Current Weather:
Partly Cloudy
weather 32°

Base Depth:
92-92"

24hr Snowfall:
5"

Surface:
Powder

Solitude

12000 Big Cottonwood Canyon, Solitude, 84121
Phone: 801-534-1400 Snow Report: 801-536-5777 (snow report)
Solitude Website

by Nicole Pelletier

At Solitude Mountain Resort, the name says it all. Only 12 miles up the Big Cottonwood Canyon from the rush of Salt Lake City traffic, a gorgeous thirty-minute drive up the canyon leaves you feeling like you have slipped into another world of serene, sparkling winter paradise. Solitude draws folks that are more interested in ski time than they are hype and glitz. The character of Solitude is ego-free, lighthearted and most of all, fun.

Three open bowls, miles of aspen lined powder runs, and ample groomed skiing and snowboarding awaits the Solitude visitor. Noticeably quiet lift lines are a direct result of this well-crafted resort, with a high-speed lift system that effectively spreads the population across its 1200 acres of diverse terrain.

From the Village at Solitude base area, expert skiers and riders will want to head up the new Powderhorn Express and over the ridge to the Honeycomb Canyon, where gladed powder stashes and challenging steeps await adrenaline seekers. On the front side of the mountain, hit Summit Express and connect back over to Powderhorn area to score untouched feathers down jewels like Milk Run and a handful of gut-dropping double black diamond runs.

Intermediates and beginners will love soaking up the huge list of groomed pistes found all over Solitude Resort, with 50% of the mountain being dedicated to maintaining corduroy-like perfection on which to master carving skills. Eagle Express is a great starting point, with speedy access to loads of buffed-out blue and green level tracks.

When the urge strikes to try out other winter activities, head to the Solitude Resort Nordic Center, where the experienced staff can set you up with cross-country ski lessons and gear, or even snowshoes on which to explore the network of beautifully maintained wooded trails through the quaking aspens and cottonwoods.

Meet up for lunch back in The Village at Solitude’s center, where The Stone Haus serves up a tempting list of crepes, sandwiches, pizzas and more. On the mountain, Sunrise Grill is a great spot for a quick bite to fuel the tanks. Head over to the Moonbeam Base for après fun, where post-ski beers and spirits are the center of attention at The Thirsty Squirrel Pub.

Nighttime up Big Cottonwood Canyon is an opportunity to bask in the winter landscape under the alpenglow of moonlight on snowy peaks. It is a peaceful, relaxed scene, with wonderful dining options to pair with the tranquil alpine backdrop. For the adventurous, a brief hike up to The Yurt is well rewarded with an unforgettable 4-course dinner prepared by Chef Matt Barrigar, to be savored in this most unique of mountainside restaurants. Kimi’s Mountain Side Bistro in The Village at Solitude is another excellent fine dining experience, with a variety of fresh and creative dishes offered.

Lodging is abundant at Solitude Resort, with top choices being the recently constructed Inn at Solitude and Powderhorn Lodge. Private condos are also available for nightly and weekly rental, all with fast access to Solitude’s lift system.

WEATHER CONDITIONS

Current Weather:
Partly Cloudy
weather 32°

Forecast:
Sunny
weather 18°

SKI CONDITIONS

Latest Report: 20100311T06:46:00
24hr Snowfall:
5"		 Last Snowfall:
Mar 10 - 2"		 Surface:
Powder
Base Depth:
92-92"		 Trails Open:
65		 Total Trails:
65
Percent Trails Open:
100%		 Lifts Open:
icon 8		 Total Lifts:
icon 8
Terrain Type:
Beginner:
10		 Intermediate:
33		 Advanced:
15		 Expert:
6
Elevation:
weather Peak Elevation:
10035 ft 3059 m Vertical:
2047 ft 624 m Base Elevation:
7988 ft 2435 m		 Total Acres:
1200 Total Miles:
N/A
Longest Run:
Woodlawn
3 00		 Easiest Run:
Easy Street		 Steepest Run:
Parachute
Best Bumps:
Headwall Forest		 Best Trail Name:
Here Be Dragons		  
 

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The moment you enter the canyon you'll start to understand what makes this resort such a special place. Located in Big Cottonwood Canyon, 30 miles from the Salt Lake City International Airport and only 12 short miles from the edge of Salt Lake City, Solitude is the epitome of an easy access mountain retreat.  You can choose from a variety of private transportation services such as Canyon Hop and Canyon Transportation, or you can taxi but that can get expensive (over $25 each way). 

A cheap and easy alternative is to take the light rail...

Light Rail

From downtown SLC, use the UTA TRAX (Utah Transit Authority light rail) to transfer to a UTA ski bus which will take you to Solitude. This is a very cheap way to get to Solitude, but it doesn’t afford much flexibility because there are generally only 3 schedules in the morning and 2 rides down, and even less on the weekends.

Driving Directions

From downtown Salt Lake City:

Take 500 south on-ramp to Interstate 15 southbound to Interstate 215 eastbound. Exit 302.
Follow Interstate 215 to exit 6, Solitude Ski Resort.
Follow signs to Cottonwood Ski Areas

From Salt Lake City Airport:

Follow signs to Interstate 80 eastbound to Interstate 215 southbound.
Exit 6, Solitude Ski Resort.
Follow signs to Cottonwood Ski Areas.

Getting around the Solitude base area is easy. The two primary locations for all services are the village and Moonbeam areas.  The village of Solitude is small so everything is only a short walk away. To ski to the Moonbeam base from the village initially requires a short walk across the bridge to get to Easy Street. This gentle run goes down to the Moonbeam base. To get back, ride the Link lift from the Moonbeam base and ski down. Alternatively there are snowcat and van shuttles that run between the Moonbeam base and the Stonehaus Pizzeria in the heart of the village.