When Michael Allen first moved to Salt Lake City more than 20 years ago for college, he could leave campus at 8:15 a.m. and be at Snowbird, one of the premier ski and snowboard destinations in the world, in time to catch the first tram up the mountain at 9 a.m. Such was the joy of living in on the edge of the Wasatch mountain range, home to some of the world’s best resorts and backcountry skiing, a general paradise for outdoor recreation enthusiasts, and one of the few major cities in the country where outdoor enthusiasts can squeeze in a few runs at some of the best skiing or snowboarding in the world before heading to class or the office.

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