The crew chatters in anticipation as a Deer Valley Ski Patroller greets us with a smile at the top shack of the Lady Morgan chairlift. We're headed out of bounds, about to visit six renowned Utah ski resorts in one single day. We'll be traveling through beautiful backcountry terrain, savoring supreme views, and logging impressive mileage on skis. It's a singular way to sample the variety of terrain at Utah's world-class ski resorts.
To get an idea of what the experience entails, here is my trip report from an Interconnect Tour I completed in February of 2024.
EVENING PRIOR TO THE INTERCONNECT TOUR
The night before liftoff, all group members are emailed instructions, the weather forecast, and the day's plan by our Interconnect guide. We're expecting snow and the forecast suggests warm layers would be wise to pack. I'm admittedly a little nervous about skiing such a distance but excited nonetheless because I've wanted to do this for about seven years! I have all my avalanche gear packed alongside a few snacks and I hit the pillow early to recharge for our massive day. 
7:30 AM DAY OF INTERCONNECT TOUR
The day has dawned with a scrim of clouds and snow flurries. After a hearty breakfast, I meet my friends for a carpool up to Deer Valley where the tour group will meet our two Interconnect guides and go over a safety and equipment briefing. Due to all the fresh snow, ski patrol teams are actively performing avalanche mitigation and we'll be waiting on a call from Solitude Ski Patrol to see if the backcountry terrain between Solitude and Alta will be accessible.
We meet our two intrepid guides, Luke and Calvin, and sit for a thorough safety briefing and a rundown of the day's plans while we sip freshly brewed coffee and don our ski gear near a cozy fireplace. We are all equipped with Ski Utah Gold Passes which will allow us to access any lift-served terrain in Utah and make completing the Interconnect tour simple and convenient. The crew gathers ski gear and we make the short walk to Deer Valley's Quincy Express chairlift to commence our overland journey.
9 AM: DEER VALLEY
Deer Valley is a massive resort with multiple mountain peaks so we get to enjoy fresh corduroy as we navigate toward neighboring Park City Mountain. We ride Quincy Express to Empire Express where we knock out a quick bonus lap in the powdery trees of Empire Canyon while we wait on that call from ski patrol at Solitude. We rip freshly groomed slopes on down to Lady Morgan Express to prepare for our next leg of the day.
A Deer Valley patroller greets us atop the mountain and provides us with info on the snow conditions and grants us permission to venture beyond the rope line. One of the incredibly special things about this tour is that you can access terrain that is simply not available to the public. All resorts in Utah have a strict policy against ducking the ropes that delineate their boundaries and avalanche terrain. With the Ski Utah Interconnect Tour, you have the ability to travel beyond these boundaries to experience terrain that is seldom accessed by skiers while accompanied by your guides.
10 AM: PARK CITY MOUNTAIN
With the blessing of Deer Valley Ski Patrol, we venture out into the backcountry to a field of evergreens coated in light, deep powder. We listen to directions from our guides before dropping into the gentle pitch with a lot of whoops and hollers. We ski for a few minutes before we pull close to the edge of neighboring Park City Mountain. We ski into Park City and ascend to Jupiter Peak via the Pioneer and Jupiter chairlifts, skiing a few groomers along the way. We are greeted by a member of the Park City Ski Patrol on the mountaintop who ushers us onto the forbidden terrain beyond the resort's rope line.
11 AM GUARDSMAN'S PASS TO SOLITUDE
After we roll out of Park City, the best powder skiing of the day beckons to our crew. We take a moment to enjoy this special view of the central Wasatch Mountain Range. To the south, we can spy Solitude's Fantasy Ridge and Brighton's Mount Millicent, places we are traveling towards. Journeying between the resorts like this gives you a different perspective on how all the ridgelines, drainages, and canyons of the Wasatch are connected. After admiring the incredible views, we take turns making tracks in the perfect powder snow.
