Celebrating 88 Years.
From a rip-roaring silver mining outpost at the turn of the century to a single chair assembled from an old mining tramway, the memories here run deeper than our powder snow. For 88 years, Alta skiers have left their ephemeral tracks within the snow, sharing stories about a place that time mostly forgot. To experience Alta is to be steeped in tradition while immersed in the present. Many a visitor has quit their job, left a life behind and moved to Utah to continue their pursuit of that Alta Magic.
Thanks for celebrating 88 years of Alta with us.
88 Years of Family, Friends & powder skiing
For the 2025-26 season, skiers were encouraged to pay homage to Alta’s rich history by visiting their favorite powder stash with a friend to leave Powder 8s in their wake. Etching Powder 8s in the snow was meant to commemorate the skiers who came before us and shaped the history of skiing. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans and unleashed her dry sense of humor to deliver Alta's Best Worst Season in history. The opportunities to cut Powder 8s were few and far between and the task to host Alta's first Powder 8 Championship in 28 years proved challenging. While it wasn't the season we expected, Alta skiers made memories in the sunshine, harvested the occasional face shot and still managed to enjoy this beautiful place.
Share your powder 8s with us on social and we will celebrate together all winter long—tag @altaskiarea and use #Alta88th
powder 8 championships
With November 2025 came the arrival of high hopes and the heady anticipation of returning to our favorite powder stashes. A trip to the ski area's storage warehouse earlier that summer had yielded the discovery of an impressive but dusty relic from Alta's past: The Alta Ski Lifts Powder 8 Championship trophy. Engraved with legendary names and spanning the years 1991-98, the trophy's roster of champions was followed by a singular blank plaque with space for one more duo. We polished the trophy to a gleam and laid plans to host the first Powder 8's Championship in 28 years to commemorate Alta's 88th operating season.
Alta Ski Area Powder 8 Championships | Video: Sweetgrass Productions
As the projected Opening Day for Alta's 88th ski season came and went, a pattern of waiting for deeper days and stormy skies entrenched itself. From October through March, storms were scarce and so was the opportunity to indulge in the joy of cutting Powder 8s and 88s with fellow powderhounds. There were scant opportunities to practice Powder 8 formations through the extended periods of sunshine and blue sky. Our dreams of hosting the long-awaited return of the Powder 8s Championship were continually postponed. February gave way to March and a 25-day spring break with no hope of hosting the competition tested our fortitude.
The Alta Ski Lifts Powder 8 Championship trophy
cutting 8s on the backside
After months of waiting, early April delivered the perfect storm to host our 2025–26 Powder 8s Championship. A strong spring storm deposited 28.5 inches of snow on the slopes of Alta, but it was uncertain if the competition could be held. Alta Ski Patrol conducted avalanche mitigation across the resort as anxious teams of Alta employees waited to see if avalanches would mar the perfect canvas of untouched powder snow. It was determined that the competition could move forward under a cobalt blue sky.
Caroline Dillon & Andrew McCloskey lace some Powder 8s | Photo: Rocko Menzyk
Nine teams representing various Alta Ski Area departments gathered on the Backside near the designated start zone. Five judges assembled at the finish line, ready to score the teams on four categories—turn shape, synchronicity, style and speed. The quality and depth of snowfall that graced East Greeley made an ideal surface for the skiers to leave their marks and the judging panel awarded points for each category to crown the 2025-26 champions. Spectators riding the Sunnyside lift were treated to an impromptu show as the employee teams vied to lay the most perfect collection of Powder 8s.
April 3, 2026: Alta Ski Area's first Powder 8s Championship in 28 years | Photo: Rocko Menzyk
High fives were shared as the points were tallied. The Watson Shelter crew of Johhny Gustaitis III and Gavin Piva clinched third place. The Building Maintenance team of Dan Foxman and Ted Battesh synced their turns into second position.
Nine employee teams cut their best Figure 8s on a picture-perfect bluebird day | Photo: Photo-John
The Alta Ski Patrol team, represented by Andrew McCloskey and Caroline Dillon, took home the trophy, adding their names to an enduring legacy of Powder 8 Champions hailing from the ranks of Alta Ski Patrol. It was an unforgettable day in a season many were hoping to forget—a reminder that patience pays off in the desire for perfect powder.
Caroline Dillon and Andrew McCloskey of the Alta Ski Patrol claimed the prize for best Figure 8s | Photo: Rocko Menzyk
Alta's Deep Roots.
In celebrating nearly 9 decades of history, there are countless stories that still echo between Little Cottonwood's granite peaks. From halcyon days when silver was king to the avalanches that wreaked havoc and destruction on the little mining town, Alta has stood witness to dreams and disaster. By 1920, the Wasatch Mountains had been ravaged by decades of mineral extraction, grazing and environmental degradation. The nearly treeless slopes of Little Cottonwood Canyon presented an avalanche problem and the polluted watershed threatened Salt Lake City's water supply.
Once forged in silver, Alta's fate would shift to snow, thanks to the wisdom and passion of Norwegian ski champion, Alf Engen. To the United States Forest Service, Alf Engen recommended the head of Little Cottonwood Canyon as the prime site for the development and promotion of winter recreation in the Wasatch Mountains. Alf believed the deep snow and hanging glacial basins would suit skiers and jobs would be created by the need to replant and repair the watershed. The din of clanging mines was soon replaced by the reverberation of explosives meant to keep avalanches at bay so skiers could enjoy the superb mountain scenery.
Circa 1950: Engen Brothers put down some early Powder 8s on High Rustler | Photos: Sverre Engen
Alta's first skiers explored the slopes on eight-foot-long skis fashioned of the finest hickory. While the equipment, outerwear and chairlifts have certainly evolved, what hasn’t changed is Alta’s mission to provide an authentic skiing experience in a natural environment. To this day, skiers continue to experience that exhilarating exhale before leaving a plume of powder snow in their wake, thanks to Alta's independent ownership and commitment to stewardship.
From leather boots and beartrap bindings to carbon fiber skis and boot heaters, our appreciation for this special mountain remains constant beyond the passage of time.
2025: Alta Ski Patrol and Alta locals lay some powder 88s | Photos: Lee Cohen & Photo-John
February 14, 2026: Powder 8s in Devil's Castle | Photo: Photo-John
88 Years of Powder Skiing Evolution
Since 1938, Alta Ski Area has shaped North American skiing culture.
- Alta was home to the first chairlift in Utah—the fifth in North America
- In 1949 the U.S. Forest Service created the nation's first avalanche center at Alta
- Alta served as the birthplace of snow science and avalanche mitigation in North America
- Early Alta skiers helped create the methodology and curriculum of the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA)
- Alta's bountiful snow inspired the creation of the modern Powder Skiing Technique
- Alta Ski Patrol was established as the fourth ski patrol in the western United States
- Little Cottonwood Canyon was the first location in North America to utilize Wyseen Towers (RACS) for avalanche mitigation purposes
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