GET YOUR WINGS AT SNOWBIRD

“From the moment you park to the lift and up to the top at Snowbird is so efficient, you can start skiing quick, without combining a lot of lifts or waiting around,” advises Gleich. Dedicated skiers and riders can focus and get a lot of vertical in a day with easy and quick lifts to Hidden Peak and over the backside in Mineral Basin. This way, when you slow down, it’s your choice.

This long trail (3,000-foot descent) starts right at the top of Hidden Peak and the Aerial Tram, and runs all the way to the bottom of the mountain. There are open, well-graded groomed sections where you can arc some nice turns and occasional jumps on the side for kids wanting to show off. “There are options to diverge onto a black run, but come back to Chip’s,” says Gleich, for those who want a bit more challenge.

“After a long ski day, I’m likely at the Cliff Spa,” says Gleich, who hits this spot in the Cliff Lodge to stretch out for her après. Yoga and fitness classes, a rooftop hot tub and heated pool, a eucalyptus steam room, and a list of treatments are available. “It’s so awesome to be in the hot tub when it’s snowing,” according to Gleich. There’s always time for a cocktail afterwards, of course.

This is the spot at Snowbird with “some of the best snow and steep skiing in the Lower 48 with chutes, cliffs, trees — everything,” says Gleich. Take the Aerial Tram and start on Chip’s Access, then you’ll need to take a short hike to High Baldy Traverse. Cut on down Fields of Glory or Thanks for the Memories, or for a great local spot, traverse along the ridge to The Keyhole and down Blackjack Traverse.

If you’re looking for a nice advanced trail that isn’t over-the-top challenging and will give you some great views along the way, look no farther than Regulator Johnson. Accessed by the Aerial Tram, the run if groomed a lot, has a nice aesthetic fall line and isn’t super long or committing. “I love the look across the canyon from there,” says Gleich.