Working in the town of Alta is terrible. The “mom and pop” slope nestled in Little Cottonwood Canyon is known for its steep terrain, good skiers, and lots of snow. Although this sounds ideal, it is not. Sometimes it snows so much you can’t even go outside for fear of avalanche danger. They have more off-piste skiing than groomed runs and everyone is just plain weird up here. Now if you think you can manage all of that, then read on. With six seasons living at Alta, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know people from many lines of work up here. All of them have different experiences with their employers; some good and some bad. With this article, I hope I can shed some light on the different employment options the town of Alta has to offer and the pros and cons of working at each.
Before we begin, I must recommend to anyone working at Alta to live up canyon. The reason why is that you have much more time to ski. Simple as that. Commuting to work everyday takes energy, money, and most importantly time. Now that we are clear on that, let us dive into your different options of living/working up at Alta. There are two different options for ski bumming up at Alta: you can work for the lift company or you can work for a lodge. Because I have experience working for lodges, that is what I will discuss in this article.
Lodges:
The lodges are a great option for anyone focused on skiing and could care less about the money. They typically offer the best ski time, easy work, and plenty of time to party. There are 5 lodges in the town:
Peruvian Lodge (PDAWG):
Wage: **
Housing: ***
Food: **
Fun Factor: ****
Lift Access: ***
Located just west of the Wildcat parking lot, the PDAWG is a short 5 minute walk to the lifts each day. The lodge offers the infamous "fort” employee housing unit which is separated from the hotel itself. This is good because it provides employees with a place to themselves without having to bother the guests. Filled with some of the best kooks I know, the PDAWG is not a bad choice in terms of Alta employment.
Goldminer’s Daughter
Wage: *
Housing: ****
Food: ****
Fun Factor: ****
Lift Access: *****
The Goldminer’s Daughter is steeped in tradition. If all you care about is skiing everyday for as long as you can, this is the place to be. Other than a tight-ass HR manager, it’s as laid back as it gets. The room situation is typically doubles with your own bathroom and shower. The icing on the cake is its location. Located directly at the bottom of the Collins and Wildcat lift, there’s no closer place to work than the GMD. I have literally been at the top of the Collins lift 10 minutes before my shift and made it to work on time. Now that’s ski bumming at its finest. Just be prepared to get swarmed by a plethora of UVM dropouts, graduates and wooks if you work there.
Rustler Lodge
Wage: ***
Housing: ***
Food: *****
Fun Factor: ****
Lift Access: ****
If Goldilocks had to choose a lodge to work at in Alta she would choose the Rustler. With great food, management, and the second best pay in the canyon, you can’t go wrong working there. The living is tight, and you don’t have your own bathroom, but it’s manageable. The best thing about the Rustler is that the management actually cares about it’s employees. The lodge hosts several employee parties each year, including a coordinated night skiing event at Brighton paid for by the Rustler. If you’re looking for a paycheck that doesn’t suck too bad and still want to get after it skiing, this is the place for you.
Snowpine Lodge
Wage: ****
Housing: ****
Food: *
Fun Factor: **
Lift Access: ****
Like a shit molded into the shape of a cake, the Snowpine looks great at first glance, but get one taste and you’ll know somethings terribly wrong. The owners could care less about it’s employees or their motivation for working up canyon. Overall, the Snowpine is hardly a skier’s lodge. It’s a dysfunctional, second-tier version of a Deer Valley Hotel. From what I’ve heard, the hotel is getting better each year with it’s employees, but it’s still a headache to work there. The only pros of working there are it’s typically the best paying in the canyon, and the employee housing isn’t too bad. With all this said, there’s still great workers at the Snowpine who know how to have a good time and get a lot of skiing in too. All in all, if you want to make decent cash and can put up with a lot of bullshit, work at the Snowpine Lodge.
Alta is terrible. Stay away at all costs possible. If for some reason you find yourself looking for a job in the town that’s known for 800-inch seasons, look to the lodges and live up canyon. Each place has its pros and cons. I highly recommend driving up before the season and checking out each lodge for yourself before deciding. If you don’t have the luxury of doing that, I hope this article helps you in your decision making.
Before we begin, I must recommend to anyone working at Alta to live up canyon. The reason why is that you have much more time to ski. Simple as that. Commuting to work everyday takes energy, money, and most importantly time. Now that we are clear on that, let us dive into your different options of living/working up at Alta. There are two different options for ski bumming up at Alta: you can work for the lift company or you can work for a lodge. Because I have experience working for lodges, that is what I will discuss in this article.
Lodges:
The lodges are a great option for anyone focused on skiing and could care less about the money. They typically offer the best ski time, easy work, and plenty of time to party. There are 5 lodges in the town:
Peruvian Lodge (PDAWG):
Wage: **
Housing: ***
Food: **
Fun Factor: ****
Lift Access: ***
Located just west of the Wildcat parking lot, the PDAWG is a short 5 minute walk to the lifts each day. The lodge offers the infamous "fort” employee housing unit which is separated from the hotel itself. This is good because it provides employees with a place to themselves without having to bother the guests. Filled with some of the best kooks I know, the PDAWG is not a bad choice in terms of Alta employment.
Goldminer’s Daughter
Wage: *
Housing: ****
Food: ****
Fun Factor: ****
Lift Access: *****
The Goldminer’s Daughter is steeped in tradition. If all you care about is skiing everyday for as long as you can, this is the place to be. Other than a tight-ass HR manager, it’s as laid back as it gets. The room situation is typically doubles with your own bathroom and shower. The icing on the cake is its location. Located directly at the bottom of the Collins and Wildcat lift, there’s no closer place to work than the GMD. I have literally been at the top of the Collins lift 10 minutes before my shift and made it to work on time. Now that’s ski bumming at its finest. Just be prepared to get swarmed by a plethora of UVM dropouts, graduates and wooks if you work there.
Rustler Lodge
Wage: ***
Housing: ***
Food: *****
Fun Factor: ****
Lift Access: ****
If Goldilocks had to choose a lodge to work at in Alta she would choose the Rustler. With great food, management, and the second best pay in the canyon, you can’t go wrong working there. The living is tight, and you don’t have your own bathroom, but it’s manageable. The best thing about the Rustler is that the management actually cares about it’s employees. The lodge hosts several employee parties each year, including a coordinated night skiing event at Brighton paid for by the Rustler. If you’re looking for a paycheck that doesn’t suck too bad and still want to get after it skiing, this is the place for you.
Snowpine Lodge
Wage: ****
Housing: ****
Food: *
Fun Factor: **
Lift Access: ****
Like a shit molded into the shape of a cake, the Snowpine looks great at first glance, but get one taste and you’ll know somethings terribly wrong. The owners could care less about it’s employees or their motivation for working up canyon. Overall, the Snowpine is hardly a skier’s lodge. It’s a dysfunctional, second-tier version of a Deer Valley Hotel. From what I’ve heard, the hotel is getting better each year with it’s employees, but it’s still a headache to work there. The only pros of working there are it’s typically the best paying in the canyon, and the employee housing isn’t too bad. With all this said, there’s still great workers at the Snowpine who know how to have a good time and get a lot of skiing in too. All in all, if you want to make decent cash and can put up with a lot of bullshit, work at the Snowpine Lodge.
Alta is terrible. Stay away at all costs possible. If for some reason you find yourself looking for a job in the town that’s known for 800-inch seasons, look to the lodges and live up canyon. Each place has its pros and cons. I highly recommend driving up before the season and checking out each lodge for yourself before deciding. If you don’t have the luxury of doing that, I hope this article helps you in your decision making.
