Alta Ski Area goes green with unique snowcat, solar panels

Alta Ski Area goes green with unique snowcat, solar panels

(Alta Ski Area)


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ALTA SKI AREA — Alta Ski Area focuses on giving skiers a great experience by not allowing crowding on its slopes, but it also has a new focus this season — to be more eco-friendly.

Alta Ski Area opened in January 1939, and while Brighton Ski Resort boasts being the first ski resort in Utah, opening in 1936 and operating with a rope tow, Alta was the first resort to operate with a chairlift, according to Ski Utah director of communications Paul Marshall. Now in its 78th ski season, the resort offers 2,200 skiable acres and 11 chairlifts including surface tows.

While the resort didn't undergo any major renovations or add new amenities for this season, several changes have been made to make it more eco-friendly, according to Alta Ski Area public relations and marketing director Connie Marshall.

"While it's not really a sexy, kind of upgrade process, it's all part of what we call our quality ski experience," she said.

The resort began using a new, unique "green groomer" this season to help eliminate pollution and energy waste. Known as the "Green Machine," the German-manufactured groomer is boasted to be the world's first snow groomer with a diesel-electric drive. The first prototype was built in 2009, and the production for the PistenBully 600 E+ began in 2012. Alta's "Green Machine" is the fifth revision of the unique snow cat, according to an Alta news release.

"Replacing the old hydrostatic drive, which has been the industry standard for many years, is a new electric drive," the release said. "The drivetrain now consists of two electric generators powered by the diesel and two electric motors to power the tracks and one for the tiller. What makes this so efficient is that there is very little power loss when converting the mechanical diesel energy to electricity, allowing the engine to achieve the same results as a hydrostatic drive without the wasted energy. The cat has just as much power as a regular snowcat, but the engine is able to run at a lower RPM and load resulting in a more efficient cat."

The PistenBully reports a 20 percent reduction in nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide, 99 percent fewer sooty particles and 20 percent fuel savings over the standard 600 groomer.

The resort has also added three sets of solar panels at three different locations around the mountain: the Collin's ski patrol building, the cat shop and the Buckhorn, she said. The last of the three sets of panels was installed Dec. 17 and by Dec. 31, the entire system of solar panels had produced 1.4 megawatt hours, which is equivalent to charging a smartphone for 43.7 years or powering a race car to do 62.5 laps at the Monaco Grand Prix, according to an Alta news release.

"(We are) trying to work not only with our industry, but with our community in fixing the air downtown and getting everything done around here," she said.

Photo credit: Alta Ski Area
Photo credit: Alta Ski Area

Along with its recent changes toward becoming more green, Alta is also known as a mountain for "purists," and is one of three resorts in the United States that only allows skiers to tread its terrain. Along with alpine skiing, the resort also has a Nordic center that offers 1.8 miles of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Another 1-mile trail, the Summer Road, is also available for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing during the winter months.

Alta Ski Area offers four on-mountain restaurants and eight dining options in the base area of the resort, she said. Five ski lodges at the resort have rooms available and nine condos and 12 vacation homes located about a quarter mile from the resort are available for rent.

The resort offers several bird watching events each winter in conjunction with the Tracy Aviary and the Alta Environmental Center. The next events will be held Feb. 8, March 14 and April 11.

Location: State Highway 210, Alta.

Hours: Open daily from 9:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No night skiing is available.

Price: An adult day lift ticket is $89. A child day lift ticket for 12 years old and under is $47. The resort also offers a $10 lift ticket for any age to ski from 3-4:30 p.m.

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Faith Heaton Jolley

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