Denver-based Alterra acquires its second ski resort in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — A fast-growing ski resort company based here in Colorado is buying another Utah property less than a year after it acquired a ski resort east of Salt Lake City.

The Denver-based Alterra Mountain Company announced Tuesday the purchase of Solitude Mountain Resort, a 1,200-acre property in Big Cottonwood Canyon, The Salt Lake Tribune first reported .

The Solitude resort is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of Salt Lake City. Solitude has 77 runs and three bowls across 1,200 acres with a vertical drop of 2,030 feet.

"We are especially excited to expand our reach within Utah and offer another ski and snowboard experience in a state known for its exceptional snow and mountain culture," Rusty Gregory, Alterra's CEO, said in a news release.

Solitude has been owned by the Deer Valley Resort in Park City since 2014. Alterra acquired Deer Valley Resort in August 2017, but the owners had retained the Solitude resort.

"With its close relationship with Deer Valley Resort, Solitude Mountain Resort is a natural fit for Alterra Mountain Company, and a tremendous addition to our family of destinations," Gregory added in the news release.

Alterra owns 12 other resorts in the U.S. and Canada, including Steamboat and Winter Park in Colorado; Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain and Big Bear Mountain Resort in California; Stratton in Vermont; Snowshoe in West Virginia; Tremblant in Quebec, Blue Mountain in Ontario; and CMH Heli-Skiing and Summer Adventures in British Columbia.

The company's growing portfolio of ski areas is beginning to compete with ski giant Vail Resorts, which has 14 operations including Park City Mountain Resort in Utah.

Alterra is the second most expansive ski resort company in western North America, according to data from the National Ski Areas Association.

Alterra has not announced how Solitude will be included in Alterra's Ikon Pass, which offers access to 26 mountain destinations in North America.

More details are expected to be announced once the Solitude transaction is completed. That is expected to occur by the end of the third quarter.

In Colorado, the Ikon Pass offers access to Steamboat, Aspen Snowmass, Winter Park Resort, Copper Mountain Resort and Eldora.

Source:  Summitdaily.com