Big and Little Cottonwood

Here’s a Jeopardy-style question for all you intrepid trivia-buffs: What world-famous sibling ski-towns are separated by a common ridge on the western edge of the magnificent Rocky Mountains on Utah’s Wasatch Mountain Range?

The answer, Alex: (and thank you for humoring us with our homage to the late great Alex Trebek), is Big Cottonwood Canyon and Little Cottonwood Canyon (referred to by the locals as BCC and LCC). Both areas are home to first-class ski areas and resorts: Little Cottonwood Canyon is host to Alta Ski Area and Snowbird, while less than an hour away, Big Cottonwood Canyon is where you’ll find Solitude Mountain Resort and Brighton Ski Resort. Both towns are less than an hour’s drive from Salt Lake City International Airport.

Homes-for-sale can be in short supply and are in what many would consider the pricey-but-deservedly-so range. You’ll see forest-side chalets (dressed with plenty of master-crafted wood-, brick- and stone-work), homes with expansive floor plans outfitted with big gather-round kitchens plus several bedrooms with en-suite baths (perfect for those who have ski-buddies primed to visit on a regular basis), secluded streamside estates on tucked-away lanes (ideal for peeps for whom privacy is utmost) and even multi-level entertaining masterpieces with spacious view-decks and towering windows to take in the majesties of Mother Nature. For those who prefer a lock-and-leave lifestyle, no worries: modern lofts, energy-efficient townhomes and cozy lodge-style condos are also part of the residential landscape. In addition, a limited selection of build-lots are available; some are in new master-planned communities and come with ready-to-build schematics, while others are in the bring-your-own-builder category.

Living in Big Cottonwood Canyon or Little Cottonwood Canyon means that you must (we repeat, M.U.S.T.) love skiing, and for sure, powder-hounds of various persuasions call these areas home. Indeed, these snowy enclaves are a top-notch permanent home, home-away-from-home or vacay-destination for bevies of big-time skiers and snow-boarders because the area generally receives a ballparked 500 (or more…) inches of snow each year, the kind of fluffy white-stuff that makes all those quad-pulls, constant goosebumps, strained muscles, years of freezing-cold lessons and expensive gear more than worth it.

Along with snow-sports, the Cottonwoods’ lifestyle frequently includes season-appropriate rock-climbing and roaming view-rich hiking trails that appeal to picnickers as well as outdoor-fiends and friends in a variety of ages and abilities. However, hiking some of these trails and/or clambering up the area’s rugged cliffs can be quite strenuous (and the elevation is higher than what a number of newbies are used to), so if you’re new to the area, be sure to check your athletic cheekiness at the proverbial door and understand what you’re getting into. That said, yowza — those views! Awe-inspiring waterfalls, sparkling glacier-lakes, as-far-as-the-eye-can-see forests and more — we’re out of breath just thinking about it, because the area is truly just that: a breathtaking alfresco paradise.

The bottom line is this: If the thought of snow jettisons your mood into a cranky downward spiral focused on an exhausting weekend of plowing, shoveling and groveling for help with either of those chores, these gorgeous getaway towns are probably not a good personality match — you might want to swipe left on either of the Cottonwoods. On the other hand, if a heavy snowfall propels your everyday mild-mannered ski-jonesing synapses from their normally manageable state into a bundle of heebie-jeebie high-energy can’t-wait-to-get-on-the-slopes nerves, either Big Cottonwood Canyon or Little Cottonwood Canyon would pretty much be heaven on earth for you.