The readers of SKI Magazine* have once again selected Deer Valley as the #1 resort in North America. This is the second year in a row and fourth time since 2002 that Deer Valley has received this honor. Deer Valley is renowned for setting the standard of service in the ski industry and has been adding more and more expert terrain recently. As someone who skis there regularly (44 days in the last two seasons) I can vouch for the high ranking. And the excellent carrot cake. Congratulations to Deer Valley for being #1.
Deer Valley wasn't the only high ranked resort in the area -- Park City Mountain Resort was #5. Park City gets high marks for it's diverse terrain and killer terrain parks. The new Crescent high-speed quad should ease some of the congestion at the base area this year.
The Canyons was voted #13 due to it's easy access from the airport and the sheer size of the mountain. With Talisker as the new owner, expect to see many improvements in the near future.
The Park City area resorts also did well on the Top 10 Lists. Deer Valley scored #1 for SERVICE, GROOMING, ON-MOUNTAIN-FOOD, and WEATHER. Park City Mountain Resort was #1 for ACCESS. In fact, all three Park City resorts were in the top four for access thanks to being 40 minutes from a major international airport. Where else can you fly in from New York in the morning, and be skiing 350+ inches of snow in the afternoon?
In all, it make Park City a pretty great place to vacation (or live :) ). If you haven't already, now is the perfect time to plan your Utah ski trip. Hope to see you on the slopes this winter.
'til later,
- Jeff
Keller Williams Park City Real Estate
*Source: SKI Magazine, October 2008.
Showing posts with label deer valley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label deer valley. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Utah Symphony @ Deer Valley 7/19
On July 19 I had the opportunity to see the Utah Symphony perform at the outdoor amphitheater at Deer Valley. I've seen plenty of the free Wednesday concerts there before and always enjoyed them. But this was something way more awesome. I'd never seen the symphony play before. And I can't imagine a better venue.
(Concert goers early in the evening.)
While there is some premium reserved seating, I recommend going for general admission. You can take your blanket and picnic basket and spread out with friends. And viewing from anywhere on the hillside is still excellent.
Early in the evening they played some patriotic favorites and well as a few crowd pleasers. I'd never seen any symphony play Billy Joel or Elvis but it was fun to hear.
(Live canons brought in for the performance.)
The main event was Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. I didn't know this one by name, but recognized some of the music. It was pretty cool when they fired the live canons near the end. It caught a few of us by surprise but it was a pleasant surprise.
(As the sun went down.)
If you ever get the chance, be sure to check out one of the evening concerts at Deer Valley. As I mentioned, there's quite a variety from the free concerts on Wednesday nights to some big name concerts throughout the summer. And definitely check out the Utah Symphony performing there sometime too.
'til later,
- Jeff
(Concert goers early in the evening.)
While there is some premium reserved seating, I recommend going for general admission. You can take your blanket and picnic basket and spread out with friends. And viewing from anywhere on the hillside is still excellent.
Early in the evening they played some patriotic favorites and well as a few crowd pleasers. I'd never seen any symphony play Billy Joel or Elvis but it was fun to hear.
(Live canons brought in for the performance.)
The main event was Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. I didn't know this one by name, but recognized some of the music. It was pretty cool when they fired the live canons near the end. It caught a few of us by surprise but it was a pleasant surprise.
(As the sun went down.)
If you ever get the chance, be sure to check out one of the evening concerts at Deer Valley. As I mentioned, there's quite a variety from the free concerts on Wednesday nights to some big name concerts throughout the summer. And definitely check out the Utah Symphony performing there sometime too.
'til later,
- Jeff
Monday, May 19, 2008
Season Wrap-Up 5/19
So, I think I'm finally ready to admit that my 2007-2008 ski season is over! Not that I couldn't ski more if I still wanted to -- Snowbird is still open weekends through June 1 -- but I think I've had enough.
(Powder at Deer Valley.)
What a great season it was! It got off to a slow start with little snow in November. But December and January were huge! So much snow! At one point, we got over 90" or snow in 10 days. Powder day after powder day. Incredible!
