DEER VALLEY

OVERVIEW:

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• 2019-2020 Dates: Dec. 7 - Apr. 12

• Base Elevation: 6,570 ft

• Summit Elevation: 9,570 ft

• Skiable Acres: 2,026

• Trails: 103

• Grooming: Extensive

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The first thing you notice about Deer Valley is really what you don't see - snowboarders. To some, this can seem elitist, which admittedly Deer Valley leans into, but we found it to truly enhance the day. I never had a snowboarder snag their board under my ski getting off the lift. Everyone on the hill is turning with similar-shaped arcs. There are no long patches of scraped-off snow where a snowboarder had no choice but to skid down sideways. It also naturally limits the crowd and attracts a certain group of people. It's one of those things where we didn't realize how much we enjoyed the change until we headed back to Park City. Obviously, this isn't something for everyone, so just keep it in mind as you choose a resort.

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Deer Valley also tries to elevate your experience by limiting the number of skiers on any given day. We were there on a sell-out day and all the locals were up in arms, and we couldn't understand why. It wasn't half as busy as when we skied at Park City. Even the lifts that did have lines were well managed with abundant staff helping form groups to feed into the automatic gates that scanned your tickets.

 

The mountain itself is well-planned with an easy-to-navigate trail layout and lift system. The mountain is also famous for its extensive grooming operations. We had so much snow that we didn't experience much of this, but literally everyone talks about Deer Valley's corduroy. 

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DIFFICULTY:

I can't give the best review here because when we went, there was a huge winter storm that rolled through. Obviously, lots of new snow is great! That said, we explored a little less of the mountain than we might have otherwise because even the green runs were turning into bump runs, which admittedly I have no idea how to ski. Overall, this limited our exposure to some of the steeper blues. I found the resort was pretty accessible without being boring. I think it might be one of the best resorts we have been to for a true intermediate. There are also green runs on 5 of the 6 peaks, so if you are skiing in a group that wants to ski different terrain but stick together or just a beginner who wants to see more of the mountain, this is a plus. It's also nice that the resort marks blues vs. double-blues, so you can have an even better idea of what you're getting into.

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FAVORITE RUNS:

Green: Ontario

This run was a lot of fun. It's beautiful, long, and something you can really cruise on for a green. The only problem is that, like most green runs, it was pretty crowded.​

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Blue: Hidden Splendor 

We just did laps on this one - it was so much fun! I wish we would have found it earlier on. It was a great run where you could pick up a little speed and not have to worry about dodging people.​

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Honorable Mention: Big / Little Stick

This was a really fun run, not necessarily because of the run itself (which is either a double-blue or a cat track at the end), but because of the World Cup Mogul event that was happening on the nearby Champion run while we were there. We literally skied alongside the athletes as they zoomed to the start and then met up right at the base and just turned around and watched in awe.

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MID-DAY DINING:

We ate lunch at SnowparkLodge and Empire Lodge. We slightly preferred Empire because we felt it had a bit more selection. At the end of the day, we enjoyed drinks at EBS (upstairs of Snowpark) so we could continue watching the World Cup practice runs. Overall, Deer Valley has an easy-access, high-quality on-mountain dining scene. Consider grabbing a famous cookie, hot chocolate, or bowl of chili.