Spectacular Utah, 'backcountry with lifts'

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SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah delivered again.

In search of snow -- which is scarce or nonexistent in the Alps of Europe and on the North American East Coast -- we went to the Rockies, specifically Utah's Canyons and Sundance ski areas, and found several feet of the mostly packed variety.

Though some locals complained that there wasn't enough new powder for their liking (compared to previous seasons, the accumulation was way down by early January), the conditions suited us like a hand in a ski glove.

Our first stop was the Canyons, an expansive ski resort with 3,700 skiable acres, 152 trails and 16 lifts. It also provides easy access to backcountry skiing for experts.

"It's really backcountry skiing with lifts," says Craig McCarthy, an avid skier and communications manager for the Park City Chamber of Commerce.

There also are a lot of runs for not-that-great skiers, who avoid the center-mountain lift, Ninety-Nine 90 Express, which lets its passengers out at 9,900 feet for mostly double-black diamonds and backcountry skiing.

Accompanied by a wonderful ski guide, Martin Schultz, one of many Australians working at the resort, we opted for the Peak Five and Day Break lifts, which lead to several blue intermediate runs with names such as Lazy Day and Harmony. With nicely groomed and uncrowded runs -- it was Thursday afternoon and snowing -- and surrounded by trees and great views, it's easy to feel harmonious just a couple of hours after landing at the Salt Lake City airport.

This is a great selling point for Utah resorts. Most of them are less than an hour from the airport, so you can get at least half a day of skiing on the day of arrival.

Plus, with the Park City Quick START (Ski Today and Ride Today) plan, visitors to its resorts, including the Canyons, can convert their airline boarding passes into same-day lift tickets. The in-room boot fitting for renters like us also helps speed up the process and get you on the slope in a jiffy.

The Canyons is a large ski system, but it seems -- pleasantly -- less so, thanks to the many aspen- and fir-covered areas bordering groomed runs. Many skiers take advantage of this for tree skiing. Not us, but we did enjoy a narrow, tree-lined run called Sanctuary -- a run less traveled for some reason -- which passes by the multimillion-dollar mansions of the Colony, a gated on-mountain community.