The O. Zone

With Canyons, Vail now offers biggest ski areas in three states on Epic Pass

Canyons Resort outshines nearby neighbors in Park City area

By David O. Williams
Real AspenMay 29, 2013

Vail Resorts is adding ski areas to its Epic Pass as fast as Tiger Woods collected girlfriends back in 2009 or President Obama has been gathering second-term scandals this year. But the latest Vail addition, The Canyons Resort near Park City, Utah, is cause for some serious celebration.

For powder pigs living in Colorado’s high country or along the state’s Front Range, it was nice when Vail earlier this year added Eldora to its season pass. It’s close to the state’s big cities and for Front Rangers offers a close-in alternative to battling Interstate 70 gridlock or for hitting big upslope storms.

And it was pretty cool when Vail earlier this month added the Arlberg region of Austria to the pass. You never know, a rich uncle may die and leave you an all-expenses-paid European ski vacation, or you could hit your lucky numbers on Powerball.

But The Canyons being added is a big-time boost for soft-snow seekers who know that Utah tends to get significantly more light, dry Rocky Mountain powder than Colorado and that its relatively affordable resorts are within reasonable drive time (six hours or so).

A sun dog at The Canyons Resort .
Dan Davis
www.trekkerphoto.com

If you don’t know much about The Canyons, I didn’t either until I went there during the 2006-07 ski season, right before Vail Resorts tried to acquire it from American Skiing Company. In the end, the massive resort went to a Canadian company called Talisker, which Vail promptly sued. Now they’re playing nice and entering into an operating agreement, although litigation over land development still lingers.

Since college I’ve been making the occasional pilgrimage to Utah to ski the Little Cottonwood and Big Cottonwood Canyon ski areas of Alta, Snowbird, Brighton and Solitude, never really spending much time in the Park City area, which includes Deer Valley, Park City and The Canyons.

That trip back in 2006, my friend Dan Davis and I checked out Deer Valley, The Canyons and a little bit of Park City as one leg of the famed Interconnect that links all of the state’s great resorts with some minimal guided backcountry skiing. We also got in some heli-skiing with Wasatch Powderbird Guides out of Snowbird and Ruby Mountain in Nevada.

In recognition of Vail’s addition of The Canyons to the Epic Pass, here’s a re-post of a story I wrote after our ski day there seven years ago:

Canyons a hidden gem on Park City side of the Wasatch

THE CANYONS, Utah (January, 2007) -- It was already 10 a.m., and as my friend Dan Davis and I unsteadily boarded the cabriolet people mover (a sort of open-air gondola) at the Canyons Resort near Park City, Utah, we had already violated a slew of rules critical to the survival of serious powder poachers.

First off, even though it was snowing hard the night before, we’d stayed up way too late drinking, shooting pool and loudly pontificating on world problems in our plush three-bedroom ResortQuest condo overlooking the slopes of Deer Valley. Then we got to the Canyons too late to hook up with our guides for the day, a group of local riders and videographers we planned to shoot some stills with.

By the time we woozily dragged our gear onto the cabriolet, those guys had already headed straight into the then-new expansion terrain called DreamCatcher, which incidentally will see even more glading for the coming ski season.

Guideless, hung over and exploring a new mountain for the first time after a 10-inch dump, we were utterly clueless about our destination. Should we try to catch up with our ski models? Should just pick a point on the trail map and hope for the best? Or should we just bag it all and head into the lodge for a big breakfast?

It was mid January last ski season (2006-07) and Davis and I had had an inauspicious beginning to a week-long ski junket to Utah. The first day we’d spent poking around the trees at Deer Valley, enjoying ourselves but not overwhelmed by anything you’d remotely deem epic.

Then we tried to catch some World Cup freestyle aerial action that evening under the lights but had been driven inside by mind-numbingly cold temperatures. Utah was in the midst of one of its lowest snow years in recent memory but at least the frigid air was keeping what little snow there was fresh and smoky.

Then we started getting the phone calls from friends back home in the Vail Valley. It seems the storm that had largely missed Utah, dumping a mere (by Utah standards) seven inches at Deer Valley, had plastered Vail and Beaver Creek with up to two feet of snow. Our buddies were making sure we knew exactly what we had missed.

Our consolation prize? A 10-inch powder day at The Canyons the next day, but as I’ve mentioned, we were already blowing it. We decided to take the man’s way out, pick the nastiest looking point on the map (even if it was already skied out) and try to redeem ourselves with something steep and at least somewhat deep.

