World's Greatest Snow

     Today is the first day of December. For people that means many things: the holidays are approaching, 2016 is closer than ever, but for many Utahans, December means snow and better yet skiing and snowboarding. Proclaimed on half the license plates in Utah, this state is home to the "Greatest snow on Earth". After last year's pathetic attempt at winter, Utah and the rest of America is ready for a great snow year. Don't worry because this year the tropical El Nino should stir up more storms than the previous year. While many are excited about this news, everyday people tell me how much they hate the snow. The most popular reason is they can't do anything during the winter. When I suggest skiing or snowboarding, I find most people are pretty accepting of the idea, but have nowhere to start. So here is a beginners guide to adventuring in the greatest snow on Earth.

     The first thing to decide is simply where to ski. Utah provides many resorts of various sizes and price ranges. In Northern Utah (Ogden/Logan area) there are two resorts: Snowbasian and Powder Mountain. Both of these resorts have great snow, but the slopes are a bit smaller. The Salt Lake valley has four resorts. Solitude and Brighton are in Big Cottonwood canyon, and both are smaller, but have great snow and slopes. Little Cottonwood contains Snowbird and Alta which are both massive resorts that bring sportsman from across the country. In Park City there are two resorts. Deer Valley resort is a high end, ski only resort, but is well worth the money. The new pride and joy of Utah is the Park City ski resort, which is now the largest resort in the country. While it is pricey, the resort is high quality all around. In Utah County the humble Sundance resides. Sundance is a smaller resort and is on the cheaper side, and in my opinion is one of the best resorts to start on. It has cheap passes, less crowds, plenty of beginner hills, and some sweet backcountry. Near Cedar City is Brian Head resort, which is extremely convenient for those who live down south. A simple day ticket to these resorts will range from 50 to 150 dollars. While a season pass will range from 400 to 1,000 dollars. All in all, I would suggest a SnowBird/Alta combo or a Park City pass because they both offer world class sporting.

      The next most important thing is gear. This is based totally on the rider's preference and the use of the gear. As with most everything, gear can span from a couple hundred to thousands of dollars. For a beginner, try to find a ski/board and binding set for a hundred to couple hundred until you have determined the sport is something to pursue. On top of that, boots and poles (for skiing) will cost less than two hundred. I started skiing with a ten dollar pair of skis from a thrift store. While that is a cheap option, quality gear makes a huge difference in the feel of the sport. A great place to look for skis (in Utah) is on KSL Classifieds. There are great deals on cheaper gear, more expensive gear, and resort tickets. On top of that, smaller items like snow clothes, gloves, and a hat will add to the expense. My advice would be to not invest an exorbitant amount until you're confident the sport is something that you'll consistently pursue, because it is very expensive.

    Winter sports are an awesome hobby to pursue, and there is no better place than Utah. While it may be a big investment, it is an excellent way to enjoy the bitter winter. If you need a little motivation watch this clip. This is a sport called speed riding, a cross between skiing and paragliding.