Saturday, I was skiing before lunch. That doesn’t sound impressive until I mention that I started my morning in Orlando, Florida. Yup, I had to test all of the marketing hype we put out about how quickly you can ski the Greatest Snow on Earth™ from the East Coast, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Oh, did I mention that my East Coast Facebook friends now hate me? I felt compelled to share my excitement, but I guess it inspired more than a little envy tinged with loathing. I can see my next post now, “How to Tactfully Share Your Utah Ski Experience Without Alienating Less Fortunate Friends,” I failed, sorry.
Back to my trip. I started my day with a non-stop flight on Delta Airlines departing at 7:30am. In spite of the Thanksgiving weekend, the flight wasn’t bad because I didn’t have to stress any connections. Settled into my window seat, I donned my silly U-shaped pillow and dozed off shortly after lift-off. At some point, I have a vague recollection of wiping drool off my chin. Clearing the sleep out of my eyes, I listened to a couple of podcasts and then we were descending to land. We touched down at 10:20am (there was a 2-hour time change). Our flight-time was just over 3.5 hours thanks to a tailwind.
I headed home and took my time changing into ski gear, feeding the cats, and loading skis. Then it was off to Alta Ski Area where I arrived shortly before lunch. Amazingly, there were no lines at the lifts. Each run, I skied right on. This meant I could ski for over four hours solid, more time than I spent flying from Florida to Utah.
Of course, I had to brag, it was an epic day! Don’t hate me because I ski Utah…
I’m not special though, this could be your story too. There are many non-stop flights to Salt Lake City, including eight from New York City and 25 from Southern California. Often non-stop flights are priced as competitively as other flights. I know because I’m cheap and only book non-stop if it’s priced right.
Have your personal gear ready to change into as soon as you reach your room, and then make a straight line to the slopes. With 11 resorts situated less than an hour from Salt Lake City International Airport, skiing by lunch is possible without even rushing. Also, don't miss out on the Alta Snowbird “Boarding Pass” discount. It allows you to ski for half off within 24 hours of flying into Salt Lake. The only thing you need to be wary of is annoying your friends at home. I suggest taking a social-media fast and simply enjoying the snow.
