Sunday Day After the Storm

From our friend Matt at Ski Utah.

Two Days in Alta: The second coming of the famed Wasatch snowfall

Two Days in Alta: The second coming of the famed Wasatch snowfall

A Long Awaited Storm

What a great storm cycle!  It started snowing last Wednesday with a couple of intermittent breaks and when the storm cycle ended on Monday, Alta had received 49 inches of snow. The base total is now 71 inches and the High Traverse opened today for the first time this winter.

We received 22 inches in 24 hours and Little Cottonwood Canyon did not open until 11:30 on Sunday morning, so Alta Lodge guests were able to get first dibs on the powder along with other guests at Alta. As you can tell from these photos, the powder skiing held up to Alta standards.  Skiers were happily tired at the end of the day and ready for more the next day.

And of course when you are hungry after a day of skiing, you are always interested in what's on the menu for the day.  Tonight's menu is looking especially good after a hard day of skiing!

Borscht

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Tossed Green Salad

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

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Roast Prime Rib of Beef

Braised Mushrooms and Onions

Mashed Blue Potatoes

-or-

Pistachio Crusted Filet of Ono

Pineapple Kiwi Salsa

Mashed Blue Potatoes
               -or-       

Fusilli Pasta

Tomato Olive Sauce

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Steamed Baby Bokchoy

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Apple Brie Galette

 

Storm Coming

We've been hearing for several days that a significant storm is headed our way.  There's quite a buzz around the lodge now as everyone is pretty excited for this storm that is supposed move in tomorrow and last through the weekend, bringing several feet of snow.  The National Weather Service is issuing storm warnings for winter driving conditions in the Salt Lake Valley.  To hear a full report, we are including a link to audio/video from the local forecasting center.

Apres Ski

Periodically during the winter season, we'll host a wine or beer tasting reception for our guests from 5-6 pm.  Light appetizers will be matched with specially selected wines or beers.  Last evening we hosted an Epic Beer tasting. Epic is a specialty beer brewed in Salt Lake City.  Our baker made pretzels  to go with pâté de maison and a cheese board.

If you miss one of these events, talk to Gregg, our dining room manager about our wine list.  Gregg travels annually to wine regions all over the world, most recently New Zealand and South Africa.  The Pacific Northwest is a favorite region and a recent addition to the wine list from this region is a Pinot Noir from Erath Winery in Willamette Valley. Another new addition to the list and a favorite of Gregg's-- "the best white wine I have ever had"-- is  Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, 2010, New Zealand.

Of course the Sitzmark is always a great spot to wet your whistle.  Try Dan's party margarita, a house specialty that's a great start to a relaxing evening at Alta Lodge after a day on the slopes.

Ringing in the New Year

Down canyon view from Grizzly Gulch

2012 has started out with spectacular blue skies and lots of great groomed slopes for carving turns. Skiers ride the lifts bathed in sunlight and enjoy the opportunity to have a more relaxed pace on the mountain following the holiday season. As guests depart, new guests arrive and first time Alta skiers are afforded the unspoiled view of the mountains at Alta. The mountains draped in snow when the sun is out are mesmerizing and a trip to mountains does wonders for the soul. If you’re here in January, you truly do get away from it all. No driving, no cooking, no dish washing—just ski, eat, sleep and repeat. Cozy up to the fireplace with a book or newspaper in the late afternoon or take a well-earned nap before après ski.

                                                           

Some say the toughest decisions they make when they are here are what to choose from of the three nightly specials offered and if you’re unsure what wine to order Gregg’s knowledge on wines will simplify that decision too. 

    Ah yes, 2012 is off to a great start with three and half more months of skiing.

Tea Time at Alta Lodge

 

A long tradition at Alta Lodge is afternoon tea time.  From 3:30-5 pm daily, fresh baked items are set out in the Deck Room of the Lodge.  Tea is brewed and ready to pour with coffee and hot chocolate as well.  Our incredible baker, Jim H., was trained at the Culinary Institute of America, and our guests always look forward to his tea time treats.  Today when skiers came in for tea, they could choose from chocolate chip walnut biscotti, organge cranberry bread or zucchini bread (or have a sample of each one!)  There are an assortment of ski movies that play on the large screen TV and guests gather to share their experiences on the slopes that day.  We like this tradition and hope you do too!

Christmas Eve Cookie Decorating

It was Christmas Eve and the ping-pong table had turned white as Ketner covered it with butcher paper. Next she laid out the frostings of every color, a rainbow of options that were sure to inspire the cookie decorators.

 Christmas Eve is the night of cookie decorating at the Alta Lodge. While technically part of the Children’s Program, children and parent alike gathered round the table, passing icing, sprinkles, and, of course, cookies.

