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By Jill Becker
“Break a leg,” he said as I prepared to take my first run down the slope.
Of course, as soon as he said it, I knew I probably would, in fact, break a leg.
Luckily, I made it to the bottom unscathed, although my clumsy descent was far from a thing of beauty. There were stops and starts, near collisions, and a couple of falls. But I still had great fun.
Such was my first experience skiing, which for reasons too long to explain here, was with a ski club from Texas on the powdery slopes on Park City, Utah.
And while I can’t say I necessarily loved skiing so much that I immediately went out and bought my own pair of K2s, I quickly became enamored with the charms of Park City.
Just 35 miles from the Salt Lake City airport, Park City is a dream destination—and not just during ski season. Says Craig McCarthy of the Park City Convention & Visitors Bureau: “Our summer season is really growing.”
Some of the thanks for that can be attributed to its 7,000-foot elevation, which ensures that Park City is typically a good 10 degrees cooler than Salt Lake City and other surrounding areas at lower elevations. Other factors include its secluded mountain setting and endless recreational opportunities. For instance, think you can’t take a spin down the city’s Olympic bobsled course just because there’s no snow on the ground? Think again. Come summer, they simply swap a bobsled with blades for one with wheels, and then you and two friends, steered by an official driver, can scream down the course at more than 70 miles an hour. And just because it’s the off-season doesn’t mean the chairlifts aren’t in use. Instead of skiers and snowboarders, they whisk hikers, bikers and everyday sightseers up the mountain, where they can check out the view or access more than 50 miles of scenic trails.
What’s also special about the off-season is that travelers can snatch up some great bargains. For example, Craig McCarthy tells us that a hotel that goes for $1,000 a night in January or February can be had for as little as $99 off-peak. Another money saver? All of the public transportation in Park City is absolutely free, so you can not only get around without having to worry about having exact change, but also without having to rent a car.
Of course, winter is when Park City shines the brightest. The city averages 360 inches of snow a year and its trio of award-winning ski resorts are within five miles of each other, making it the only spot in America to have its snowbound facilities so close together and accessible.
One of those facilities is the Park City Mountain Resort, which is consistently named one of the top 10 family resorts in North America. It boasts more than 3,300 acres of terrain that rise up some 3,000 feet, and features 750 acres of bowls, 14 lifts, 100 runs and some of the best halfpipes in the country, including the Eagle Superpipe, where they hosted the 2002 Winter Games. New for the 2008–2009 season are $10 million in improvements, including an additional high-speed lift, a new gladed run and a complete renovation of the Mid-Mountain Lodge.
The nearby Deer Valley Resort made news 28 years ago when it became the first resort in North America to provide the same first-class service you’d be treated to at a five-star hotel. The amenities include ski valets, on-site childcare, an award-winning ski school and state-of-the-art snowmaking for those rare days when Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate. Deer Valley is also one of only three resorts in North America that is off-limits to anyone other than skiers (snowboarders take note!).
The Canyons Resort is one of the country’s largest resorts. In addition to the many on-mountain activities (from skiing to snowshoeing to dog sledding), there are options galore off-slope as well. For example, treat yourself to a luxurious spa treatment, some first-rate shopping or a little après-ski entertainment.
Park City is nothing if not evolving, though, and can always be counted on for new and exciting developments. Coming in 2010, for instance, is a St. Regis, the first and only Waldorf-Astoria property to be located in a ski area, which will feature a luxurious Golden Door spa. Opening next year is the High West Distillery, where visitors can stop in for tours and tastings of its unique rye (not bourbon) whiskeys and vodkas distilled from oats (rather than the usual potatoes).
There’s much more on tap to entice you to book a trip to Park City. For all the details, click here.
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