Snowbasin Review

Snowbasin Ski Resort in Huntsville, Utah (33 miles from Salt Lake City) was the venue for men's and women's downhill, super G and combined races for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.  The resort has 104 designated runs covering over 2,400 acres, with 64 percent of the runs rated expert or expert only.  If you are an avid skier, this is the place for you, but what about for someone like me - a first time skier taking three children on their first ski trip?

As it turned out, Snowbasin is as user-friendly to beginners as it is to experts, and it is also a family-friendly resort.  On the first day, we signed our two oldest children (age 8 and 6) up for ski school, and our youngest (2) spent time in the day care center.  The ski classes were well organized and small (average three children or less per instructor, however; we were there in late March, not the busiest part of the season) and the instructors were all very nice and very patient with the kids.  After a day and a half on the green runs, the instructors took the kids further up the mountain to try some of the blue runs, which from my perspective was the key benefit of having instructors - they were more capable and comfortable with stretching the kids' comfort zones and getting them to try things that I as a parent would have a tougher time doing (especially when I am learning to ski myself).  Both our kids opted to stay in school after the initial lessons because they were having such a great time.  The day care center was also nice.  The facility was large and well-lit, and the adult to child ratio was about 1 to 4.  Its location near the lifts also allowed us to check on our child throughout the day. 

 Below are my takes on the resort:

 Pro's

• Great trails (since I am in no position to offer an opinion, I relied on our friends who skied with us, they were both expert skiers skiing Snowbasin for the first time) 
• Gorgeous views, try the gondolas (it was a big hit with our two year old)
• Friendly and knowledgeable staff (from the lodge workers to the lift operators, not a single bad experience)
• Great facilities, the lodges are all spacious, clean, with plenty of amenities
• Great food, not cheap, but they make it up with nice portions
• Great ski instructors and day care facilities
  

Con's

• No overnight lodging, got to stay somewhere else
• This place is definitely not cheap, but still good value for what you spent