Snowbird and Alta are great ski resorts located within an hour's drive from downtown SLC. And that is being conservative, I have driven it in much less time. Google map says it's 27 miles with a 50 minute drive. Sounds fair.

There are pluses and minuses for staying up there. A big plus is that you will ski at your leisure and you can take breaks in your hotel room whenever you are tired. A minus is that you are up there. There is not much to see if you're looking for a diversion.

I am accustomed to driving up there to go skiing and coming back home (to the valley) in the evening. So that is my preference, stay in SLC and drive up to ski.

Thanks, I do appreciate the feedback!

Hello Livinthefream10,

I'm writing from humid Georgia where I've spent all morning trying to figure out an on-a-shoestring ski trip for my husband and two sons (ages 10 and 12) to ski in Salt Lake City in Feb. 2009!

I'm thinking they'll stay at the Ramada Inn in SLC since we have three free nights there. I'm tentatively thinking of Feb 5-Feb 8. I'm not sure which ski slopes they should try. When will you be there?

Please post here or e-mail me privately at ccitrini@comcast.net as you decide how you'll plan your trip. I'd love to get tips/ideas from what you find. Similarly, I'll e-mail you as our plans firm up.

Thanks so much.

Christine in GA.

Christine-7: Consider buying an Entertainment book (Salt Lake edition) as they have discounts on ski gear and ski passes.

If you are in town for 5 days I think you will have more than enough time to see the city and ski. From downtown, it shouldn't take you more than an hour to get to the mountains (Snowbird). I would recommend going to one of the ski shops downtown (CanyonSports, Ski n See) to get passes to the resorts as you will save around %15 as opposed to buying lift tickets at the resorts.

I'm not sure about your ski level, but Snowbird is a great mountain with lots of terrain, however it is also one of the steepest mountains SLC has to offer, just something to consider. I've never been to alta because they don't allow boarders, but every skiier I know loves that mountain. If you are looking for an easier mountain in the same area as Snowbird and Alta, try Solitude and Brighton. These resorts are in the next canyon over from SB/A. They are also very fun mountains that are not as steep as Snowbird but still offer a wonderful experience.

Where to stay downtown?

Many people love the Grand America, Radisson, and Little America. In terms of where offers shuttles to the mountains, I can't help sorry. But I hope the rest helped a little

Check out the University Guest House. Free breakfast and great location for skiing and seeing downtown. The price is very reasonable at under $80 a night and the rooms are very very clean. Stop and get your passes each day on your way up to whatever resort at either REI on 33rd or at Canyon Sports on the way up the canyon on Fort Union and Wasatch Blvd. Snowbird is steep so you may prefer Brighton and Alta for your family. You might want to go to Park City Ski resort one day too. IT takes about the same amount of time to get to any of them from SLC....about 30 minutes.

We will be skiing in the Utah area from Fed 8th to the 16th, 2009 with our 11 and 13 year old boys. We are staying out near Snowbasin which is about 1 hour outside SLC near Ogden. I spent 4 days in Utah in the winter of 2007 with my brother and we skied/boarded Brighton, Snowbasin, and Park City. I have also skied at Alta and Snowbird in the past. We chose to stay near Snowbasin for a couple of reasons; 1. I really liked the mountain and the fact that it was a bit further out and a lot less crowded. 2. the cost - we are renting a 2 bedroom condo with a full kitchen for 7 days for $1800 including 2 adult ski passes for each day. THe ski passes are worth between $700 and $800 so the condo is only costing us about $1000 for the week. The kitchen lets us eat most meals at home and save money again. We are renting a car and plan to ski a couple days at some of the other mountains in the SLC area to give my sons some variety. Canyon Sports has great discounts and we have purchased our passes and rented skis from them in the past. Make sure you reserve your equipment on line ahead of time. you will love Utah skiing. Enjoy. Eric