Park City, UT 12/4/15

Admin

Administrator
Staff member
Day 10: Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

I rolled into the Canyons Village Cabriolet lot shortly after 10 a.m., picked up my Epic Pass and after a few moments' delay loaded the Cabriolet before heading up the Red Pine Gondola. I quickly noticed the first change: every lift attendant, without exception, was friendly and asked how my day was. That's never been my experience here before. A guy who I'd ride a lift with later in the day referred to it as "Chik-fil-A" service -- almost artificially friendly, but very welcome nonetheless.


The white man-made strip on Doc's Run is pretty obvious

I also had to break it to a gondola companion from Rock Springs, Wyo. that no, his newly minted Epic Pass didn't include Brighton. He reacted like a kid who just learned that there's no Santa Claus.

I took a bunch of laps on the Canyons side, and all were pleasant man-made, low-angle groomers. Midway through I realized that the EpicMix app on my phone was auto-posting to my Facebook account by default and turned that annoying feature off. They seem to have made a ton more snow there than in previous early seasons, and unlike prior experiences there I wasn't hitting chocolate chips in the groomers. I can't remember the last time that I saw Doc's Run open to the base this early in the winter. It was also delightfully uncrowded.


Snowdancer


Snowdancer


Doc's Run


The straight line on the distant ridge beyond Iron Mountain is the liftline for the new Quicksilver Gondola that connects Canyons Village to Park City Mountain.


Doc's Run

As the two halves of the resort aren't yet connected I returned to my truck and drove over to Park City Mountain. The former PCMR side was noticeably more crowded than Canyons Village had been. At one point I stood at the top of Bonanza waiting for a sea of humanity to disperse down Home Run before pushing off myself.

The vibe at Park City feels like a different place now that Vail Resorts has stamped its name on it. From the obvious stuff like new lifts, to the subtle things like repainting existing lift terminals to match the new unifying color scheme, you're starting to notice the hand of Vail Resorts.


The "new" Motherlode detachable quad, which is merely the former King Con quad repositioned to replace the former Motherlode fixed grip triple. Say goodbye to overlooked fresh lines in Motherlode Meadows.


The loading area of Silverlode, now with the new Quicksilver gondola and the new Miner's Camp restaurant behind it. Notice how everything now matches?


The southern terminal of the new Quicksilver gondola, with the gondola line heading over Pinecone Ridge towards Canyons Village. They were slowly sending gondola cabins onto the line while I was standing there.


Today was the first day of operation for the new Miner's Camp mid-mountain restaurant.

I walked into the new Miner's Camp, past the obligatory Park City souvenir shop that guests have no choice but to funnel past, and bellied up to the bar to order a pint of Deschutes draft before returning to the lift $7.63 (plus tip) poorer. It felt like I'd wandered into a neighborhood watering hole with the familiar banter between bartender and customers, and the large-screen TVs playing sports, but this watering hole was situated halfway up a ski area. Looking at the food service, the best value looked to be the "Utah Lamb Miner's Pie," featuring braised local lamb, peas, corn, fresh herbs, red wine braising liquid, and Yukon gold mashed potatoes for $15.95. A burger was $12.95 (or $14.95 for an "Epic Burger"). So was the chicken fingers 'n fries. The most wallet-shocking was a slice of focaccia pizza or fried cheese curds for $10.95 each. I wasn't really hungry so I limited myself to the beer.


The new Miner's Camp includes a mid-mountain dedicated bar area.


The dining area inside Miner's Camp

The building is thoughtfully laid out. For one thing, everything's on one floor: the food, the seating, the bar, the bathrooms...and yes, the souvenir shop. Huge south-facing windows let the sun in and provide views of the mountain and the ski runs. The wood structure and warm carpet are both aesthetically pleasing. The condiment bar includes such things as sautéed onions for your burger.

I headed home at 2 p.m. after 13 runs and nearly 13K vertical feet (per EpicMix). I'm still not sure what to think about Vail's ownership of PCMR and two-thirds of the Park City ski scene, but the Quicksilver Gondola connection to Canyons Village is a welcome new feature. That will cut 10-15 minutes off the drive from Salt Lake City and save the hassle of driving into Park City. Further, it means that the first third of the "One Wasatch" conceptual interconnect has now been implemented. I was also suitably impressed by the new employee attitude and the splendor of the new Miner's Camp building.

Once snow starts falling again and they start opening some of the mountain's more interesting terrain, I'll surely log some more days on my pass.
 
admin":3my3mfx5 said:
That will cut 10-15 minutes off the drive from Salt Lake City and save the hassle of driving into Park City.
To reach Silverlode it will take 4 lifts from the Canyons base vs. one from the Park City base. That more than offsets the drive time.

I'm assuming your ultimate objective is the upper reaches (Jupiter, McConkey's, etc.) of Park City. If you want to ski some of Canyons on the way, that's different.

