Hello,

We're thinking of skiing Park City next winter. We've only skiied the East Coast mountains so far -- Killington, Stratton, Mt. Snow. I've heard that what is considered a blue trail here in the East is the equivalent of a green trail out West. So, I'm wondering if there will be enough for an advanced beginner/low intermediate to ski. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
J

Well, I guess I'd consider myself an advanced beginner/low intermediate skiier, although I've only skiied out west, not the east. The thing we like about Park City and Deer Valley is the number of groomed blue trails they have. It gives us lots to ski -- whether you're a "low" intermediate or a true intermediate. I think you will like the variety of trails offered at the 3 nearby resorts (the Canyons is slightly more challenging says my group -- I didn't ski that day).

Hi J,

I live in Park City and have been skiing in Utah for over 30 years.

You will really enjoy Park City, Deer Valley and The Canyons. Even if our runs are a little more difficult, our snow is much more forgiving! If you can ski the ice in the East, you can ski here. Powder may take a little getting used to.

The more challenging skiing in Utah can be found in Little Cottonwood Canyon - Snowbird and Alta - and Big Cottonwood Canyon, Brighton and Solitude.

We get lots of east coast and Florida skiers. Never heard anyone complain!

We did OK in Park City as advanced beginners. The snow is so fluffy and light! But on one run I guess I was not paying attention as we took a wrong turn and ended up on a terrifyingly steep slope. My daughter panicked and started to cry, in a flash a ski patrolman on a snowmobile swooped down and picked her up! I had to inch my way back down!

Deer Valley is awesome and the only western resort I have skiied,,,the trails are perfectly groomed and easy to follow.We went between Christmas and New Years and there was MORE than enough snow.In fact , it snowed one day so bad we couldnt ski!Lots and lots and greens and blues..have fun!

Hi- I grew up skiing in Vermont and now live in Park City. There is LOTS of terrain to choose from out here and not as much ice, nor are the temps as low. You'll love it. Deer Valley is a great all-around mountain with terrain for everyone and perfect grooming, they just don't allow snowboards. Park City Mountain Resort and The Canyons are also wonderful mountains with tons of varied terrain. Enjoy your trip!

All the remarks about the snow are right on. The terrain might be topographically tougher, but the far, far better snow makes it easy to ski. Plus trails are generally wider out west.

And while Deer Valley does an excellent job grooming, that's not as big of a plus as it is out east, where the snow totals are thinner. Ungroomed slop in Utah is often better than finely-tweaked corduroy out east.

I wouldn't just confine yourself to Park City, which is a great ski town. You might want to spend a day at Solitude, which is a great hill for blue-green skiers.