Sports Events in Utah

No account of Utah would be complete without mention of the great winter snow.

With 7 major ski resorts within an hour of the SL Airport and 2 more just a little further, skiing is a big tourist draw. The "Greatest Snow on Earth" is not just a registered trademark, skiiers time and time again agree it is truth.

Two canyons on the west side of the Wasatch (the "Wasatch Front") have two resorts each. In Little Cottonwood are Alta and Snowbird. In Big Cottonwood are Brighton and Solitude.

ALTA is legend. Always at the top of the lists for the greatest and best powder snow, with an average of 500 inches of snow yearly the snow is plentiful and deep. And as they say it is a "dry snow". Created as clouds cross the Great Basin Desert and are sucked dry of moisture, and the snow is powder dry as it runs into the Wasatch Range and drops in the Albion Basin. The owners have kind of been anti-development preferring to keep things low key and simple. That may change with the new generation. It is one of two "ski only" resorts in the state (the other is Deer Valley).

SNOWBIRD has a tough reputation for steeps and diamonds. They do have plenty of intermediate terrain though and much more opened up in Dec of 2006 when the Peruvian Gulch tunnel opened through the mountain to give access to Mineral Basin on the backside. Ski the Bird! You can also purchase a combined Alta/Snowbird pass for a complete experience.

BRIGHTON has been the place many locals learn. Small and intimate Brighton was always the innovative resort. One of the first to allow snowboarders, still providing night skiing, Brighton does what it can to provide a unique experience for all.

SOLITUDE has always had tough competition. The new condos there have opened up a whole resort feel and there seems to be a new vibe about the mountain.

On the east side of the mountains is the "Wasatch Back". Up Parley's Canyon 1/2 hr from the airport are Park City, Deer Valley and The Canyons.

PARK CITY is an old mining town with the quaint and historic main street. This is where it started, with a ski lift right in town. It has grown and grown, but the skiing has always been great.

Through various incarnations THE CANYONS continues to survive. Boasting the largest area of the 7 Salt Lake area resorts the Canyons has a little bit of everything. Getting to it all can sometimes be confusing, but the snow is still good.

DEER VALLEY opened last with a goal to provide a top notch ski experience. The best resort, the best restaurant, limited number of skiiers, this is the upscale mountain.

Further afield up Ogden Canyon are two resorts that get less traffic due to being a longer drive: Snowbasin and Powder Mountain. For these lodging is best obtained in Huntsville or Eden where shuttles will take you to the resorts. Ogden, though a little further drive away, is also a possibility for lodging.

SNOWBASIN was the site for the Olympic downhill races in 2002. A gorgeous resort with unfortunately nowhere to stay right there.

POWDER MOUNTAIN with snow totals that equal Alta's, has the largest skiable acreage of all the Utah resorts at over 5000 acres. A good chunk is accessible only by snowcat for the best of powder skiing. They also encourage snowkiting. It is located at the end of a very steep mt road with limited lodging on the hill.

I have to add the two resorts in the Southern end of the state.

BRIAN HEAD east of Parowan and the new EAGLE POINT RESORT east of Beaver. Both have great snow, good runs and fun for the whole family.

Equipment: Salt Lake airport is well used to caring for skis and boots should you decide to bring your own. However equipment is available to rent at any number of outfits in SLC or directly at the ski resorts. REI, Canyon Sports, Utah Ski & Golf, Ski-n-See are in the valley and may have resort discounts available as well.

Soccer fans rejoiced when the newest major league sport franchise opened in the Salt Lake valley. MLS Real Salt Lake started kind of wobbly, but they have hung on and done well. They have just opened a brand new soccer stadium in Sandy named Rio Tinto. The team played two games there and were able for the first time to go to the playoffs. It was rather heady. I attended the first game in the new stadium and though I expected to be completely bored I have to say I rather enjoyed it. The stadium seats 20,000 and seemed intimate and approachable. You were really a part of the game.

