Season Recap: A Wild Ride

Whew, as we catch our collective breath from the abrupt end to the 2019-2020 season, we look back on a season none of us will forget. From a new chef running the kitchen and an all-time record length Interlodge travel restriction to a global pandemic turning everyone’s lives upside-down, we have some stories to tell.

The season opened in late November, just like any other year. Antsy skiers filled the lodge quicker than our bartenders at P-Dog fill beers on a Friday night. The young season welcomed an equally youthful and promising Head Chef, Kyle Stranick. Bringing his influences of southern comfort food, skiers raved about the meals they received after coming off the mountain.

All seemed well and good until February 6, 2020. At 5:30 am, The Town of Alta ordered an Interlodge until all avalanche control had been completed. 52 hours, 5.5 inches of new water, 33 inches of new snow, 17% snow density and 35-plus Alta Ski Patrol people later, the mountain finally reopened to skiers. And what did our guests and Alta neighbors do? Clicked into their skis and took advantage of almost three feet of new powder.

A little over a month later, with the snow still falling, the world as we all knew it, came to a screeching halt. COVID-19 affected travel, leisure, hospitality, sports and, most importantly, families in every pocket of the world. The virus has and continues to personally threaten the safety and normalcy of each one of us. Our doors, and the book, has been closed on the 2019-2020 season as we begin to look forward to next year. But not without looking back at the exciting and wild ride that was 2019-2020.

So, as we optimistically wish to see you when our doors open next season, we will monitor the situation as it progresses into the summer and beyond. We’re working on updating our reservation policies to help you book your future stay with confidence. And when it’s safe to finally come together again, remember how we responded when we were given the green light after a record Interlodge: we hit the slopes harder than ever and brag about it all over dinner.

Stay safe, stay inside, and we’ll see you next year, Alta family!