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Show 5 Backcountry Wasatch— 7 of 100 student season pass: FREE Like I said, I was polling the most hardcore of the hardcore. A handful of people wouldn't even admit to visiting resorts. Who needs a $100 lift ticket when you've got skins? If this is where you're planning to spend your winter, though, make sure you take at least a basic avalanche safety course. The Utah Avalanche Center offers them for free. Also never venture out alone. Canyons , ATIr I . - • • 6 Park City — 6 of 100 student season pass: $429 Canyons is a great place for students to get a pass. It's huge. In fact, it's the biggest lift-served resort in Utah. It's got a decent terrain park and easy backcountry access. It also has those heated chair lifts, which is cool if you're into that sort of thing. • - • 4:" .. Big Cottonwood — 13 of 100 student season pass: $599 This is my favorite resort for the same reasons as a lot of other people — it's not like a resort at all. There's almost no lodging, almost no dining and almost no fancy amenities. This resort is all about the skiing and snowboarding. It's a local favorite because it doesn't attract many tourists, you can find fresh powder a week after a storm, the park is fun, and the terrain is gnarly. 7 Big Cottonwood — 9 of 100 student season pass: $549 These guys nailed it with their marketing campaign. I don't know if people forget about this place or what, but it's the perfect resort to ditch the crowds on busy weekends. You'll rarely find lift lines at Solitude, and you'll always find challenging terrain with plenty of powder stashes. Park City Mountain Resort Park City — 4 of 100 student season pass: $535 There's nothing wrong with PCMR, but it's not for skiers and snowboarders who live for deep powder and technical turns. It does have one of the best terrain parks in the country, but that's not the type of winter sports enthusiast I found at the UAC fundraising party. If you live for park laps or Apres-ski parties, PCMR is your spot. Note: You may notice that the poll only adds up to 94 results. There were some outliers. I tried to stick to resorts within a half hour of the U. Three people voted for Snowbasin and two for Powder Mountain. One guy said Deer Valley, but he wasn't being serious, citing its cuisine and ski valets as his reasons for loving the resort. PHOTO COURTESY OF SOLITUDE wasatch magazine 15 |