2009 Real Salt Lake brought home the MLS championship !

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Utah is not the first place that comes to mind for car racing unless you think of speed records. But there are a number of tracks here.

Bonneville Salt Flats are the granddaddy of all speed racing. It was to the hard, wide open salt flats in the western desert that drivers who wanted top speeds came. Ab Jenkins in the Mormon Meteor and Craig Breedlove who first topped 600 mph in the Spirit of America, are names familiar to many Utahns. The last top racer was Gary Gabelich clocked at 622 mph. Every year during speed week they still try. The nearest town is Wendover.

Miller Sports Park outside of Tooele is a newcomer and I haven't been out there yet to see what it is all about. http://www.millermotorsportspark.com/

And in Magna is the Rocky Mountain Raceway: http://www.rmrracing.com/ where you can get all kinds of racing in one evening.

If you haven't seen arena football you have missed the quick action and impact of the sport. Back again, the Utah Blaze provide a short 8-9 game home season thrill packed with action and excitement. Associated with the AFL the Blaze play in the NFL's off season.

The Utah Grizzlies provide dedicated hockey fans with a taste and thrill of the sport. Affiliated with the ECHL, they play at the E Center in West Valley City. This arena was built with hockey in mind and it is a great place from which to watch. It is easy to reach just off I-215. We were avid fans of the old Golden Eagles of years past, but haven't kept up the enthusiasm with the Grizzlies.

The Salt Lake Bees are a AAA minor league farm team to the CA Angels. They provide a fun summer night activity. Special nights have fireworks. You can buy a cheap ticket at the Spring Mobile field just outside of downtown, bring your blanket and sit out on the grass past the outfield. Or take the right field line and have a great view of the Wasatch as the sun sets. It would be an unusual night that you couldn't get seats at the last minute. One nice thing we've been able to enjoy lately is some of our players have done well in the big leagues and it is nice to be able to say I saw them play in SLC.

For many years the only major league professional team in Utah was Utah Jazz basketball. They have been providing us with some great sports moments for over 30 years now. Jerry Sloan just reached 1000 victories as Jazz coach, no one else has done that with one team. I'm not a big fan of basketball but the are the biggest thing happening sportwise in town. They play at the Energy Solutions Arena and have a great home record, If you are here during the season check for tickets, it will be a fun experience.

If you were thinking of trying hiking our, Utah is a great place to start. Trails in the National Park's of the southern part of the state tend to be short to medium length. You're not going to put in any 12+ hours days in. Also in your favor is your elevation pick up is not great either with a gain of 1500 feet a big day. That's not a lot compared to climbing out of the Grand Canyon for 5000 feet.

Trails are well marked and maintained as a rule in the National Parks of Utah. Bryce Canyon National Park offers great short hikes with rewarding views. Arches National Park has some very easy walks with amazing vistas. Zion National Park has a lot of hikes of all levels from easy strolls along the Virgin River to the adventurous chained climb up to Angel's Landing. Capitol Reef also offers some longer trails that still are of an enjoyable length.

The more advanced hiker will find some interesting trails as well in parks like Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Canyonlands. In the former's case, there isn't much elevation but navigation is the obstacle, with The Wave requiring a special map from the park service to make your way out. Canyonlands offers up some steep trails down to the Green River, a great tune-up if doing the Grand Canyon later.

Hikes are often quite busy so best to do them early morning. Not only do you escape the crowds but the temperatures are more pleasant and there's better light for photography. The Wave requires a special permit so numbers are limited. Check out my individual Utah pages for more information on how to hike Utah to the fullest.

Equipment: Good sturdy boots are a must when hiking over slick rock and the often abrasive sandstone that defines Utah trails. Don't skimp socks, your feet will appreciate the extra money you put out for the padding. Desert hiking is best in long light pants and shirts for sun protection and best for changes in the weather that occur. Utah is not a real backpacker's mecca though there are some multi-day hikes in the Staircase for those experienced in slot canyon trekking. So, a day pack will suffice for most people. Sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat will also come in handy in this very sunny state.