Ski Lift of the Week (1/3/12) - Great Western Express at Brighton Resort

The Ski Lift of the Week (1/3/2012) in the Salt Lake Tribune is the Great Western Express at Brighton in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Type » High-speed Quad

Vertical rise » 1,745 feet

Number of runs » 14

Difficulty rating » Intermediate and advanced

Why try it » Access to cruisers as well as steep shots

The ride » Riders board Great Western, a short skate downhill from the Brighton Center. The resort’s longest lift takes you to just below 10,750-foot Clayton Peak. Straight below the unloading terminal and to the left are a handful of runs leading to a rock band that runs along most of a bowl, which requires skiers and snowboarders to pick a tight line between trees and rocks before one final shot down to flatter ground. The traverse along Elk Park Ridge provides options to jump off onto runs of varying difficulty.

Runs to try:

Golden Needle » This is the most intermediate slope among the runs coming off Elk Park Ridge, broad with enough pitch to satisfy speed junkies but not too much to freak out relative newcomers.

Silver Spur » Take the Elk Park Ridge traverse beyond Golden Needle’s turnoff, work your way through the aspen stand descend this steeper slope, which bumps up pretty quickly.

Clark’s Roost » One of the tougher runs coming off Western Trail. Short steeps, trees and rocks can get the adrenaline pumping as you select a route.

Information provided by the Salt Lake Tribune.