Expo / Global
A modern way to ski
Seeking to offer an alternative to typical après-ski chalets and ski lifts – and hoping to attract serious skiers with a maverick streak – the ‘Silver Fox’ and his crew of visionaries set out to create a modernist resort high up in the occasionally inhospitable peaks of the Rocky mountains. The result, Snowbird, is built to withstand avalanches and transport thrill-seekers up to double-black runs in minutes. Monocle jumps into an enormous SUV to head for the hills and find out why this resort remains a destination for those who love to combine adrenaline-inducing skiing with high-altitude architecture.
A dusting of powder blows over Utah State Route 210 as monocle drives up the canyon from Salt Lake City. Mountains loom above, covered in white snow and dark trees. Bound for Snowbird ski resort, a 1971 gem of modernist architecture hidden high in the Rocky mountains’ Wasatch Range, this stretch of highway is among the most avalanche-prone in the US. Road closures are frequent and the 30-minute drive from the Utah state capital is best navigated with sturdy vehicles (monocle opts for an enormous, chauffeured black gmc Yukon).
