Snow Report: Deer Valley, Utah, December 11, 2012

By Jim Barth
Dec 12, 2012

Snow Park Restaurant at Deer ValleyWell, I for one am going to stay optimistic.  It’s forecast to snow a number of times in the next several days and we really need it!

Yesterday afternoon, Nancy and I ventured out for our first ski excursion of the year at Deer Valley.  There are not a lot of trails open yet, and the skiing was on man-made snow only.  Trails that were open include Success off Bald Eagle Mountain, Birdseye off Bald Mountain, and a handful of trails off Flagstaff.  There is quite a bit of barren terrain under the lifts, however it is finally cold enough for Deer Valley to be blowing snow continuously.  Of course I could have been in the office, so I really have nothing to complain about!

On a positive note, we toured the renovated Snow Park Lodge dining area, which underwent a significant remodel in the off-season. Most noticeably, the beverage stations, once located at center stage in the middle of the buffet line have been relocated to a wall, skier’s left as you enter the buffet area. It’s easy to use during the ski day.  At the center of the area is an expansive new Natural Buffet station.  There is also a beautiful new espresso bar just to the right of the stairs to the second level of dining.

Time to work up an appetite so let’s all PRAY FOR SNOW!

Forbes Rates Skiing in Utah Awesome

By Nancy Barth
Dec 11, 2012

Picture of Empire Lift and Empire Canyon Lodge at Deer ValleyAccording to a recent article in the Salt Lake Tribune, Forbes.com thinks Utah Ski resorts are “awesome,” and included seven of Utah’s resorts – Alta, Snowbird, Park City, Deer Valley Resort, Canyons Resort, Brighton and Solitude – in its list of “The Top 10 Ski Resorts in the United States for 2013.”  The rankings are based on a “Pure Awesomeness Factor,” or PAF.

"We only rank one thing: Awesomeness," the site said of its measuring algorithm. "It’s the most important thing we can measure. If you can know a place’s awesomeness, do you need to know anything else?"

First place went to Jackson, WY for its continuous fall line, terrain and backcountry skiing.  Deer Valley, Park City and Canyons Resort as a group came in fifth place, praised not only for the level of skiing but also for the fact that they surround Park City, a place that is “picture perfect in every sense.”

According to the Forbes site, Deer Valley “packs in some great shots of terrain, including the Daly chutes.”  The site refers to Empire Canyon Lodge as the greatest ski lodge in the world, and names Deer Valley’s Turkey Chili as “the greatest single dish served mountainside anywhere.”  The rankings also note that powder lasts a little longer at Deer Valley than other places.

The rankings did not include any resorts east of the Rocky Mountains because the website prefers the powder in the west over the ice in the east. According to the site, "No resort east of the Rockies has the snow or terrain to crack our Awesomeness rankings — something that matters for both beginners and experts.

To read more about the Forbes.com ski resorts ranking, please click The Top 10 Ski Resorts in the US for 2013 article.

Get Ready for the Ski Season at Deer Valley Resort!

By Jim Barth
Sep 30, 2012

Picture of Deer Valley logo at Silver Lake Lodge in Deer Valley UtahSeason passes for the 2012-13 ski season are now on sale at the Snow Park Ticket Office or online at www.deerlocals.com. This season Deer Valley Resort has added the Super Senior (72+), Midweek Senior and Young Adult (18-23) passes.  Pre-season rates apply through October 31, 2012. 

Deer Valley Resort has been very busy this summer season, investing over $8 million in improvements.  The most noteworthy upgrade is the replacement of the Deer Crest chairlift on Little Baldy Mountain with a high-speed detachable quad lift to be named Mountaineer Express, which will increase the uphill skier capacity by 1,200 skiers per hour.

Other improvements include remodeling the Snow Park Restaurant, replacing the wooden deck at Empire Canyon Lodge with heated pavers, expanding snowmaking capabilities to include more terrain in Empire Canyon and purchasing additional low-energy, air-water guns and five additional Prinoth Snowcats, including one Beast Groomer.  It should be a great year, so think snow!

