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A good place to grow

By Hannah Ballard - Daily Herald - | Feb 28, 2014

Every time I ski Canyons Resort, I feel as though I’ve barely scratched the surface on riding the slopes throughout the 4,000-acre funland.

Once again that was the case when hitting the slopes earlier this week.

After my ski buddy and I grabbed our passes recently, we headed up to the resort via the Cabriolet, a type of open gondola, which is a really convenient way to get into the resort without having to make the long walk from the parking lot.

Arriving at the resort we headed over to the Red Pine Gondola, and chatted with a couple from Lake Tahoe while we made our ascent into the heart of the resort, Red Pine Lodge.

While at the Park City area resort, I discovered that not only is Canyons a first-class resort, Canyons has really made room for every type of skier. In my brief time at the resort, I watched beginners take on the High Meadow lift — a hill dedicated to first-timers, college-aged students find their beat at the terrain parks, and adults discover a new passion for skiing and boarding.

Because I have been to most ski resorts in Utah at least once, I usually don’t grab a map because I’m familiar with the layout of the slopes. Not so for Canyons. After looking at the map a few times, I decided “winging it” wouldn’t be the best policy.

Caitlin Martz, the communications specialist at Canyons Resort, said it was important to plan out your day ahead of time. “Because the resort is so massive, you really need to decide where you are heading before you get started,” she said.

Because I had visited the resort before, I knew immediately where we wanted to end up first: Bruges Waffles.

While not a typical first stop for avid skiers, Bruges Waffles is a small cabin that sits next to the Saddleback Express lift and offers some delectable choices in sweet treats. It is a must when you visit Canyons, especially when looking to power-up for some great mountain runs.

Bruges offers two types of waffles, a sweet vanilla waffle and a waffle filled with melted dark chocolate. There are a few different toppings, but with or without the toppings the verdict is this: These are some of the best waffles you will taste in your life. The waffles range from $5 and up.

After we had our fill of chocolatey heaven, we made our way through Saddleback Express’ nice intermediate range of trails. As we skied our way down, we discovered a few hidden gems in Canyons.

Though I don’t typically visit the terrain parks at ski resorts, I was extremely tempted this time around. Martz explained a bit more about the parks before we visited. “At the Canyons, we have three different terrain parks throughout the resort that vary between beginner and intermediate. It’s a really nice way to start into learning tricks, whether you are a boarder or a skier.”

Though I didn’t try the terrain park myself, I may come back to Canyons to get started learning some tricks off the jumps, rails, jibs, boxes and gongs.

One of my favorite things about Canyons is the fact that there are never lines. Honestly, I speak the truth. Even on a busy Saturday, there are never lines because the resort’s occupants are spread out among the countless lifts and trails. And, to that effect, lunch is made easy because there are seven different eateries spread out around the mountain … or mountains. And that doesn’t include the fine dining available at the base of the resort.

For being as large a resort as it is, I was in awe at the beautiful layout and planning of the resort’s entirety. Everywhere I turned, there was a beautiful view from the top of the numerous lifts. The resort offered so many different types of terrain that it was difficult to decide where to try skiing first.

Even though Canyons seems like just another wonderful Utah mountain resort, the resort is overwhelmingly full of possibilities for every type of skier. From the high-class Waldorf Astoria hotel, to the family-friendly lifts, to the heated Orange Bubble Express (first of its kind in North America), the Canyons has just about everything you can imagine to fill your ski day with endless possibilities and fun.

Mountain Stats

  • Elevation: Base: 6,800 feet Summit: 9,990 feet Vertical drop: 3,190 feet
  • Skiable areas: 4,000 acres
  • 182 trails: 10 percent Easier, 44 percent Intermediate, 46 percent Expert.
  • 3 Terrain Parks
  • Total Mountain Peaks: 9
  • Bowls: 5
  • Natural halfpipes: 6
  • Longest run: 13,200 ft
  • 21 lifts (19 Skiable)
  • Total uphill capacity: 32,700 guests per hour
  • Average snowfall: 355 inches
  • Average monthly temperature for February: 23 degrees

Never too old for the slopes

Contrary to popular belief, skiing has no age limit and a group of 130 skiers is currently swooshing down Utah’s ski slopes proving that fact.

The 70-plus Ski Club, with members ranging in age from their 70s on up to the mid-90s and hailing from throughout the nation, is currently testing the runs at resorts like Canyons, Deer Valley and other neighboring resorts.

To read more about this club, log on to UtahAdventurer.com.

Canyons Resort

WHERE: 4000 Canyons Resort Dr., Park City

PRICE: $84-$107 for adults, $54-$69 for children and seniors

INFO: (888) CANYONS or CanyonsResort.com

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