Summer Season

With the end of ski season, many of our winter staff have headed to their favorite summer scenes such as Alaska, California, Maine, the Pacific Northwest, to name a few.  Our staff that stay on with us during the summer have taken the time between the seasons to go on river trips, head to the National Parks in southern Utah and get their gardens planted.

We're ready for the 5th Annual Spring Yoga Retreat this weekend, which is almost sold out. The following weekend, we kick-off summer season with our first Sunday Brunch of the summer on June 3. Of special note, this will be the last summer Chef Paul Raddon will be with us.  He and his wife Dorrie will be retiring from Alta Lodge in October.  Paul and Dorrie started working at the Lodge in October of 1968.  We will miss both of them but share with them their excitement for "Phase II" of life ( which were are told will include more fly fishing and traveling.)

Snowbird Announced Closing Dates

There are still many die-hard skiers getting in turns at Snowbird seven days a week.  Yesterday Snowbird announced the 2011-2012 ski season will come to a close on May 13.

What's Coming Up

Yesterday was the last day of ski lift operations at Alta Ski Area.  With a mid-mountain snow depth of 84 inches, skiers will be able to ski tour on the mountain until the coverage dwindles.  Already there is evidence of winter leaving the canyon with more green vegetation appearing daily as temperatures rise with more sunshine.  Water flow in Little Cottonwood Creek is increasing and formerly frozen waterfalls now cascade with water. 

Alta Lodge summer season officially opens on June 3 with the first Sunday Brunch.  Our 5th Annual Spring Yoga Retreat is the weekend of May 25-27.  The retreat is open to yoga practitioners of all levels. 

Dates have not been set yet but the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation's annual Wildflower Festival is usually sometime from mid to late July. Wildflower season is a spectacular time of year for hikes around Alta and the nearby canyons and if you haven't experienced it, it's something to consider adding to your list of summer activities. Once the dates for the Wildflower Festival are announced, we will post them along with the schedule.

Two More Weekends of Skiing

Sunday wrapped up the regular seven days a week season for skiing at Alta.  The ski area will continue with the tradition of reopening for skiing the next two weekends (Friday, Saturday & Sunday).  The final closing date for the season is April 29.  Last weekend skiing conditions were great, as you can see from the video submitted by Matt Baydala, aka Ski Utah's "Powderhound" Matt.

We're getting some light snowfall this week and the weekend forecast is for warm weather and sunshine--should be great corn skiing conditions!

Spring Conditions

The past week yielded good spring skiing conditions with corn snow skiing most of the day.  On Saturday, ski reps set up tents along the base of Collins lift and skiers were provided with the opportunity to try out next year's skis for free.  I tried eight different kinds of skis and was able to settle on a pair for next season.  It was a lot of fun and the process was very efficient. 



In addition to the ski demos, a blue grass band played music most of the day and as you can see from the photos, it was a beautiful spring day.

With the warm weather continuing into the early week, we arranged a mountain picnic for Alta Lodge guests.  Guests skied to a snow covered meadow location from the Sugarloaf lift.  It was a fun gathering and part of our annual spring celebration.  

 Might be hard to believe after seeing these "spring" photos, but mother nature has one more powder storm in store for us beginning this evening and running through the weekend.

Special Birthday for Naomi Wain

Alta Lodge has many guests that come back year after year.  One guest recently posted on Facebook that he has been coming annually for 50 years!  One of our favorite friends is Naomi Wain who comes for the first two weeks of each month.  A die-hard skier, she's always out the locker room door first thing and is usually in line waiting for the chair lift to start running.

We had the opportunity to sit down together this afternoon and she told me about how she started skiing and when she started coming to Alta to ski.  She's a treasure and on April 8, we'll toast to Noami when we celebrate her 90th birthday with her at Alta Lodge.

Get it While There's Still Time

Last weekend and this week have been great for spring skiing.  Warmer days with sunshine and blue skies have resulted in some great corn skiing.  The mountain snow groomers present skiers with nice smooth runs every morning.