Deer Valley Resort Upgrades the Deer Crest Chairlift

By Nancy Barth
Jun 19, 2012

Mountaineer Express at Deer Valley Resort

Deer Crest chairlift upgrade - Summer 2012

Among the many projects occurring at Deer Valley Resort this summer is the upgrade of the Deer Crest chairlift. The chairlift is being replaced with a high-speed detachable quad that will now be called the Mountaineer Express.   As you can see from the picture, the construction is well on its way!

Deer Valley Resort Wraps Up A Successful Ski Season

By Nancy Barth
Apr 18, 2012

Deer Valley Resort wrapped up its ski season last Sunday and according to the resort’s President Bob Wheaton during an interview with Park City’s local radio station KPCW, Deer Valley enjoyed a great year, despite the challenging snow conditions. Deer Valley ended the season only 1 ½ % down from last year, which Wheaton considered extremely fortunate and very unique in the ski industry, as most ski areas and ski resorts were off “heavy double digits.”  Because of last year’s epic ski year, bookings at Deer Valley Resort were strong throughout the year, but the snow conditions were also great, thanks to Deer Valley’s snowmaking system, including incredible snowmakers and groomers. According to Wheaton, Deer Valley saw a lot of people who travelled to Utah that were staying outside of Park City come to Deer Valley to ski because of the good snow conditions.   

One upside to the low snow year is a head start on the mountain biking, hiking and concert season.  Deer Valley is expecting to start its summer season on June 21st, weather permitting.  Additionally Deer Valley is already looking forward to next year’s ski season. The resort will be replacing the deck at Empire Canyon Lodge.  Other improvements include more efficient and higher capacity snowmaking.  Deer Valley plans to boost its capacity on the Empire side by laying some more pipes, and the resort has already ordered some new very energy efficient “guns,” which, according to Wheaton, will allow Deer Valley to “make so much more snow, so much faster and be a lot more energy efficient.” 

Wheaton concluded his interview by expressing his appreciation to everyone on staff at Deer Valley Resort as well as to local and out of town skiers, who consistently spoke about their great Deer Valley ski experience.

PARK CITY FEATURED IN THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

By Nancy Barth
Apr 06, 2012

The Park City and Deer Valley areas were recently featured in an article in The San Francisco Chronicle, the leading newspaper in the San Francisco Bay area. Please click here to check out this great article about a few days spent skiing at our resorts.

February Resort Booking Rose with Snow Arrival

By Jim Barth
Mar 26, 2012

At long last, winter’s belated arrival helped lift bookings out of the doldrums at mountain resorts in Utah and other Western states.  According to an article in the Money Section of the Salt Lake Tribune, Denver-based Rocky Mountain Lodging Report said Monday that lodging establishments it monitors in Park City, Deer Valley and other Utah ski destinations filled almost 71 percent of their rooms in February. That was up from 67 percent a year earlier and 59 percent in February 2010.

Long-awaited snowfall boosted those numbers, said another group out of Denver, the Mountain Travel Research Program, based on data from 265 property-management companies overseeing 24,000 rooms in 15 resort communities in Utah, Colorado, California and Oregon.

"Reservations taken in February for arrival in February were up 6.2 percent compared to the same month last year," said Research Program Director Ralf Garrison.  "Despite uncooperative weather patterns and the third warmest winter in the U.S.’s recorded history, skiers and riders still tracked the snow, and lodging rates and showed up when the snow flew," he added.

To read the article, please click here.

Barron's Magazine picks Park City for second-home buyers

By Nancy Barth
Mar 11, 2012

Barron's Magazine, a subsidiary of The Wall Street Journal, recently named Park City and Deer Valley as one of the best places in the country to buy a second home. The article listed Park City for the its winter and summer attractions.

According to the article, “skiers love Park City and Deer Valley for its powdery winters, but homeowners relish the summers, too. The crowds thin out, life slows down and the tall aspens lining the nearby Wasatch Range shimmer in the breeze," the article read.

Among other top second home options, the article listed Maui, the Hamptons and Aspen. To read more, click here.