A Beginner’s Guide to Skiing in Utah
This past week, I journeyed to Utah for my first skiing adventure. We flew into the Salt Lake City airport where we picked up our gear and rented a car for our long weekend excursion.
Lodging
I recommend staying on Cottonwood Canyon where you’ll be close to both Brighton and Solitude. We stayed in an Airbnb on E Skyline View, a close drive to both mountains. If you’re staying in Salt Lake City, you’ll want to leave early to avoid the traffic up the mountain. Once the parking lot is full, you’ll have to find your own parking along the road or take a bus. Brighton, Solitude and Snowbird are popular lodges on the mountain. Brighton and Solitude are about 15 minutes away from one another whereas Snowbird is on a different part of the mountain.
Transportation
Rent a car at the airport or take the bus from Salt Lake City up to the mountain. Bus information to Brighton. Bus and parking information to Solitude. Note: Uber was infrequent on the mountain and taxis are expensive costing around $100+ from the Canyon down to SLC. If you need a taxi from the mountain down to the airport on the day of your departure, I’d highly recommend scheduling one beforehand. We used Salt Lake City Taxi and they were efficient and professional. Contact: 801-867-1811. Otherwise, if you’re staying at a resort instead of an Airbnb, you’ll have the concierge service to take care of your transportation.
Food
If you’re staying on the mountain, I’d recommend making a stop at the grocery store to stock up on snacks and provisions before making the 45 minute drive up. Since dining options are sparse, we chose to cook breakfast and dinner, and pack lunch and snacks to maximize our time skiing. There is a small cafe and other restaurants at Brighton resort.
Ski Information
Brighton
Rent your ski equipment here.
Book your lift pass here. Save the QR code on your phone and go to the window to get your pass in person. If you’re a beginner, I’d recommend booking the Learner’s lift ticket which is more affordable and gives you access to the Green and Blue lifts. As a beginner, I spent most of my time on Explorer and Majestic.
Book your ski lessons here. I’d recommend a private lesson if you’re first starting out so you can learn proper safety, skills and technique. We loved our instructor Brinley.
Solitude
Packing List
For your first ski excursion, you can either buy, borrow or rent clothing. I’d recommend borrowing or renting clothing if it’s your first time. Here is a link to a rental shop in Utah. In order to stay warm, you’ll want to pack:
A long underwear set (affordable option available on Amazon)
Ski pants (borrow)
Ski jacket (borrow)
Down jacket (optional)
Vest (optional)
Fleece jacket (affordable option available on Amazon)
Buff
Ski goggles
Ski gloves
Ski socks
Ski boots (rent)
Ski helmet (rent)
Skis (rent)
Poles (rent)
Spa Day
We ended the exhilarating trip with a recovery day at the spa to soothe sore muscles, defrost from the cold and revitalize from the inside out. We chose to have our spa day at The Grand Spa located within The Grand America Hotel. We started the day at Laurel Brasserie & Bar where we split lemon ricotta pancakes and hand-cut fries with mayo. Then we headed up to the spa to relax for the rest of the day. The spa has a pool and hot tub, pink Himalayan salt sauna, eucalyptus steam room, 14 head shower, crystal relaxation room with homemade granola bars and tea and a full spa menu of massages, facials and more. If you book a spa service, you can spend the whole day there. I’d highly recommend splurging for a longer massage if you have the time. Two other options in the area for consider are The Cliff Spa at Snowbird and The Kura Door.
Overall, I’d highly recommend a long weekend trip out to Utah to experience skiing for the first time. Follow these steps to get prepared and have a great trip on the mountain!
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