A story of two skiers and two mountain resorts in Utah

As soon as, Katherine requested me, “What was your happiest second?” I can’t bear in mind what I stated. I feel it was a household Thanksgiving trip in Barcelona, distant from consuming turkey however near Gaudi. Katherine’s happiest second was a deep powder day, making turns down a run at Alta Ski Resort in Utah. 

Most superior skiers know the sensation. It’s like your chest is filled with monarch butterflies, and your thoughts is free from thought, though chances are you’ll be buzzing a tune. For me, I really feel supremely grateful. That is me at 63, and I prefer it! 

I needed to see why Katherine was so in love with Alta and Alta Lodge. She goes again yearly. A Sundance ski move had been dangling from my desk mild, a travel-writing perk acquired at Ski Utah’s fall press celebration. Thus, the Sundance—Alta four-day women’ jaunt from NYC to SLC, was on the calendar. Sundance for 2 days, Alta for two.5 days. 

Two Utah resorts, two totally different vibes

Sundance is like snowboarding with your mates. It feels native, western, simple, calm. You wish to name everybody dude and channel each Jeremiah Johnson and your favourite artwork trainer or meditation coach. 

Alta is like snowboarding with your loved ones, particularly when staying at Alta Lodge. Living proof:

We have been having dinner with Katherine’s buddies, a pair she skis with yearly. Each households select Alta Lodge as their Christmas break vacation spot.  

Whereas at dinner, a girl on the desk behind us proceeded to have some kind of seizure. In response, Katherine loudly chanted, “Medical doctors, medical doctors, medical doctors!”

The couple, each medical doctors, jumped from the desk to assist this lady. What makes it an Alta Lodge second is that the medical doctors already knew the lady in hassle; they’d met years earlier and will name her to consciousness by identify. 

The paramedics got here, and the medical doctors, Alicia Rojas and Rob Sloan, have been capable of give them detailed details about the lady’s situation as a result of they traveled with a medical equipment, which got here in very useful. So sure, you get to know and take care of one another at Alta Lodge. 

Neither Katherine nor I have been eager on flying and snowboarding on the identical day. However Utah resorts beat the drum about these early flights for harried New Yorkers who’re bold in every thing they do… that may be extra Katherine than me. 

So we take an early flight out, arrive at Sundance about midday, turn into our ski garments (within the public bogs), gear up, and get on their new Outlaw Specific elevate. 

With the inflow of capital from Storyteller, Sundance’s new-ish homeowners who bought the resort from famed Robert Redford, this course of guarantees to enhance. 

Sundance

Sundance broke floor on a brand new lodge in June (2024).  It won’t be “taller than the tallest tree,” a favourite remark of Sundance advertising and marketing of us. As an alternative of 1 massive lodge, two smaller buildings are adjoined by a bridge. As VP Advertising and marketing Nick Como defined, it’s all about honoring Robert Redford’s legacy of being “good stewards of the land.” 

And what LAND it’s. Our first day on the mountain was glowing, with temperatures near 50 levels. Topanango Mountain is among the most beautiful peaks in Utah. It seems to be like a mama bear claw that holds the entire mountain within the palm of its hand. 

Katherine and I make fascinating ski companions. I’m superior, and Katherine is professional stage—a humorous description as a result of she doesn’t receives a commission for snowboarding, though she skis like she does. She needs a problem. She needs to get higher. 

To provide you a bit background, Katherine was born and raised in New York Metropolis, attended The Brearley College, after which Haverford. She is a graduate of Harvard Enterprise College, has held a number of SVP positions, and has been an organization president. Then, she began her personal government teaching enterprise for C-suite groups. She skis like she’s getting the job performed however loves it simply the identical. She likes bumps and steeps. 

I used to be born and raised in Southern California. I attended public college, specializing in dance and surfers. I went to the College of Utah, majoring in journalism. I moved to NYC, grew to become a vogue stylist (earlier than anybody, together with my father, knew what that was), and dressed music celebrities for CD packaging. Then, I moved to the burbs, the place I met Katherine and continued to decorate girls for government existence. 

