IWNA 2019 Issue 2

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42 INTERVAL WORLD n Issue 2, 2019
I blow past the hundreds of people lining up at the main base areas,
Park City and Canyons villages, and pull into a parking garage on Park
City’s historic Main Street. From here, I walk onto the Town Lift, right as
it’s opening, and that pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the day.
After a throwaway run from the top of Town Lift, I’m champing to
get to the summit of the mountain and the big daddy peaks, Jupiter
(9,998 feet) and Ninety-Nine 90 (you guessed it: 9,990 feet), both of
which require a hike to the top. But then I remember the advice of
an avid skier who hits the slopes more than 100 days every season,
and head to the Crescent Express lift, a high-speed four pack that,
on powder days, is almost as overlooked as Town Lift.
Crescent doesn’t disappoint: While the sound of avalanche guns
echo from higher up, I take laps on Silver King, Willy’s Run, and
Erika’s Gold — steep, black-diamond runs that I’d skip on a regular,
groomed-track kind of day, but are quite forgiving in the deep Utah
powder. By the time I hit Quit’N Time, one of my favorite under-skied
runs back into town, I think to myself, Last run?, and then I remember
one more fine bit of advice: Never call it the last run. It’s a jinx. Second
to last run, I say to myself, and drop into the run.
I could keep going — after all, while other ski resorts have
ski-in/ski-out homes and hotels, Park City’s downtown is ski-in/
ski-out. PC, as the locals call it, is the kind of sprawl — beneath
four 9,000-plus-foot peaks — you want: The quantity and quality
of the terrain means there’s always good snow somewhere, and
plenty of room for beginners and learners.
And while you’ll want at least one of your days in Park City to be a
powder day — ideal for Nordic skiing (characterized by its use of free-
heel equipment) or cross-country skiing (in which skiers use gear that
lets them leave the track and, well, go cross-country) at the White Pine
Nordic Center — there are lots of other worthwhile activities to enjoy.
Read on for five leisure pursuits that will get you on board with Park City.
GO ON AN OLYMPIC BOBSLED
THE RUNDOWN: Feel the thrill of sledding down an icy track in a real
Olympic-level, four-passenger bobsled steered by a professional pilot.
WHERE TO GO: Utah Olympic Park offers bobsled rides on the
same track that witnessed bobsled, skeleton, and luge events during
the 2002 Winter Games. If that sounds like too much excitement, the
sports park has activities for all adrenaline levels and ages, including a
ropes course, a zip line and drop tower, free museums dedicated to
Utah’s ski history and Olympic Legacy, and more.
WHO IT’S FOR: To ride the bobsled, you must be over 16 years old
and weigh at least 100 pounds. It’s a true bucket-list experience, but
isn’t for the faint of heart.
VISIT AN ICE CASTLE
THE RUNDOWN: Utah is one of only six places in North America
where you can visit a frozen palace. Created in 2011, the icy, LED–lit
fortress is built every winter by harvesting icicles and spraying them with
water to fuse a structure that weighs more than 20 million pounds.
WHERE TO GO: Located in Heber Valley, just a 25-minute drive
south of Park City, this wonder of ice and lights is called Midway
Ice Castles. AJ.Mellor/Go Herber Valley
Powder Days in
Park City.
or
at .
Getaways start at $337.
The Getaway price is valid Aug. 1, 2019,
through Jan. 31, 2020.
Snowbird? Check.
For all the variety and size Park City offers, it’s easy to forget that one
of the world’s most-storied resorts, Snowbird, is right over on the
other side of the mountain. Located just south of Salt Lake City in Little
Cottonwood Canyon, Snowbird is a big mountain — not big in the
sense of Park City Mountain’s acreage, but big as in big, rugged, and
steep. And although Snowbird is no slouch in size (with 2,500 skiable
acres), it beats Park City on sheer challenge and annual snowfall. Skiers
and snowboarders come from around the world to test their mettle on
Snowbird’s slopes. And the resort’s village is also a lot of fun.
More self-contained than sprawling Park City, Snowbird’s base
area offers a more traditional resort experience. As the sun sets on
the mountain, enjoy live music and sushi at the Cliff Lodge’s The Aerie
lounge, or quit the ski day early and unwind in the heated rooftop
pools and hot tubs at The Cliff Spa. Hands down, the best restaurant
in Snowbird is The Steak Pit. A throwback spot to the ’70s, when
Snowbird opened, the eatery features an award-winning wine list, a
unique salad presentation that mixes an Asiago cheese dressing with
blue cheese, and, of course, high-quality, hand-cut steaks.
Midway Ice Castles — the
original icy palace — is a 2-acre
playground of winter revelry.