 The freshly baked sugar cookies came in all types of Christmas themed shapes. We painted reindeer purple, Santa’s green, and Christmas trees polka-dot.  With sticky fingers and belly’s ready for Christmas Eve buffet, we gathered our cookies together and admired our work: 

  Happy Holidays from the Alta Lodge!

Holiday Season Alta Lodge

Free Kids' Program

Families love skiing at Alta and staying at Alta Lodge.  The Kids' Program at Alta Lodge offers supervised activities before and after skiing, shuttle to Alf Engen Ski School and a special kids dinner with menu items geared towards a younger appetite.  After the 5 pm kids' dinner, staff have activities and movies for kids to participate in while parents dine.  Babysitting services are available for infants or for daytime child care in between the Kids' Program regular hours.

Sound too good to be true?  "My son wanted to go to the kids program every night and preferred having dinner with Ketner (program coordinator) and other kids at the kids dinner. My son made several other friends and they were hanging out together by the end of the week." Mike, November 2011

Eary December Skiing

Skiing has been mostly on packed slopes that have been groomed to perfection nightly.  Sugarloaf is open, the Saddle has wonderful conditions without bumps--use caution on the run out but otherwise it's good.  Ballroom has been nice and the run from the top of Wildcat is great.  It's easy to get on the lift at mid-way at Collins this time of year if you prefer to ski the upper mountain but the lower mountain has plenty of coverage.

11-22-11 Alta Ski Patrol

Early Season Powder Skiing

Powder skiers make some pretty nice tracks last on the Baldy Shoulder after the Alta Ski Patrol opened the area. Pretty nice that sun was shining and ski was blue--nice way to start off the ski season.

Opening Day At Alta

Opening day at Alta is Friday, November 18, and everyone is looking forward to another great season. Alta has received several snow storms, the most recent one over the weekend dropped 17 inches. We'll have returning Lodge guests coming for the opening, excited to ski and eager for more snow that will coming on the weekend. Alta Ski Area has been busy preparing the mountain for opening and the Deep Powder House has their inventory stocked for eager skiers. November 18-25,lift ticket prices are reduced to $57 for full day and $48 for half day, 1 pm - closing.

The season will be off to a great start and we can’t wait to get back on skis! How about you?

Thanksgiving

Why spend Thanksgiving Day in the kitchen when you could be on the mountain in Alta? After a day skiing with family and friends, relax and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at Alta Lodge, and leave the cooking to Chef Paul Raddon and Sous-Chef Sam Wolfe.

The menu for the evening begins with an appetizer of seafood crêpe with lobster sauce, followed by butternut squash soup and tossed green salad with roasted-tomato and shallot vinaigrette. The main course – traditional roasted turkey with pan gravy – will be served with quinoa and apricot dressing and lingonberries, mashed potatoes and sautéed mixed vegetables. Dinner concludes with house-made pumpkin pie. Full beverage service is available.

Dinner is served from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. The price is $37 for adults, $16 for children ages 7-12 and $10 for ages 4-6, plus tax and service charge. Reservations are recommended; please call 801-742-3500.

Love this Alta Lodge postcard from 1944 that someone sent to ... on Twitpic

Love this Alta Lodge postcard from 1944 that someone sent to ... on Twitpic

La Nina...what's going on?

We've heard it's going to be another La Nina winter and some of you might be wondering what that means. Our Ski Utah friend and blogger, Jodi Saeland, who is also a meteorologist, sums it up for us on her recent Ski Utah post.

We'll see how it all shakes out through the winter, but in the meantime, we are expecting snow tomorrow at Alta and later in the week too. If you haven't made your Thanksgiving plans yet, just remember that skiing at Alta is an option.

...just around the corner

Summer and fall season were spectacular this year as a result of all the snow that fell well into the spring last winter. Fall colors are still stunning on the lower elevations with the snow covered mountains hinting at winter.

It won't be long before winter is here and we're all skiing that great Utah powder!

Yoga Retreat This Weekend

The annual fall yoga retreat with Kim Lynn is October 14-16. The all inclusive retreat includes seven yoga sessions throughout the weekend, lodging and meals. Participation is limited to 20. For complete details, please visit the web page.

Last chance for Sunday Brunch

Sunday, October 9 is the final Sunday Brunch for the summer season. And the current forecast shows a mostly sunshine for a beautiful day in the mountains. The menu is too extensive to list but includes eggs Benedict, waffles, chicken curry, unique salads, breads and a desert table that will have you going back for seconds.

Last chance until next summer...

Fall Season

Fall season is here and the spectacular fall colors are changing by the day at Alta. It's 74 degrees today at Alta which is a near perfect temperature for a hike or walk in the mountains. Take advantage of the nice weather while you can as before we know it, winter will be here.

Weekend Hiking

It's not often that you can find Columbine and Indian Paintbrush along with many other flowers in bloom in September. That was the case over the weekend as a number of hikers headed to Albion Basin to take advantage of the great weather and beautiful wildflowers still in bloom.

