Sundance, UT – It was the perfect frame, but something was missing from the picture.
As Rich and I stood atop Sundance’s Bishop’s Bowl in the shadow of mighty 11,750-foot Mount Timpanogos, there was nary a soul in sight. 2,150 vertical feet of terrain fell away beneath our skis as rolling Wasatch hills stretched to the east, gradually giving way to the agrarian horse and sheep pastures of Utah’s Heber Valley. Behind us stood Bearclaw’s Cabin, where views from lounge chairs sprinkling the sundeck stretched west through Provo Canyon and across Utah Lake. We had all the room in the world, even though the top terminal of the ski and snowboard resort’s Arrowhead chairlift hummed mere yards away.
Bishop’s Bowl sits atop 2,150 vertical feet of ski and snowboard terrain at Utah’s Sundance Resort. |
Sure, it was mid-December, that nether-world time at ski resorts across North America before the holiday crush arrives in time for Christmas, but the lack of crowds…or the hiding of them…is a theme that pervades throughout Robert Redford’s Sundance Resort. The early-season snow pack was admittedly less than at Sundance’s better-known neighbors to the north in the Cottonwood Canyons, but there was sufficient cover to render virtually the entire mountain skiable. Where were the skiers?
UNDERSTATED ELEGANCE
Guests were there, but well-hidden amongst the scattered residences nestled between the towering pine trees lining the North Fork of the Provo River that gently meanders through Sundance Resort. Redford’s environmental consciousness pervades every aspect of Sundance’s 6,000-acre preserve, from the understated natural stone sign marking the resort’s entrance off the scenic Alpine Loop Road to the architecture of virtually every structure. Wander from your cottage to a fine dining experience at the Tree Room, one of the state’s epicurian delights, and you may well get lost even though the restaurant stands right behind you. Evergreen boughs conceal natural wood structures linked by narrow lamp-lit paths through the forest. Sundance’s understated elegance exudes peace and tranquility for a relaxing respite amongst Utah’s stunning mountain scenery.
Warm and comfortable |
We arrived at Sundance on a Friday evening, checking in at the resort’s central guest reception before a gracious employee led us to a common parking facility and lugged our heavy bags laden with ski gear to our “cottage” at the top of River Run. Actually a condo instead of a true free-standing cottage, the unit was tastefully decorated in a Native American-themed furnishings and carpets adorning natural wood floors, accented by a prominent fieldstone fireplace in the living room and a matching fireplace in the master bedroom. Heavy wood beams spanned the ceilings and pine planks lined the walls. The temptation to crack open a window to hear the gurgling brook out back was too strong to ignore.
Before long, however, we were wandering down a path in the frigid December air to the Tree Room, where we found many of Sundance’s mystery guests that evening. Native American and western art from Redford’s private collection adorned the dining room walls that surround a towering 70-foot pine as we feasted on such delightful culinary creations as seared ahi tuna accompanied by a sweet corn relish and chive oil, and grilled buffalo tenderloin with haricot vert, garlic smashed potatoes and wild game jus. We paired each course with a glass of wine from the Tree Room’s Wine Spectator award-winning list. Sufficiently fueled against the cold December night, we ascended the path back to River Run and comfortably bedded down for a full day of skiing in the morning.
SPLIT PERSONALITY
Mt. Timpanogos
Sundance’s mid-mountain Flathead lift carries skiers and riders
Perfectly groomed corduroy below Sundance’s Arrowhead lift. |
Sundance’s ski terrain has a rather peculiar layout. The lower mountain is a novice and lower intermediate’s dream serviced by the Ray’s Lift fixed-grip quad, where broad groomed cruisers spill and roll down the mountain’s lower flanks back to the base. Lots of elbow room allows learning skiers and snowboarders to progress without the intimidation fostered by more crowded slopes, and there’s no risk of wandering onto steeper slopes, especially if a beginner uses the mid-station unloading just below the lift’s final pitch.
Ray’s Lift carries skiers and riders to a height of land, then drops down to an unloading station in a narrow valley separating Sundance’s lower and upper mountains. Here skiers board the Arrowhead chair to reach the ski area’s summit atop Bishop’s Bowl. In between, and off to the east, the Flathead triple serves steep mid-elevation fluted ridges and gullies.
