So starting to look at this late in the game and was hoping someone on the forums could shorten my internet hunt for a good place to stay the first week of January. We usually like to be on the slopes but really want to pay no more than $500 a night so will most likely have to settle for "convenient to slopes" via a shuttle. Need a 2-bedroom condo, to sleep 4.

What are the crowds like in Deer Valley the first week of January?

Do you mean Deer Valley, Utah?

Deer Valley is in Utah but you tagged CO. Decide where you are going and then look at VRBO.com for condos.

Of course I mean Deer Valley, Utah...obviously just a mistake. And obviously an internet search shows up vrbo.com and obviously it takes a long time to go through all the listings which is why I was hoping for a short cut...and some advice on crowds.

We have found that the crowds in the Park City area (including Deer Valley) are greatly reduced after New Year's. DV limits the num ber of lift tickets they sell, so it never gets as crowded as some other places.

And you realize that Deer Valley is a very up-scale resort area and slop side condos will reflect that even in early January. Park City would give a better price range.

awayfromitall,

Crowds will be much reduced after New Year's and up until the Sundance Film Festival. During Sundance, the skiing isn't crowded, but lodging prices are sky-high.

There are thousands and thousands of condos to choose from. The chances of someone making a recommendation of a certain, single condo and having that one meet your reqs and actually be available are slim.

This is a good place to start: www.parkcityinfo. It has tons of good info and links to all things of interest to visitors. There are many rental lodging companies that can steer you to something that will work. You actually are not too late in looking for that time period.

Don't hesitate to take something off the slopes, but near a shuttle stop. How near the shuttle stop will be a consideration! The shuttles are super convenient and frequent.

If you find a couple of condo options that sound good, come back and ask specifically for those and maybe I can help. I live here, but since I do, I don't know exactly where all the different complexes are located. I do know many of them.

Personally, I would prefer staying near Old Town and Historic Main Street. Deer Valley is nice, but it's dead quiet at night and not within walking distance to Main Street. Most of the restaurants at Deer Valley are very expensive and the wider variety in prices for food will be found in town too, so you might want to think about that. No grocery store near DV either.

2 grocery stores in Park City, two on the way from the airport (Fresh Market in Pinebrook, across I-80 from Jeremy Ranch and Smith's at Kimball Jct.) I DO NOT recommend Smiths for many reasons!

Hope this helps for starters.

I recommend the Black Bear Lodge in the Silver Lake Village area of Deer Valley Resort, Utah. Check out http://blackbearlodgedeervalley.com for an owner direct rental option. You can also rent directly through the lodge. This property is about 200 yards from the lifts and will fit your budget requirements. Deer Valley offers complimentary overnight ski storage so you won't need to carry your skis back to the lodge at night. I also recommend The Grocery Girls http://www.thegrocerygirls.com for pre-arrival grocery stocking.

Good Luck!