√ Snowbird Departure

A typical Snowbird Departure (Thur. and Sat.) meets at 8:00 A.M. on Snowbird's Tram Plaza, parking entrance #2, just outside the Fork Lift restaurant. Guides will check you in, outfit clients with a Gold Pass and an Ortovox avalanche beacon. Next, you'll load a pre-public tram which has a STRICT Departure schedule of 8:25 A.M., if you miss this window, you will not be able to join the group on your tour for the day. (there is time to use the restroom and get your final attire adjustments situated after loading the tram).

Once up top of Hidden Peak, you'll exit the tram and head into The Summit guest facilikty where guides will cover avalanche safety, backcountry etiquette, conditions, and the day's agenda.

Once the briefing has commenced, and Snowbird Patrol has given the the guides the "OKAY" you'll click into your skis and be among the first public skiing. For the first descents of the day you'll warm up with a few turns into Mineral Basin. Ride the Baldy Express chairlift, then head through the gates into Alta. From the top of the pass you'll make your way to the top of the Supreme chair. From there you'll have your first good sidestep/shuffle/traverse through Catherine's Pass, enroute to your first backcountry zone of the day, Rocky Point. This backcountry area offers several spectacular descents into the base of Brighton Ski Resort. After a run or two at Brighton, you'll take the lower SolBright trail to Solitude Mountain Resort where you'll stop for lunch and a well-earned break.

After lunch it's up to the top of Solitude Resort aboard the Summit chair. Upon unloading guides will check-in with Solitude Patrol beforing heading towards the dramatic 500-yard traverse, sidestepping across the "Highway to Heaven" and into Little Cottonwood Canyon via Twin Lakes Pass. Another long backcountry descent puts you at the upper base of Alta Ski Area. From there you'll work your way to the top of the Sugarloaf chair, then pass through the Mineral Basin gate and, voila, you're back at Snowbird. Don't worry, there's still plenty of great skiing as you make your way to the bottom of Mineral Basin, up the Mineral Basin Express to the top of Snowbird's Hidden Peak, leaving you with a 3,000' descent to finish off the day on the Tram Plaza.