Alta Ski Area

Alta is a ski area in the western United States, located in the town of Alta in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, in Salt Lake County. With a skiable area of 2,200 acres (8.9 km²), Alta's base elevation is 8,530 ft (2,600 m) and rises to 10,550 ft (3,216 m) for a vertical gain of 2,020 ft (616 m). One of the oldest ski resorts in the country, it opened its first lift in early 1939. Alta is known for being very high altitude and receives more snow than most Utah resorts, its average annual snowfall is 514 inches (13.1 m). Alta is one of three remaining ski resorts in America that prohibits snowboarders, along with nearby competitor Deer Valley and Vermont's Mad River Glen.

History

Early history

Alta is one of the oldest ski areas in the U.S. and is one of just three ski areas in the U.S. that limit access to skiers only. Located at the head of Little Cottonwood Canyon barely 30 miles (48 km) from the Great Salt Lake, Alta resides in a unique micro climate characterized by over 500 inches (1,270 cm) of high volume, low moisture snowfall annually.

Ski resort

A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area – a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and other supporting services such as hotels, restaurants, equipment rentals, and a ski lift system. In North America it is more common for ski areas to exist well away from towns, and the term ski resort is used for a destination resort, often purpose-built and self-contained, where skiing is the main activity.

Types

The ski industry has identified advancing generations of ski resorts:

The term ski station is also used, particularly in Europe, for a skiing facility which is not located in or near a town or village. A ski resort which is also open for summer activities is often referred to as a mountain resort.

Facilities and amenities

Ski areas have marked paths for skiing known as runs, trails or pistes. Ski areas typically have one or more chairlifts for moving skiers rapidly to the top of hills, and to interconnect the various trails. Rope tows can also be used on short slopes (usually beginner hills or bunny slopes). Larger ski areas may use gondolas or aerial trams for transportation across longer distances within the ski area.