The trip started out smoothly from the get-go, with direct flights from Boston to Salt Lake City. A 45-minute shuttle ride brought us to our accommodations near Canyons Village. There is a slew of lodging options, including condos, super luxe mountain lodges, high-end luxury resorts, simple hotel rooms, and private homes and apartments. We opted for a private rental house that was big enough for the group and a short walk to a chairlift that took us to the Canyons Village base. Note: The new Canyons Village Skyway gondola will replace this chairlift and is slated to open this season. It’s free to ride and features 10-person cabins with floor-to-ceiling windows and provides quick access from lodging areas and lower parking lots to the Canyons Village base.
Getting around the gigantic resort proved to be easy, with an efficiently designed network of shuttles, chairlifts, and gondolas that zipped you around the mountains and to and from the villages (with restaurants, bars, shops, and entertainment). The historic mining town of Park City — also filled with restaurants and shops — is a free 10-minute bus ride away from both Park City Mountain and Canyons Village transit centers. There was no need for a rental car, which meant one less hassle and expense.
We arrived in time to enjoy the festive après-ski scene at the Umbrella Bar in the center of Canyons Village. We sipped drinks, listened to live music, and watched alpenglow warm the mountain peaks.
The next morning, the skiers hit the slopes. Canyons Village area is well known for its intermediate, groomed terrain. Just what we love! We started on the cat-scratched trails off the Orange Bubble Express, then shot over to the Tombstone Express lift to ski a wide crisscrossing network of blue square trails. We skied up and down all morning; some in the group split off to tackle steep and narrow black diamond runs. We met for an outdoor lunch at Tombstone BBQ, our legs wobbly and lungs craving sea level oxygen. In the afternoon, we skied the Murdock Peak area, with a variety of blue cruisers, black, and double-black chutes.
As if we hadn’t had enough adventure for the day, the group met up at the Flying Eagle Zipline, a two-person seated zipline, stretching nearly 2,000 feet across the canyon, and 200 feet above it. Another day, we rode the Mountain Coaster, zipping through the trees on a mile-long track at speeds up to 25 miles per hour.
We dined that evening at the award-winning Riverhorse on Main in downtown Park City, followed by a walk around town. Surrounded by the soaring Wasatch Range, this former mining town is filled with historic buildings, housing restaurants, cafes, bars, galleries, and one-of-a-kind shops. We’d return on another day to visit the Mining Museum, filled with historical artifacts and interactive exhibits, and for the famous buffalo burgers at No Name Saloon.
The next day, the group split up again. Some signed up for a guided backcountry snowshoe hike in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. They later reported “wonderful mountain views,” “pristine scenery,” and “remote, uncrowded backcountry.” The rest of us headed back to the slopes, warming up on Doc’s Run, a fast, meandering blue trail, before hopping the Quicksilver Gondola over to the Park City side of the resort, where we found some of our favorite runs, like Sikka and King Con, and rolling Parley’s Park. This area is also home to the steep and famous Jupiter Bowl, a natural powder playground for expert skiers.
Our days were filled with on- and off-slope fun. One day, both the non-skiers and skiers rode the Red Pine Gondola for sweeping scenic views and lunch at Red Pine Lodge. Another day, we visited Utah Olympic Park, a training ground for international athletes. It was the site of many Olympic events during the 2002 Games and will be used again in 2034. It’s also home to the Alf Engen Ski Museum and 2002 Winter Olympic Gallery, which explores the history of skiing in the area with more than 8,000 artifacts, interactive exhibits, and a virtual reality ski theater.
Our qualms were squashed. “Can we go again next year?,” 11-year-old James asked as we were loading up for the return trip home. The non-skiing Grandpa in our group chimed in, “Yes! I think we should. I loved it!” For more information, visit www.parkcitymountain.com.
Diane Bair and Pamela Wright can be reached at bairwright@gmail.com