(Dual moguls under the lights at the Freestyle World Cup at Deer Valley.)
And the spring skiing was pretty good too. There were a few warm sunny days, but also still a lot of powder days. I was in Colorado at Beaver Creek and they got 2' of snow 2 days before they closed. In fact, I had 9 powder days out there in the two weeks before closing weekend.
(With Bryan at Deer Valley.)
And mother nature is still toying with us. May 1 Snowbird reported 23". Then it was sunny and warm. Then snowed again. So, if you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes. It over 80 degrees today yet I hear it might snow on Wednesday. :)
(Me at Deer Valley.)
Anyhow.
As for numbers, I finished up the season with a record 53 days (beating last season by one day)! Most were at the Park City resorts (Deer Valley (19 days), Park City Mountain Resort (15), and a few days at the Canyons). And I did more skiing (34 days) than snowboarding (19 days), as usual.
(Me at Keystone.)
How can I ski that many days at that many different places you ask? Thanks go to the good folks at Ski Utah. I'm lucky enough to have a Ski Utah Silver Pass that allows me to ski up to 30 days at each resort in the state of Utah. Combine that with a flexible job (I'm a REALTOR in Park City) and I'm able to ski a lot.
(Jeff, Kyle, and me at Breckenridge.)
Now, with the skis put away for summer, it's time to focus on selling some houses. If you have any real estate needs in the Park City area, let me know. Otherwise, enjoy the outdoors and we'll talk to you again soon when I get out the mountain bike and trail shoes.
'til later,
- Jeff
(Powder at Deer Valley.)
What a great season it was! It got off to a slow start with little snow in November. But December and January were huge! So much snow! At one point, we got over 90" or snow in 10 days. Powder day after powder day. Incredible!
(Dual moguls under the lights at the Freestyle World Cup at Deer Valley.)
And the spring skiing was pretty good too. There were a few warm sunny days, but also still a lot of powder days. I was in Colorado at Beaver Creek and they got 2' of snow 2 days before they closed. In fact, I had 9 powder days out there in the two weeks before closing weekend.
(With Bryan at Deer Valley.)
And mother nature is still toying with us. May 1 Snowbird reported 23". Then it was sunny and warm. Then snowed again. So, if you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes. It over 80 degrees today yet I hear it might snow on Wednesday. :)
(Me at Deer Valley.)
Anyhow.
As for numbers, I finished up the season with a record 53 days (beating last season by one day)! Most were at the Park City resorts (Deer Valley (19 days), Park City Mountain Resort (15), and a few days at the Canyons). And I did more skiing (34 days) than snowboarding (19 days), as usual.
(Me at Keystone.)
How can I ski that many days at that many different places you ask? Thanks go to the good folks at Ski Utah. I'm lucky enough to have a Ski Utah Silver Pass that allows me to ski up to 30 days at each resort in the state of Utah. Combine that with a flexible job (I'm a REALTOR in Park City) and I'm able to ski a lot.
(Jeff, Kyle, and me at Breckenridge.)
Now, with the skis put away for summer, it's time to focus on selling some houses. If you have any real estate needs in the Park City area, let me know. Otherwise, enjoy the outdoors and we'll talk to you again soon when I get out the mountain bike and trail shoes.
'til later,
- Jeff
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Deer Valley 3/23
Happy Easter!
I spent the day chasing the Easter Bunny around Deer Valley. It was yet another beautiful, sunny day -- great spring skiing.
Expecting crowds in the lodges at lunchtime, we stopped for an early lunch at 11. We had no trouble finding a table that early and the carrot cake was (again) excellent. Easter / Easter Bunny / Bunny Carrots / Carrots Carrot Cake. Therefore Easter == Carrot Cake. :)
(Lunch.)
We started the afternoon on Wasatch but quickly headed over to Northside and eventually Empire. Lots of people on Supreme so we headed down to Lady Morgan. The slopes that had gotten the sun all morning (say Magnet) were pretty slushy. But the snow in Centennial Trees was still pretty firm -- soft enough to get an edge in but not much softer than that.
