To sum up Solitude Resort, it's all in the name—secluded, and all to yourself. This mountain has steeps, bowls, tight tree shots and backcountry access to some of the sickest lines around.

SNOW REPORT | TERRAIN PARK INFORMATION

Starting on the west side of the resort off the Eagle Express quad there's a group of several wide intermediate groomers. Staying far rider’s left hooks up with Challenger, one of the steepest groomed runs in Utah. Dropping the fall line off the quad runs into the Sunshine Bowl, which is probably the most open shot the mountain has.

After passing the Sunshine Grill restaurant, cruise through the flat area and onto Main Street, another super wide-open groomer that runs all the way to the bottom by the Powder Horn lift.

Half way up the Powder Horn lift, some unbelievable lines start to come into view. Steep, perfectly spaced tree shots are right under the lift. As the lift approaches the top, another area comes into sight with about six black diamond runs off to the rider’s left. On a powder day this is the spot to fly as fast as possible laying out a wide turn or two every hundred vertical feet or so.

Heading south or rider’s right off Powder Horn are Solitude’s steepest runs. The three double-black diamond runs are Parachute, Middle Slope and Milk Run. Most of these shots start off with a 40-degree angle or steeper pitch and run for hundreds of vertical feet. At the bottom of these runs, cliff bands start emerging with a few fun chutes. Eventually most of these runs funnel down to the Summit lift.

The terrain off the Summit lift is unreal. On the left side of the chair is the Evergreen ridge hike that separates Solitude from Brighton Resort. The lines off this ridge are all north facing and consistently have the best snow on the mountain. Choose lines carefully because it is easy to get cliffed out.

At the midpoint of the Summit lift the views get intense. On the lift’s left lies a good-size pitch of steep glades called the Headwall Forest—at the bottom of this shot, keep a lot of speed to make it through a long flat spot. However, if you don't make it, there is only about a one- to two-minute walk that is well worth the sick shot. Additionally, on the lift’s right, giant cliff bands and a few chutes are visible and these are only a few minutes away.

Once the Summit lift ride is over, prepare to be blown away by the view into Honeycomb Canyon. Fantasy Ridge climbs up and down the far end of Honeycomb Canyon and is accessed from this point when open. This ridge hike is crazy. It is really exposed and hairball—a slip in the wrong section would definitely result in a run to the nearest hospital. However, after completing the hike the rewards are sweet. Cirque-sized chutes and bowls are everywhere. It would take years to explore all of the possibilities found in this area of the resort.

Another option is to take the traverses left or right. The left traverse usually is not snowboard friendly, but the right traverse is a little better. With some skating, sidestepping and walking it is possible to reach the amazing lines of the Black Forest. This is another north-facing gem at Solitude and it contains some of the most perfectly spaced trees one could ask for. Dropping anywhere in this paradise will be killer and will eventually empty out at the Honeycomb quad. From here, the short lift ride reaches the ridge back to the front side of the resort.

To hit this shot again it's mandatory to take the Powder Horn and Summit lifts to the top. This sequence is definitely a time-consuming lap, but it also helps to conserve the powder days after a storm.

Figuring out how and where to ride this mountain is half the fun of the Solitude experience. Pay attention and follow some locals, and the payoffs will be good.

Parks and pipes
Solitude has an excellent beginner park. Almost all of the hits and features have low consequences and are perfect for novice freestylers and kids. There are a few little to mid-size tabletops and a few ride-on rails and boxes. If the park seems a little mellow just start exploring the natural terrain park, which is all over the mountain.

Photo courtesy of Solitude Mountain Resort