"If you can't get a drink in Utah, you're just not thirsty enough!" grins Shawn, our host in Salt Lake City, tackling head on the state's greatest image problem: that it is as dry as the Sahara.
And he's right, to a certain extent. It was rare that we couldn't get a drink in the state settled by the abstemious Mormons in 1847. There were bars aplenty in the ski resorts and larger towns; drinks were served in restaurants all over the state. But where alcohol was available, we were frequently alone in our appreciation of it, which, let's face it, can take the edge off a post-skiing beer.
At a basketball game between the adored local Utah Jazz and the New Jersey Nets, beers were served under a stern warning of "only two servings of alcohol per ID". And at a particularly raucous bar in the skiing Mecca of Park City - where the bar staff wore T-shirts with the slogan "Just because I sleep with you, doesn't mean I'll ski with you" - drinking laws dictated that we pay a nominal fee to join the bar's "social club" before we could get in there and throw peanut shells on the floor with the rest of them.
But joking aside, if you've flown all the way to Utah, chances are you aren't here just to party. In the summer, the national parks of the south draw adventure addicts and adrenalin hunters to hike and bike their vast expanses. (To picture the scene, think Thelma and Louise: it was shot here.) In the winter, Utah's 13 ski resorts pull in huge numbers of domestic tourists and a select group of discerning foreigners – the largest portion of whom are British.
The current exchange rate of almost $2 to the pound can certainly put a pleasant dent in the overall cost of the holiday and the variety of resorts on offer is mindblowing. From friendly, family-run Powder Mountain to upmarket Snowbasin, there are resorts to suit every ability, taste and budget.
I had signed up for a "ski safari" of five resorts over five days, all of which are within easy reach of Salt Lake City airport. It was my first time skiing outside Europe, and I was looking forward to experiencing "The Greatest Snow On Earth!" claimed by the numberplates on every pick-up truck at every filling station across the state.
In fact, it hadn't snowed since before Christmas – the Alps are not alone in their suffering this year – so there was no waist-high powder waiting for me. But with extensive snow-making equipment, altitudes of around 3,000m and sub-zero temperatures, the slopes were in blissful condition compared to the icy, snow-starved Austrian Alps I had visited in mid-January. I note with envy that snowstorms this week have just dumped 17 inches on the resorts I visited, with more powder on the way.
We start our ski safari at Powder Mountain, the most basic in terms of comfort and services but my favourite in terms of natural beauty and sheer scale. People regularly go missing here, such is the allure of exploring the backcountry of its 5,500 acres of unadulterated terrain, so I'm glad we are in the time-weathered hands of mountain host John Klisch. Although there is extensive cat and heli-skiing here, we'll be sticking to the "groomers" or managed pistes.
John tells us Powder Mountain expects a massive 500 inches of annual snowfall annually, though they have some way to go this season. Even without snow canons, the slopes ski beautifully and I am smitten. Not only are there no queues or legions of snowploughing ski schoolers – there is barely another human to be found on the slopes. They are wide open, allowing us occasional skiers to flatter ourselves that we aren't too bad, actually. The gentle gradients of many of the intermediate slopes also relax the nervous skier, allowing work on important aspects of style such as what, exactly, to do with your arms.
The next day takes us to the exclusive Snowbasin resort, just a few miles away but a world apart in terms of experience. Opulent beyond imagination - though still reasonably priced for passes and food – Sun Valley's sister resort is owned by oil baron Earl Holding and boasts stunning, chandelier-adorned lodges and superlative food. Extensive (and loud) snow-making equipment ensures that the resort is virtually snow-sure, and it was chosen to host to six events in the 2002 Olympics. Now, the Olympic runs are marked with the reverence of museum exhibits and fantasies can be indulged as you peer down on to the men's and women's downhill courses.
Our base for visiting both resorts is the historic railway town of Ogden. Not to be missed here is its cinematic jewel, Peery's 800-seater Egyptian Theater, a movie palace constructed in 1924 as "The Showplace of the West". Lovingly restored and reopened in 1997, the movie palace is now a popular Sundance Festival screening venue and houses a majestic $750,000 Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ. If you're lucky enough to get a ticket, arrive early to catch the organ prelude to the main feature.
Next up is Deer Valley, another upmarket resort, which has taken the unusual step of banning snowboarders. This is one civilised resort – you are even offered a tissue as you wait to board the lifts. Another difference between skiing in the US and Europe emerges: the taste in slopeside music. Here, it's all-American classics, with no Europop in earshot. Hooray! The food is also excellent, and, as ever in this part of the world, super-sized.
The next day we venture just across Deer Valley's border to sample the delights of Park City Mountain Resort. This historic resort lies above a warren of 19th century mining tunnels with legacy buildings still dotting the slopes. With eight peaks, nine bowls, tree skiing and North America's largest superpipe, we don't do it justice in a day, but it's clear that even the advanced skier would have plenty of challenges here for a week, or even two.
Last but not least is The Canyons, a 3,700 acre, family-friendly playground, with the most lift-served terrain of any resort in Utah. Cue more wide-open, gentle runs for intermediates and plenty more fun for the advanced. Again, The Canyons is easily reached from Park City, where lively Main Street is a good option for those in search of après-ski. I was charmed, however, by our base at Midway, 20 minutes away, in an area settled by Swiss German immigrants. The town was founded halfway between Swiss and English settlements, which joined forces in a turf war against local native Americans, and the surrounding valley is dotted with signature chalet-style architecture.
One outstanding establishment to eat, drink or stay at in Midway is the Blue Boar Inn, serving top-notch cuisine in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Just beware of the triple "shot-ski" in the bar, which can tip three glasses simultaneously into willing mouths. Utah certainly doesn't the post-skiing drinking culture you find on the European ski circuit, but I'm not convinced this is a drawback. You won't go thirsty if you stick to drinking with your meals, some of which were surprisingly good. Purple Sage in Park City was a cut above, as was The Metropolitan in Salt Lake City itself.
So, taking the best part of a day to travel from the UK, was it worth the trip as opposed to a short hop over to the Alps? Most definitely, if you're a keen skier looking for a new challenge or an improver in search of an English-language ski school. The skiing is incomparable with any I've experienced in Europe, even without the customary powder drifts.
Getting there
Delta Airlines flies daily from London Gatwick to Atlanta, with a
connecting flight on to Salt Lake City. Flying time to Atlanta is around
9.5 hours, and a further 3.5 hours to Salt Lake City (Delta.com; 0845 600 0950).
Find comprehensive resort and accommodation information in the Utah Office of Tourism's online ski guide at Utah.com.
Check reader reviews of all Utah's ski resorts on Onthesnow.com.
For general information on visiting Utah, see the utah.travel website. For free brochures on Utah, call 08456 020 574.
If you want to catch the annual Sundance Film Festival, see festival.sundance.org and book early. Screening tickets can be hard to come by but there are often returns available at the larger venues.
Park City operates a Quick Start voucher system, where you can claim a free first day's lift pass at any of the city's three resorts on presentation of your boarding pass. See Parkcityinfo.com for instructions.
US ski terms translated
"Trails" are what Europeans know as "runs", "groomed trails" are "pistes", "backcountry" means "off-piste" (and unpatrolled, unless it's "in-border backcountry" when it is patrolled).
"Green" runs are nursery slopes, "Blue" runs are intermediate, "Black" are advanced, and "Black diamond" or "Double diamond" are for experts only.