Along with her coach hat on, Katherine as soon as requested me, “Who’s driving your bus?” I used to be having a difficult time with a consumer. I stated Mary Poppins. She requested why. As a result of Mary is in cost, prudent, enjoyable, sensible, cautious, and virtually good in each manner, I ski like Mary would – sleek and cautious. I wish to cruise. I like groomers. 

Nonetheless, it’s enjoyable to ski collectively. From Outlaw Specific Elevate, we took Pink’s Elevate to the highest, and from there, some light blues down (skiers left) from Bearclaw to Roundup. With the nice and cozy climate, the snow was difficult: delicate on the highest and hard-packed beneath. 

We each like Bishop’s Bowl and the black runs that feed off of that. Pipeline is enjoyable, though a bit slim for me. 

The elevation at Sundance is decrease than up the Cottonwood Canyons, the place Alta, Solitude, and different well-known Utah ski slopes reside.  So snow situations could be difficult, however Nick, the advertising and marketing VP talked about earlier, stated the latest funding in snowmaking tools “Saved our goat, massive time final December,” Decrease elevation does have its benefits. Sundance is the primary to open for mountain biking and mountaineering and the final to shut. 

But snowboarding is only one of many causes to go to Sundance. If you wish to get artistic, dedicate time to creating or seeing artwork at Sundance. 

“The view doesn’t get any higher,” stated my jewelry-making teacher on the Artwork Shack, which is a number of artwork studios in a single constructing the place visitors can be taught glass-blowing, soap-making, pottery, or fragrance. 

I made a turquoise cuff bracelet at a jewelry-making class. I found that matrix is the coloured, veiny threads operating by way of turquoise. Individuals like matrix, whereas the European market needs turquoise to be unblemished. 

After I shared my jewelry-making efforts with an Alta common, he snickered, “Oh, so that you go to Sundance NOT to ski?”  This alone speaks to the distinction between the 2 resorts. I like each. 

Conservation, nature, and artwork make Sundance, Sundance. Should you’re not serious about a turquoise bobble, make one thing else or faucet into the guided hikes, mountain biking, or plein air portray (and that’s only for starters). 

Theater and movie arts? Effectively, this was Robert Redford’s place and the unique residence of the Sundance Movie Competition. The primary constructing, which homes The Foundry Grill, Normal Retailer, Deli, and fancy-dining Tree Room restaurant, has images of movie legends like Denzel Washington and Quentin Tarantino. Sundance hosts every thing from movie courses to read-throughs to script-writing workshops. 

Redford discovered the bar, the bar again, and a aspect cupboard in Thermopolis, Wyoming on the historic Gap In The Wall Saloon the place Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch used to hang around (and, some say, disguise loot). Apparently, there have been two bars within the institution, Redford purchased the secondary bar, known as The Owl Bar, and shipped it to Sundance. The primary one resides in Thermopolis’s Sizzling Springs County Historic Museum. 

Having cocktails on this bar is a boots-and-spurs feeling that captures your creativeness of what the true West should have been like within the 1800s. Appropriately, there are a number of black and white photographs adorning the Owl Bar of Redford and Newman as Butch and Sundance. And whereas Redford by no means needed Sundance, the resort, to be a narrative about him, it at all times was. 

Going ahead, with a 30 million greenback funding from Storyteller and a mission devoted to conservation, nature, and artwork. Sundance will turn out to be much more Sundance. 

Alta

Alta — pronounce the “a” like apple. That issues to Alta regulars. I used to be corrected repeatedly. 

I had a Mountain Collective move, which lets you go to independently owned and operated resorts worldwide for 2 days. Alta is a part of their “collective.” Along with the 2 days, you obtain a 50% low cost on extra days and one bonus day. Frankly, I believed I used to be “sticking it to the person” getting this move. Epic and Icon and their massive enterprise mentality for snowboarding bothers me. However that’s fodder for one more story. 

Katherine was my information on our first day, and she or he did job of giving me a really feel for the mountain. As we have been headed up Collins Elevate, she identified Excessive Traverse, a feeder for a bunch of blacks that appeared terrifying to me however have been common runs for Katherine. This was March; the snow was hard-packed and icy due to the nice and cozy days and little snowfall. So Excessive Travers was closed (security first!), however there have been loads of groomers to swish down that was tremendous enjoyable, regardless of the snow situations. 

