Skiing in October? Utah Just Got Enough Snow for This Wild Run

Originally posted on Powder | By Ian Greenwood | Last updated Oct 6, 2025 5:32 PM ET

What did you do this weekend? Mountain biking, fishing, and golfing are all valid answers.

Perhaps surprisingly, skiing is, too, but you had to be at the right place at the right time to make it happen. In Utah, eight or more inches of snow fell late last week at ski resorts around Salt Lake City, including Alta.

While that might not sound like enough snow to ski, YouTuber and ski blogger The Daily Pow was undeterred. On Saturday, October 4, 2025, he hiked above and then dropped into Alta’s High Rustler trail, also known as High Boy (the chairlifts, as you probably can guess, aren't open yet).

The expert run is, even after being completely covered in snow, steep and demanding. The bushes, branches, and hidden obstacles The Daily Pow encountered made it look even tougher. See the adventure below. Tap or click to watch.

During each of his turns, you can hear rocks or dirt scraping beneath the bases of The Daily Pow’s skis. The conditions looked bony at best.

“It wasn't exactly a packed house at Alta Ski Area today, but I think that was for good reason,” The Daily Pow wrote beneath their video.

Fair enough. Unless you have some rock skis on hand, notching early October turns—on High Rustler, no less—usually isn’t a great idea. One comment below The Daily Pow’s Instagram edit of his run read, “The first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem.”

But when the pre-season stoke is simmering, sometimes, like The Daily Pow, you have to get out and make do with what’s available, core shots be damned. At least the skier made his lap down High Rustler look fun, all things considered, linking fluid turns between the exposure.

The Daily Pow wasn’t the only person to visit and ski Alta over the weekend. A few others, including Abby Phillips, hit the slopes, too. See below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Abby Phillips (@abigailephillips)

As far as the actual ski season at Alta goes, the waiting game persists. The ski area plans to open on November 21, 2025, conditions permitting.

In the meantime, Alta remains open for uphill travel, but backcountry conditions exist, and ski patrol isn’t working yet on the mountain, not to mention the lack of snow.

If you’re planning to make some early-season turns there, you may want to wait for another storm to arrive.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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