We settled on the Ninety-nine Nine Express lift and headed straight for it. By the time we got to the top terminal (at 9,990 feet) patrol was just opening the backcountry access gate, and suddenly, all was right with the world.

High in the Wasatch Mountains, with Big Cottonwood Canyon (home to Solitude and Brighton ski areas) yawning expansively to the north, we were awed by the backcountry possibilities. We opted for about a 20 minute hike east along the ridge, snapping some nice scenics along the way before diving into an unnamed (on the trail map anyway) bowl that feeds back into the ski area. Our reward was 40 or 50 fresh turns in an open, moderately steep bowl,

A backcountry gate at the top of the Ninety-nine Ninety lift at the Canyons Resort in Utah serves up ample warning about the potential for disaster.
Dan Davis
www.trekkerphoto.com

Utah is more renowned than Colorado for its backcountry leniency, basically putting up gates warning you of the possibility of death or dismemberment and letting you be as stupid as you want to be. When I later mentioned the sweet backcountry turns out the gate off of Ninety-nine Ninety to a resort spokeswoman, I could almost hear her grinding her teeth over the phone.

Acknowledging backcountry opportunities is not something one does “in the litigious society that we live in today,” admitted Canyons spokeswoman Elizabeth Dowd. “You get the family of four from Illinois going back there and you can have problems.”

True, just because you rode a lift to get there should not absolve you of responsibility. Dan and I proceeded with caution even though the bowls opening up off of Ninety-nine Ninety appeared to have been skied fairly hard all year, packing out a seemingly solid base.

We had such a nice run we cycled back around for another hike, and while things were getting fairly tracked up the second time around, it was still worth the effort. Then it was off to the new DreamCatcher area in hopes of hooking up with the film crew and ski models.

We never found them but we did discover some very worthy tree shots in the beautifully gladed new terrain lower on the mountain. It opened for the 2006-07 season with a new high-speed quad chairlift and more than 200 acres of tree skiing, and they’re clearing even more room for turns this season.

In the end, powder day transgressions aside, we wound up with a very solid day on a surprisingly challenging mountain. We had expected the meat of our trip to come later in the week in Little Cottonwood Canyon at the legendary areas of Alta and Snowbird.

“It’s a hidden gem,” Dowd said of the Canyons. “It’s here, the locals know about it, but a lot of destination skiers don’t know enough about us. Even the Alta-Bird snobs, if you could just get them to come here for one day and show them around Ninety-nine Ninety, it’s almost comparable. Alta-Bird is another situation, but we certainly have enough of a buffet for the extreme skier to be able to fill their day.”

As Dan and I wearily loaded our gear onto the cabriolet that afternoon, the sun sinking and the temperatures plummeting, we definitely had to agree.


comments: 18 Comments on "With Canyons, Vail now offers biggest ski areas in three states on Epic Pass"

sian8754 – April 24, 2021, at 2:40 a.m.

Sports Toto Safety Playground Slot Site Toto Site Address Toto Boatman bebe40.com Sports Broadcasting Sports Broadcasting Kim Ho-joong Diplomat Sex Crime Baseball Rain Cancellation Basketball Analysis Toto Playground First Casino Food Guarantee Site Live Casino Safety Park Recommendation

안전놀이터
인터넷 토토
사설 토토
동행복권 파워볼사이트
해외축구 갤


smithpau – June 30, 2021, at 1:18 a.m.

Pleasant post! This is a pleasant blog that I will authoritatively return to more occasions this year! A debt of gratitude is in order for educational post.

star lord costume jacket

tijundonghua60 – Nov. 22, 2022, at 10:48 p.m.

I might not be able to stand the cold here. My health is not very good Madalin Stunt Cars. But looking at the snow is very nice.

munda234234 – Dec. 14, 2022, at 11:18 a.m.

Thank you because you have been willing to share information with us. we will always appreciate all you have done here because I know you are very concerned with our. spiritual movie reviews

alexanderleo – Dec. 22, 2022, at 6:29 a.m.

The way you describe is so natural and soothing. I read this amazing article and this is so beautiful.

alexanderleo – Dec. 22, 2022, at 6:31 a.m.