While you take a look at an Alta map, you see extra blacks than blues, however it didn’t really feel that manner. For the best way I ski—cautious, informal—it suits.  What I actually beloved about Alta was staying at Alta Lodge, for that matter any of the lodging on the mountain would do. It’s simply SO luxurious to have the ability to take off your ski boots and stroll into your lodge, clearly! 

I met Anastasia Vournas mid-mountain at Collins Grill. As we have been each struggling to get our ski boots off and slip into the slippers offered by the restaurant, I requested her about her historical past with Alta. She had A LOT to say: “Many buddies ski within the east–I’m unavailable. I went as soon as, and I stated that is so not for me–icey, a lot colder, windy. I imply, it’s a hostage state of affairs, so terrible!”

She went on to clarify that Alta is ideal for a multigenerational household. The terrain is diverse sufficient to swimsuit most skiers from starting to superior. Moreover, there are not any snowboarders. Anastasia, a C-suit government who now runs a not-for-profit meals basis, had her opinions: “Snowboarders should not taught the right way to ski safely. It’s higher to ski with out snowboarders–Alta is for skiers. This has been THE tagline for Alta’s advertising and marketing marketing campaign since snowboarders hit the slopes within the mid-80s.

Katherine and her good friend Alicia (bear in mind the physician?) agreed with Anastasia’s opinion of Alta’s ski college. Anastasia suggests their personal classes, regardless of your ability stage, however particularly if you’re a newbie. She defined that, “Should you perceive the mechanics of snowboarding, you’ll be nice, even if you happen to start in your 40s like I did.” 

Katherine has taken superior ski workshops provided by way of Alta Lodge, that are an ideal thought for somebody who needs to enhance and have ski companions with equal expertise. 

About arriving at Alta Lodge with no ski buddy, Alicia informed me a narrative on the Supreme Elevate. That day we have been accessing blues to skiers left, which we heard have been a softer wager.  Regardless, elevate using is a superb place for storytelling…  Years in the past when Alicia was newly divorced, it was Christmas time, and she or he didn’t wish to default again to the household residence “together with her tail between her legs,” so she signed up for a ski bundle with classes and dorm-room-style lodging at Alta Lodge. 

The ski classes constructed confidence (and I’m not simply speaking about in snowboarding). Alta Lodge was a simple place to be as a single lady. The workers and visitors have been pleasant and welcoming, and for Alicia it was like going “residence” to no judgment, privateness, and a sense of belonging. 

Quick ahead life, she remarried, had a child, and the household returns to Alta Lodge for winter holidays and spring trip. The household nonetheless accesses the famend ski college. Alicia has favourite instructors who’ve turn out to be buddies. 

The bar at Alta Lodge is a treasure–on the second ground, it overlooks the face of Mount Superior, with an A-frame wooden beamed ceiling, a bit nook of a bar, it’s unpretentious, and cowboy cool (not your Aspen apres ski scene), decidedly Utah, Alta Utah. I met up with GM Cliff Curry there. (The bar can also be the placement for morning yoga courses.) 

Cliff was a lawyer in Seattle at a large agency. He wasn’t notably completely happy, “I simply needed to go snowboarding. The concept was to come back out for one winter, 27 years later, I’m nonetheless in contact with folks I labored with at Snow Pine.” Snow Pine Lodge is one other on-mountain lodge the place Cliff landed his first Alta job. 

He continued, “Each Wednesday at 2 o’clock I’d go to the cellphone sales space and name the Alta Lodge, ask for Julie–Julie, it’s Cliff Curry, I nonetheless wish to work there. Lastly, after they had a gap, she considered that man who bothers me each week. My first job was as a entrance desk clerk. I simply needed to ski my brains out, no ambition, no plans.” 

As Cliff put it, “Alta Lodge put up with me.” After 27 years of working in nearly each place, he realized the ropes, bought higher at his slalom, and have become the large cheese. His willingness to take a seat down to inform his Alta Lodge story positively personalised the lodge expertise for me. 

Throughout my keep at Alta Lodge, it appeared everybody I met and spoke with had an Alta Lodge story. Now, having been there, I’ve a number of of my very own. Will I’m going again to collect and create extra? I actually hope so!