Solitude Mountain Resort
Encyclopedia
Solitude Mountain Resort is a ski resort
located in the Big Cottonwood Canyon
of the Wasatch Mountains
, thirty miles southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah
. With 64 trails, 1200 acres (4.9 km²) and 2047 feet (623.9 m) vertical, Solitude is one of the smaller ski resorts near Salt Lake City, along with its neighbor Brighton
. It is a family-oriented mountain, with a wider range of beginner and intermediate slopes than other Utah ski resorts; 70% of its slopes are graded "beginner" or "intermediate," the highest such ratio in the Salt Lake City area. Solitude was one of the first major US resorts to adopt an RFID lift ticket system, allowing lift lines to move more efficiently while reducing "lift poaching". It was followed by Alta Ski Area
in 2007. Solitude is adjacent to Brighton Ski Resort
near the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon. Solitude and Brighton offer a common "Solbright Pass" which provides access to both resorts for a nominal surcharge.
s descend from a ridge
(Eagle Ridge trail) which runs parallel with The Big Cottonwood Canyon Scenic Byway
as it rises up the center of Big Cottonwood Canyon. Two lifts -- quad chairs Powder Horn II and Eagle Express—run to the top of Eagle Ridge, while quads Apex Express and Moonbeam Express feed the intermediate and beginner terrain (respectively) immediately below it. The back of Eagle Ridge drops into Honeycomb Canyon, a long valley
with most of the resort's bowl skiing. Honeycomb Canyon is primarily accessed by the double Summit Chair, which runs behind Eagle Ridge to the mountain's summit; return access from the bottom of Honeycomb Canyon is also available via the Honeycomb Return quad. The Summit Chair also provides access to adjacent Brighton Ski Resort
. Two more lifts, Link double and Sunrise triple, provide dedicated skiing areas for beginners.
The Solitude SnowSports Academy offers ski and snowboard lessons and is located at the base Link lift inside the Moonbean lodge.
uranium
tycoon Robert M. Barrett. Barrett decided to start his own ski resort after being denied the use of the restrooms at Alta, which were reserved for Alta guests only. He started construction at Solitude in 1956, having bought all the land in Big Cottonwood Canyon
, the next canyon over from Alta. The resort opened for business one year later, and passed through ownership changes until it was acquired by a business group led by Gary DeSeelhorst in 1977. DeSeelhorst became the resort's sole owner in 1986 and implemented an aggressive renovation project, including the 1989 construction of Utah's first express quad chairlift, Eagle Express. Accommodations upgrades in this period included the construction of the Creekside lodge in 1995.
sport opportunities, including snowshoe
ing, skate and classic cross-country skiing. The site's 13 cross-country skiing trails cover twelve miles (almost 20 km) evenly divided between "easiest" and "moderately difficult", including a long loop of two miles (3 km). Six snowshoe trails cover six miles (ten kilometers). Instruction and training workshops are offered.
Named a Top 20 Family Ski Resort for two consecutive years, 2007-2008
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
located in the Big Cottonwood Canyon
Big Cottonwood Canyon
Big Cottonwood Canyon is a canyon in the Wasatch Range southeast of Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah. The -long canyon provides hiking, biking, picnicking, rock-climbing, camping and fishing in the summer. During winter, its two ski resorts, Brighton and Solitude, are popular among skiers...
of the Wasatch Mountains
Wasatch Range
The Wasatch Range is a mountain range that stretches approximately from the Utah-Idaho border, south through central Utah in the western United States. It is generally considered the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the Great Basin region...
, thirty miles southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. With 64 trails, 1200 acres (4.9 km²) and 2047 feet (623.9 m) vertical, Solitude is one of the smaller ski resorts near Salt Lake City, along with its neighbor Brighton
Brighton Ski Resort
Brighton Ski Resort is a ski area located in Big Cottonwood Canyon, from downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Brighton Ski Resort was the first ski resort in Utah, and one of the first in the United States. Brighton was started in 1936 when members of the Alpine Ski Club built a rope tow from wire and...
. It is a family-oriented mountain, with a wider range of beginner and intermediate slopes than other Utah ski resorts; 70% of its slopes are graded "beginner" or "intermediate," the highest such ratio in the Salt Lake City area. Solitude was one of the first major US resorts to adopt an RFID lift ticket system, allowing lift lines to move more efficiently while reducing "lift poaching". It was followed by Alta Ski Area
Alta Ski Area
Alta is a ski area located in the Wasatch Mountains, just east of Salt Lake City, Utah. With a skiable area of 2200 acres , beginning at a base elevation of 8530 ft and rising to 10,550 ft for a vertical gain of 2020 ft . Alta is one of the oldest ski resorts in the country,...
in 2007. Solitude is adjacent to Brighton Ski Resort
Brighton Ski Resort
Brighton Ski Resort is a ski area located in Big Cottonwood Canyon, from downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Brighton Ski Resort was the first ski resort in Utah, and one of the first in the United States. Brighton was started in 1936 when members of the Alpine Ski Club built a rope tow from wire and...
near the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon. Solitude and Brighton offer a common "Solbright Pass" which provides access to both resorts for a nominal surcharge.
