Location: Situated in the southeast corner of Park City, 38 miles from downtown Salt Lake City. Take the Park City exit off I-80.
Lifts: 19 lifts—one high speed gondola, five high-speed quads, three fixed-grip quads, eight triple and two double.
Base: 6,570 feet
Peak: 9,570 feet
Skiable area: 1,750 acres—15 percent beginner, 50 percent intermediate, 35 percent expert.
Lift passes:
All-day $65
Half-day $45
What it's known for: Deer Valley is probably best known for it service. About the only thing the resort won't do for you is ski, and it probably would if it could.
Fact is, Deer Valley has set the industry standard for skier services. Then there is grooming, for which Deer Valley wrote the book. Then there is the crowd—or the lack thereof. The resort limits the number of passes sold each day to avoid lift lines. And last but not least, there's the food. Deer Valley is constantly rated No. 1 in the area of food preparation by magazines and diners. This year the resort was rated No. 2 among all ski areas in North America.
Deer Valley is Utah's newest resort.
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News |
If you go: Yes, you can ski an Olympic course, even if it is by simply sideslipping top to bottom. The aerial arena is off limits, but skiers can access the mogul course (Champion) and the slalom course (Know You Don't). Both runs lead right into the official Olympic arena. Skiers can ski the runs now and then relive the experience in 2002, either as a spectator or on TV. When skiing the resort it is also important to break away from the main runs off Bald Mountain and ski the other two peaks—Flagstaff and Empire. Make a run or two off the Mayflower or Sultan lifts on the eastern slopes of Bald Mountain. The runs there look down on the the valley and Jordanelle Reservoir. And there's nothing quite like the seafood buffet offered at the resort during the winter. This buffet includes crab, oysters and shrimp. And, of course, there's always an array of the resort's famous desserts.
Best-kept secret: A map showing only the expert runs, including the gladed areas of the resorts where locals can break off into fresh, uncut powder days after a storm. Some visitors also believe there are few steep and deep runs, but as the expert points out, there are many challenging runs in every direction.
For more information check out the resort's Web site at www.deervalley.com.
