Up at Deer Valley they were blowing snow on Saturday but the run slated for World Cup slalom races had good coverage, and the entire mountain was open for skiing. Overnight, as happens almost every night here, a fleet of groomers turned the day's hardpack and moguls into a velvety corduroy of nuanced slope. For skiers, Deer Valley's grooming has always been a particularly strong draw. Many of the slopes are so smooth and beautiful after grooming that beginner skiers can tackle relatively steep slopes without worrying about ice, deep ruts or towering moguls. And for myself, the groomers are the perfect place to practice technique.
Deer Valley is a big place.
Today, the Snow Park Lodge and the Burns and Snowflake beginner lifts mark where the old area used to stand. Area owners Bob Burns and Otto Carpenter used discarded mining equipment and aspen trees to string the lifts and build the warming hut. Snow Park, which opened in 1947, operated until 1965. Deer Valley opened for business in 1981. Lots of up and down With as large as it is, it should come as little surprise that Deer Valley has sort of a strange layout.