Solitude Mountain Resort facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Solitude Mountain Resort
Solitude's lower terrain in 2006
Solitude Mountain Resort Location in Utah Show map of Utah Solitude Mountain Resort Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Brighton, Utah, United States
Nearest city	Salt Lake City, Utah
Coordinates	40°36′54.5″N 111°35′20.1″W / 40.615139°N 111.588917°W / 40.615139; -111.588917
Vertical	2,494 ft (760 m)
Top elevation	10,488 ft (3,197 m)
Base elevation	7,988 ft (2,435 m)
Skiable area	1,200 acres (4.9 km2)
Runs	80
Longest run	3.5 miles (5.6 km) Honeycomb Trail
Lift system	8 - 1 high speed six pack - 3 high speed quads - 2 fixed grip quads - 1 triple -1 double
Snowfall	500 inches (1,300 cm)
Snowmaking	Yes
Night skiing	No
Website	Ski Solitude.com

Solitude Mountain Resort is a fantastic ski resort located in the beautiful Big Cottonwood Canyon. It's part of the Wasatch Mountains, about 30 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah. Solitude has 66 trails and covers 1,200 acres (about 4.8 square kilometers).

This resort is known for being very family-friendly. It has more beginner and intermediate slopes than many other ski resorts nearby. In fact, 50% of its slopes are perfect for beginners or those still learning. Solitude was also one of the first big resorts in the U.S. to use an RFID lift ticket system. This system helps lift lines move much faster! Solitude is right next to Brighton, and you can even buy a special "Solbright Pass" to ski at both resorts.

Exploring Solitude Mountain

Most of Solitude's trails come down from a high ridge called Eagle Ridge. This ridge runs alongside the scenic Big Cottonwood Canyon Byway. Two main lifts, the Powder Horn II quad chair and the Eagle Express six-pack, take you to the top of Eagle Ridge.

Below Eagle Ridge, you'll find more lifts like Apex Express and Moonbeam Express. These lifts serve the intermediate and beginner areas. On the other side of Eagle Ridge is Honeycomb Canyon. This long valley is famous for its wide-open bowl skiing areas. You can reach Honeycomb Canyon using the Summit Express lift, which goes all the way to the mountain's highest point. This lift also connects you to the nearby Brighton Ski Resort. For beginners, there are two special lifts, Link double and Sunrise triple, that offer dedicated skiing zones.

The Story of Solitude Mountain

Solitude Mountain Resort was first created by Robert M. Barrett, a businessman from Moab, Utah. He decided to build his own ski resort after a funny incident at Alta, where he couldn't use the restrooms because they were only for Alta guests!

Barrett started building Solitude in 1956. He had bought all the land in Big Cottonwood Canyon, which is right next to Alta. The resort opened just one year later in 1957. Over the years, Solitude changed owners a few times. In 1977, a group led by Gary DeSeelhorst bought it. DeSeelhorst became the sole owner in 1986 and made many improvements. He even built Utah's first express quad chairlift, the Eagle Express, in 1989. New buildings, like the Creekside lodge, were also added in 1995.

In 2014, Deer Valley Resort announced they would buy Solitude. They officially took over on May 1, 2015. That summer, Deer Valley made a big change by replacing the old Summit double chairlift with a new, faster high-speed quad lift called Summit Express. This new lift made it much quicker to get to Honeycomb Canyon.

Later, in August 2017, Deer Valley itself was bought by a company called Alterra Mountain Company. Solitude remained under its previous ownership for one more season. Then, on June 20, 2018, it was announced that Solitude would also be sold to Alterra Mountain Company.

Solitude was chosen to host the snowboardcross and ski cross events for the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships 2019. In November 2019, Solitude became the first resort in Utah to start charging for parking.

Solitude Nordic Center Activities

Solitude Resort also has a special area called the Solitude Nordic Center. This center is located between the Solitude and Brighton ski areas. It offers lots of fun nordic sports. You can go snowshoeing, or try skate skiing and classic cross-country skiing.

The Nordic Center has 13 cross-country skiing trails that cover about 12 miles (almost 20 kilometers). These trails are split evenly between "easiest" and "moderately difficult" levels. There's even a long loop that's two miles (3 kilometers) long. For snowshoeing, there are six trails covering six miles (ten kilometers). If you want to learn, they also offer lessons and training workshops.

Quick Facts and Figures

Here are some interesting facts about Solitude Mountain Resort:

• Base elevation: 7,988 feet (2,435 meters)
• Summit elevation: 10,035 feet (3,059 meters)
• Vertical rise: 2,047 feet (624 meters)
• Total skiable area: 1,200 acres (4.8 square kilometers)
• Lifts: 8 chairlifts, including one high-speed six-pack, three high-speed quads, two fixed-grip quads, one triple, and one double.
• Runs:
  • Beginner: 10% (Green Circle)
  • Intermediate: 40% (Blue Square - more difficult)
  • Advanced/Expert: 50% (Black Diamond - most difficult)
• Solitude was named a Top 20 Family Ski Resort for two years in a row (2007-2008).

Chairlifts at Solitude

Quick Facts About Solitude Mountain

Here are some interesting numbers about Solitude Mountain Resort:

• Base elevation: 7,988 feet (2,435 m) (how high up the bottom of the resort is)
• Summit elevation: 10,035 feet (3,059 m) (how high up the very top of the mountain is)
• Vertical rise: 2,047 feet (624 m) (the difference in height from the bottom to the top)
• Total skiable area: 1,200 acres (4.9 km²) (how much land you can ski on)
• Lifts: 8 chairlifts, including:
  • 1 high-speed six-pack lift (very fast, carries 6 people)
  • 3 high-speed quad lifts (fast, carries 4 people)
  • 2 fixed-grip quad lifts (carries 4 people)
  • 1 triple lift (carries 3 people)
  • 1 double lift (carries 2 people)
• Runs (types of slopes):
  • Beginner: 10% (marked with a Green Circle)
  • Intermediate: 40% (marked with a Blue Square – more difficult)
  • Advanced/Expert: 50% (marked with a Black Diamond – most difficult)

Solitude was even named a Top 20 Family Ski Resort for two years in a row, in 2007 and 2008!