There is only one Park City
Utah, USA | |
Park City has struck it
rich with two worldclass
ski resorts, writes
Helen Hayes. |
It was an exciting season in the town of
Park City, Utah, with the birth of the
biggest ski resort in the USA. Park City
is the marriage of two resorts – Park
City Mountain Resort and Canyons
Resort – with Vail Resorts linking them up
with a brand-new gondola to create one
giant snow playground.
And it is a giant, with over 2950 hectares
of terrain to whiz down, more than 300 runs
(that’s just the named ones), 17 mountain
peaks to conquer, 41 lifts, eight terrain
parks, 14 bowls, one super pipe and one
mini pipe. Phew.
Revisiting new territory
at Park City
We can’t wait to see how it all links up so
head up Payday and then Bonanza Express
chairs, loving the conditions so much around
the Silverlode Express chair that we lap it a
few times before trying the new Quicksilver
Gondola over to Canyons, admiring the
stunning architecture of the brand-new
Miners Camp restaurant near the base.
We rediscover our favourite runs from our
last visit years ago, zooming from chair to
chair. Dreamcatcher, Dreamscape, Day
Break, Peak 5, Tombstone, Saddleback, Sun
Peak, the quirky Short Cut and the
trailblazing Orange Bubble chair are our
playgrounds, and we love skiing through The
Colony, with its huge timber and stone
houses on either side of the runs. We imagine
ourselves living there – just for a moment.
The joie de vivre that Canyons had last
time is still in abundance, and we ski down
Doc’s Run to the base at Canyons Village,
where there is a host of accommodation
options, fire pits to warm up around, a ski
beach and plenty of great restaurants. But
we have itchy feet and a serious case of
FOMO (that’s fear of missing out, for those
not in on the lingo), as we don’t want to
waste a minute of this blue-sky day and
copious amounts of feather-soft Utah snow.
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We make our way back to the Quicksilver
Gondola, with the route easy to follow
thanks to clear signposts, then head up the
Silverlode lift for more fun and games. But
first, we fuel up at the Summit House,
charging up our phones at the multipletentacled
charging station while we munch.
Reenergised, we tackle as much of the
terrain on the Park City side as we can,
cruising down the many blue runs off the
upgraded King Con lift. We gallop over to the
Bonanza chair, zooming down Muckers and
Jonesy’s runs for old times’ sake, before trying some beautiful trails off Pioneer
(Hawkeye and Red Fox) and off McConkey’s.
The views from up here on the Georgeanna
run are something else; in fact, we can see
Deer Valley just over yonder. This run might
be my pick of the whole resort.
Service with a smile
at Deer Valley
Like visiting an old friend, we feel right at
home on the corduroy slopes of Deer
Valley. There are so many things to love
about this ski-only resort, including the fact
that it is for skiers only, (sorry
snowboarders!) and the level of service. If
you aren’t staying in ski-in, ski-out
properties, there are people to help you with
your skis. Also, there is a free ski storage
area with people to take your skis and hand
them back to you next morning. There are
friendly people at every chairlift, signboards
to let you know which runs around that chair
have been groomed overnight, and there are
smiling, helpful people at the large trail
maps dotted around the mountain to show
you how to get where you want to go. No
wonder Deer Valley has won so many
awards for its service.
A sneaky hot chocolate at Snowshoe
Tommy’s gave us a sugar hit before we do
Stein’s Way, one of the prettiest runs on the
mountain named in honour of the late Stein
Eriksen – Olympic gold medallist, former
director of skiing and a massive influence on
this resort. This mostly intermediate run
delivers mesmerising views out over the
valley beyond.
Serviced by the Sultan Express chairlift,
we do it, and Tycoon, a few times, then
branch out to try some lovely black runs off
the Mayflower chair – another scenic delight.
With six mountains, 101 runs and 21 lifts,
there is plenty of ground to be covered so
we skedaddle, falling in love again with the
groomed Nabob, the beautiful tree runs on
Flagstaff Mountain and, atop the Empire lift,
we spy McConkeys on the next ridge.
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We come across many instructors leading
little charges, Peter Pan-like, down runs. The
kids are happy, zipping down runs and
through trees and over moguls, or doing their
‘slices of pizza’ down gentle green slopes.
The food offerings at Deer Valley are
divine. We have an incredible lunch at Royal
Street Café and a boisterous afternoon at
Daly’s Pub at the exquisite Montage. In the
evenings, we booked in for the famous
Seafood Buffet at the Deer Valley base and
dipped into heavenly fondues and
chocolates at Fireside Dining. As for the
kids, you can’t beat the afternoon s’mores
around the fire at either the Montage, or The
St. Regis.
And then of course there is the town of
Park City itself, its historic Main Street awash
with excellent restaurants. It really is an ‘epic’
destination.
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