Offseason project updates.
We’ve been keeping busy this offseason working on myriad projects across departments and around the mountain while logging long days in the field to meet our revegetation and reforestation goals while engaging with the community through environmental education and summer stewardship events.
Albion Day Lodge Expansion
Alta skiers will discover new spaces to relax, dine and enjoy the stunning scenery around the Albion base area this winter. Concluding a multi-year construction project, the Albion Day Lodge renovation and expansion will be completed for Opening Day of the 2026–27 season. Enormous windows and mountain views frame 3,400 square feet of additional dining space and expanded patio seating for the Albion Grill. Connected by a glass breezeway, the existing dining space is being fully remodeled to match the aesthetic of the new addition.
September 30th: Albion Day Lodge expansion | Photo: Rocko Menzyk
June 10th: Albion Day Lodge construction | Photo: Rocko Menzyk
The east wing addition will also benefit Alta employees with 12 new employee housing units on the third level, a large conference room and several new administrative offices. The bottom level invites skiers to take a break with a cozy lounge area located at snow level. Benches will surround a toasty fireplace adjacent to cubbies available for day use. The rear of the new downstairs wing will house restrooms and several bays of lockers available for seasonal rental.
July 13th: A tour of the Albion Day Lodge construction | Photos: Rocko Menzyk
The former location of the Alta Java coffee shop will be converted into a tuning shop for the Alta Ski Shop. Thirsty or hungry skiers will find Alta Java has relocated slightly to the east with a far larger service window and the ability to now serve customers both indoors and outdoors. Indoor café tables will welcome those who wish to enjoy their food or beverage out of the elements in the lounge space.
August 4th: Stonework on the new Albion Day Lodge | Photos: Rocko Menzyk
The building’s exterior is intended to complement the rugged landscape and natural elements of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Avalanche shutters constructed from pinewood locally sourced by our trail crews will adorn the windows. The trail crew also repurposed local timber to build a handful of small café tables for Alta Java coffee lovers to sip warm beverages while enjoying views of Mount Superior.
Look to the base of the building and find hand-hewn blocks of granite rock insulating the building’s foundation. Found onsite here at Alta, a father and son of family stonemasons have spent weeks hand-chiseling each granite stone for the perfect fit. This multi-generational family has shared their stonemason craft with Alta for decades and you’ll see their handiwork on many of our buildings from Alf’s to Watson Shelter and the Skier Services building at the Wildcat base area.
August 4th: Wood paneling in the Albion Day Lodge | Photos: Rocko Menzyk
Cedar wood paneling will embellish the Albion Grill's indoor dining areas. The light wood finish will keep the interior bright while creating a complementary frame for dramatic views of Devil’s Castle and Albion Basin. Darker wood panels will guide skiers down a curving staircase to the new lower level. Guests meandering around the new space will discover a collection of seldom-seen historical images that capture the evolution of Alta from its roughshod mining days into a world-renowned powder skiing hub.
August 17th: The new staircase is taking shape | Photo: Brandon Ott
Ballroom Traverse & High Traverse Projects
Hand-cutting and widening of the High Traverse and Ballroom Traverse will continue for the third summer to optimize access to some of Alta's best powder skiing terrain. The Ballroom Traverse will be slightly widened and subtly regraded to help reduce early Ballroom choke points and curtail wind erosion.
As we experienced during the 2025–26 season, these hand-cut traverses will hold more snow earlier in the season and during periods of increased skier traffic or when the snowpack is affected by extended periods of high pressure or wind erosion. Improvements to the High-T help provide a dependable and accessible traverse to the grassy slopes of Greeley Bowl during periods of low snow.
Snowmaking Lines in Collins Gulch
Our crews are working this summer to replace aging snowmaking lines between Watson Shelter and the Corkscrew ski run. These upgrades help our systems remain efficient in terms of energy and water use.
July 19th: Upgrading aging snowmaking lines in Collins Gulch | Photo: Adam Fehr
Regrading Big Dipper
Once the snow melts, our crews will begin terrain work near the newly-aligned Supreme lift. Regrading of the Big Dipper ski run will facilitate better early-season grooming and coverage.
Base Area Infrastructure Projects
Albion Dry Storage Facility
On the north side of the Albion Parking Lot, skiers will notice a new dry storage facility. This new storage facility will eventually replace Alta Ski Area's down-canyon storage warehouse, eliminating plenty of trips back and forth from the Salt Lake Valley.
Rocky Mountain Power
Rocky Mountain Power will be burying power/utility lines through the Town of Alta, along the Summer Road and within Albion Basin—brief, one-way road closures are anticipated.
