Alta Skiing 101

Whether it’s your first or fiftieth time here, here’s a little “Alta 101.”

Opening and Closing
Official Opening day is Friday, November 20th, 2015, conditions permitting. Closing day is Sunday, April 17, 2016.

The Basics
You’ll need to bring the basics for skiing: jacket, pants, ski socks, long underwear, gloves, goggles, hat/helmet. If you’ve forgotten anything, there are many shops that sell the necessities or items you just want to replace. There are also many shops to rent ski equipment from in Alta. The Alta Peruvian Ski Shop carries the best boots and skis for your demo experience. We also carry many of the items you might have left at home.

The Mountain
Whatever your skill level, Alta has something for everyone. The mountain is divided into 2 base areas. The Albion/Sunnyside base area offers beginner through advanced  trails. The Collins Gulch side has mostly intermediate and black runs. What you won’t find here are Double Black Diamonds. Alta keeps it simple with Green, Blue and Black runs. Need a better visual, check out our ski trail map. Tickets are available at both base areas, in the main ticket office buildings.

The Roads
There are times when the Little Cottonwood Canyon Road may be restricted to travel. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has an extensive avalanche control program in the canyon, restricting travel when control work is in progress. You may call UDOT’s Hotline at 511 for more information while you are in the canyon or check out our mountain report.

That’s all. Class dismissed.