But in general the topography of those mountains is atrocious. If you want to move from one side to the other, you'll be riding a lot of lifts and not having much of the way of interesting skiing doing that. To maximize ski quality I'd be inclined to stick to one side or the other.

No question the facilities upgrades like Miner's Camp are a big plus though.
 
Tony Crocker":yzj475ls said:
admin":yzj475ls said:
That will cut 10-15 minutes off the drive from Salt Lake City and save the hassle of driving into Park City.
To reach Silverlode it will take 4 lifts from the Canyons base vs. one from the Park City base. That more than offsets the drive time.

True, if for some strange reason your objective is Silverlode.

Tony Crocker":yzj475ls said:
If you want to ski some of Canyons on the way, that's different.

Exactly. Why not enjoy the journey, take a few laps on Jupe and then enjoy the journey back?
 
Ah, Doc's Run: the femur killer.

Why are you using your vacation days now -- shouldn't you be saving them for later in the season? :rotfl:
 
jamesdeluxe":361j6qhj said:
Ah, Doc's Run: the femur killer.

Apologies for inducing Vietnam-style flashbacks.

jamesdeluxe":361j6qhj said:
Why are you using your vacation days now -- shouldn't you be saving them for later in the season? :rotfl:

Smartass. :lol:

Check out some key highlights from Wasatch Snow Forecast today:

[url=http://www.wasatchsnowforecast.com/2015/12/05/real-winter-to-arrive/:361j6qhj said:
http://www.wasatchsnowforecast.com/2015/12/05/real-winter-to-arrive/[/url]":361j6qhj]Right now it looks like the best snow will start later in the day on Thursday and continue through much of Friday. Plenty of decent moisture and cold air for substantial snowfall to be possible. Friday and Saturday could both be good powder days!

The other piece of good news is that for once, this does not look to be a “one-and-done” storm with perhaps more significant snowfall possible early next week as another system drops into the western CONUS trough.

[url=http://www.wasatchsnowforecast.com/2015/12/05/real-winter-to-arrive/:361j6qhj said:
http://www.wasatchsnowforecast.com/2015/12/05/real-winter-to-arrive/[/url]":361j6qhj]
1205_gem_snow.png

1205_gefs_graph.png

[url=http://www.wasatchsnowforecast.com/2015/12/05/real-winter-to-arrive/:361j6qhj said:
http://www.wasatchsnowforecast.com/2015/12/05/real-winter-to-arrive/[/url]":361j6qhj]Of course, it’s important to remember that we are still 5+ days away from the start of this event. Yes, it does have potential, and I am communicating what is currently being projected, but as always, this is subject to change. As mentioned earlier, this is a more amplified pattern which means that if it amplifies too much, the storms could drop to our west and then south a la the November systems. After the luck we’ve had so far this year (and last year), I’m keeping my emotions in check at this point.

Still, this isn’t just a one-and-done and models indicate more chances for snow could continue through the long-range. I think even in a worst case scenario, we still get a healthy dose of winter in Utah.

Given this, with my big string of PTO days starting 12/11/15 and continuing through 12/17/15, we'll see who gets the last laugh -- me, or Crocker sitting at home in sunny and warm Glendale, Calif., madly typing on his computer. :lol:

And if this forecast pans out I'm giving credit to Kingslug.
 
admin":2aggtpna said:
Given this, with my big string of PTO days starting 12/11/15 and continuing through 12/17/15, we'll see who gets the last laugh -- me, or Crocker sitting at home in sunny and warm Glendale, Calif., madly typing on his computer. :lol:
Admin is the one who always talks about quality over quantity, and Mammoth's quality was far better than Utah's this November.

The weather map above is being touted by Sierra forecasters (OpenSnow Tahoe and Howard Scheckter at Mammoth) as well. It shows the Sierra getting more snow than Utah next week.

Admin will probably do better than me ski-wise in December not due to comparative conditions but because I will be in NYC for at least a week to help complete Liz' final move out. I've been watching progress in the Northeast just in case, but at the moment I see no reason to ski back there on the upcoming trip. Dates are still unknown until the final loose ends are done and a closing date on her co-op is set.

And congratulations to admin on improving the timing of his PTO days. Dec. 11-17 will usually be a huge improvement over the end of November WROD skiing we've seen him use PTO for in at least two other seasons.
 
admin":2p2fffsf said:
You said it best: "quality over quantity."
You have to have a base before you can take full advantage of quality powder. The next week's storms are what should deliver that base to most of the West Coast.
 
Tony Crocker":2ebjk09m said:
admin":2ebjk09m said:
Given this, with my big string of PTO days starting 12/11/15 and continuing through 12/17/15, we'll see who gets the last laugh -- me, or Crocker sitting at home in sunny and warm Glendale, Calif., madly typing on his computer. :lol:
Admin is the one who always talks about quality over quantity, and Mammoth's quality was far better than Utah's this November.

