Skiing — Park City, Utah — Day 6: Last day of skiing — Solitude or Brighton? Or somewhere else?
Where did I go for the last day of skiing?
February 2015
Where to ski on the last day? We had some choices:
- Park City Ski Area: We skied Park City on the first day, and we felt we didn’t do it justice. But, the weather had been warm, and the snow cover at Park City was so thin on the first day that we were now worried that conditions would be very poor. Hence, Park City was a no.
- The Canyons: We skied Canyons for two days and had a great time. We had covered most of the mountain, and going back would be a safe bet. But we could try somewhere else? Might we be missing a local gem of a ski area?
- Deer Valley: No. Not an option. Very costly and even though we had some great skiing, we didn’t like the place.
- Alta/Snowbird: Snowbird and Alta were great. And I would love to go back. But, there are some other places we hadn’t tried.
- Snow Basin: This was a new one to me, and we were told about it by a guy we met at Red Banjo Pizza. It was over an hour from Park City. Could it be an option?
- Solitude and/or Brighton: Two areas that we hadn’t tried, and they appeared to be linked. The ski area was about 40 minutes from Park City and had been described as like, or better than, Alta and Snowbird.
We decided to ski Solitude and/or Brighton.
Skiing Solitude, Utah
We decided to ski Solitude.
The first impressions were good. Nice mountain, great snow. And it was not crowded.
A coffee stop at The Round House — Sunshine Grill, Solitude
Mid-morning, we had a rather interesting coffee stop at a place straight out of the 1970s.
It was fantastic sitting outside in the sun, looking at the views.
And the smell coming from the grill was pretty good.
We didn’t have time to stop for a burger or a hot dog.
Afternoon snack stop at Stone Haus Pizzeria and Creamery, Solitude, Utah
We stopped for a mid-afternoon snack at the Stone Haus Pizzeria and Creamery, located in the Solitude Village.
It was a nice place for a snack, with a good view of the mountain.
We had the special — $6 pizza slice and beer. The pizza was good, but the beer was not.
Skiing Solitude, Utah — Summary
Our decision to ski Solitude on the last day of the ski trip was a good call.
Solitude is only about 8 miles (ca. 13 km) from Park City, but to get there by car, you need to drive for about 35 miles (ca. 56 km), 40 minutes or so. But, the trip was worth it as it was a great little ski area.
The snow was in excellent order, there were no lift lines, and we had a great day on the slopes. The weather was fantastic.
Solitude is what I would call a ‘mom and pop’ ski area in New England. That is, it is a small ski area that has a ‘homely’ feel. The base lodge was not over-large; it had a bar and a place to buy food and a small shop. There was even a room for people ‘brown-bagging’ their lunch.
To the far left of the resort, there was a ‘development’ with an odd ‘alpine’ feel, and it was a significant development.
We had an incredible last day on the slopes, and it was a great way to finish the trip.
Returning the skis to Aloha Ski Rentals, Park City, Utah
I returned the skis to Aloha Ski Rentals, Park City, Utah.
When I was skiing Snowbird/Alta, I hit a rock and took a big chunk out of the base of the skis.
I was glad I had taken out the damage insurance.
Usually, I don’t take out ski insurance as I have cover for theft on my credit card. But as I was standing in the ski shop looking out the window at the thin snow cover on the slopes, I thought it might be wise to take out damage cover, and it was. The tech in the shop estimated that it would be $60-$80 to repair the ‘ding’. The insurance cost $18 for six days. Result.
Back at the No Name Saloon for Dinner
We headed into town on the free bus for our last evening in Park City.
The town was heaving!
We tried several places for dinner, but with no luck and 30-60 minute waits. We ended up back at the No Name Saloon, where we could get a table.