(Bryan atop Empire.)
After a quick water break at Empire -- gotta stay hydrated when it's warm out -- we worked our way back across the mountain: Ruby, Silver Strike, Quincy, Crown Point -- to get over to Deer Crest. The groomers there were excellent as always, even if the snow on Jordanelle was quite soft.
(Jordanelle gondola.)
We finished the day with apres ski at the Snow Park lodge. Beer and music on the deck in the sun while watching others make their last runs of the day. Not a bad way to spend Easter.
'til later,
- Jeff
I spent the day chasing the Easter Bunny around Deer Valley. It was yet another beautiful, sunny day -- great spring skiing.
Expecting crowds in the lodges at lunchtime, we stopped for an early lunch at 11. We had no trouble finding a table that early and the carrot cake was (again) excellent. Easter / Easter Bunny / Bunny Carrots / Carrots Carrot Cake. Therefore Easter == Carrot Cake. :)
(Lunch.)
We started the afternoon on Wasatch but quickly headed over to Northside and eventually Empire. Lots of people on Supreme so we headed down to Lady Morgan. The slopes that had gotten the sun all morning (say Magnet) were pretty slushy. But the snow in Centennial Trees was still pretty firm -- soft enough to get an edge in but not much softer than that.
(Bryan atop Empire.)
After a quick water break at Empire -- gotta stay hydrated when it's warm out -- we worked our way back across the mountain: Ruby, Silver Strike, Quincy, Crown Point -- to get over to Deer Crest. The groomers there were excellent as always, even if the snow on Jordanelle was quite soft.
(Jordanelle gondola.)
We finished the day with apres ski at the Snow Park lodge. Beer and music on the deck in the sun while watching others make their last runs of the day. Not a bad way to spend Easter.
'til later,
- Jeff
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Deer Valley 3/19
The forecast was for cloudy skies with rain in the afternoon. Luckily, they were wrong! It turned out to be a perfect spring skiing day. Wonderful blue skies and moderate temperatures. A perfect day to be on the slopes.
(Skiers on "the beach" at Silver Lake.)
Unfortunately, a lot of other people had the same idea. I guess it's Spring Break for a lot of schools. Combine that with the upcoming Easter weekend, and there are tons of people in town. Fortunately though, the mountain at Deer Valley spreads people out fairly well so the lines weren't very long. And skiing the singles lines helps.
(Starting my afternoon on Sterling.)
I spent the morning on Wasatch and Sultan enjoying the groomers. The snow is a little hard because of the warm days and cold nights we've had. But, with a decent edge, you can still make some nice turns. I left my Rossis at Rennstall for a tune overnight and will leave my Volkls there soon for the same.
(View from top of Silver Strike -- Timp in the distance.)
In the afternoon, I made some runs on Silver Strike, Ruby, and Quincy just for variety. I even made a quick trip over to Deer Crest to enjoy some of those runs that I don't get to very often.
If you go, get there early -- the parking lot has been filling up by mid-morning even on week days. Plus, you'll be able to enjoy the corduroy before everyone else tracks it up.
' til later,
- Jeff
(Skiers on "the beach" at Silver Lake.)
Unfortunately, a lot of other people had the same idea. I guess it's Spring Break for a lot of schools. Combine that with the upcoming Easter weekend, and there are tons of people in town. Fortunately though, the mountain at Deer Valley spreads people out fairly well so the lines weren't very long. And skiing the singles lines helps.
(Starting my afternoon on Sterling.)
I spent the morning on Wasatch and Sultan enjoying the groomers. The snow is a little hard because of the warm days and cold nights we've had. But, with a decent edge, you can still make some nice turns. I left my Rossis at Rennstall for a tune overnight and will leave my Volkls there soon for the same.
(View from top of Silver Strike -- Timp in the distance.)
In the afternoon, I made some runs on Silver Strike, Ruby, and Quincy just for variety. I even made a quick trip over to Deer Crest to enjoy some of those runs that I don't get to very often.