The Mountain
Most of Solitude's trailTrail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
s descend from a ridge
Ridge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
(Eagle Ridge trail) which runs parallel with The Big Cottonwood Canyon Scenic Byway
Utah State Route 190
State Route 190 or the Big Cottonwood Canyon Scenic Byway is primarily an east and west scenic highway located in Salt Lake County, Utah that begins at I-215 and runs through Big Cottonwood Canyon including the Brighton Loop and ends at the Salt Lake and Wasatch County line.-Holladay and Cottonwood...
as it rises up the center of Big Cottonwood Canyon. Two lifts -- quad chairs Powder Horn II and Eagle Express—run to the top of Eagle Ridge, while quads Apex Express and Moonbeam Express feed the intermediate and beginner terrain (respectively) immediately below it. The back of Eagle Ridge drops into Honeycomb Canyon, a long valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
with most of the resort's bowl skiing. Honeycomb Canyon is primarily accessed by the double Summit Chair, which runs behind Eagle Ridge to the mountain's summit; return access from the bottom of Honeycomb Canyon is also available via the Honeycomb Return quad. The Summit Chair also provides access to adjacent Brighton Ski Resort
Brighton Ski Resort
Brighton Ski Resort is a ski area located in Big Cottonwood Canyon, from downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Brighton Ski Resort was the first ski resort in Utah, and one of the first in the United States. Brighton was started in 1936 when members of the Alpine Ski Club built a rope tow from wire and...
. Two more lifts, Link double and Sunrise triple, provide dedicated skiing areas for beginners.
The Solitude SnowSports Academy offers ski and snowboard lessons and is located at the base Link lift inside the Moonbean lodge.
History
Solitude was first developed for skiing by Moab, UtahMoab, Utah
Moab is a city in Grand County, in eastern Utah, in the western United States. The population was 4,779 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat and largest city in Grand County. Moab hosts a large number of tourists every year, mostly visitors to the nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks...
uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
tycoon Robert M. Barrett. Barrett decided to start his own ski resort after being denied the use of the restrooms at Alta, which were reserved for Alta guests only. He started construction at Solitude in 1956, having bought all the land in Big Cottonwood Canyon
Big Cottonwood Canyon
Big Cottonwood Canyon is a canyon in the Wasatch Range southeast of Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah. The -long canyon provides hiking, biking, picnicking, rock-climbing, camping and fishing in the summer. During winter, its two ski resorts, Brighton and Solitude, are popular among skiers...
, the next canyon over from Alta. The resort opened for business one year later, and passed through ownership changes until it was acquired by a business group led by Gary DeSeelhorst in 1977. DeSeelhorst became the resort's sole owner in 1986 and implemented an aggressive renovation project, including the 1989 construction of Utah's first express quad chairlift, Eagle Express. Accommodations upgrades in this period included the construction of the Creekside lodge in 1995.
Solitude Nordic Center
Solitude Resort also operates a nordic center. The Solitude Nordic Center, nestled between the Solitude and Brighton ski areas, offers a variety of nordicNordic skiing
Nordic skiing is a winter sport that encompasses all types of skiing where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski, as opposed to Alpine skiing....
sport opportunities, including snowshoe
Snowshoe
A snowshoe is footwear for walking over the snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot does not sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....
ing, skate and classic cross-country skiing. The site's 13 cross-country skiing trails cover twelve miles (almost 20 km) evenly divided between "easiest" and "moderately difficult", including a long loop of two miles (3 km). Six snowshoe trails cover six miles (ten kilometers). Instruction and training workshops are offered.
Facts and figures
- Base elevation: 7988 feet (2,434.7 m)
- Summit elevation: 10035 feet (3,058.7 m)
- Vertical rise: 2047 feet (623.9 m)
- Total skiable area: 1200 acres (4.9 km²)
- Lifts: 8 chairliftChairliftAn elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel cable loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs...
s: (3 detachable quadDetachable chairliftA detachable chairlift or high-speed chairlift is a type of passenger aerial lift, which, like a fixed-grip chairlift, consists of numerous chairs attached to a constantly moving wire rope that is strung between two terminals over intermediate towers. They are now commonplace at all but the...
, 2 fixed-grip quad, 1 triple, 2 double) - Runs:
- Beginner: 20% (Green Circle)
- Intermediate: 50% (Blue Square-more difficult)
- Advanced/Expert: 30% (Black Diamond-most difficult)
Named a Top 20 Family Ski Resort for two consecutive years, 2007-2008
Chairlifts
- Moonbeam Express
- Apex Express
- Eagle Express
- Powderhorn Chair
- Honeycomb Chair
- Summit Chair
- Link Chair
- Sunrise Chair