Location: Situated in the heart of Park City, 37 miles east of Salt Lake City. Take Park City exit off I-80.
Lifts: 15 lifts—four high-speed lifts that hold six passengers, one high-speed quad, five triple, four doubles and Magic Carpet children's ride.
Base: 6,900 feet; top is at 10,000 feet.
Skiable area: 3,300 acres with 100 runs and seven bowls—18 percent beginner, 44 percent intermediate, 38 percent expert.
Lift passes:
All-day $63
Half-day $46
What it's known for: Take your choice—America's Opening World Cup races, night skiing, wide-open runs or as one of three Olympic venues. Any one of the noted features is easily identifiable with the resort. In the rush to 2002, however, it's hard not to give the Olympics the upper hand. The area is also recognized, especially by locals, for its laid-back, casual atmosphere—no hurry, no sweat, no rush. Take your time and enjoy yourself.
Park City Mountain Ski Resort has a great variety of trails.
Ravell Call, Deseret News |
If you go: There are two "must dos" at Park City. The first is to visit the official Olympic venues for 2002—the giant slalom course for alpine, the snowboard course and the half-pipe, all near the base in Race Arena. The second is to visit the Mid Mountain Lodge, which was formerly a boarding house for silver miners in the early part of the 20th century. The most popular run on the mountain would have to be PayDay, but if you want to get away and find some powder, then head for Creole and Quit 'N Time under the Town Lift. If you're in the mood for some cruising runs, head over to the King Con lift and pick your runs. One of the most breathtaking runs on the mountain is Hidden Splendor.
Best kept secret: If you're not adverse to hiking (30 to 45 minutes), take the Jupiter lift to Scott's Bowl, then hike the boot-packed trail to Homelite Bowl. This is a medium-pitch, wide-open run that gets little traffic but delivers some of skiing's best turns. And, while it's no secret, people may not realize they can actually make turns on the same Olympic run world class athletes will be skiing in 2002. Definitely gold medal material.
More information is available on the resort's Web site at www.parkcitymountain.com.