If you go, get there early -- the parking lot has been filling up by mid-morning even on week days. Plus, you'll be able to enjoy the corduroy before everyone else tracks it up.
' til later,
- Jeff
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Deer Valley 3/15
A weekend storm brought a few inches of snow on Friday and again Saturday making for a nice day of skiing. Some friends were skiing at Deer Valley, so I met them on the hill.
(A beautiful mistake -- not sure what went wrong with this photo.)
There was some nice new snow in the trees, but I had more fun on the groomers. I spent the morning on Sterling, Wasatch, and Sultan -- as usual :) I think Legal Tender in the morning was my favorite run of the day.
(Your host.)
Unfortunately, I wasn't having a great day -- not sure if it was a migraine headache or a cold coming on, but I definitely wasn't on top of my game. So about lunch time I called it a day and headed home for a nap.
(A gorgeous morning.)
(Guests coming up Wasatch Express.)
It's nice having a pass and being able to make as many or as few runs as you feel like without feeling like you wasted a day.
If you go, remember to shoot for an early (before 11am) or a late lunch (after 1:30) if you want to find a place to sit.
'til later,
- Jeff
(A beautiful mistake -- not sure what went wrong with this photo.)
There was some nice new snow in the trees, but I had more fun on the groomers. I spent the morning on Sterling, Wasatch, and Sultan -- as usual :) I think Legal Tender in the morning was my favorite run of the day.
(Your host.)
Unfortunately, I wasn't having a great day -- not sure if it was a migraine headache or a cold coming on, but I definitely wasn't on top of my game. So about lunch time I called it a day and headed home for a nap.
(A gorgeous morning.)
(Guests coming up Wasatch Express.)
It's nice having a pass and being able to make as many or as few runs as you feel like without feeling like you wasted a day.
If you go, remember to shoot for an early (before 11am) or a late lunch (after 1:30) if you want to find a place to sit.
'til later,
- Jeff
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Deer Valley 3/5
Yet another beautiful day at Deer Valley. This was my 32nd day out this year! That's one of every three days for the last three months! With all the snow we got in December and January, the base is deep. And the sun is out and the temps up a bit making for some great skiing.
(Guess who!)
I spent most of the day on groomers, skiing off Wasatch, Sultan, and Sterling. The snow was great, so why go anywhere else?
(Top of Crown Point.)
(Keep tips up.)
If you go, don't try the carrot cake at lunchtime -- cause once you do, you'll never be able to eat there again without getting a piece! At $5 and probably 5000 calories, it's probably not something you should have every day. But it's so good! :)
'til later,
- Jeff
(Guess who!)
I spent most of the day on groomers, skiing off Wasatch, Sultan, and Sterling. The snow was great, so why go anywhere else?
(Top of Crown Point.)
(Keep tips up.)
If you go, don't try the carrot cake at lunchtime -- cause once you do, you'll never be able to eat there again without getting a piece! At $5 and probably 5000 calories, it's probably not something you should have every day. But it's so good! :)
'til later,
- Jeff
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Sorry! 3/1
Hey! Sorry I've been bad about keeping this updated. I've been out skiing lots that last two months, but have been really bad about blogging. I'm back and I promise to be better!
If you haven't heard, it's been an incredible winter in Utah! So much snow! December and January were absolutely insane. Several storms that brought three feet in three days or so. In one ten-day stretch we had 90" of snow! That's 9" a day! Crazy!
The banks of snow at the end of my driveway were 10 feet tall. My snowblower hated me. (It actually quit for a time, but I got it some rehab and it's doing better.) And my road looked more like a bobsled track that a street -- one car wide with huge banks so you could barely see the houses.
It's warmed up a bit and the sun is out, but we've got so much snow that we'll be able to ski into August. Just kidding on the August part, but seriously, skiing will be great right on through closing weekend. If you haven't made it out to Utah yet, there's still time. Deer Valley is open through April 13 and the Cottonwood resorts will be open later than that.
