Powder Mountain has become a refuge of sorts for Little Cottonwood Canyon skiers looking to escape the crowds and find fresh snow for more than two hours into a powder day. And you can find it even faster now that the double chairlift at Hidden Lake has been replaced with a high-speed quad. Another advantage is that Powder Mountain essentially offers a shuttle service for backcountry skiing. You can ski off-piste down to the road and catch a bus back to the resort. In addition, in 1999, Powder Mountain added the Paradise quad to service 1,200 acres previously accessed by snowcat only. It is also whispered that the aptly named Powder Mountain gets more snow than any ski resort in Utah. Now there is also access to Lightning Ridge via snowcat for an additional 700 skiable acres.

Powder Mountain is located 55 miles north of Salt Lake City, so it is a bit more of a drive than many of the resorts in the area. But at times, it's worth it. Just don't tell anyone where you're going.