Now IM reading this article again and enjoying it as I enjoyed it first time while working with blender which I buy from this amazing green blender promo code

John Smithxyz – Dec. 24, 2022, at 6:05 a.m.

First off, despite the fact that it had been snowing heavily the night before, we had stayed up long past our bedtime in our luxurious three-bedroom ResortQuest condo overlooking the slopes of Deer Valley, drinking, playing pool, and noisily discussing global issues.
- John

munda234234 – Jan. 16, 2023, at 7:49 a.m.

Superior post, keep up with this exceptional work. It's nice to know that this topic is being also covered on this web site so cheers for taking the time to discuss this! Thanks again and again! NEW SOUTH WALES FAKE DRIVER LICENCE

munda234234 – Jan. 17, 2023, at 7:04 p.m.

Please share more like that. who is jesus

HenryJones123 – Jan. 20, 2023, at 2:45 p.m.

For those who are looking for the best milkshakes in Canada, look no further than the desert shop. This shop offers a wide variety of delicious milkshakes that will satisfy any sweet tooth.

HenryJones123 – Feb. 21, 2023, at 1:49 a.m.

There are many delicious Chinese dishes, and the best Chinese food can vary depending on personal taste and preferences

munda234234 – March 09, 2023, at 9:39 p.m.

I have read all the comments and suggestions posted by the visitors for this article are very fine,We will wait for your next article so only.Thanks! search engine project

munda234234 – March 10, 2023, at 6:34 p.m.

Positive site, where did u come up with the information on this posting?I have read a few of the articles on your website now, and I really like your style. Thanks a million and please keep up the effective work. a fantastic read

alexerjames – March 21, 2023, at 9:14 a.m.

Midasbuy is an online platform for purchasing in-game currency and virtual items for popular mobile games, such as PUBG Mobile and Free Fire. It offers a fast, safe, and convenient way for gamers to upgrade their gaming experience.
https://themidasbuy.com/

alexerjames – March 21, 2023, at 9:14 a.m.

https://themidasbuy.com/

hahnrobert33 – April 17, 2023, at 5:27 a.m.

You are doing Excellent job Keep Going. I appreciate that the fantastic information you provided and the effort you put into it.I also found a website where i got free coupons and heavy discounts on shopping I refer You all to visit once Represent Clothing Discount Codes

munda234234 – June 03, 2023, at 8:40 p.m.

Yes i am totally agreed with this article and i just want say that this article is very nice and very informative article.I will make sure to be reading your blog more. You made a good point but I can't help but wonder, what about the other side? !!!!!!Thanks Pennsylvania Fake ID

munda234234 – June 06, 2023, at 7:49 a.m.

Thankyou for this wondrous post, I am glad I observed this website on yahoo. occhiali uomo da sole

COMMENT
Comment Form Info  Comment Information
Real Aspen encourages you to post comments on our articles and blogs. Logged in email is required for monitoring purposes. Your email will not be published and will not be distributed to any third-party. Abusive, obscene, profane, threatening, libelous or defamatory comments are prohibited. By posting a comment, you agree to this policy and our terms of use. To report an abusive posting, please contact us.

To make a comment, please log in or create an account. This helps us prevent spam and other malicious attacks.

Please log in to comment

 

Create a user account to comment

Snow Report

  24hr snow mid dpth snow cond.
A-Basin n/a n/a
Aspen n/a n/a closed
BC n/a n/a closed
Breckenridge n/a n/a closed
Buttermilk n/a n/a closed
Copper n/a n/a closed
Crest. Butte n/a n/a closed
Eldora n/a n/a closed
Heavenly n/a n/a closed
Highlands n/a n/a
Howelsen n/a n/a closed
Keystone n/a n/a closed
Kirkwood n/a n/a closed
Loveland n/a n/a
Monarch n/a n/a closed
Northstar n/a n/a closed
Powderhorn n/a n/a closed
Purgatory n/a n/a closed
Silverton n/a n/a closed
Ski Cooper n/a n/a closed
Ski Granby n/a n/a closed
Snowmass n/a n/a closed
Steamboat n/a n/a closed
Sunlight n/a n/a closed
Telluride n/a n/a closed
Vail n/a n/a closed
WinterPark n/a n/a closed
Wolf Creek n/a n/a closed
More Weather Reports
VIDEO GALLERY
Vail powder day snow snake
Airing it out at Crested Butte
Feb. 17, 2011 Surprise 14 inches of Fresh Powder