2011-2012 Ski Adventures

Looking for something different for your next ski trip? Here's our list of Ski Adventures for next season.

ALTA LODGE SKI ADVENTURES AT A GLANCE

Alta, UT--Alta Lodge specialty ski adventures are immersion programs for skiers who want to advance their skiing skills in a multi-day ski experience. Select instructors from Alta Ski School or guides from Utah Mountain Adventures spend the day with participants in the mountains, and then join them for après ski and dinner. Lodging, breakfasts and full dinners are included in the ski adventure rates. Many participants return each year for these great experiences. For more information, visit altalodge.com or call 800-707-2582.

Alta Performance Ski Camp l December 4-8, 2011 & April 10-14, 2012
This ski camp is for advanced to expert skiers who want to take their skiing experience at Alta and Snowbird to a new level. The camp takes a progressive approach to coaching skiers off the hill as well, instructing them in dry land training for better skiing fitness. Includes four nights lodging, full breakfast and dinner daily, three days ski coaching, dry land training sessions, three days of lift tickets, demo skis and boots, tax and Lodge service charge. Rates: $1,995 per person, double occupancy or $2,471 single.

Backcountry Ski & Splitboard Clinics l January 24-29, 2012 & March 13-17, 2012
This three-day course with guides from Utah Mountain Adventures teaches skiers and snowboarders the fundamentals during three full days of backcountry skiing and snowboarding. Participants learn avalanche awareness, beacon rescue, safe route selection, efficient uphill travel with climbing skins on skis and split snowboards, and downhill skiing and snowboarding technique, while experiencing legendary Wasatch backcountry touring. Includes four nights lodging, full breakfast and dinner daily, backcountry lunch on ski days, all instructor/guide fees, five yoga sessions (March only), tax and Lodge service charge.
Rates: Jan: $1,915 per person, double occupancy or $2,508; Mar: $2,160 per person, double occupancy or $2,863 single.

Powder Tracks Powder Ski Camp l January 7-12, 2012
This unique ski program makes it easier, faster and more fun to learn to ski Alta's famous powder snow. Powder Tracks makes it possible for intermediate and advanced skiers to move to the next level of expertise in the shortest time possible. Includes five nights lodging, full breakfast and dinner daily, four days of instruction, four days of lift tickets, demo skis and boots, tax and Lodge service charge. Rates: $2,790 per person, double occupancy or $3,531 single.

Women’s Ski Camps for Intermediate to Advanced Skiers
January 19-23 & March 29-April 2, 2012
Just for women, these camps bring together the best of the Alf Engen Ski School's instructors for three days of instruction in a fun environment where skiers can challenge themselves, improve their technique and meet some new ski buddies. Includes four nights lodging, full breakfast and dinner daily, three days of instruction, three days of lift tickets, demo skis and boots, two yoga sessions, tax and Lodge service charge. Rates: $2,211 per person, double occupancy or $2,804 single.

NEW! Women’s Ski Camp for Advanced to Expert Skiers l February 2-5, 2012
Our newest women’s ski camp is designed for the advanced to expert off–trail skier who is looking for a challenge. This program will teach the techniques to ski steeper lines confidently in all conditions.
Includes three nights lodging, breakfasts and dinners, two days of instruction, two days of lift tickets, two days of demo skis and boots, tax and Lodge service charge. Rates: $1,534 per person, double occupancy or $1,979 single.

For both skiers and non-skiers, we’ve added a yoga retreat with instructors from our annual spring and fall yoga retreats. It’s a great way to start the ski season, with morning yoga, afternoon skiing and evening yoga.

NEW! Winter Yoga Retreat l December 9-11, 2011
At this yoga retreat, participants will have time to unplug from their daily routine and join the flow with an intense, rhythmic yoga practice. Ski time is available in the afternoons. Open to yoga practitioners of all levels. Includes two nights lodging, breakfast, and dinner daily, five yoga sessions, tax and Lodge service charge. Rates: $575 per person, double occupancy or $675 single.

9th Annual Knitters Retreat Sept. 23, 24 & 25

Each fall, Alta Lodge hosts the annual Rocky Mountain Knitters' Retreat at the end of September. Knitters and fiber artists gather for a weekend to focus on their craft without all the daily distractions. Participants have an opportunity informal instruction or to get tips from other knitters. Everyone gathers together for meals and conversation. The fall colors are spectacular this time of year. The retreat is fun way to dig into knitting or fiber craft projects that have been put on the back burner for too long. Visit the web page for more details or contact our reservation office to reserve a space.

Summer Moves into August

August is into the second week now and although the days are getting shorter, the sunshine is radiant and the daytime temperatures are near perfect at Alta. The majority of the snow has melted but some higher elevation patches still remain. Hard to believe it did melt after getting so much last winter!