Ski Utah Blog - All Articles
Showing 10 articles out of 821.
Can you beat the Pro?
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on March 13, 2010
SLUG Magazine teamed up with Park City Mountain Resort to host a Beat the Pro event, and the tricks were coming down hard. Check out this video courtesy of Park City Television.
A sleigh ride and dinner...family fun at The Canyons
Posted by Jodi Saeland on March 12, 2010
After a big day of skiing, now what do you do with the kids? Going out to dinner can be challenging with little guys if they're anything like mine...sitting still for 5 minutes at a time and then wanting to "get down" and hoping they don't break something. If you're vacationing, you always have your eye out for somewhere that is family friendly and has a louder atmosphere so it will drown out the noise coming from your own table.
I would definitely suggest the Sleigh ride and dinner at the Cabin Restaurant at The Canyons. The Canyons is the largest resort in Utah and is constantly expanding it's wonderful facilities. I have to admit I've not done a lot of skiing at The Canyons, but can tell you it has top notch facilities. Once you pull off the main road into Park City, you can park in a parking lot and take a Gondola right up to the resort. No lugging your skis and kids all over through parking lots...up you go!
Since we arrived after ski hours, we parked very close to the base of the resort and were told to meet just outside of Docs. We knew we were going on a sleigh ride, so we were dressed like we were heading to Mt Everest for a hike. There are several different times you can choose from; from before sunset to after sunset. Since there was a full moon, I was hoping to get a glimpse on our ride. The high clouds kind of did away with that wish. As we're waiting for our escort, we can see the horses and sleigh up the hill a bit. Yea!! Here comes our "cowboy" to get us; chaps and all. We walk a little ways up the hill and load the wagon. There are 2 other families with us. Blankets are provided, so we can sit back and watch our 2 Belgians pull us up the mountain. If you've never been to a ski resort after hours, it is so peaceful! Everyone has gone home and it's just you. The sound of the horses pulling us in the sleigh and wait...we spot a moose having his dinner up the mountain! Our driver was very friendly and of course it was a wonderful 30 minute ride through the resort with the kids. A great activity and not too long for the kids.
We're dropped back off where we started, kids give horses a hug and now it's time for dinner. Now, I am not an eater. Meaning, I eat to survive, not to "dine". Pizza and french fries are fine with me. Heading to the Cabin Restaurant, I can tell we're not having pizza :) A very warm atmosphere with a rustic feel and it is comfortable and kid friendly. Since we have the sleigh ride/dinner package, dinner is already decided for us. Good with me, I don't have to think. A beautiful 4 course meal; Butternut squash bisque I would highly recommend, cheese fondue, a roasted meat platter with 4 different types of meat served with potatoes, veggies and mushrooms (my favorite). Now that I'm stuffed, the desert is a pastry from the Chef. The kids have their own menu to choose from; of course the platters have more than enough for all of us. Now we need to just get our tired, stuffed bodies back to Salt Lake :) If you don't have the kids, there is a bar area where there was live music playing and a very festive atmosphere.
A great family friendly night! Great food, enjoyable sleigh ride and you could do it as a family vs trying to find a babysitter. After all, if you're on vacation as a family you need those places that welcome that. Well worth the price for an enjoyable evening! If you have other family friendly restaurants, activities you'd like to share, let me know.
Winter Stargazer Event at Snowbird Saturday, March 13
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on March 10, 2010
Snowbird will be hosting a winter Stargazer event this Saturday, March 13. The evening includes a Tram ride with local astronomers for an informative presentation before unloading on Hidden Peak where participants will view the night sky at 11,000 feet through high-powdered telescopes.
Tickets will be sold through the Snowbird Activity Center on March 13 from 6:30-6:55 p.m. The Snowbird Aerial Tram is scheduled to depart at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for children 12 and under as well as seniors, and $10 for employees. Season passes are not valid for this event, and participants are urged to dress appropriately for winter temperatures.