The weather map above is being touted by Sierra forecasters (OpenSnow Tahoe and Howard Scheckter at Mammoth) as well. It shows the Sierra getting more snow than Utah next week.

Admin will probably do better than me ski-wise in December not due to comparative conditions but because I will be in NYC for at least a week to help complete Liz' final move out. I've been watching progress in the Northeast just in case, but at the moment I see no reason to ski back there on the upcoming trip. Dates are still unknown until the final loose ends are done and a closing date on her co-op is set.

And congratulations to admin on improving the timing of his PTO days. Dec. 11-17 will usually be a huge improvement over the end of November WROD skiing we've seen him use PTO for in at least two other seasons.

Ski in the East?? LOL........Hell, you'd be better off to bring your golf clubs. Very warm here and the grass is still green. And the longer term forecast is for warmer than average temps right into January. This will be a lean start to the ski season, unless there is a major change to the weather pattern.
 
Admin":1dst5jbn said:
And if this forecast pans out I'm giving credit to Kingslug.
Nope - Kerry & Liz arrive late Friday afternoon. Over the past 15 years, new snow has arrived with them about 72.785% of the time.
 
Admin":l0xjj139 said:
I walked into the new Miner's Camp, past the obligatory Park City souvenir shop that guests have no choice but to funnel past,...
Just like 2 of the 3 entrances to Alf's Restaurant at Alta and 50% of the entrances at Watson Shelter. Just sayin'.

Admin":l0xjj139 said:
...and bellied up to the bar to order a pint of Deschutes draft before returning to the lift $7.63 (plus tip) poorer.
<snip>
Looking at the food service, the best value looked to be the "Utah Lamb Miner's Pie," featuring braised local lamb, peas, corn, fresh herbs, red wine braising liquid, and Yukon gold mashed potatoes for $15.95. A burger was $12.95 (or $14.95 for an "Epic Burger"). So was the chicken fingers 'n fries. The most wallet-shocking was a slice of focaccia pizza or fried cheese curds for $10.95 each. I wasn't really hungry so I limited myself to the beer.
It's popular to express sticker shock at ski area food prices, especially when under new ownership. Other than the beer and the last two items you're not expressing shock - just listing the prices. Others might be more inclined to be upset, so for some direct perspective from my trip to Oregon last week....
A pint of Deschutes, at the Deschutes brew pub in Portland Oregon, was $6.50
My pub burger at the Pelican Pub & Brewery in Tillamook OR was $14.
My wife's shepard's pie at Kell's Irish Brewpub, also in Portland, was $12
The poutine at Barley Brown's Brew Pub in Baker City OR is $12

IOW, it seems their prices are comparable non-ski area places for the most part. I agree that the slice and the cheese curds appear overpriced.
 
Marc_C":1g0awe7n said:
Admin":1g0awe7n said:
I walked into the new Miner's Camp, past the obligatory Park City souvenir shop that guests have no choice but to funnel past,...
Just like 2 of the 3 entrances to Alf's Restaurant at Alta and 50% of the entrances at Watson Shelter. Just sayin'.

I don't disagree. The only difference is that you have to walk past the souvenir shop to enter this building. It's actually sandwiched between the inner and outer doors.

Admin":1g0awe7n said:
It's popular to express sticker shock at ski area food prices, especially when under new ownership. Other than the beer and the last two items you're not expressing shock - just listing the prices.

Precisely. And I seldom order a beer at Watson's so I didn't realize, but I noticed this weekend that a pint of local 3.2 micro is the same price there.
 
Admin":1jhrcogy said:
...but I noticed this weekend that a pint of local 3.2 micro is the same price there.
On a side note....
I think I'm giving up on referring to our beer as 3.2 - it gets too confusing for people from away (esp Coloradans, where their C-store beer really is 3.2% ABV) and too repetitive for us to keep explaining the difference between ABW and ABV. I'm just going to go with the ABV equivalent and call it 4%.
 
Marc_C":3qjgk4ma said:
I think I'm giving up on referring to our beer as 3.2 - it gets too confusing for people from away (esp Coloradans, where their C-store beer really is 3.2% ABV) and too repetitive for us to keep explaining the difference between ABW and ABV. I'm just going to go with the ABV equivalent and call it 4%.

Probably a good point.
 
"Miner's Camp mid-mountain restaurant" looks very similar to Tamarack Lodge at top of Heavenly's Gondola and the lodge at top of Northstar's Zephyr 6-pack Lift that includes some gondola cabins. Building the same lodge 3X must save some $ on plans. The bar in admins picture looks the same as bar in Tamarack Lodge, but I doubt that the one in UT has a half-price Unbuckle Apres Party beginning at 3:30 with Heavenly Angels dancers that helps to spread out crowds downloading the gondola into South Lake Tahoe. I have made it for a quick beer, then skied to CA base. See http://nightlife.skiheavenly.com/apres for details
 
It's illegal to discount liquor here for things like happy hour, which was the case in another state I lived in back east, too.
 
Back
Top