Here are some of my pics from the last two months. Thanks to all my skiing friends for some great days.
(Scott on Pinyon Ridge at Park City Mountain Resort.)
(Scott dropping into P-Zone.)
(Jeff and Bryan at Deer Valley.)
(A deer at Deer Valley. :) )
Cheers! Enjoy the snow and tune in often.
'til later,
- Jeff
If you haven't heard, it's been an incredible winter in Utah! So much snow! December and January were absolutely insane. Several storms that brought three feet in three days or so. In one ten-day stretch we had 90" of snow! That's 9" a day! Crazy!
The banks of snow at the end of my driveway were 10 feet tall. My snowblower hated me. (It actually quit for a time, but I got it some rehab and it's doing better.) And my road looked more like a bobsled track that a street -- one car wide with huge banks so you could barely see the houses.
It's warmed up a bit and the sun is out, but we've got so much snow that we'll be able to ski into August. Just kidding on the August part, but seriously, skiing will be great right on through closing weekend. If you haven't made it out to Utah yet, there's still time. Deer Valley is open through April 13 and the Cottonwood resorts will be open later than that.
Here are some of my pics from the last two months. Thanks to all my skiing friends for some great days.
(Scott on Pinyon Ridge at Park City Mountain Resort.)
(Scott dropping into P-Zone.)
(Jeff and Bryan at Deer Valley.)
(A deer at Deer Valley. :) )
Cheers! Enjoy the snow and tune in often.
'til later,
- Jeff
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Deer Valley 1/6
OK. I don't like to throw out the word "epic" too often -- it should be reserved for days with waist deep powder, but today was "near epic". :) Definitely the best day I've had so far this season. A big storm blew in and left us with tons of new snow. Knee deep powder and more coming all day. Awesome.
(Pete in Percy Bowl.)
I met up with friends on the hill and had a great day. We only made it as far as Sultan, but the snow there was so great, there was no reason to go anywhere else. In the morning, we did runs down Tycoon, Evergreen, Pompeii and Percy Bowl. Awesome tracks through the trees. Hard not to have a good time.
(Kevin's turn.)
After an early lunch -- my legs were worn out by 11 -- back for more of the same. The winds had picked up and it was snowing hard, but Sultan seemed a bit more sheltered. More of the same runs from the morning plus a couple of excellent lines through Percy Bowl. Everyone was having a great time.
If you go, take powder cords. It would suck to spend an afternoon digging around for a lost ski.
'til later,
- Jeff
P.S. If you haven't noticed (maybe you were in a foreign country or something over the holidays...) Utah has gotten tons of snow in the past few weeks and more is one the way. The skiing is great, so get out here!
(Pete in Percy Bowl.)
I met up with friends on the hill and had a great day. We only made it as far as Sultan, but the snow there was so great, there was no reason to go anywhere else. In the morning, we did runs down Tycoon, Evergreen, Pompeii and Percy Bowl. Awesome tracks through the trees. Hard not to have a good time.
(Kevin's turn.)
After an early lunch -- my legs were worn out by 11 -- back for more of the same. The winds had picked up and it was snowing hard, but Sultan seemed a bit more sheltered. More of the same runs from the morning plus a couple of excellent lines through Percy Bowl. Everyone was having a great time.
If you go, take powder cords. It would suck to spend an afternoon digging around for a lost ski.
'til later,
- Jeff
P.S. If you haven't noticed (maybe you were in a foreign country or something over the holidays...) Utah has gotten tons of snow in the past few weeks and more is one the way. The skiing is great, so get out here!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Deer Valley 12/24
Christmas Eve at Deer Valley is becoming a bit of a tradition. No new snow overnight, but still a nice day to get out. It was the first time I got to ski the new terrain on Lady Morgan. I think it just opened on Saturday.
(Top of the new Lady Morgan Express.)
