Skiing Park City, Utah

Anticipation is building as we eagerly ascend in altitude and navigate our way through towering canyons towards Park City, Utah.  After a lengthy day of flying (including a layover and a hefty delay) we are relieved at how convenient accessing Park City is from the airport.  Soon enough we were in full vacation mode, driving down Main Street with its 19th century mining town architecture.  As we swiftly unload the luggage from the car, we couldn’t help but notice the bold claim on our Utah license plate, “The Greatest Snow on Earth.”   We later learned that Utah residents made this declaration because of the “Lake Effect” which refers to the lake enhanced snow storms from the Great Salt Lake causing 360 inches of snowfall a year.   We were there to discover for ourselves!

Park City Mountain Resort

Park City Mountain (recently acquired by Vail Resorts) is now connected to Canyon Mountain Resorts by way of a new gondola or five minute car drive.  Together these two ski resorts make up the largest single mountain park resort in the U.S.  The size of the terrain for Park City Mountain alone is staggering and as an avid intermediate level skier, I found plenty of challenging trails that didn’t accidentally lead me to a black diamond trail.  One of my personal favorites led me to a covered bridge in the village center just off Main Street where I could grab an afternoon hot chocolate.  Contrary to perceptions of scarce libations due to Utah’s liquor laws, we found little difficulty sampling local beers such as the Wasatch Brew at the High West Distillery, which is conveniently a ski-in / ski-out destination.  Note: you may prefer to ski-in and walk home from this bustling saloon!

Truth be told, skiing at Park City Mountain was equally about indulging in gourmet food and libations as it was about the skiing itself.  After an endurance workout before noon on day two at Park City Mountain, we were content to take a rest and enjoy the dramatic views from the Lookout Cabin for a gourmet mac n’ cheese.  ‘Lookout Lemonade’ made with a local ‘7000 foot’ vodka was the perfect concoction for this beautiful afternoon.  By about 3pm, my legs were ready to call it quits and luckily, Canyons village is perfect for après ski.  That evening we refueled at the highly acclaimed Farm Restaurant also located at Canyons.  The Farm is appropriately named serving fresh, prepared from scratch, sustainable fare sourced from local Utah farms and purveyors.  The Farm has undeniably raised the bar for mountain dining, with their homemade cheeses and accompaniments alone.

Deer Valley Resort 

Deer Valley Resort was not acquired by Vail Resorts and will remain family owned and operated.  After a few close calls with snowboarders at the other two resorts, I was looking forward to this skier’s only paradise.  Don’t expect long lines at the lifts either, Deer Valley limits the number of tickets sold to prevent overcrowding.  We took advantage of another unique amenity of Deer Valley which is a complimentary mountain tour given daily.  Our knowledgeable host pointed out the three luxury hotels on the property, the St. Regis, the Montage and the legendary Stein Eriksen Lodge.  Our guide had recommended we try cocktails at the St. Regis bar for after ski drinks.   The Signature Bloody Mary from the posh St. Regis bar was a well-deserved finale to bluebird skies and shredding on the mountain!

Park City combines luxury and ruggedness and somehow still feels “undiscovered” as a destination and in my opinion; it does deserve that claim of having “The Greatest Snow on Earth”.

www.visitparkcity.com

www.parkcitymountain.com

www.deervalley.com