You don’t have to be a vampire, or even like vampires, to be a fan of night skiing. Sure, it’s often a little bit chillier out there on the slopes after dark, but there’s something surreal about those bright lights, like some runway all lit up for a speedy take-off. Unconvinced? There are several reasons to add at least a few nights of skiing at Utah ski resorts to your to-do list.

First, if you’re a local with a real job, night skiing is darn convenient. Clock out an hour early and hit the slopes until the lifts close early evening and be back home before the clock chimes ten. Not local? Unemployed perhaps? Jet lagged? Then consider this. Night skiing give you plenty of time to shop, eat, drink, sleep (or job hunt) and be merry during daylight hours while still allowing for an invigorating session on the slopes after dark. Or, if you’re in town with a bunch of people that are driving you up the wall, you can use this as an excuse to stay away all day and a good share of the night. Follow up with a few drinks in town and it’s a total wrap.

Assuming you’re sold on the virtues of night skiing, there are several Utah ski resorts to consider when it comes time to plot your after-hours adventure. Park City Mountain is the only Park City resort to offer night skiing and once it begins late December there are usually three lifts open until 9:00 pm, weather depending. Brighton is also relatively close to both Park City and Salt Lake City, and offers more than 200 lighted acres a quick trip from civilization. Sundance, to the south, keeps most of their front mountain open several nights a week. North of Salt Lake City (not far from Ogden), both Powder Mountain and Wolf Creek also offer lighted slopes. Really, it almost makes a person want to relocate for the winter. Particularly if you’re a skiing vampire (which doesn’t exist, we know, but we’re just saying).