A lot has happened at ski areas over the summer. What hasn't come yet is snow, but it will. When it does skiers will find some changes. Among them a $10 million addition to a lodge at Deer Valley, more snowmaking at Park City, a new lift at Snowbird and computer ticket operations at Solitude.
What's new includes:ALTA SKI AREA
Alta's Collins Lift has been upgraded, with Yan designing new, more comfortable chairs. Other efforts include extensive revegetation on the mountain.
The Albion Day Lodge received a face lift and additional restrooms and lockers were added. And the Wildcat ticket office was remodeled.
BEAVER MOUNTAIN
Time, this summer, was spent working on the hill. Runs were groomed and manicured in preparation for coming season.
BRIAN HEAD RESORT
New this season will be the addition of the Family Adventure Park located among the easier and intermediate terrain adjacent to runs off the Navajo Chairlift. The park will feature a terrain garden, tree pathways, and other on-ski adventures for the entire family.
Brian Head will also have a completely re-designed ski school format that will incorporate programs with adventure themes.
Two new sports shops are opening on the mountain, at Giant Steps and at the Navajo Lodge.
BRIGHTON SKI RESORT
Brighton will have a new day lodge - the Brighton Center. The $2.2 million Center houses expanded ticket sales windows, new lockers, new restrooms and ski shops. The area also added three more runs to make a total of 18 for night skiing.
DEER VALLEY RESORT
More than $10 million in improvements were made at Deer Valley's Snow Park Lodge, expanding it by a total of 40,000 square feet. It added to the restaurant, ticket office, ski school, locker and changing areas, ski rental, child care, basket and ski check, parking/ski drop-off, retail and office space areas.
Snowmaking capacity has been increased on each of the resort's three mountains, and Deer Valley will offer guided snowcat skiing tours of its planned expansion area, Empire Canyon, which features 1,220 vertical feet of double blue and black diamond runs with steeps, chutes and open bowls.
ELK MEADOWS
Skiers will find three new expert (extreme) runs through the trees, one new beginner run and four cross country runs.
NORDIC VALLEY SKI MOUNTAIN
Most notably new at Nordic Valley this year is a new logo and a name change from Nordic Valley to Nordic Valley Ski Mountain. The name change reflects the area's promotion of the fact that it is an alpine ski area.
PARK CITY SKI AREA
Increased snowmaking capacity highlights $2.5 million in mountain improvements at Park City.
New snowmaking has been added along King Con Ridge and the Temptation Run, increasing Park City Ski Area's snowmaking capacity by 20 acres and making a total of 420 acres of skiing terrain covered with machine-made snow.
With snowmaking on King Con Ridge, the ski area can provide excellent early-season skiing conditions in the area and provide another route to the summit from the base of the mountain, via the Eagle triple chair.
Other improvements this season include re-surfacing the Plaza at the ski area base, renovation of the skier's information center in the plaza, and completion of the Employee Building which is located just south of the upper parking lot near the base of the resort.
POWDER MOUNTAIN
Summer work here centered on grooming and caring for existing runs, and on maintenance of facilities.
SNOWBASIN
Snowbasin will be the site for the men's and women's Downhill and Super G during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. In preparation for the event, plans are underway to start cutting the runs and install a new lift in the John Paul area.
SNOWBIRD
Baby Thunder, a new double chairlift, will be up and running for opening day.
The addition of this double chair will not only expand the resort's beginner and intermediate terrain, but will increase Snowbird's vertical rise to 3,240 feet.
Baby Thunder also augments Snowbird's uphill capacity by 1,200 skiers per hour. Snowbird is also introducing the "Kids Ski Free" program this year. The program is simple - up to two children (12 and under) ski all chairs free with each adult who purchases an all-day chair or tram ticket. Cost up upgrading to a tram pass for each child is $10.
Plus Snowbird will be adding a new trail off the Chickadee bowl for beginners and a kids' snow playground.
SOLITUDE SKI RESORT
Improvements at Solitude this year include the announcement of the opening of the first overnight accommodations at the resort. Along with a variety of one- to three-bedroom condos, skiers will find the Creekside at Solitude Restaurant, open year-round, featuring wood-burning oven baked specialties and fresh pastas.
Also improved this year are increased snowmaking capabilities, which now cover five lifts and 18 runs at the resort; a face lift for the Sunshine Grill and the Roundhouse Restaurant at mid-mountain; and a new troll-themed children's ski school area.
SUNDANCE
Sundance has retired the old Navajo and Mandan lifts and added a new quad lift that includes downloading to the mountain base.
WOLF MOUNTAIN
Changes include increased grooming and snowmaking, as well as enhancement and updating of the snowboard park.
Snowboarders will have a new and different type of experience to look forward to in the park this winter. Not to leave skiers out of the fun, Wolf Mountain is also creating a separate skier's terrain park. The park includes bumps, gates and other fun challenges for all snow-sliders.