Grizzly Gulch Trailhead Restrooms
Big D Construction has generously donated resources and labor for the construction of a heated, year-round public restroom near the Grizzly Gulch trailhead. This exciting development will be a huge boon for backcountry users and hikers while helping maintain watershed health and integrity.
Wildcat Parking Lot Expansion
Speaking of parking, you may notice a few changes in the Wildcat lot. Crews are adding a small number of new parking spaces along the north side of the Wildcat parking lot. The Wildcat lot was also repaved this summer. Please help us maintain this facelift by keeping grills and open flames off the pavement.
Summer Stewardship & Environmental Education Events
In an effort to advance our summer stewardship goals, the Alta Environmental Center (AEC) enlisted the help of community volunteers and fellow Alta employees to protect and preserve our slopes through hands-on restoration projects. In partnership with local organizations, we also hosted a variety of educational events that encouraged people of all ages and abilities to explore and connect with their natural playground. Across 24 educational and stewardship events, we welcomed 2,210 participants and volunteers—fostering environmental awareness and inspiring the next generation of Alta skiers to care for the places they love.
Revegetation Projects
Throughout the summer months of June through August, the AEC team carefully hand-planted 10,525 native seedlings across previously disturbed areas of Alta’s slopes—continuing our commitment to restoring and protecting the mountain’s natural landscape.
Upper Sleepy Hollow: This summer marked the third and final year of active restoration on Upper Sleepy Hollow in the Supreme area—formerly known as Erosion Gullies—following a slope regrade in 2023. Over the three-year restoration period, the area received 11,793 native plants and 221 shrubs and will continue to be monitored and maintained in the years ahead.
Supreme Snowmaking Line: The AEC completed its third and final year of active restoration following the replacement of snowmaking infrastructure in 2023. Since restoration began, 2,431 native plants have been planted along this corridor, with ongoing monitoring and maintenance planned.
Mambo: Following terrain modifications in 2024, the AEC completed its second year of restoration on Mambo, planting 1,017 native seedlings this summer to support the slope’s recovery.
Transfer Tow: The AEC began its first year of restoration following the replacement of snowmaking infrastructure in 2025. This project introduced a new approach combining hydroseeding with the supplemental hand-planting of 2,000 native seedlings to support revegetation.
Base Area: Ongoing restoration along the Wildcat and Albion base areas
June 11th: AEC employees watering native plant seedlings in the Wildcat Nursery | Photo: Rocko Menzyk
Every modification to Alta’s landscape is carefully planned with the understanding that once disturbed, the land may never fully return to its original state. While some changes are necessary, our responsibility to care for the mountain remains constant. Every area of disturbed soil—no matter how large or small—falls under the AEC’s care, receiving three years of intensive revegetation followed by long-term monitoring and maintenance. Through this commitment, we strive to give back to the landscape as much as, if not more than, we take from it.
Reforestation Efforts
Reforestation is a deeply rooted Alta tradition, dating back to 1933, when the Civilian Conservation Corps began restoring land stripped bare by decades of mining. More than 90 years later, the AEC continues this legacy through annual tree planting efforts that promote native species age diversity and improve overall forest health. This fall, 1,166 trees were hand-planted across Alta’s landscape, strengthening the resilience of our mountain forests for generations to come.
September 12th: Alta Tree Planting Day | Photo: Adam Fehr
Tree Planting Highlights:
177 Engelmann spruce saplings harvested from the groomed runs of Devil’s Way and Keyhole Face and transplanted to the AEC's tree nursery for future restoration efforts
51 Engelmann spruce saplings—harvested in 2025—were transplanted from the nursery along the former Supreme lift line
49 aspen trees were planted along the former Supreme lift line
57 Douglas-fir saplings were planted along the former Supreme lift line
1,000 Engelmann spruce saplings—grown from seeds collected at Alta—were planted across the mountain during our annual Alta Tree Planting Day in partnership with the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation and TreeUtah
The Long History of Alta's Tree Planting Days >
Repurposing Lumber with the Trail Crew
The trail crew has been busy removing hazardous trees in the ski area. Hazard trees are trees damaged by storms, dead trees and trees that could damage infrastructure. The crew moved the hazard trees to the Alta lumber mill near the Lower Albion Meadows Trail. The trail crew is still milling lumber for snow fencing and other on-mountain projects.
The trail crew has been milling lumber for on-mountain projects throughout Alta Ski Area.
Snow fences and bridges
Albion Day Lodge expansion
Alta Ski Shop shelving and wainscotting
New benches and tables