I spent Friday outside of my usual haunts, skiing Sundance with my buddy Rich as research for an upcoming resort feature for FTO. The Robert Redford-owned resort just off Provo Canyon is a real gem.
First off, the views of Mt. Timpanogos towering nearly 6,000 vertical feet above Sundance's base area are absolutely mind-numbing. A visit to Sundance would be warranted if only for this view.
But, somewhat a surprise to me, there's a whole lot more in the mountain's 450 acres to justify a visit. The mountain skis much bigger than that statistic would make you believe. The lower mountain has big, broad cruisers that dip and roll...perfect learning terrain. The upper mountain, though, has some tremendous steeps to complement groomed blue-square cruisers, steeps that would be amazing on a powder day. And I'm confident that powder stashes could be found literally days after a storm.
Alas, it's still early season, and with altitude from 6,000-8,200 feet, much of Sundance's terrain isn't really ready for prime time yet, especially after a prolonged dry spell that we had been experiencing. 100% of the terrain is officially open, but much of the steep terrain lower on the Flathead lift had brush and other trickies still sticking out of the snow. Some of it I just wasn't ready to ski without a few more feet of new.
The resort is simply amazing, too, with first-class yet understated facilities, and what Rich called the best food he's had in Utah. Until the FTO feature is finished, I'll let these photos from Friday do the talking.
First off, the views of Mt. Timpanogos towering nearly 6,000 vertical feet above Sundance's base area are absolutely mind-numbing. A visit to Sundance would be warranted if only for this view.
But, somewhat a surprise to me, there's a whole lot more in the mountain's 450 acres to justify a visit. The mountain skis much bigger than that statistic would make you believe. The lower mountain has big, broad cruisers that dip and roll...perfect learning terrain. The upper mountain, though, has some tremendous steeps to complement groomed blue-square cruisers, steeps that would be amazing on a powder day. And I'm confident that powder stashes could be found literally days after a storm.
Alas, it's still early season, and with altitude from 6,000-8,200 feet, much of Sundance's terrain isn't really ready for prime time yet, especially after a prolonged dry spell that we had been experiencing. 100% of the terrain is officially open, but much of the steep terrain lower on the Flathead lift had brush and other trickies still sticking out of the snow. Some of it I just wasn't ready to ski without a few more feet of new.
The resort is simply amazing, too, with first-class yet understated facilities, and what Rich called the best food he's had in Utah. Until the FTO feature is finished, I'll let these photos from Friday do the talking.
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