This is the lengthiest commute between resorts as we traverse through meadows, ski along a groomed track and slowly make our way to Big Cottonwood Canyon. When we reach Highway 190, we click out of our skis and cross the road to enter the charming Solitude Mountain village. Here we stop for a snack and a bathroom break. Some Interconnect groups may opt to stop here at Solitude for lunch but we decided to save our lunch break until we reached Little Cottonwood.
12 PM BRIGHTON RESORT
After taking five, we saddle back up and rode a few lifts at Solitude to navigate over to the SolBright trail which connects to Brighton, located at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon. We ski on down to Brighton's "Milly" lift and enjoy gorgeous views of Mount Millicent as we're whisked up the mountain. The sun is breaking in and out and we're in a hurry to wrap up our turns at Brighton and return back to Solitude to complete the crossing into Little Cottonwood Canyon before it warms up too much.
12:45 PM THE HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN
After our brief visit to Brighton next door, we find ourselves back at Solitude and logging another lap up the Summit Express chair to the Highway to Heaven backcountry gate. This involves a somewhat lengthy ski traverse across Twin Lakes Pass to reach Little Cottonwood. This section of the tour is a crux point as it's not possible to travel on to Little Cottonwood if Solitude Ski Patrol deems conditions unsafe and closes the backcountry gate. On storm days when this gate isn't open, the Interconnect Tour will be completed at Solitude. Lucky for us the gate is open and we strike out, admiring the stunning views of Wolverine Cirque to the East.
1:30 PM ALTA SKI AREA
After a good amount of sidestepping uphill, we arrive on the pass and enjoy a powdery backcountry lap down into Little Cottonwood via Grizzly Gulch. The views of Mount Superior stop us in our tracks and we enjoy a quick snack before making lots of pow turns. We pop out onto Alta's Patsy Marley green run, our bellies growling. We catch the Sugarloaf chairlift and break for lunch at the Collins Grill. We nosh on a spread of savory salads, soup, and burritos. We sip on coffee and prepare to suit back up for our final resort: Snowbird. 
3 PM SNOWBIRD
After lunch on the mountain at Alta, we bump back up Collins to enjoy one last lap and catch the Blackjack Traverse over to Snowbird. We pause for a moment on the Creek Road ski run to savor the dramatic down-canyon views before sidling down to The Bird's iconic aerial tram for our final lap. We choose Snowbird's classic Great Scott double black diamond right off the top of Hidden Peak for our last thigh-busting run. Snacks and beers await us at the bottom and we stage a quick cheers before our shuttle arrives to take us on back to our start point at Deer Valley.
THE INTERCONNECT TOUR SUMMARY
I didn't expect the surge of jubilation I felt upon completing the Interconnect Tour and visiting six ski resorts in one day. What I found most rewarding was gaining a better understanding of how the different drainages and ridges of the Wasatch range connect up. I was also impressed by the mileage our crew logged. The powder skiing was phenomenal and the knowledgable guides shared stories and natural history information that made the experience that much more enriching.
The Interconnect Tour is perfect for those new to backcountry travel and experienced backcountry users alike. I can't recommend this experience enough to those who are excited about skiing in Utah and want to try something completely out of the box and a little wild. Would I do it again? Yes! In fact, I did it twice more this season and each day was totally different and amazing. .png)
INTERCONNECT TOUR FAQs
Am I capable of doing the Interconnect Tour?
The Interconnect Tour with Ski Utah does require a degree of fitness and stamina to successfully complete and enjoy. When considering if the Interconnect Tour is right for you, ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you comfortable traversing long distances and can you sidestep uphill on skis for 20 minutes or more?
- Are you a capable powder skier?
- Are you comfortable skiing in a wide variety of terrain and snow conditions?
- Can you ski a full day from 9AM to 4PM with little trouble?
- Do you have any issues hiking or bootpacking uphill while carrying your skis?
