Above Ogden, Utah, lies Eden, a hidden mountain valley at the end of a spectacular narrow canyon bordered to the north and south by giant ski and snowboard areas blessed with what many call the world’s best snow. They have what are among the world's best views too—from their tops you can see four states: Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and Nevada.

The thinly-settled Upper Ogden Valley gently spreads around the Pineview Reservoir with a smattering of less than a thousand condominiums and private homes with limited restaurants, hotels and almost no nightlife. Once a trading post for fur trappers and pioneers, the valley is slowly beginning its controlled development towards destination resort status.

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Powder Mountain extends across the northern border of the local county into Cache County and to the south Snowbasin’s shoulders drop into Morgan County. These mountains are expansive, uncrowded and have excellent powder. But that is where their likeness disappears.

Snowbasin, home to the men’s and women’s Olympic downhill, Super G and combined races in 2002, is new with a tram, two gondolas, a high-speed chairlift and a handful of fixed grip chairs. Groomed trails crisscross the area and the base lodge and John Paul Lodge at the top of the high-speed lift are spectacular, modern, massive log buildings. The resort also claims the largest and most modern automatic snowmaking system in the country.

Powder Mountain is a throwback to the way skiing used to be with four chairs and three surface lifts that serve more than 5,500 acres of terrain with most of the resort left untouched by grooming machines. The mountain has plans to replace their double Hidden Lake chairlift to the top with a detachable high-speed quad which should open for the 2006-07 season. The lodge is rustic, small and cozy with basic soups, salads, scones and burgers. And snowmaking? Forget about it. Nature provides plenty of the real stuff.

The real bed base for both of these mountains is Ogden, only about 20-30 minutes down the mountain through the Ogden Canyon or around Snowbasin looping to the south. Ogden, envisioned as a Mormon town, was eventually developed by workers for the railroad in 1869. It has one of America’s most picturesque and storied Main Streets, Historic 25th Street, plus several hotels and plenty of dining options. In addition, the town is a center for the arts with galleries, theater, opera and orchestra performances throughout the winter. All this is only a half-hour north of the Salt Lake City international airport.