Deer Valley calls you by your name
A thought for winter travel plans
Deer Valley is a name that conjures up images of pristine slopes, powdery snow, and the exhilarating rush of skiing down a mountain that actually seems to touch the sky. And that’s what they say about Utah, the light is just clearer here, and that sense of magic is all around. It’s a place where the world’s worries dissolve into the crisp, mountain air and where every turn on the skis is perhaps a little jig with nature.
But Deer Valley is more than just a ski resort; it’s a testament to the human spirit’s love for adventure and the great outdoors. No wonder the most recent “World Ski Awards” crowned Deer Valley, America's best ski resort for the 11th straight year. Shannon Bahrke, an American Olympic freestyle skier agrees, as she says, “Utah snow is known as the Greatest Snow on Earth.” With her pink hair and forever smile, we’re sitting on a plush sofa having yet another breakfast coffee as we chat about what makes Utah, and Deer Valley so special plus a little geography lesson of sorts.
“Well, it’s because the storms come off the Pacific - they come either down from Alaska or you know across from Hawaii - we call it the ‘Pineapple Express’ - and then they hit San Francisco and then the Sierras before they get to us,” shares Bahrke. “If the storms are cold, we get great snow, but if it came in warm then it rains and we call it ‘Sierra Cement’ so it's just like this thick heavy snow but then when it comes across the desert it all dries out again so when it hits here it’s what we like to call ‘the secret sauce’. But I have no idea if this is all true, but I also love a good rumor and would like to keep it rolling no matter what.” At which point she, of course, shares the other rumor around town, that a certain mega pop star named Taylor Swift is building a home up on the mountain. But she cannot confirm a single thing. Oh Deer Valley, I love your tease.
And Bahrke is, in fact, available to hang out. As she is part of Deer Valley’s “Ski with a Champ” program where she takes you out on the slopes, shows you a few things and then spends a few hours coaching. I, of course, had no intention of showing off my ski skills (although I have been a skier since I was a little lad) in front of a professional, I loved hanging with her just as much from the lodge.
And as I like to say, “in order to find yourself, you have to lose yourself.” And truly, what better place to lose oneself than in the vast expanse of Deer Valley’s terrain? With over 2,000 acres of skiable land, this resort is not just a playground for the affluent; it’s a sanctuary for any soul seeking solace in the embrace of winter’s chill. And if I had more time I would have opted to go snowmobiling, one of the best ways to see a lot of fabulous terrain right up into the mountains. Deer Valley offers their tours, and I am sure they will let you go really fast if you want to. Although you could come here in the summer and they have plenty of things to do - from hiking, to horseback riding to stand up paddle to biking to getting invited to some of the fun fancy parties around town.
If you want to get technical and really know where to go as a more advanced skier, it’s all about Bald Mountain. And then, as I like to do, you want to explore steep ungroomed powder the north facing slopes of Bald Mountain will satisfy. Black runs are off the Empire Express, where I fell hard and had to stop myself from quitting for the rest of the day. But I persisted, because I’m up in the sky and the day was just gorgeous. So I found some fantastic terrain off the Lady Morgan chair (sounded so perfectly queer I had to go see). Oh and if you’re wondering what you need to hit these slopes, it’s your Ikon pass, which Deer Valley fits into, which offers over 50+ destinations to ski as a multiple resort ski pass.
And now, Deer Valley is expanding, and will deliver 5,726 acres of ski-only terrain spread across 10 mountains. Thus more than doubling its size and consequently making Deer Valley one of the largest ski resorts in North America. I like to ski, and I like to be out on the slopes all day - and even I will not be able to cover all that terrain. The expansion will also include 16 new chairlifts, a whole new village (because why not) plus enhanced snowmaking systems. But it’s not just about size; it’s about the promise of discovery. It’s about carving new paths on untouched snow and finding new challenges around every bend. And that’s what locals call “the Deer Valley difference”, or so said my barista at the local coffee shop, Pink Elephant, I frequented all week.
