we had in Telluride
• Brown Dog Pizza – Classic and Detroit-style pizza
• Siam – Thai food
• Telluride Bottleworks – liquor store
• Last Dollar Saloon – Bar with a rooftop and nice cocktails
• There – A trendy bar for fancy cocktails
• 221 South Oak – New American fancier restaurant
• Baked in Telluride – Casual cafe
• The Butcher & The Baker – Local bakery and cafe
• Cosmopolitan – Fancy eats
• Rustico – Fine Italian restaurant
• New Sheridan Bar – Historic building, eats, and drinks

If you’re looking for more options and the most updated information, check out this list on Eater.

Telluride Ski Trip Budget

A 4-night trip with three days of skiing costs about $2,300-2,500 per person with money-saving tips. Below are some of the things you need to budget for your trip. I’ve also included price estimates and ways to save money.

• Flight to Montrose: $200-400
• Stay: $100-2,000 per night
  • Book a place in Telluride instead of Mountain Village.
  • Stay in a condo instead of a hotel.
• Round-Trip Shuttle to Telluride from Montrose: $370 for five people
  • We used Telluride Car Service, which was a lot cheaper than other options.
• Ski Lift Ticket: $169/day
  • The price is what it is and you can get them on the Telluride Ski Resort website.
• Ski Rentals: $80/day for skis, ski boots, and helmet
  • Book online early and look for discount offers.
  • The damage waiver is about $2 a day.
  • We used Christy Sports, which seemed to be slightly less expensive than other options.
• Ski Lesson: $160
  • The three-hour lesson is helpful to get started and be more comfortable, especially for someone who hasn’t skied in a long time. I would ask if there is an opportunity to switch to a class to a higher level midway through if you find yours too easy.
• Ski Locker: $10/day – $40/night
  • Having a large ski locker in Mountain Village is very helpful so you don’t have to carry all your gear down to Telluride every night. Each big locker can fit the stuff of two to three people, so you could share.
• Ski Clothes: $150+
  • Borrow from a friend
  • Buy them in the off-season
  • Shop at thrift stores and outlet stores.
• Food: $100+
  • Buy groceries for meals. This is especially easy for lunch – make sandwiches and keep them in your locker.
  • Bring a water bottle to refill. There are filtered water stations available.

Plan Your Telluride Trip

Don’t ski? Telluride is also a popular destination in the summer! Without the snow, it becomes a hot spot for hiking, biking, and camping. This means no matter if it’s winter or summer, you’ll find plenty of outdoor activities in Telluride and a beautiful mountain landscape to enjoy!

I always thought I preferred the beach and I still do, but I wouldn’t mind a mountain vacation to ski and apres-ski every once in a while.

P.S. If you’re looking for another ski location, we visited Alta, Utah the next year. See all the info here.

P.P.S. Need some more ideas for a vacation? See my Destinations page here.

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