Lady Morgan is a brand new high-speed quad that opens up 200 acres of awesome terrain. Previously you could get to some of this via a hike off Empire, but most of it was out of bounds altogether. There's something for everyone off the lift, from a nice green (Pearl, Webster) to a nice blue (Dakota), plenty of bumps (Magnet, Argus, Hillside) and some awesome new glades (Centennial)!
(The next storm rolling in.)
Though the line never got long, it was obvious that everyone wanted to check out the new stuff. So, I alternated runs there and runs off Empire. There was still some great snow in the bowl. I met up with some friends for a bunch of runs on Empire and Lady Morgan before taking a lunch break (yummy turkey burger).
(Fun terrain under Lady Morgan.)
Unfortunately, the winds pushing the next storm into town were a bit fierce and enough to end my day shortly after lunch. But not a bad way to spend the day before Christmas. Enjoy the holidays.
'til later,
- Jeff
(Top of the new Lady Morgan Express.)
Lady Morgan is a brand new high-speed quad that opens up 200 acres of awesome terrain. Previously you could get to some of this via a hike off Empire, but most of it was out of bounds altogether. There's something for everyone off the lift, from a nice green (Pearl, Webster) to a nice blue (Dakota), plenty of bumps (Magnet, Argus, Hillside) and some awesome new glades (Centennial)!
(The next storm rolling in.)
Though the line never got long, it was obvious that everyone wanted to check out the new stuff. So, I alternated runs there and runs off Empire. There was still some great snow in the bowl. I met up with some friends for a bunch of runs on Empire and Lady Morgan before taking a lunch break (yummy turkey burger).
(Fun terrain under Lady Morgan.)
Unfortunately, the winds pushing the next storm into town were a bit fierce and enough to end my day shortly after lunch. But not a bad way to spend the day before Christmas. Enjoy the holidays.
'til later,
- Jeff
Friday, December 21, 2007
Deer Valley 12/21
Wind brings storms. And storms bring snow. And skiers like snow. So I should be happy with the wind. But two days in a row it's been miserable, so I'd be fine if it went away for a while!
Still, I didn't let that stop me. Another few inches of snow overnight and I headed up to Deer Valley to take advantage. A run each on Wasatch and Sterling was enough to convince me that Bald Mtn. was too windy. So, after a quick lunch, I headed over to Flagstaff. There was some great snow off Northside.
(A nice view from atop Empire.)
And, though everyone thinks they built Silver Strike just to service the new developments over there (Shooting Star, Arrowhead, Larkspur, Silver Strike), there's actually some great tree skiing there. The powder was still nice and soft and the winds weren't nearly as bad as elsewhere.
(Silver Lake as seen from Empire.)
After a few runs there, I headed over to Empire for the first time this year. There was still some nice snow to be had there, but I preferred Silver Strike, so finished my day there.
(Aspen.)
With all this new snow we've gotten this month, the skiing is really started to get good. If you haven't made travel plans for the holidays, come on out to Utah!
'til later,
- Jeff
Still, I didn't let that stop me. Another few inches of snow overnight and I headed up to Deer Valley to take advantage. A run each on Wasatch and Sterling was enough to convince me that Bald Mtn. was too windy. So, after a quick lunch, I headed over to Flagstaff. There was some great snow off Northside.
(A nice view from atop Empire.)
And, though everyone thinks they built Silver Strike just to service the new developments over there (Shooting Star, Arrowhead, Larkspur, Silver Strike), there's actually some great tree skiing there. The powder was still nice and soft and the winds weren't nearly as bad as elsewhere.
(Silver Lake as seen from Empire.)
After a few runs there, I headed over to Empire for the first time this year. There was still some nice snow to be had there, but I preferred Silver Strike, so finished my day there.
(Aspen.)
With all this new snow we've gotten this month, the skiing is really started to get good. If you haven't made travel plans for the holidays, come on out to Utah!
'til later,
- Jeff
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Deer Valley 12/15
Another Saturday, another day at Deer Valley. :) I headed up this chilly morning (5 degrees) and met Kevin and Bill on the mountain. We quickly worked our way over to Northside, but the snow was a little thin and not real impressive.
(Looking toward Empire.)