And Deer Valley’s charm isn’t solely in its perceived grandeur or its vast array of amenities. For me it was in the moments of quiet reflection on the chairlifts as I ascended up, up, up and away. Of course, when I wasn’t skiing solo, I opted for some cheery camaraderie with other skiers sitting in the snow fussing with their skis - and people were always friendly. I did try to talk about Gwenyth Paltrow’s now famous accident here (where she lost half a day of skiing), but nobody I tried to engage in it seemed to care enough about her to gossip. And maybe the skies were too blue, and the scenery too gorgeous to be bothered with anything but exactly this moment.
What I felt at Deer Valley was an experience that was both luxurious in terms of space (the slopes were so empty) but also felt authentic to me, it wasn’t pretentious like some other snow destinations. And perhaps I was expecting it to be, but it was more filled with families creating some lifelong memories, and I noticed lots of groups of friends skiing together and just casually chatting.
And as a visitor you’re aware of the resort’s commitment to limiting the number of skiers on the mountain each day, which of course, ensures that I could savor my leisure time on the slopes without the crush of crowds. It’s that “thoughtful touch” like Emily Summers, Senior Marketing Operations Manager at Deer Valley shared with me over lunch at Glitretind, the restaurant at the five star Stein Eriksen Lodge up the mountain. Naturally, I did ask her about the resort’s ski only policy and she said “we’ve been doing it for so long, and it’s now a signature, or specialized thing, for us that guests actually seek it out and they seem to prefer it.” So inherently I wanted to put myself in the positions of skiers, since I myself love to snowboard and also love to careen down the mountain - and perhaps that isn’t what everyone would like around them. So that settles that for me.
In the early evenings, the resort comes alive with a different kind of energy I was told by a fellow skier, David Sunish, who I met as I was coming off the ski lift on mid mountain, and I was so ready to find out exactly where everyone would be enjoying the fresh air as the sun started to set. Recommendations were to pop over for a little Après-ski at the Fresh Tracks Kitchen, in the Snow Park Lodge, so I did just that and had a bowl of soup as I watched the enthusiasts come off the slopes.
Park City, famed for the Sundance Film Festival, is close enough that you can walk from so many places around Base Camp in Deer Valley. It’s a sleepy little town that springs to life when conferences or the film festival is in town - and probably also over weekends when skiers fill up the resort. This is where to dine, meet people and frolic. Some highlights in terms of feasting are: a simple, but perfect, plate of pasta at Bartolo's Park City (think neighborhood trattoria), plus Dos Olas Cantina , where you can have refined tacos, ceviches and a churro sandwich for dessert. After dinner you will want to head over to No Name Saloon as that’s pretty much where all the action takes place - it’s a historic red brick arched ceiling saloon and that’s where I saw all the tight denim jeans I needed.
And then if you’ve been wondering where to lay your head, that’s easy. Because let’s be clear, in this alpine serenity of Deer Valley, the lodging needs to actually simply be a sanctuary that echo the grandeur of the surrounding Rocky Mountain Wasatch Range. And thus, the finest of finest is the Bavarian inspired Goldener Hirsch from Auberge. Designed by architect Tom Kundig, this mid-mountain resort has just 66 rooms with a new rooftop heated pool (yes that’s where you want to be) and is family-owned, so everything feels more personal.
And if you’re only interested in the absolute latest, well the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley will be opening late 2024. With almost 400 rooms and dozens of private residences this forms part of Deer Valley’s expansion plans
So, for me, Deer valley has that slightly wild wild west feeling of freedom and that paired with the peace that comes from simply being present in nature’s grandeur. So in the end, I felt like Deer Valley is more than the sum of its parts. It’s a pretty scenic mosaic of experiences, where I had the highs and lows of emotions whilst being out in nature, and I would say to anyone, find it, as it's the perfect chronicle of adventures without the crazy crowds. So, pack your skis, open your heart, and prepare to experience what they call here, the “Deer Valley difference.” I mean if it was good enough for the 2002 Winter Olympics, it will certainly be good enough for you.