Evren
New member
Why do I ski Deer Valley? Partly because no one else here will. And the 99% needs to keep an eye on the 1%.
Earlier, I started the season at PCMR. Through opening day, they sell $25 tickets good through 12/16. So the answer to the question, "Am I having $25 worth of fun here?" is usually a "yes!" Even if at times it is a close call. I still can't quite articulate why I dislike PCMR so, but I do. Despite having had tons of fun at both Canyons and DV, both of which, from an orographic view, amount to the same thing.
But I digress. Deer Valley opened up last weekend, my midweek pass opened up on Monday and I was there Tuesday afternoon. Even though only 25% of the runs are open, these runs runs are dispersed over 4 "peaks" (bear with me here) which give the illusion of going freely from one area to another, exploring. And what they have open is in tip-top shape, with just enough granular snow within reach to execute the next carve.
If anything, conditions were better on the groomed runs than the typical afternoon after a big dump mid-winter, because there were so few people. The sun was shining, the air was crisp and clean and the world was my oyster.
At the end of the first day, I discovered one of the perks that are available to the 1%ers. Complimentary overnight ski storage! Now, this may not seem like much and I certainly would not avail myself of it had it not been free but boy, does it make a difference! Nothing to carry back to your car but this:
View attachment 11
after doing this:
This got my brain machinating and the obvious conclusion was that I'd keep my Rossi S3s there along with the Rossi S86s to exchange as conditions warrant. Sweet.
After the first day, I stopped at Deer Valley Cafe for a quick soup to warm up. If you're an LCCer, you're thinking of a greasy chili in a styrofoam cup but no, this is Deer Valley and this is how they do soup:
For $7.50 you can do a triptych of seafood chowder, cream of broccoli and their famous turkey chili and eat like a civilized person.
The next three days were almost identical but here are some random observations:
Sometimes you wonder who lives in these mansions...
Turns out it's mostly blue-collar contractor folk and they're an ethnically diverse bunch who keep banker's hours:
So much for the foo foo image of Deer Valley.
This here illustrates the marvel of modern snowmaking:
Some powder to be had, but not really:
Deer Valley pretending to be Snowbasin on a busy day:
...and the parting shot:
So that was my week at Deer Valley. I met a Brazilian rancher -- farming in the southern hemisphere is a much more lucrative profession apparently. And a semi-retired family doctor from Washington state who skied like a pro with a broken toe. And beaming staff with health insurance who looked like they didn't have a care in the world.
Earlier, I started the season at PCMR. Through opening day, they sell $25 tickets good through 12/16. So the answer to the question, "Am I having $25 worth of fun here?" is usually a "yes!" Even if at times it is a close call. I still can't quite articulate why I dislike PCMR so, but I do. Despite having had tons of fun at both Canyons and DV, both of which, from an orographic view, amount to the same thing.
But I digress. Deer Valley opened up last weekend, my midweek pass opened up on Monday and I was there Tuesday afternoon. Even though only 25% of the runs are open, these runs runs are dispersed over 4 "peaks" (bear with me here) which give the illusion of going freely from one area to another, exploring. And what they have open is in tip-top shape, with just enough granular snow within reach to execute the next carve.
If anything, conditions were better on the groomed runs than the typical afternoon after a big dump mid-winter, because there were so few people. The sun was shining, the air was crisp and clean and the world was my oyster.
At the end of the first day, I discovered one of the perks that are available to the 1%ers. Complimentary overnight ski storage! Now, this may not seem like much and I certainly would not avail myself of it had it not been free but boy, does it make a difference! Nothing to carry back to your car but this:
View attachment 11
after doing this:
This got my brain machinating and the obvious conclusion was that I'd keep my Rossi S3s there along with the Rossi S86s to exchange as conditions warrant. Sweet.
After the first day, I stopped at Deer Valley Cafe for a quick soup to warm up. If you're an LCCer, you're thinking of a greasy chili in a styrofoam cup but no, this is Deer Valley and this is how they do soup:
For $7.50 you can do a triptych of seafood chowder, cream of broccoli and their famous turkey chili and eat like a civilized person.
The next three days were almost identical but here are some random observations:
Sometimes you wonder who lives in these mansions...
Turns out it's mostly blue-collar contractor folk and they're an ethnically diverse bunch who keep banker's hours:
So much for the foo foo image of Deer Valley.
This here illustrates the marvel of modern snowmaking:
Some powder to be had, but not really:
Deer Valley pretending to be Snowbasin on a busy day:
...and the parting shot:
So that was my week at Deer Valley. I met a Brazilian rancher -- farming in the southern hemisphere is a much more lucrative profession apparently. And a semi-retired family doctor from Washington state who skied like a pro with a broken toe. And beaming staff with health insurance who looked like they didn't have a care in the world.
