Snowbird's Back Bowl

The ride: There's something for people of all abilities in Mineral Basin, on Snowbird's back side, and most of it can be reached by the high-speed, detachable quad chairlift Mineral Basin Express. It can be reached in multiple ways. The Tram provides the highest access. Little Cloud Lift can be used to reach the expert runs beneath the Path to Paradise traverse. Or a ride up the Peruvian chairlift, followed by a "magic carpet ride" through Snowbird's year-old tunnel, drops onto the Lupine Loop, which takes beginners to the gentler runs off Baldy Express.

Runs to try:

* Bassanova: After easy cruising on Lupine Loop, this intermediate run steps up the level of difficulty, but not too much.

* Not Quite Corn: Head straight down out of the tunnel and this expert run goes through several steepish pitches, then requires picking a path through a band of rocks.

* Blue By You and Lone Star: Hard to say where one begins and the other ends, but both cross nice, steep terrain before skirting around the Hamilton Cliffs

* High Stakes: Right by the lift, it is one of Snowbird's longest shots, exposing skiers and boarders to steep terrain, trees and rock bands.

* The Bookends: On a powder day, the traverse is worth it.

- Mike Gorrell

* Name of lift: Mineral Basin Express

* Vertical drop: 1,429 feet

* Number of runs: 10

* Difficulty rating: Primarily advanced

* Why try it: Plenty of steep country to test