- Can you confidently navigate expert or black diamond terrain? (Know that black diamond terrain in Utah may be rated differently than what might be experienced at other resorts, especially those on the East Coast.)
What are the Interconnect Tour Route Options?
The Interconnect tour is dependent on weather and current avalanche conditions. Though it is rare for a tour to be outright canceled, the guides will settle on a route as dictated by current weather and avalanche conditions. There are two ways to enjoy the Interconnect Tour. The easier and more approachable tour (what we completed) begins from Deer Valley and covers an average of 25 miles including Park City Mountain, Solitude, Brighton, Alta, Snowbird, and the backcountry terrain required to link up the resorts.
A more advanced and physically demanding itinerary departs from Snowbird. This route requires more hiking, more sidestepping, and a greater amount of time exploring the resorts of Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons including Alta, Solitude, and Brighton.
Custom tours are also available - more info here.
Do I need backcountry experience to participate?
Nope! The experienced Interconnect guides will ensure the group travels safely and wisely through avalanche terrain. In fact, the Interconnect Tour is a fantastic way to dip your toe into backcountry travel and experience what it's like to venture outside the controlled slopes of a ski area. Ski Utah will provide avalanche gear which includes an avalanche transceiver (beacon), a probe, and a shovel. If you have your own avalanche gear and are more comfortable using that, you're welcome to bring it.
Backcountry skis, bindings, and boots are not necessary. You can do the Interconnect Tour with your resort ski gear.
Can I book a private Interconnect Tour?
Yes! Interconnect tours can be composed of mixed groups of up to eight people or you can book a private experience. Due to the nature of the tour and the permitting, it's only possible to have a maximum of 12 guests and two guides. Rest assured group sizes will always be small.
What should I pack?
Check the temps and weather for your big day out to inform your layering strategy. Again, if you have your own avalanche gear (beacon, shovel, probe) you're welcome to bring it, but Ski Utah can provide avalanche gear and backpacks for all guests. In addition to your normal ski gear, here's what I also packed that made for a great day out:
- Day Pack (size: 30L)
- Water bottle
- Snacks
- Dry pair of socks (I switched mine out at lunch and was glad to do so)
- Extra set of gloves or mittens
- Warm Insulation layer (down jacket)
- Extra set of goggle lenses (I carried lenses for sunny weather and flat light)
- Sunglasses
- Sunblock + SPF lip balm
- Hat
- Lightweight ski touring gloves (if it's warm)
- Ski straps (also known as Voile straps) can come in handy
Can I snowboard on the Interconnect Tour?
Unfortunately, it is not permitted to snowboard on the Ski Utah Interconnect Tour. Due to the amount of traversing and side-stepping required to successfully complete an Interconnect Tour, all guests must be on skis so travel through the backcountry is efficient. It is also not permissible to splitboard due to the amount of change-overs that would be required. Alta and Deer Valley Ski Resorts also do not permit snowboarding.
What happens if there is bad weather?
Your guides will be keeping a close eye on winter weather and current avalanche conditions. The Interconnect Tour will depart even if it's snowing as long as avalanche conditions are deemed safe for backcountry travel. Depending on the safety of the snowpack, you might just visit four of the six resorts as the most avalanche exposure lies between the terrain of Solitude and Alta. You will receive trip confirmation and details the night before your departure. If your Interconnect Tour should be canceled, the Ski Utah crew will work toward rescheduling your tour or a reasonable alternative solution.
Do I tip the guides?
Yes, tipping your guide is customary. They've spent years honing their skills to guide you safely through avalanche terrain and provide an experience you can't find anywhere else! It's customary to tip your guide 15–20% of the trip's cost.
RELATED ARTICLES
Interconnect Trip Details & Bookings - Click Here
Interconnect Ski Guide Bios - Click Here
Uphill Access at Utah Ski Resorts - Click Here
So You Wanna Be a Backcountry Skier? - Click Here
