One of the most popular Utah snowsports destinations is Little Cottonwood Canyon, a 45-minute drive southeast of the Salt Lake City Airport, a few valleys southwest from Park City.  It's a dead-end road in winter, but within that valley of the Wasatch Range you'll see snowboarders (along with loads of skiers) take the fork in the road for Snowbird and skiers going straight to Alta. The choice is yours.
 
At the upper end of Little Cottonwood Canyon, Alta adjoins Snowbird along a ridge with a lift ticket checkpoint.  Skiers can get an Alta or Snowbird lift ticket that provides access to both mountains and their combined 4,700 skiable acres, while the snowboarders in your clan will have to stick to Snowbird.

Gotta' Love Alta's Hardcore Ski Bums

You'll find strong opinions about each resort among skiers.  Since the Alta resort is only one of three left in North America that doesn't allow snowboarders (nearby Deer Valley and Vermont's Mad River Glen are the other two hold-outs), skiers appreciate that the tree-lined slopes are not carved up by board tracks and there's no need to duck riders practicing their 270s overhead.

Many of its fans feel that Alta is cozier, too -- not nearly as slick and modern as Snowbird -- but you'll never feel you're under-dressed either. This diehard skier aesthetic helps Alta retain a loyal following.  I happen to like the way both mountains suit different moods, and love not having to choose between them. The choice offered by a Dual Access Pass provides my family a richer and more exciting ski experience.

Alta has two bases, Wildcat and Albion, and a rope tow (talk about tough!) that allows you to traverse between the lifts and lodges at each one. There's also a lot of backcountry terrain, and this wilderness experience is what the resort is best known for. In the areas that you have to hike to, it's natural to find lots of fresh, light, dry powder and fewer skiers. All of the mountain's 2,200 skiable acres are diverse and well maintained, offering plenty of beginner and intermediate terrain, plus challenges galore for advanced skiers.

Alta's Facilities for the Skiing Family

Alta's seven lifts serve a mountain that is more compact than Snowbird, so keeping track of the kids may be a bit easier.  As you can imagine, there's are a lot of toddlers in harnesses out on the slopes, and the Alf Engen Ski School offers solid ski learning programs from ages 4-years through early teens. The Alta Children's Center is open to provide non-ski daycare for kids ages 3-months to 12-years and is run by a private, state-licensed operator. 

In contrast to the modern purpose-built, condo-hotel-lodge facilities at Snowbird's densely concentrated base, Alta is spread around a non-town, with about six relaxed lodges and a number of unpretentious condominium units scattered up the valley.

There's no nightlife to speak of, so families hang around the lodge after a remarkable day on the slopes, happy to share trail tales with other hardcore skiers. After dining family style with extended family, friends or strangers, you get to know your lodgemates pretty well.  Since many families return at the same time each year, a camaraderie develops that we, as newcomers, felt comfortable to join.

Among the housing options, Alta's Rustler Lodge (801/532-2582; 10380 E State Highway 210, Alta, UT 84092) is the most modern and upscale. The circa-1939 Alta Lodge (800/707-2582, 801/742-3500; 10230 E. State Hwy. 210, Alta, UT 84092) is older but has loyal fans, friends of ours among them, who return year after year, and treasure it for its homey and intimate atmosphere. With just 57 rooms, and no TV (but times do change, there's WiFi throughout and a video lounge), families can choose between the classic motel-style lodge or larger, newer rooms with big glass slope-view walls, fireplace and balconies. In both lodges, there is a separate kids' table for peer-to-peer dining, and evening movies in a common lounge.  

Goldminer's Daughter (800/453-4573,  801/742-2300; 10160 E. State Hwy. 210, Alta, UT 84092) is another basic option in the valley with an excellent restaurant. The lobby and breakfast room share a mountainview atrium that's great to wake up to; our room was only adequate but it's well located for access to both mountains and has suites sleeping five as well as dorm beds. The local town of Alta (888/Stay-Alta) has its own promotional service and can steer you to other lodging options in the valley.

Is Alta right for your family?  We asked friends with a 12- and 10-year-old, repeat visitors who adore the place, how they would describe it: “Alta is funky, sure, but mostly, it's just old-fashioned, kind of out of step and out of time with everywhere else.”  Go now, before the Alta Corporation realizes it may have to make changes to attract the next generation.

Alta Ski Area Little Cottonwood Canyon, Snowbird, Utah 84092 www.alta.com; 801/359-1078 $ - $$$$$  A-  A  B    B Extra Credit: Sometimes old-fashioned is really refreshing. Comments:  Great spring ski deals available at area lodging.

Longtime contributor Ron Bozman covers skiing and anything else he enjoys doing when he's out of town with his teenage son.