Alta Opens For Ski Season With Several Changes
Nov 23, 2020, 8:40 AM | Updated: 2:10 pm
ALTA, Utah – The Alta Ski Area opened Monday, and it’s celebrating its 83rd skiing season.
Approximately 57 inches of snow have been made for the slopes, and more is on the way.
Before the sun could rise, skiers had been up for hours and ready for the moment they’ve been waiting for since March.
Logan Dodge and his group took the title of first in line; they showed up at 3 a.m.
The tradition of showing up hours early to grab the bragging rights of first is a long one. It’s one of the things that remained unchanged as Alta opened for the season.
With the pandemic, though, there are a few things that aren’t quite the same.
This year, skiers must wear face coverings and stay 6 feet apart.
The parking lot is where folks will see the biggest change.
Parking will be limited based on a small capacity level at the resort. Those who pre-purchase tickets will still be relying on a first come, first served basis. The Alta Ski Area has a parking forecast tool on its website to help.
Alta is accessed via state Route 210 in Little Cottonwood Canyon, and the Utah Department of Transportation has already done some avalanche control. UDOT officials said there could higher-than-average numbers of visitors to the Cottonwood Canyons, and they expect the trend will continue throughout the winter.
For this ski season, the resort is asking people to limit their time to 30 minutes inside restaurants, and they’re urging patrons to use the grab-and-go food options if possible.
This year, two of the three restaurants at Alta will have 50% indoor capacity, while the third, Collin’s Grill, is closed.
Other Utah ski resorts are preparing for their opening days as well.
Snowbasin is set to open Nov. 27, and Snowbird on Nov. 30. Sundance, Nordic Valley and Deer Valley are all scheduled to open the first week of December, with Eagle Point following suit on Dec. 18.
Solitude delayed its opening this year, but it hasn’t released a specific date just yet.