Winter Stargazer is a weather-dependent activity; for updates the day of the event, please contact the Activity Center at (801) 933-2147. For a complete list of Snowbird spring events, please visit snowbird.com/events.
What: Winter Stargazer event with local astronomers.
Where: Snowbird Activity Center and Hidden Peak (park at Entry 2)
When: Saturday, March 13; Tickets sold at 6:30 p.m., Tram departs at 7 p.m.
Cat Skiing at Alta is Purr...fect!
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on March 9, 2010
What could possibly be better than powder skiing at legendary Alta and Snowbird? How about cat skiing at Alta? Now your talking!
Check out the snowcat skiing operation up
Little Cottonwood Canyon for a fun and unique adventure of guided
off-trail skiing in Grizzly Gulch's 375 acres of incredible bowl skiing.
Sweet Spring Powder at the Bird
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on March 8, 2010
Have you skied powder lately? Well, there is plenty of it to be found in Utah. Check out this video shot this past weekend at Snowbird. And, don't forget that you could still win a free trip to come ski with me by becoming a fan of the Ski Utah Yeti page on Facebook by Wednesday, March 10!
Ski extravaganza at Deer Valley
Posted by Jodi Saeland on March 7, 2010
After 6 Friday afternoon lessons at Deer Valley, we have arrived at the Ski Extravaganza. It is the last day of lessons and the kids put on a little show for the parents to show them what they have learned during their time. It is a beautiful day at Deer Valley and I've decided to take Brennan out to the moving carpet to see if he'll do a little skiing as well. After lugging all our equipment in and getting Emily sorted out, me and Bren head out. First off....way overdressed. Ok, up the hill we go anyway to get to the beginner area. I've done everything right...had snacks, water, change pants...what could really go wrong. Yep...you guessed it....he doesn't want to go! We go up once and he lays down on the ground and won't move. He's sweating because I've overdressed him and he's done before we started. Again, a lesson I've taught throughout my blog to everyone but myself, DON'T try to teach your 2 year old to ski. Get an instructor. At this age, if they don't want to do it...game over! So, we decide to lounge in the sun and wait for Emily's show to begin.
The show is for all the Bambi and Reindeers. Since Emily is 4, she's still a Bambi so she has had her lessons with Myles and one other little girl which has been nice. I've blogged about the whole program in a previous entry, but it really is nice to have the 2 on 1 lesson at this age. The kids get a lot of attention and can really learn almost one on one the correct techniques. If you can't quite afford a private lesson, this is definitely the way to go. Also, gaining the trust of the same instructor week after week, a good relationship is built. The kids get to know the routine of the day and can concentrate on building their skills vs wondering what is happening next.
After me and Brennan have had our sit time, let the show begin. I still have my ski boots on; so does Brennan. We stop to say hi to Ruby and then off we go.
A successful 6 weeks at Deer Valley and I would recommend it to anybody who has the time to bring the kids. It is well worth it and definitely an experience I won't forget. Thanks Myles...our Australian instructor at Deer Valley for the winter. Deer Valley employs many seasonal workers from Chile, Australia and New Zealand. A great global flare for the thousands of visitors every year. It also is a great place in the summer to mountain bike and hike as well. I would definitely check it out in the off season. It is quiet with beautiful scenery and you may have the mountain to yourself
Be An Olympian
Posted by Ray Grass on March 4, 2010
Okay, you watched the Games from the sidelines. Now be an Olympian. Or, at least, try your hand at an Olympic sport.
Consider this: Get in a few days of skiing and when looking for something to do take a run down a bobsled track, a turn or two on the speed-skating oval, test a downhill course, surf a super halfpipe or ski and shoot on a biathlon course.
That’s the legacy left from the 2002 Olympics that Utah now offers.
I’ve sampled many and, believe me, I hold a lot more admiration for Olympians.
Here’s what’s available:
Ski the slalom and freestyle mogul courses at Deer Valley. Over the years a lot of people have come, asked about and headed in those directions.
