Skiing — Park City, Utah — Summary

A week skiing in Park City, Utah

February 2015

We had a fun week skiing in the Park City area.

Our base for the week — Yarrow Resort Hotel and Conference Centre

We arrived at the hotel later than planned because Hertz in Las Vegas took 3 hours to supply the car we had booked.

First Impressions

Check-in was fine, speedy, and with no problems.

My first impression of the hotel was that it was a bit of a building site. This turned out to be correct. The hotel had recently changed hands and was undergoing a significant upgrade in the summer of 2015. Work had already started when we stayed.

Room

The room was comfortable and warm but with a noisy heating system.

The hotel was an odd design. It felt a bit like a prison with its square blocks. The corridors were also a little strange in that they had kinks in them, which meant they appeared to be shorter than they should be to run the length of the building. It is hard to explain — it gave the building an odd feel, and I think it was why I often got lost and couldn’t find the room.

One thing that impressed me with the hotel was the Wi-Fi. It seemed to be available everywhere, including the room and was very fast.

The hotel had a ski room but nowhere to store boots.

Food

On the first night, we ate in the hotel. The food was OK, but not great.

Breakfast in the hotel was an excellent American-style breakfast of bacon, eggs, hash browns and porridge. There was also a ‘variable’ of pancakes and other ‘American treats’ served on various days. Or, there was a menu from which you could order.

Location

One of the best things about the hotel was its location.

The hotel was an equal distance between The Canyons and Park City ski areas, a few minutes away by car. It was also conveniently located for the 45-minute drive to the Solitude, Alta, and Snowbird ski areas.

There was a Fresh Market (supermarket) across the carpark from the hotel, which was very handy for buying snacks and beer. And there was a bus stop for the free buses to and from town a few minutes by foot from the lobby. An extra plus was that the Squatters Craft Beer Bar was also an easy walk from the hotel.

Summary

As hotels go, it wasn’t great, but it wasn’t awful. The room was warm, clean, and comfortable. The only complaint about the room was the noisy heating system that we had to switch off at night to sleep. This meant we awoke to a cold room, but at least the heater control was in reach of my bed.

Skiing

During the week, we skied:

• Park City Ski Area: We spent one-day skiing at the resort; we had a great time but felt it needed a refresh and some new investment — Skiing — Park City, Utah — Day 1: Skiing the Park City Ski Area
• The Canyons: We spent two days skiing Canyons and loved it. The ski area was originally called Wolf, and it had significantly changed for the better in the last 20 years. Highly recommended and worth a visit — Skiing — Park City, Utah — Day 2: Skiing the Canyons Ski Area (formerly Wolf Mountain), Park City, Utah — Skiing — Park City, Utah — Day 3: Back to Canyons Ski Area
• Deer Valley: Very costly, and even though we had some great skiing, we didn’t like the place. I would recommend avoiding Deer Valley — Skiing — Park City, Utah — Day 4: Deer Valley, Park City, Utah
• Alta/Snowbird: Snowbird and Alta were great. And I would love to go back. Great ski areas. Lots of fun — Skiing — Park City, Utah — Day 5: Skiing Snowbird and Alta, Utah
• Solitude: The ski area was a 40-minute drive from Park City. We skied Solitude and had a great time. Another one I would love to ski again — Skiing — Park City, Utah — Day 6: Last day of skiing — Solitude or Brighton? Or somewhere else?

Nightlife

Park City was a fun and lively place to go out. We used the free bus most nights to get to town for food and beer. Or, we visited the Squatters Craft Beer Bar near the hotel.

• Squatters Craft Beers, Park City, Utah: Busy place and we enjoyed their beers. I liked the Evolution and Chasing Tail ales, and we had some excellent food — worth a visit. We ate at Squatters a couple of times.
• No Name Saloon, Main Street, Park City, Utah: A very busy place. When we visited, they had a good menu and selection of beers. I enjoyed their Cut Throat Ale. A fun place to visit as it was lively and bustling. We ate at No Name a couple of times.
• Wasatch Brew Pub, Park City, Utah: An interesting brewpub with, when I visited, shockingly bad food. Somewhere I would not go back.
• Red Banjo Pizza, Park City, Utah: A bit basic inside, but don't let that put you off. The pizza was superb, the beer was excellent, and the service was fast. I would go back.

Weather — the worst winter for lack of snow in 40 years?

One thing I like about skiing is chatting to people on the lifts and around the resorts.

At Deer Valley, I talked to a 'local' who had worked in skiing for 40 years. He said that it was the worst winter he had ever known of a lack of snow. He was shocked at how little snow there was on the ground and how the conditions were more like mid to late March than mid-February.

He also confirmed that The Canyons was called Wolf Mountain and that the considerable changes at Canyons resulted from hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics. Furthermore, he agreed that the Park City ski area had changed little in 20 years. He commented that the Park City ski area would see significant changes in the next few years due to the $50 million investment and the new link lift through to Canyons.

Summary

A great ski trip.

I would highly recommend visiting Park City and skiing the resorts in the area — there is something for everyone.

The town of Park City is a fun and lively place to go out with a good choice of bars and restaurants.