By Annette Velarde

Where is treasure hidden in the mountains just north of Park City. Only an hour away, Snowbasin Resort is tucked out of view from the freeway like a prize waiting to be discovered, but once found will most surely become one of your favorite ski and snowboard destinations. Rated by SKI Magazine this season as #1 for lifts and #3 for on-mountain food service, Snowbasin’s aim is to make any day you spend with them one of the best of your life.

Side-by-side comparisons confirm Snowbasin stacks up as one of the best resorts in the western U.S. With 3,000 skiable acres, 11 lifts, 104 runs, 7 terrain parks, and 26km of groomed Nordic
trails, Snowbasin is among the most well-designed and developed resorts anywhere. “I can safely claim that Snowbasin has the best lift system of any resort in the Western United States,” said Jason Dyer, Marketing/PR Manager for the resort. “With our high- speed gondola, a skier can crush four full runs of the mountain in just a morning, then spend the afternoon relaxing in one of our lodges soaking in the sun and scenic views.” The capacity of their lift system is enormous, making long waits in line almost nonexistent. Four well-appointed lodges offer amazing menus and jaw-dropping panoramas of endless wilderness.

The calendar of spectacular events at Snowbasin is sensational. Opening day is Thanksgiving and a brief review of the Thanksgiving Day menu confirms that it is better than anything your relatives will be serving up. Santa arrives the week before Christmas and takes full advantage of his season pass by skiing with children and adults alike. Christmas Eve dinner will be a memorable culinary celebration for the whole family after a full day on the slopes. January 17th brings a Beer Dinner with food pairings with a local brewer. “My favorite is the very popular Beer Dinner,” said Dyer, “We do food pairings with a local Brewery’s finest beers. It’s always delicious and a ton of fun.” February features a huge Superbowl Party on the 2nd and Sweetheart’s Dinner on the 14th. March is packed with fun celebrating St.

Patrick’s Day on the 14th and a crazy Tequila Tasting Party on the 21st. The Total 80s Weekend on March 21st is the best way to end the season while everyone returns to that decade of bad styles and music everyone seems to know, even if they had not been born yet.

Snowbasin’s season passes are considerably less than Park City’s resorts. Whether you are a first-timer or just want help upgrading your turns or taking on steeper terrain, Snowbasin’s certified instructors will assist you in meeting your skiing and riding goals.

All group lessons are two-hours long, divided into age groups and available for virtually every experience level. With their promotional “Learn and Earn” pass, for as little as $300, a first time ever skier or snowboarder to Snowbasin can receive five group lessons, five rentals, five lift tickets and if you complete your “Learn and Earn” classes, you receive a season pass. There is no better value in the state.

We invite you to consider using one day of your vacation in Utah to explore Snowbasin. The drive is easy and has breathtaking scenery all along the way. For more information, please visit snowbasin.com. We think you’ll be amazed to see what you’ve been missing.

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