Author Archives: Jill Adler

2015 Season Ski Passes Already?

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Are we really calling the end of the season already? It’s the second week of March and Vail Resorts has just put next year’s Epic Pass on sale while other resorts are rolling out spring pass offerings.

Make a $49 down payment on an Epic Pass before April 13, 2014, and lock in the $729 price for unlimited, unrestricted access to Canyons in Park City, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe; Afton Alps in Minnesota, Mt. Brighton in Michigan, and five consecutive free days at Niseko, Japan,
for the 2014-15 winter season. The remainder of the balance won’t be due until mid-September even though you’ll be able to ride the lifts all summer.

Kirsten Lynch, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Vail Resorts said, “There’s a reason we sell the Epic Pass in 80 countries and all 50 states. This is the one pass that lets you chase the powder at the world’s finest resorts, including Japan. This is the pass for true skiers and riders.”

The price has gone up $40 but it’s still a decent deal to ski California, Utah, Colorado and Japan. Noticeably absent from the mix, however, are free ski days in Arlberg, Austria, and Verbier, Switzerland, that were part of the 2013/14 Epic Pass.

Purchasers of an Epic Pass will also receive six Buddy Tickets (that’s $74 each at Canyons) and six Ski With A Friend tickets ($91 at Canyons) that can be used this spring; but that’s nothing to rave about when you consider the straight ticket price after March 31, 2014 is $73. Best to save them for next winter.

Snowbird’s $499 spring tram unlimited pass went on sale March 1, 2014, but drops to just $329 on April 1. Most Utah resorts will close in mid-April but let’s hope we get some late season snow storms to keep Snowbird skiing sweet past May. The other Utah resorts have yet to release their 2015 pass pricing details.

 

UPDATE: 

“We are excited to announce a renewed partnership between Vail Resorts and Les 3 Vallées, France, as well as Verbier, Switzerland, providing ongoing access to truly legendary and world-class resorts in Europe. Epic Pass holders that have taken advantage of these partnerships have been nothing short of blown away by the experience that these resorts provide and we couldn’t be more pleased to be able to extend the opportunity for more of our most loyal skiers and riders to ski the world” said Kirsten Lynch, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Vail Resorts. “Each and every year, we look to further increase the already incredible value of the Epic Pass, and the 2014-2015 season will be no exception, with continued access to the best of Europe, in addition to five free days in Niseko, Japan.”

“We are very happy to continue our partnership with Vail Resorts. Les 3 Vallées is the largest ski area in the world and the premier destination in ski terrain choice, service and gastronomy in Europe” said Vincent Lalanne-Clouté, director of Les 3 Vallées. “It’s no mistake that we are aligned with the preeminent mountain resorts in the world. We look forward to once again having Epic Pass holders experience the special place that is Les 3 Vallées, during the 2014-2015 season.”

Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff, Arizona

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Drinks at 6:30. Boy, does that sound awesome. I checked into the Freddie Mercury Room at the Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff, Arizona, after a crazy ass day just trying to get here.

The place is a hoot. Very historic, old school charm. I love it. Despite it’s history, there are no weird smells or bugs; a few paint chips are fine and I hear the place is haunted.

It was one of those weeks where I couldn’t tell what day it was, what I had to do and when I had to do it. Monday? When was that? I think I ran errands and hung out on my computer; studying for my mediation trial and prepping for Julie-Anne’s short film to come on Tuesday. I had so much to do before my trip to Flagstaff today. Including finding someone to get Sage to school tomorrow and – because she has no school on Friday- someone to watch her all day. Everything was lined up and good to go. I zipped to SLC for a Discovery Channel audition and then straight to the airport. Screw Diamond Parking. I’m recommending to anyone and everyone to avoid this operation. They used to be on top of things; they used to make sense. Not anymore. I self-parked and instead of the shuttle arriving at my car for my lift to the airport, I had to haul my bags all the way up to the entrance- a much greater distance than the shuttle stands at the airport long-term parking. Oh, and I save a whopping .80 a day using Diamond. Wahoo.

Next week I’m going on a mission to discover all of the more economical means available for my next trip. Other lots? Hotels? Personal rides? TRAX?

I can’t wait to go exploring. The last time I was in Flagstaff was right before I moved to Park City. I was thinking of moving here after a TV station offered me a news job. Oh how different my path could have been!

Current Utah Ski Conditions

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Cold, snow, hot, melt. It’s a vicious cycle and it just won’t seem to quit. After a week of highs last week a storm rolled in and covered the crusty, rotten snow. I didn’t ski until Friday. I’m not ready for spring skiing just yet. Unfortunately, the Park City side needed a lot more snow than they got so we headed to Big Cottonwood. Brighton skied like butter in most places when I finally went out. There were still scratchy patches on southfacing slopes but overall it was a welcome relief to spring conditions. Another foot fell by Saturday morning bringing totals to about 20 inches in the Cottonwoods and turning everything creamy. The winds buffered the slopes preventing us from experiencing that infamous blower snow. The warmer grapple that fell in the morning created a consistency more like kicking it in a sandbox than surfing whipped cream. Once it was tracked out you had to work for your turns rather than finding that hero experience. Still, it was winter. At Alta on Saturday we found untracked off Supreme in the Catherine’s area as well as in Eagle’s Nest. It was rougher under Collins Lift where winds beat the freshies into submission. Sorry, Folks, I haven’t seen Devils Castle open all season but you can bet I was drooling for it.

