Solitude Resort moves up opening day to start Utah ski season

October 31, 1:03 AMSkiing ExaminerEric Wagnon

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Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah plans to open on Nov. 6.
                        Photo: Solitude Mountain Resort/John Horacek

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Utah Resorts Opening Schedule

• Alta: Nov. 20
• Beaver Mountain: TBA
• Brian Head: Nov. 21
• Brighton: Nov. 11
• The Canyons: Nov. 27
• Deer Valley: Dec. 5
• Park City: Nov. 21
• Powder Mountain: Nov. 28
• Snowbasin: Nov. 26
• Snowbird: Nov. 21
• Solitude: Nov. 6
• Sundance: Dec. 11
• Wolf Creek: Nov. 27
  Source: Ski Utah

Solitude opens Nov. 6

Solitude Mountain Resort announced Thursday that opening day will be Friday, Nov. 6, a week earlier than previously scheduled. The Utah resort also plans to open the beginner Link lift to pass holders for one day on Halloween.

The Link and Moonbeam Express lifts are both scheduled to be open for opening day, according to Nick Como, Solitude marketing coordinator. Como reported that the resort has received about 40 inches of natural snow during October. With the help of some man-made snow, the ski area currently has a base of about 20 inches.

Lift ticket costs $39

Lift tickets for opening day will be priced at an early-season rate of $39. The regular adult lift ticket price at Solitude is $62.

When conditions permit, a $72 joint lift ticket is available for Solitude and adjacent Brighton Resort. The two areas are connected by the Sol/Bright trail.

Solitude installed the only new lift in Utah during the off-season. Powderhorn II, a fixed-grip quad, cost $1.5 million to build.

Click here for details on Solitude's new lift

Prior to the 2008-09 season, the resort installed two high-speed lifts, Apex Express and Moonbeam Express, at a total cost of $7 million.

Click here for another Utah gem

Solitude is located in Big Cottonwood Canyon 33 miles from the Salt Lake City airport. With 500 inches of average annual snowfall, the ski area has 1,200 skiable acres and a vertical drop of 2,047 feet.