Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah — Several years ago, Solitude didn’t even have a terrain park. While it did have one in the past, the Utah ski resort didn’t have a terrain park for most of the 2010s and the early 2020s.
That changed during the 2022-23 season, when Solitude hired a team to set up terrain parks at its ski resort. The typical setup starts on the Easy Street trail at the beginning of the year, then moves to Main Street and Tube Dudes for most of the season. While not as diverse as Brighton or Park City’s terrain park setups, it offers a variety of features for most skiers and riders. This year features another exciting addition to their terrain park culture.
Yesterday, Solitude Mountain Resort announced the opening date for its new handle tow lift. It’s scheduled to open on January 30th at 10 a.m. local time.
The difference from other parks is that many use rope tows or TowPro lifts, which are rope tows. A handle tow features a handle you can grab onto, which is easier on the arms. You can also move the handle so that it carries you up. Solitude acquired a hand-me-down from another mountain. The Sunkid lift comes from Mammoth Mountain, where it was used for ski racing.
In terms of new additions for the 2025-26 season, I’d rank it between Deer Valley’s expansion and Brighton adding a Waffle Cabin (sorry Deer Valley, it’s hard to beat that).
Image/Video Credits: Solitude Mountain Resort