Sunday in Park City brought 50-degree temps and spring conditions again at the base. The top was still winter. Snowbird was the ‘it’ resort on Sunday as several areas that were closed due to the heavy snow and avalanche hazard, reopened.  The tram line was ridiculous so it made sense to scoot to Gadzoom to start the day. Snow fell in the evening but it was partly sunny and warm this morning which equates to me staying home to write!

A storm is approaching from the west that’s promising snow showers behind a cold front tonight through tomorrow. Then it clears and warms before another cold front this Thursday. Fingers crossed it brings at least a foot to cover the melting snow. 

Ask Jill: Which Park City Resort?

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Hi Jill,

My family and I will be coming to Park City in a couple of weeks. Any tips on where to stay? I have 3 kids so need a two- bedroom that we can walk to the slopes from. My kids are 10,9,4 years and are starting out. The older boys have skied but will need lessons and I will take them out in the afternoons. My daughter ( 4 years) will be on skis for the first time. I need black slopes with moguls ideally. Where should we stay and ski. I know you work at Canyons; my wife would like Deer Valley. I was planning PCMR. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Ajit

LOL. The good news is that the three resorts are close enough that you can try them all! I’d say for beginning kids you would want- and need- to start at Park City Mountain Resort. Deer Valley has a great ski school but the green terrain is limited. You’re either on the lower bunny hill (Wide West) or skiing a cattrack/road. DV is known for intermediate groomed skiing and killer food. Canyons is basically the same- a flat hill with a magic carpet, one beginner chair/hill (with one wide run) and then a HUGE transition to the next level; which means your kids will spend a ton of time on High Meadow before they’ll see any of the rest of the mountain. PCMR rocks for beginners. Tons of greens all over the mountain and their kids instructors are there because they like teaching kids rather than because it’s their first year in America.

Ski school group lessons run about $200+/day per kid. I’d recommend getting a private instructor the first day for all three. Have the instructor get the boys going and while they’re doing laps, the teacher can work with the four- year-old individually and show you how to ski with her so you can take her out for a bit each day and save $$. After the first day, do a group lesson and don’t be afraid to split the kids up. Often one will learn faster than the other. They’ll do better if they are with kids their own level. It’s cheaper than a half-day private to sign them up for a group lesson and arrange to meet them at lunch or after if you want to ski with them.


I would recommend two or three days at PCMR and then surprise your wife with her DV day. Make reservations for lunch at Royal Street at Silver Lake Lodge. It’s basically the same food and prices as their cafeteria next-door but without the desperate plea for a table and the long wait in line for a burger. You have to get the homemade ice cream sandwich for dessert!

The best black diamonds are at Canyons- steeps, long vertical, easy access. They do have bump runs but the best moguls seem to pile up at PCMR. After you’ve beat up your knees, you’ll love that DV break. If you do go to Canyons, take an Advanced Mountain Experience ($184). It’s an all-day group of no more than 4 skiers that’s more like a steeps clinic than a lesson and it often winds up as a private for expert skiers because, well, there aren’t that many experts who sign up (even though they should). It’s a great, inexpensive way to learn the ins and outs of the mountain while getting pointers that up your game. Plus, if you hate skiing alone like me it’s an awesome option.

As far as lodging, DV has the biggest selection of slopeside condos. Even if you stay at Canyons you’ll still be trudging through the Plaza in ski boots. There are some cool accommodations on the north side of PCMR at Silver Star. Check with Resorts West, VRBO and Flipkey to see what’s out there.

Let me know if I can help with anything else!

Deer Valley Aims For The World(s)

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Photos by Jill Adler


Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, is making a bid for the FIS Freestyle Skiing World Championships. The posh resort hosted the Championships in 2003 and 2011, and, if they get the 2019 event, they’ll earn the bragging right of being the venue of choice every eight years.

“I think it’d be huge,” Deer Valley president and general manager Bob Wheaton told the Park Record newspaper. “So far we’ve done World Cups every year, the 2002 Olympics, the 2003 and 2011 World Championships – the support is town-wide. It’s the atmosphere that everybody in town brings to the event.”


In the meantime, DV will walk the talk this March 28-30, 2014, by hosting the 2014 U.S. Freestyle Championships, again. Actually, the Championship moguls and dual moguls were at DV in 2008. Aerials took place at the Utah Olympic Park and the superpipe at Park City Mountain Resort. This year’s event was supposed to be at Heavenly Resort for the second year in a row but the dearth of snow in the Tahoe region prompted the move to Utah.

Two-time Olympians Ashley Caldwell (aerials) and Pat Deneen (moguls), and 2014 Olympian Bradley Wilson (moguls) are expected to be among those vying for the U.S. title in the final freestyle event of the season.

Deer Valley will make the bid for the World Championships when the FIS (International Ski Federation) meets in Barcelona, Spain, at the end of May.

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