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PARK CITY
DEER VALLEY
DeerValley.com
Years in operation: 27
Skiable acres: 2,026
Lifts: 22
No snowboarders
Can’t-miss run: Chuck English, director of mountain operations, recommends: “Go to the top of Sultan Express and ski Stein’s Way all the way to the bottom on a sunny day or else ski on Bald Eagle Mountain where the Olympics were held.”
Hidden gem: “One of our gems is our gladed skiing—the locals stay away from the busy lifts and spend more time at Wasatch Express where the tree runs are not well marked on our maps by design.”
New in ‘08: New this year: the Lady Morgan Express, a new high-speed detachable quad; 51 new snow guns; a Snow Scan ground penetrating radar that accurately determines snow depth on any part of the mountain; heated pavers at the Snow Park Lodge; and automated ski-tuning machines in the rental shop.
PARK CITY MOUNTAIN RESORT
ParkCityMountain.com
Years in operation: 45
Skiable acres: 3,300
Lifts: 15
Can’t-miss run: Kids Mountain School manager Mary Flinn-Ware recommends McConkey’s Hi-Speed Six-Pack Lift. “It accesses some phenomenal bowls for more advanced skiers. But skiers of all levels can follow the top of the ridge for spectacular views of the Uintas—it’s one of the prettiest places I’ve ever seen.”
Hidden gem: “Check out Cadillac Country and some of the smaller gladed areas off the Motherlode Lift. Or else take the Eagle Lift down to the area we call The Desert: one area a lot of people don’t go through.”
New in ‘08: New Motherlode Meadows terrain; a redesigned trail map; a new heating system in the resort plaza; Fast Tracks (a shortcut through lift lines) available at the King Con Hi-Speed Quad; a new run off of McConkey’s; and expanded snowmaking and grooming efforts.
THE CANYONS
TheCanyons.com
Years in operation: 7 as The Canyons (formerly Park West and Wolf Mountain)
Skiable acres: 3,700
Lifts: 17
Can’t-miss run: Ski Patrol director Jake Hutchinson gives the lowdown: “If you’re an intermediate skier, go to Upper Boa—a classic wide-open cruiser. You gotta hit it. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, hit Murdoch on a powder day.”
Hidden gem: “People get so focused on new terrain, they forget about the old stuff. The whole Condor area gets overlooked.”
New in ‘08: There are two more runs on the Dreamcatcher lift; new chairs on the Short Cut lift; new ski and snowboard racks on the Gondola; snowmaking improvements; and new terrain park rails.
OGDEN AREA
SNOWBASIN
Snowbasin.com
Years in operation: 67
Skiable acres: 2,820
Lifts: 9
Can’t-miss run: Snow sports supervisor Lee Yoder says: “If we have the perfect conditions, go to the Strawberry Express Gondola area: huge, fast, big wide-open groomed slopes like you’ve never seen before.”
Hidden gem: “Go to the extreme right side of Strawberry for little hidden caches of feel-good snow. The locals always know.”
New in ‘08: A new coffee bar, discounted multiday lift tickets, our hosting of the Nissan Xterra Winter World Championships and the U.S. National Snowshoe Championships.
POWDER MOUNTAIN
PowderMountain.com
Years in operation: 35
Skiable acres: 2,800 lift-served inbound acres: 1,200 accessible through Powder Country shuttle bus and 700 acres accessible by Lightning Ridge Snowcat.
Lifts: 7
Can’t-miss run: Carolyn Daniels, resort spokeswoman and self-described powder hound, says, “You have to try Powder Country. If you like powder skiing, you’ve gotta try that.”
Hidden gem: “A wonderful hidden gem is Cobabe Canyon. There is incredible tree skiing, powder bowls; it’s the best intermediate skiing I’ve ever seen. It’s the last area to get tracked out.”
New in ‘08: Powder Mountain now offers one-day Snowcat Powder Safari excursions; terrain park features a new lumberjack area with new rails; lodges have received a full facelift. Snowkiters will be officially welcome with a Feb. 8-10 festival.
WOLF MOUNTAIN
WolfMountainEden.com
Years in operation: 4 (previously known as Nordic Valley)
Skiable acres: 110
Lifts: 3
Can’t-miss run: Chris Miller of the Wolf Mountain Learning Center recommends checking out Wandering Wolf. “I like the versatility of it. There are a lot of different levels. You can go through the trees and hit lots of different kinds of runs on the way down.”
Hidden gem: “The Howling Wolf Lift. You can get off either side to some steeper runs or some deeper runs. Or Cougar Canyon, which is a little back way. It’s a black run without as many people.”
New in ‘08: Wolf Mountain has installed the new Wolf Lair triple chairlift, which accesses expanded features in its terrain park. Separate areas have been designed for beginner and advanced terrain-park riders.
PROVO CANYON
SUNDANCE
SundanceResort.com
Years in operation: 38
Skiable acres: 450
Lifts: 3
Can’t-miss run: Czar Johnson, director of Village Sports, says, “Bear Claw is the quintessential run at Sundance—it’s wide open with great groomed slopes and some awesome spots to stop and take in the majestic scenery.”
Hidden gem: “Shauna’s Secret is a run that gets missed but is often loaded up with fresh snow that can still give you some deep shots two or three days after a big storm. Also, Close But No Cigar takes you through a really cool grove of aspens for some high-speed tree skiing.”
New in ‘08: The season pass at Sundance applies all year so you can take the lifts up in the summer for mountain biking or hiking.
