Park City, Snowbird, Aspen 1/28-2/7/2016

[I broke this report into multiple sections because the format here tends to truncate longer single posts.]

PART 1, PARK CITYI skied two days at Park City, three at Snowbird, then four at Aspen in that order over an 11 day mid-winter trip to UT and CO.  I skied PC first and conditions were excellent packed powder and everything was open.  I enjoyed utilizing the new connector gondola that ties Park City and The Canyons into one giant 7300 acre lift-linked ski domain.  When conditions are good this complex is a tremendous example of “resort skiing”; that is, a place with something for everyone, but especially a ton of pleasant groomers all in close proximity to a nice ski town.

Anecdotally, I hear that skier visits are way up this year as a result of Vail’s unification of the resort.  All I know is lift lines were no problem for me on two weekdays in late January.  PC may not have the really long killer steeps of Little Cottonwood Canyon, but there are a lot of lightly trafficked black diamond runs and it is easy to mix it up and vary from hard to easy during a ski day as desired.I found a nice line down the skier’s right side of the big face under the Jupiter Bowl chair at Park City.

Moi with McConkey’s Bowl behind me.I was in PC during the last few days of the Sundance Film Festival, but day tripped as a skier from SLC and did not stay in town.  I didn’t take part in any of the movie activities, but did hear a few people on the hill talking about viewings and film making.  As you may have heard, it is true that the Festival barely seems to make a bump in the amount of on-hill traffic as most of the serious movie people are too busy with show biz stuff to go skiing.It was a joy to see PC in good conditions after my visit in Feb 2015 in very subpar conditions.  I skied an interesting off-piste run in the left center of this photo called Yard Sale (IIRC).  Last year this whole ridge beside the Super Condor lift on the Canyons side was all dirt.I started and ended each day at the free parking lot next to the cabriolet lift at the Canyons side and rode the new connector gondola a back and forth on both days of my visit.  This is where it starts on the Canyons side, beyond the hill to the left (Pine Cone Ridge, now open lift accessible from gondi mid-station) is the Park City side of the huge trail layout.see part two for Snowbird discussion…

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<!–[if !supportAnnotations]–><a href=“file:///C:/Users/Kathleen/Documents/Park%20City.docx#_msoanchor_1” class=“msocomoff”>[K1]</a>

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