Twelve feet in 3 weeks isn't bad at all. Why all the snow in Utah? John Solder at Snowbrains.com offers up a 2 part series explaining why Utah can confidently proclaim: "The Greatest Snow on Earth."
Part 1: https://snowbrains.com/magic-cottonwood-canyons-part-1-utah-has-special-powder/
Part 2: https://snowbrains.com/magic-cottonwood-canyons-part-2-why-utah-weather-good-for-powder/
Part 1: https://snowbrains.com/magic-cottonwood-canyons-part-1-utah-has-special-powder/
Part 2: https://snowbrains.com/magic-cottonwood-canyons-part-2-why-utah-weather-good-for-powder/
Alterra Mountain Company announced today that Solitude Mountain Resort will now be included on its 29 resort IKON Pass and IKON Base passofferings for the upcoming ski season. IKON passes ($999/adult) give passholders unlimited access to Solitude and 12 other resorts in North America. IKON Base passholders ($699/adult) have unlimited Solitude access with 10 blackout dates. Both passes give exceptional access to other Utah resorts including Solitude's neighbor Brighton, Little Cottonwood Canyon's Alta and Snowbird, and Deer Valley in Park City. IKON will drive increased traffic to Soli and Brighton and give passholders unprecedented to all of its neighbors with the exception of PCMR. Skiing in Utah? IKON is the only way to go. Trying to decide on passes? A comparison of the 2 IKON passes is found here.
Summer in the Wasatch is quickly becoming one of our favorite family getaways. We love to get a line in the water and haven't had the opportunity to really pursue Utah fly fishing until this summer. We connected with Marieke at Provo River Guides
who arranged a 4 hour beginner experience on the Middle Provo River in Midway, Utah. After a quick 43 minute scenic drive over Guardsman Pass we met Jake and Michael who were ready with waders, boots, fly fishing gear, and a plan to teach our experienced angler family who were fly fishing newbies. As a gear junkie I appreciated that all of the equipment was fantastic. We took a short hike to an idyllic bend in the clear Provo River where we waded out and received friendly guidance and instruction. After a few moments we were into the fish. Everyone landed multiple trout, most were smaller but great fun. Our guides were fantastic; definitely people who love to be on the river but also clearly enjoy guiding and teaching. The love they have for fly fishing and the river was infectious. We definitely will return for more adventures on the river. I'm also going to see if I can get one of the guides to introduce me to Big Cottonwood Creek.
Last month Alterra Mountain Company, creators of the Ikon Pass, announced an agreement
to purchase Solitude Mountain Resort. The company had recently purchased Park City's Deer Valley last year and will now add Solitude to it's Utah holdings. The Ikon pass will likely drive increased traffic at Solitude which also has benefits at Deer Valley and Little Cottonwood Canyon resorts Alta and Snowbird. Assurances have been made that Alterra hopes to keep Solitude's low key culture intact. They have yet to announce a strategic plan for managing the resort or specific details on Solitude's involvement in the Ikon Pass. I delayed posting this to the blog hoping that the Ikon details would have been announced a few days later. Looks like we'll have to wait for now.
After the lifts at Solitude Mountain Resort shut down renovation on Telemark Tracks cranked up. We remodeled all 4 bathrooms with new counter tops, showers, tubs, toilets, lighting, and fixtures. We are thrilled with the results and know that you will be as well. The old 1990's Jacuzzi tubs are gone. The master now features an air tub which we are excited to use after a busy day on the slopes. New pictures to be posted soon.
For a quick easy mountain stroll in Big Cottonwood Canyon there's no better place than the loop trail/boardwalk around
Silver Lake. It's flat, scenic, and we often see wildlife. Wildflowers in this area can be spectacular. Start your visit at the Silver Lake Visitor Center, a great source for information about hiking throughout the canyon. One circuit around the lake is just under 1 mile. The visitor center is 1.7 miles up the canyon on the right. There are benches, picnic tables, and licensed anglers may try to catch some of the stocked trout. We love this beautiful accessible gem close to the townhome.
SkiUtah.com posted this great look into what Solitude's patrollers do to make Fantasy Ridge accessible and safe.
Check it.
https://youtu.be/2ccO-1V68mA
Check it.
https://youtu.be/2ccO-1V68mA
When we want to eat in the Canyon we often head down to the Silver Fork Lodge. We get into our car and take the 1 mile drive down the Canyon to the friendly western themed restaurant. There's always a roaring fire and a cozy atmosphere. There are comfort favorites and items that tip more towards fine dining. We have eaten at SFL 2 times this season so far. Some of my favorites have included the queso fundito appetizer, the trout salad, expertly prepared sea bass, and a comforting meatloaf. My wife particullary enjoyed short rib beef papardelle pasta. Our dining partners seemed to like their peppercorn beef tenderloin and Piedmontese steaks. SFL dinners are often topped off with satisfying berry cobblers. They don't accept reservations so we usually call ahead. There's a comfortable bar including one seat with a saddle for those who this suits their fancy. We've never had a bad meal here. Some find the dining room too dark but its fine with us, particularly by the fire.
For those looking for a short history of Solitude and Big Cottonwood Canyon I think the best resource is on Damon Lowe's Lifestyle Properties Website. Easy read if you want to learn a bit about this beautiful place.
The WiFi network performance was lacking so we decided to replace the existing Linksys E1001 router with a new Google WiFi setup. The configuration was an absolute breeze. We placed three of the friendly, aesthetic, and unobtrusive devices in a room on each level to set up mesh network coverage throughout the townhome. Initial performance is impressive with speed increasing over 3 times. Ultimately time will tell how the new network performs. Should be a huge upgrade for our guests.