We had a little fun in the trees on our way back to Snow Park for some yummy turkey chili.
Then finished the afternoon with a couple of awesome runs on Legal Tender. They hadn't made any snow or groomed these, but the 3 feet from last weekend and 3" we got Thursday night made for some great tracks. And no one else was doing it.
(Gate to Legal Tender.)
A very cool way to end a great day.
'til later,
- Jeff
(Looking toward Empire.)
We had a little fun in the trees on our way back to Snow Park for some yummy turkey chili.
Then finished the afternoon with a couple of awesome runs on Legal Tender. They hadn't made any snow or groomed these, but the 3 feet from last weekend and 3" we got Thursday night made for some great tracks. And no one else was doing it.
(Gate to Legal Tender.)
A very cool way to end a great day.
'til later,
- Jeff
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Deer Valley 12/8
Saturday was opening day for the 2007-08 season at Deer Valley, and oh what a day it was! Storm totals of about 30" allowed them to open even more terrain than they had planned.
(Bill gets a little wide and has to dig out.)
The groomers seemed to get skied out quickly, but the real fun was the powder runs. Granted the snow was a little heavier than the soft, fluffy powder Utah is know for, but it will make a great base layer.
(Shane says that Utah powder is a lot better than Texas.)
And it made for the most spectacular face plant I've done for a while. Skiing through the deep, heavy snow, both my skis kept sinking until both heal bindings released at the same time sending me forward like Superman. Fortunately the landing was soft.
(Kevin rips it up.)
Definitely a great day to be out. And it looks like they'll be able to open up more terrain soon. Plan your Utah vacation now!
'til later,
- Jeff
(Bill gets a little wide and has to dig out.)
The groomers seemed to get skied out quickly, but the real fun was the powder runs. Granted the snow was a little heavier than the soft, fluffy powder Utah is know for, but it will make a great base layer.
(Shane says that Utah powder is a lot better than Texas.)
And it made for the most spectacular face plant I've done for a while. Skiing through the deep, heavy snow, both my skis kept sinking until both heal bindings released at the same time sending me forward like Superman. Fortunately the landing was soft.
(Kevin rips it up.)
Definitely a great day to be out. And it looks like they'll be able to open up more terrain soon. Plan your Utah vacation now!
'til later,
- Jeff
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Deer Valley 4/15, Closing Day
Weather: partly cloudy, low 60'sSorry no pics -- Deer Valley banned cameras today. They didn't want anybody showing off how thin the snow was ... Just kidding! :) I just forgot my camera, but there was a lot of brown!
Conditions: spring!
Gear: Volkl 7 24 Pro skis
Still, it was fun to get out for closing day. Where they'd made snow, things were still pretty good for the most part. But off of that was some thing snow. Especially at the top of Empire! But it was worth it to get out to the chutes one last time this year.
Alta's open again next weekend and Snowbird will be open a few more weeks, but that's probably it for my season. 52 days, a personal record. And even thought it wasn't the best snow year, it was still a lot of fun.
Now to dust of the mtn. bike ...
'til next time,
- Jeff
Monday, March 12, 2007
Deer Valley w/Mom&Dad 3/12
Still catching up with some old posts -- almost done!
Despite the sub-optimal conditions, I met up with mom & dad at Deer Valley for a few runs on Monday. Since that snow at the beginning of the month, it's warmed up a bit and the snow is a bit spring-like. Still, it was nice to get out with the folks.
(Mom and Dad.)
I was really surprised by how many people were on the hill. Maybe it was just poor timing, but there were people all over the place and no place to eat at Empire. It wasn't a holiday and it wasn't a powder day, but the crowds indicated otherwise. Maybe Utah's just been discovered. :(
(Mom.)
(Dad.)
I called it a day quite early. I'll let it go through a few more freeze/thaw cycles and really turn to corn before I head out again.
