As someone who has lived in Utah for a season, I was really interested to see what this book had to say. The author, Michael R. Fine, is a Utah local and visited every resort in Utah in order to write this book. So would it match up with what I know? Would it give out the locals’ secrets?

Well, I was surprised to realize just how useful this book could be in planning a trip. It would be especially good for someone planning their first big snowboarding trip, as uch of the advice is universal.

The first section gives some generic info on planning a trip. After that it answers common Utah questions and myths particularly about buying alcohol and Mormons. And believe me, those are pretty much the first thing anyone asks about Utah.

Every resort in Utah gets a hefty section, around 10 pages, describing their terrain. There’s a small section written just for snowboarders. I liked how it gave you some warning about tricky terrain – including flat sections which are the bane of all snowboarders. The book also talks about terrain parks, glades, etc.

As I mentioned before this would be a handy book for someone thinking about going to Utah for a trip, but I can also see it being a great reference for a local who wants to explore more resorts. This book retails for under $20 and I easily found enough good tips to make it worth it's price.