The latter would be a dream on a powder day, with countless lines nestled amongst the steep trees and drainages. Alas, this was early season, and we often found ourselves stuck in knee-wrenching crud with an occasional punch through into the puckerbush below. The terrain was intriguing, but it was much too early in the winter to tempt a season-ending injury, so we spent most of our time up high on Arrowhead where a deeper snowpack covered downhill delights with 2,150 vertical feet of skiing spilling away below us.
Bishop’s Bowl forms a broad expanse with exposures varying from steep north-facing evergreens of Shauna’s, to broad open east-facing slopes in Bishop’s proper, finally wrapping around to beautiful east-facing aspen stands on Amy’s Ridge. Cross the Arrowhead lift line and you have a second complete drainage, where the groomed Bearclaw stays in the gully as short intermediate and advanced runs like Wildflower and Jamie’s drop in from the east, and Hill’s Headwall and Freddie’s hug the slopes of Mt. Timpanogos to the west. Rich and I spent lap after lap on Arrowhead, unencumbered by any other skiers, before our early-season legs screamed “Uncle!” and we dropped down to explore the gentler slopes served by Ray’s Lift, but not before noting the numerous sidecountry tracks on uncontrolled terrain on Timpanogos reached via a bootpack and skin line up the ridge above Bearclaw.
The Creekside Lodge at the ski area’s base serves day skiers and vacationers alike with a small cafeteria and the Sundance Mountain Outfitters ski and gift shop. Other dining options for lunch include sandwiches and drinks in Bearclaw’s Cabin at the summit, and the Foundry Grill for a jerk chicken quesadilla, a wood-fired pizza, or the Foundry’s Sunday brunch buffet in Sundance Village. Also adjacent to the Foundry Grill is a deli for a quick sandwich on the run. Night owls congregate in the Owl Bar, which features a restored 1890s rosewood bar relocated from Thermopolis, Wyoming where it was frequented by Butch Cassidy’s Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. It offers a cozy hideaway for cocktails with a friendly blend of guests, locals, and resort employees.
Views through Provo Canyon and across the Utah Valley from Sundance’s |
ARTISTIC FLAIR
Redford’s legacy of course includes the annual Sundance Film Festival in nearby Park City, and his sense of artistic appreciation extends to Sundance’s guest offerings as well. Sundance’s mission statement, in fact, strives “to integrate dynamic programming into a tailored guest experience based around Sundance’s core commitment to the arts, cultures, recreation and the environment.”
As a result, numerous activities vie for the attention of non-skiing guests or skiers looking for a day off the slopes. The Art Shack in the Sundance village core allows guests to explore their creative potential with two-hour workshops daily, focusing on jewelry making, pottery, painting, drawing and photography. Year-’round cultural arts programs offer the opportunity to experience concerts, art exhibitions, author chats and film screenings.
For those who prefer to indulge the body instead of the mind, The Spa at Sundance offers six quiet treatment rooms. Five are dedicated to massage and bodywork, and one to aesthetics. Therapies offered are inspired by native American cermony, culture and ritual to reconnect the body and the mind with Ina Maka (Mother Earth) and Wakan Wanagi, our native spirit. Treatments feature totally organic products for tradditional massage, stone massage and deep tissue massage, among other services such as ginger scrubs and a honey and cornmeal body blanket. For those who prefer to blend body and mind, yoga sessions are offered daily at the Sundance Fitness Yurt.
Buildings in Sundance’s base village are nestled amongst towering |
A mile up the Alpine Loop Road lies the Sundance Cross-Country Ski Center featuring 26 kilometers of trails set for both track and skating techniques, as well as 10 kilometers of separate snowshoe trails. Instruction and rental equipment is available on site, and special events, including moonlight ski and snowshoe tours and interpretive guide tours are regularly scheduled.
Sundance also offers a self-contained location for conferences, groups and meetings. Over 10,000 square feet of conference and meeting space is nestled amongst the resort’s towering pines.
Guests visiting the Park City-area ski resorts of Deer Valley, The Canyons and Park City Mountain Resort will find Sundance located a short, easy drive south through Heber Valley and Provo Canyon. While somewhat longer to reach from the Salt Lake Valley, Sundance remains a convenient alternative for a day visit from neighboring ski resorts. And whether it’s for a conference or a family-friendly ski getaway, the Sundance experience remains a unique blend of recreation, dining and culture nestled amongst the spectacular beauty and peaceful tranquility of Utah’s Wasatch Mountains that shouldn’t be missed.
For more information: www.sundanceresort.com