'til next time,
- Jeff
Conditions: powder
Gear: Rossignol Z9 skis
Despite the sub-optimal conditions, I met up with mom & dad at Deer Valley for a few runs on Monday. Since that snow at the beginning of the month, it's warmed up a bit and the snow is a bit spring-like. Still, it was nice to get out with the folks.
(Mom and Dad.)
I was really surprised by how many people were on the hill. Maybe it was just poor timing, but there were people all over the place and no place to eat at Empire. It wasn't a holiday and it wasn't a powder day, but the crowds indicated otherwise. Maybe Utah's just been discovered. :(
(Mom.)
(Dad.)
I called it a day quite early. I'll let it go through a few more freeze/thaw cycles and really turn to corn before I head out again.
'til next time,
- Jeff
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Deer Valley 1/21
Conditions: 1" powder
Weather: twenties, clear
Gear: Rossignol Z9 skis
So, after almost 2 weeks of being sick, I was finally feeling well enough to hit the slopes. Mother Nature delivered a little snow overnight, but it only amounted to an inch at Deer Valley. Still, it was a beautiful day and a bit warmer than it has been.
(Top of Empire looking towards PCMR.)
As usual, I spent much of my time in Empire. It's nice because it has the best snow, the best terrain, and the lift is in the sun all day!
(Blue skies!)
Although it is Sundance, the crowds seem mostly confined to town. Seems like none of the visitors come up to ski. Fine with me! I'll take the slopes all to myself.
(Daly Chutes.)
'til later,
- Jeff
Thursday, January 04, 2007
DUMPING! Deer Valley 1/4
Conditions: powder!All our snow dances must have paid off! I woke up to snow this morning and headed up to Deer Valley to take advantage. It was awesome to watch the temperature fall and the snowflakes get bigger as the day went on.
Weather: twenties, snowing
Gear: Rossignol Z9 skis
After turkey chili at Empire Lodge, I skied all Empire all afternoon and it was incredible! There must have been 6" of fresh after lunch and it just kept coming. Runs down the bowl were nice as were the trees and everything else you could find. I didn't want to quit but my legs did. Four days in a row will do that!
'til next time,
- Jeff
Monday, January 01, 2007
New Year's Day at Deer Valley 1/1
Conditions: hard pack
Weather: 30, sunny
Gear: Rossignol z9 skis
What a way to kick off the New Year! I took it kinda easy on New Year's Eve so I could get up early and be at Deer Valley when the lifts opened. While there were more people there than I had expected, it was far from crowded. It was a great day to be out on the slopes.
(Top of Sterling Express.)
After a quick run down Last Chance to warm up and a few runs off Sterling, I met up with some friends and headed over to Northside. I'll write more about my new Z9's soon, but let me tell ya -- they're AMAZING on the hardpack. Funnest ski ever! Anyhow, a few nice groomers there there and off Silver Strike then we headed to Empire. Gotta love the sun on Empire.
(Afternoon sun on the way to Deer Crest.)
Lunch was at Empire (burger and carrot cake -- yum!) before we headed back across the mountain. Stuff off Sultan was still kinda icy so we made our way to Deer Crest before calling it a day. We could sure use some more snow, but still a nice way to start 2007!
'til next time,
- Jeff
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Christmas Eve at Deer Valley 12/24
Conditions: packed powder over machine made
Weather: twenties, sunny
Gear: Volkl 7 24 Pro skis
Sunday Kevin and I headed up to Deer Valley. We met up with Eric for a gorgeous day of skiing. We caught a little soft in the trees off Sultan before heading across the mountain to Empire.
(Kevin in the trees.)
After lunch in Empire Lodge, we met up with James and Dave and headed up Empire lift. Since it only opened last week, there was still some nice snow left. We had a few nice runs down Empire Bowl before heading out to Daly Bowl. The best snow we found was in the trees off the traverse.
(Me at the top of Empire, looking over Heber.)
(Eric skiing Empire Bowl.)
Another of Deer Valley's well-kept secrets is the apres ski at Snow Park Lodge. On the weekends, there's live music while you enjoy drinks and snacks. Check it out if you're ever up there.
'til next time,
- Jeff
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