School’s Out for Skiing

Why Spring Break is Better On Snow

By Tess Weaver

Ever since our first Ikon Passes, six winters ago, we’ve spent spring break skiing. My 10-year-old son Hagen and I are lucky that, in March, we still crave powder, only want tan lines from goggles and find all the water we need in the hot tub after skiing.

In our home state of Colorado, March is the snowiest month of the year, and the snowpack has almost peaked. And because so many skiers and snowboarders drop off by March (their loss), destinations offer short-to-non-existent lift lines, discounted lodging and a low-key, fun-loving atmosphere that’s synonymous with spring—especially in the Wasatch.

On a Monday, the first day of Hagen’s spring break, we drove six hours to Salt Lake City, Utah, then up Little Cottonwood Canyon to Alta, the snowiest place on earth. Or, with its total snowfall nearing 600”, at least the snowiest place in the Lower 48 this winter. We parked our car and as the flakes began to softly fall, we wondered if it’d be buried like the others by the time we left on Friday.

From the moment you arrive at the Alta Peruvian Lodge, you know you’re some place special: the fireplace roars in a cozy and welcoming lobby, families huddle around board games and puzzles, a skier in his 80’s naps on a sun-drenched couch, jovial chatter drifts down from the bar and the view through the window shows couples relaxing in the hot tub and kids splashing in the heated pool. Hagen notices it, especially when the friendly employee hands us real keys to our room and ski locker.

”Generations of families and friends meet here every winter.

Constructed over six decades ago, the Peruvian originated as two World War II barracks that were sliced into four parts and hauled up the steep canyon. In 1948, it opened as a ski lodge. For 20 years, I’ve heard stories about the “P-Dog”. Its employee quarters and dish pit—that enabled many a pro skier seasons of endless powder—are the stuff of ski industry legend. What we notice during our first dinner, served community-style so guests mingle each night, is that the Peruvian attracts likeminded people who come for the skiing and return for an authenticity that’s hard to find these days. Generations of families and friends meet here every winter. One evening, we meet brothers from the Midwest who haven’t missed their Alta week in 45 years. Fans love the European inspired lodge experience, that includes three meals a day and an après-ski spread. It even has its own ski shop. No one misses TV in the rooms or modern, generic décor. Many guests don’t even need their own bathroom—the Peruvian offers ski-bum-friendly male and female dorm rooms.

The snow that started the evening we arrived fell all night and through the next day. We know it’s not rare to score a powder day at Alta, but we feel incredibly lucky when we hoot and holler through our first powder turns. It’s some of the best skiing I’ve had all season. We lap Collins chair, dropping off the High Traverse into boot-deep stashes. We explore High Greeley and Eagle’s Nest and the nooks and crannies of Westward Ho off the double chair, Wildcat. We ski right to the Peruvian for a buffet lunch and are skating back to the lift in no time. After skiing, there’s nothing to do but soak, play Monopoly and sit down for another delicious dinner with strangers turned friends.

The next day breaks bluest of blue and we sidestep to score fresh turns off the Backside. I revel in skiing powder tracked only by my son, who is whooping even louder than me. We find perfect mini cliff drops and chutes for Hagen off Supreme lift. I hike lower Baldy shoulder and ski a pristine line on a sea of sparkles. We don’t wait in a single lift line—or a line of any kind as we sample the burrito bowls at Watson Shelter and Italian hot chocolate as thick as melted chocolate. Back at the Peruvian pool, we have swimming races and handstand and backflip contests for hours and Hagen cold plunges in the snowbank. We get to know friendly ski instructors from Vermont over salmon and pasta, and outside the snow starts falling again.

”We know it’s not rare to score a powder day Alta, but we feel incredibly lucky when we hoot and holler through our first powder turns.

Our third and final day of skiing proves the stormiest. Strong winds bring temps down to the teens and deposit pockets of “the greatest snow on earth” all over the mountain. Hagen’s buddy, Dash, drives over from Park City, and together, the boys find hit after hit and endless lines through the trees. We even ski a run called Keyhole that brings us to adjacent Snowbird (no problem with our Ikon Passes). It’s the kind of storm day that many skiers prefer over sun, during which the skiing gets better (and deeper) every hour as the day goes on.

Tomorrow, we’ll drive back home to work, school, chores and a toddler sibling, but for now, there’s nothing to do but relax, be present and enjoy each other’s company. We’ll ski powder to the lodge, cannon ball into the pool, giggle through a ping pong game, eat all our dessert, deal cards, tell stories and fall asleep on simple twin beds as the flakes keep stacking up outside.

IKON PASS BENEFITS
Your 24/25 Ikon Pass or Ikon Base Plus Pass provides direct-to-lift skiing at Alta and Snowbird and seven days of skiing at Alta/Snowbird with no blackout dates.

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