Summer 2022 is a season of significant change or so it seems. First there was the excitement (and drama) of Snowbird’s tram car swap, which is up and running thankfully. Now it’s Alta’s turn to crank the improvement competition up a notch.

Your correspondent sat down with Alta Ski Lift general Manager Mike Maughan to learn just what’s up in the upper reaches of Little Cottonwood. He started big.

“Covid highlighted a number of things for us in the past two years. One being lift congestion especially on Sunnyside. Even when we’d run Albion chair it didn’t disperse the crowds enough to give the ski experience people expect from us,” he stated, summing up the frequent conditions on that part of the mountain, especially on morning weekends.

So, what’s to be done about a legacy condition? “We’re in the midst of installing a replacement for Sunnyside with a highspeed detachable six pack.”

The new chair will have a nine second interval (the original Sunnyside was six) but should still nearly double the uphill flow of happy skiers. Construction’s proceeding at pace despite some supply chain challenges. The original Albion chair remains for the time being as an insurance policy just in case the unexpected appears from over the horizon. However, once the new chair is fully operational it will be removed entirely.

In other Alta news he shared that Alta’s new parking reservation program was more successful at alleviating parking lot hassles and frustrations. “There were a lot of early skeptics but working in conjunction with the town of Alta I’m really pleased with how it went. It’s improved the ski experience because people know they have a place to park,” he said. Alta’s parking cost remains $25 per vehicle. Of course as a frequent Canyon Services customer parking is never a problem for you, dear reader.

Over the summer Alta Ski Lifts are also doing some slope and grading improvements off Supreme lift near Grand Junction. For this reason  the new lift construction areas of the mountain will be closed this summer, including lower Albion Basin. There’s still plenty of trails across the slopes and throughout Snowbird’s terrain. And remember, dining is available year-round now in Alta at the revamped Snowpine Lodge. They even have live music most weekends. So book a flight and join us at one of our beautiful properties for some summer sun and see for yourself what the upcoming winter has in store.