Or, visit Snowbasin and take a breathtaking run on the men’s and women’s downhill and super-G courses. Believe me, it takes a lot of nerve not to check speed, even for the very best skiers, on those courses.
Four Utah resorts -- Brian Head, Deer Valley, Park City Mountain Resort and Snowbasin -- offer NASTAR racing where skiers and snowboarders can test their gate-running skills.
Slide into the Super Halfpipe at Park City Mountain Resort where the U.S. won all three snowboard medals in the men’s competition. Oh, and don’t expect big air and 180-degree spins on first or even 20th try.
Jump into a four-man bobsled, with professional driver, and enjoy the fast-track -- 80-plus miles per hour and 5-Gs in the turns -- on the sliding course at the Utah Olympic Park. Skeleton runs are available, but prior planning is necessary.
Take a spin on the short-track speed skating oval where Apolo Ohno trains on the ice at the Utah Olympic Oval.
Ski the northern resorts -- Snowbasin, Wolf Creek or Powder Mountain -- and then stop by the Ogden Ice Sheet and slide a stone on the Olympic curling ice. There are also other locations offering curling lanes in Utah.
There are three options for the biathlon at Soldier Hollow -- the introductory program with air rifle, the longer session, again with air rifle, or the full Olympic experience with a longer cross country test and shooting on the Olympic range with .22-caliber rifle.
Of course, the Olympic nordic tracks at Soldier Hollow, which drew positive mention from athletes in Vancouver, are open and a real eye opener.
So, of the 15 Winter Olympic categories held in Vancouver in February, it is possible to sample 11 of them between now and then in Utah.
Two of my most memorable experiences came on the downhill run at Snowbasin and the bobsled track at the Olympic Park.
The start house at Snowbasin sits on a cliff. There is no gradual acceleration. It’s zero to 80 in three seconds . . . if you didn’t check the speed, which I did.
As downhill courses go, this one is two miles long. The winning time was slightly more than a minute and a half, which meant Olympic speeds averaged more than 60 miles a hour — top to bottom, over jumps and through gullies and in turns that compressed skiers to half his standing height, all on snow as hard as a rock.
Come anywhere close to that time and you’ve got Olympic potential.
The bobsled run takes less than a minute, but you can feel every turn, every chatter in the ice and every bump on the sled. All passengers have to do is lean and try to catch their breath.
I recommend any of the Olympic opportunities, especially for those who lived the Olympics in Vancouver as I did.
Yeti Spring Fling
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on March 3, 2010
- Roundtrip airfare on Southwest Airlines
- Three nights lodging in Park City
- Two nights lodging in Salt Lake City
- One day skiing at Park City Mountain Resort, The Canyons and Deer Valley
- Two Salt Lake Superpasses, good for two days of skiing at your choice of Alta, Snowbird, Brighton or Solitude
- Five day car rental
- Ski/snowboard equipment rental from Canyon Sports
To BCM
Posted by Ray Grass on March 2, 2010
In response, BCM asked about skiing Snowbird, then The Canyons and Deer Valley this week.
And, it sounds like a good plan to me. Deer Valley, Snowbird and The Canyons all have good snow. Over the past nine days I skied Deer Valley and Snowbird and snow conditions were excellent. When I checked Monday, Deer Valley and The Canyons are holding bases over 70 inches.
Supposed to snow Wednesday and Thursday and brighten up on Friday and Saturday. Nothing better than new snow over a groomed surface unless it’s two feet of fresh snow.
As for total snow ,a recent report said Snowbird is at 87 percent of normal. And, as Nathan Rafferty, president of Ski Utah, pointed out, “I’d rather have 87 percent of 500 than 110 percent of 300.’’ Point well taken.
If Utah has a normal March and April, resorts will likely hit their averages. Remember, last year Utah received something like 14 feet in 14 days in early April. Season total was around 700.
Skiing the Brighton Park
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on March 2, 2010
The Nimbus crew takes a park lap at Brighton.
