Resorts add new lifts, runs
Deer Valley cut the ribbon Dec. 22 on its new Lady Morgan Express chairlift.
The lift, located in the Empire area at the resort, not only increased uphill capacity but opened more than 200 acres of new terrain, which included nine new runs.
Chuck English, director of mountain operations, said that along with the new terrain, the lift takes skiers to areas with "stunning views of the resort and nearby Uinta Mountains. Sixty five of those acres offer the beautiful gladed skiing that Deer Valley has become known for."
Gladed areas represent terrain left pretty much in its natural state with pockets of open area spread within the trees.
The lift and the Lady Morgan Bowl were named after the area's first miners going back to the 1890s.
Three other areas also added new lifts this season.
Brian Head put in two new triple, fixed-grip lifts and a bridge that has linked what had been in the past two separate ski areas — Navajo and Giant Step.
Brighton put in one lift, the new Milly Express high-speed quad, to replace two old lifts — the old Millicent lift, built in 1974, and the Evergreen lift, built in 1968.
Below-normal snowfall in early November limited the number of resorts, lifts and terrain that could open. Storms in early December, however, made it possible for 12 of Utah's 13 resorts to open.
Storms last week put Utah back on track for an average- to above-average snow year.
Alta, for example, with new snow on Monday, had nearly 220 inches of total snowfall for October, November and December. The long-term average is 215 inches for the three months.
Looking around the country, Utah holds some of the deepest bases.
Alta, for example, is among the highest in the country with a base of 84 inches. Beaver Mountain, the last of Utah's 13 resorts to open, has 50 inches. Other totals include Snowbird with 72, Brighton with 71, Powder Mountain with 79, Deer Valley with 51 and Wolf Mountain with 50.
In Colorado, the small resort of Wolf Creek to the north is high with 84. Aspen is reporting a base of 50 inches, Steamboat Springs 48 and Vail 37.
The resort showing the widest difference in depths is Alyeska in Alaska. It is reporting a base of 22 inches at sea level and a depth of 134 inches at its peak elevation.
On the East Coast, Stowe in Vermont has a base of 25 inches. Its total snowfall for the year is 150 inches. Attitash in New Hampshire has a base spread of 20 to 60 inches.
To the West, Mammoth Mountain in California has a base of 40 to 60 inches, and Squaw Valley is reporting a 40-inch base.
The 10-day forecast calls for a 50 to 60 percent chance of snow Friday through Monday and warming temperatures.
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