Snowbird's Aerial Tram plows into the early morning mist, packed to the hilt with lucky skiers, mountain rescue crews, and liftees, all expectantly awaiting just one thing: first tracks down the slopes of one of North America's top-rated resorts.

And even though the scenery remains shrouded in a thick blanket as we reach the top of 11,000-foot Hidden Peak, the run home certainly doesn't disappoint, with a gleeful (if not always graceful) glide down blues, blacks, cat tracks, and steep bowls that ends all too swiftly. Good thing, then, there's time to squeeze in one re-run before the tram's official 9 a.m. opening ...

Utah's "Bird" has everything going in its favor, including pages of good press and the perfect location. Just 29 miles from Salt Lake City airport and its hundreds of daily domestic and international flights, the big selling point here is you can fly and ski on the same day to max out long-weekend slope time.

Tucked up in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Snowbird's geographic aspect performs a meteorological trick known as the "Lake Effect" to bestow dumps of dry, fluffy powder on the steep canyon sides. Indeed, the quantities are epic, including a record 633 inches for the 2004-05 season that astonishingly kept skiers on the slopes until the July 4th weekend.

Eighty-five runs lace a monumental 2,500 acres, with the mountain's front face brimming with double-black chutes and long black-diamond runs that will appeal to intermediate skiers and hucksters alike. For a slightly less demanding time, drop over the back into 500-acre Mineral Basin, with a more open aspect and some easier cruisers to loosen things up.

The lower

Snowbird's Aerial Tram plows into the early morning mist, packed to the hilt with lucky skiers, mountain rescue crews, and liftees, all expectantly awaiting just one thing: first tracks down the slopes of one of North America's top-rated resorts.

And even though the scenery remains shrouded in a thick blanket as we reach the top of 11,000-foot Hidden Peak, the run home certainly doesn't disappoint, with a gleeful (if not always graceful) glide down blues, blacks, cat tracks, and steep bowls that ends all too swiftly. Good thing, then, there's time to squeeze in one re-run before the tram's official 9 a.m. opening ...

Utah's "Bird" has everything going in its favor, including pages of good press and the perfect location. Just 29 miles from Salt Lake City airport and its hundreds of daily domestic and international flights, the big selling point here is you can fly and ski on the same day to max out long-weekend slope time.

Tucked up in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Snowbird's geographic aspect performs a meteorological trick known as the "Lake Effect" to bestow dumps of dry, fluffy powder on the steep canyon sides. Indeed, the quantities are epic, including a record 633 inches for the 2004-05 season that astonishingly kept skiers on the slopes until the July 4th weekend.

Eighty-five runs lace a monumental 2,500 acres, with the mountain's front face brimming with double-black chutes and long black-diamond runs that will appeal to intermediate skiers and hucksters alike. For a slightly less demanding time, drop over the back into 500-acre Mineral Basin, with a more open aspect and some easier cruisers to loosen things up.

The lower mountain's Gad Valley area proffers a decent number of greens and blues, plus several well-constructed terrain parks to up the action quotient. Beginners who have a burning thirst to conquer the Bird should try the meandering 2.5-mile Chip's Run off the top of Hidden Peak, a fun, blue-rated descent that takes in Snowbird from top to bottom. It intersects a grid of straighter, steeper blacks, so be sure to stay on track if you're just in it for the scenery!

Note that the resort's centerpiece Aerial Tram, while able to whisk up to 129 riders to the top in eight minutes, can get crowded, especially first thing in the morning. However, things quickly open across other sections of the mountain, which is efficiently served by ten other chairlifts. Unlike busier East Coast resorts, or the oft-maligned Euro ski experience, you'll never feel crowded out when skiing in Utah.

As if Snowbird's embarrassment of riches weren't enough, the resort offers access through its Mount Baldy shoulder to neighboring Alta and a jumbo 4,700 combined acres of world-class skiing (remember, Alta is off-limits to boarders). That's one helluva lot of skiing and may just require you to postpone your flight home—time to get in a day's bonus runs and still be home for dinner. The combined AltaSnowbird Day Pass is $104 for the 2012-13 season.

With the living so good on the slopes, it'll come as no surprise that things are equally stellar off piste. Accommodations at Snowbird include the ultra-luxe Cliff Lodge & Spa, which boasts slopeside convenience, restaurants and bars, and a rooftop spa and Jacuzzi in which to soak away the aches of a hard day's skiing. On the slightly less swanky side, try the Inn at Snowbird for cheaper condo-style lodging. Meanwhile, Salt Lake City is packed with all manner of accommodations, from budget hostels to five-star pleasure palaces—either way, decamping to the city by night is no big hardship given that the Bird is only 30 miles up the road, a negligible distance unless you get blessed with a double-digit dump. And if that happens, you'll definitely want to stick close to the mountain base ...