Snowbird

Snowbird is an unincorporated area based in Little Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is perhaps most famous for the Snowbird ski resort, an alpine skiing and snowboarding area, which opened in December 1971.

Snowbird is a multi-facility winter and summer resort located in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. Primarily known for it's challenging winter powder skiing and snowboarding, the Snowbird resort also hosts hikers, mountain bikers, fishermen, sightseers, and mountain vacationers in other seasons. Set among spectacular crenelated granite mountain peaks, facilities include ski lifts, hotels, condominiums, spa facilities, restaurants, skiing and mountain-resort-related retail businesses, medical services, heli-services and others.

Snowbird was imagined, named, and developed by Ted Johnson, a surfer who attended San Jose State University with prominent watercolor artist Dave McGuire and 49'ers football coach Bill Walsh. For nearly a decade, Johnson managed the Alta Lodge in the town of Alta at the head of Little Cottonwood Canyon.

During that period he explored the terrain below Alta in the Peruvian Gulch and Emma Mine/Gad Valley water sheds that later became Snowbird. Vision, drive, and fortuitous acquaintances made at the Alta Lodge made it possible for Johnson to begin development of the Snowbird Resort. Johnson, who was well suited to managing rapid development cycles, was also fixated on the central theme of the project, having fun on the mountain.

During the development cycle, he, together with a number of the area's more adventurous skiers including Junior Bonar, Eddie Moe, snow ranger Peter Lev and others scored first firsts on pitches that were to become essential to the Snowbird legend.