Alta will be offering some special deals on ski ticket pricing for the month of April. For example, a season's pass for $199 and $99 for kids 12 & under will be available April 2-29.  Alta will be open 7 days a week through April 15 and then reopen Friday, Saturday & Sunday for the following two weekends.  Check out their web page for a complete list.

We'll be starting up our mountain picnics next week along with apres ski activities and lunch on the deck, weather permitting.  Alta in April has a list of fun things to do every day starting April 7, so if you are here, be sure to join in on the fun!

Spring Has Arrived!

Following a weekend of another incredible "Alta Storm", today brings blue sky and sunshine in abundance. According to Alta's web site, the storm stacked up like this: Saturday 15 inches, Sunday 20 inches, Monday 23 inches, today 11 more inches! Spring in the Wasatch Mountains tends to bring surprises like this and we have no doubt there are more in store before the ski season comes to a close at the end of next month. In the meantime, the next week will be warm and sunny, beckoning fair weather skiers with a fondness for sunshine.  Take a visit to Alta's photo gallery page for some great powder skiing shots.

We've included a clip from Ski Utah 

Catching up on Last Week's Storm

For a good part of this winter, we've been closely watching the weather and hoping for a good "Alta" storm.  Enough already!  Last week, things all came together perfectly for an Alta storm.  From Feb. 26 - Mar. 3, Alta received 44-inches of snow--enough to keep powder skiers happy all week long!  With that amount of snow, we had to do some digging out.  And on some of the days, there were temporary road closures for avalanche control work, which worked out great if you were staying at Alta--more powder to ski! (photos: Anson Moxness)

St. Patrick's Day is coming up this month and green beer will be poured in more than one place.  Spring break is coming too-with mountain picnics, skiing in t-shirts, and lunch on the deck.  If you haven't done any spring skiing for a few years, this would be the year to come back.

Alta in April -- the first time ever this year -- is April 6-14, with something fun to do every single day!  Free demo skis to try, apres ski events happening most nights, Easter Egg Hunt and Scavenger Hunt, just to name a few things. Check the link for a complete line up of fun that will be happening that week.  Get your ski buddies together for a fun time at Alta that you'll always remember. (photo:John Arnold)

Presidents Weekend

This weekend is typically the second busiest one of the season and over the weekend, the skiing at Alta has been exceptional all weekend.  Fresh snow fell over the weekend with powder yesterday and today.  Today the sun is shining as you can see in this shot taken from Alta's mountain camera located at the top of Collins lift. 



Last week the University of Utah Marriott Library Special Collections put some clips on their YouTube channel from the classic 1940's era film "Margie of the Wasatch".  The film was shot when Alta had only one chairlift--the Collins single chair--which ended a little past the angle station of the current Collins chair.  The story line is engaging and we've included the first clip with a link to the U of U's YouTube channel so you can view all five clips.

The Storm Delivers

Over the weekend powder skiers were ecstatic: fresh snow and face shots! The snow is nice and soft and everything is open with good skiing.  As we approach the President's Day weekend, guests will be arriving for their extended holiday weekend and a week of skiing.  Will you be skiing this weekend?

What's coming up

Of course we all learned last week that the ground hog saw his shadow which mean MORE SNOW at Alta! We have had sunny days recently, which is great for fair-weather skiers who prefer the sunshine and blue skies.  No need to dismay storm seekers--there will be plenty more before the end of the season two months from now.


If you haven't done any spring skiing at Alta for awhile, it's time to come back. During Spring Celebration, April 9-15, we're planning fun spring events for lodge guests--mountain picnics, apres ski receptions and lunch on the deck.  Always fun and with the warmer weather, some are known to ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon!


Between now and the end of the season, most Sundays, we serve a Sunday night buffet--one of the evenings guests really look forward to.  Chef Paul Raddon and sous chef Sam Wolfe and their staff prepare a range of menu items from around the globe, for example: Mediterranean seafood salad, panzanella,Vietnamese vermicelli salad, broccoli artichoke vinaigrette, Asian cabbage slaw, southwest quinoa salad, chicken curry, wild rice pilaf, spinach crêpes with sauce mornay...along with wonderful breads and too many desserts to sample.

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

~

Tossed Green Salad

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

~

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

~

Steamed Baby Bokchoy

~

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.