Photo Courtesy Park City Mountain

With one swift smack, two Park City resorts become one. The new Quicksilver Gondola is fully functional, linking Park City to the Canyons and signifying a proverbial -if not literal- end to Vail Resorts’ campaign in Utah. And by “campaign” we mean like in medieval days- a series of inter-related military battles that lasted years and was part of an over-arching strategic plan to conquer a country.

Park City has been conquered and the course of ski history has changed forever. December 18, 2015, ushered in the age of Vail Resorts, giant interconnected skiways, epic prices ($122 for a lift ticket, $10 slices of pizza) and another notch in the One Wasatch belt. Quicksilver not only creates the largest ski resort in North America – connecting the former Canyons Resort to Park City- but it’s an instrumental move in the plan to join all seven Wasatch ski areas using chairlifts and a network of trails. If One Wasatch happens it will create the North American equivalent of a European ski experience with 18,000+ acres of terrain, more than 100 lifts, accessed with one lift ticket.

For now, Quicksilver brings together ‘just’ 7,300 skiable acres, which of course you would never do in a day but it sounds cool. We also hope that means even if skiers and riders flock to Park City in droves, the slopes will never feel crowded. Something tells me, however, it still won’t make a difference at the Red Pine Gondola over MLK (the only way to the base for beginners). “On this historic day for our company, the debut of the Quicksilver Gondola connecting the two mountains brings to life one of the most ambitious capital projects undertaken at any resort in industry history,” said Rob Katz, chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts, said at the christening. VR started the project as soon as the snow melted this year. The 8.5- minute ride over the northern ridge of Park City was part of a $50 million capital improvement design that included leveling the old Snow Hut restaurant and erecting Miners Camp- a modern, wall-to-wall windowed retreat with 500 indoor seats, daily specials, flatbread pizzas, Mediterranean dishes and local drafts on tap ($9!).  

With 16-30 inches of snow forecast for this week, riders should be able to enjoy test-driving the Quicksilver over the holidays. As for One Wasatch, it could take years for someone to figure out a way to connect Solitude and Alta without pissing off snowboarders and causing another lawsuit.

Photo courtesy Ski Utah

I woke up to new snow Tuesday. The biggest dump so far in Utah. Ski Utah called it their signature “Monster Dump” in Little Cottonwood Canyon during their annual ski press conference. The irony is that in every single past year, I was skiing instead of attending the conference. This year no one’s open yet.

After last ski season’s lackluster year – 41 percent of average according to Ski Utah- the resorts aren’t in any hurry to open. Last season showed the second lowest snow totals in 24 years. Sigh. Poo poo global warming all you want but something’s going on. There were 324 inches of snow at Alta; a far cry from the average 551 inches. That said, Alta still had the most total snowfall of any other resort in North America. Neeners! Even when it’s not our best, it’s better than most.

The guests kept coming too. We had nearly four million visits- only down 5 percent from the year before. Also, take a moment to appreciate that figure. That’s a lot of tourism dollars showering this state. Skiing is still big business regardless of weather. Back in 1976/77, we had about the same snow totals but the skier visits were off 53 percent! You can thank snowmaking for saving the ski industry. Though bookings are seriously off at the moment, Ski Utah is remaining positive. “If you’re not an optimist in the ski industry,” said Ski Utah President Nathan Rafferty, “You’re not going to be in the industry very long.”

Most people who did come out last winter weren’t turned off by 45 degree weather and blue sky. They were in the mountains on vacation. They shopped, ate, ziplined, spa’d and had fun with their families. Ever since those snowmaking The resorts have accepted that winter isn’t always all about the snow. How can it be any worse? Just look at what happened in the Sierras with resorts super early or not opening at all.

The good news is that statistically speaking we are destined for a better season. Everyone’s going to want to experience North America’s largest ski area, right? Or pee in a luxurious bathroom on top of Hidden Peak (personally I’m hoping for a view but others might want more privacy); or ride a high-speed quad to Honeycomb Bowl at Solitude. And anyone with kids under 10 should flock to Brighton for their 80^th Anniversary. They ski free this season.

The countdown to opening is on. After a clear weekend, more snow is expected in the West next Monday and Tuesday with a stronger storm on its heels by late next week.

Northern Utah and other areas to the north are still below normal so careful out there is you choose to make backcountry turns. Remember- even skiing on resort slopes right now is considered backcountry. The extremely low snowpack may be just barely covering deadly rocks; use caution. No need to rip out your hamstring on a boulder before you ever get to use your pass. Once the resorts open, stick to the groomers until we’ve got a decent base. Tree stumps and logs are your worst nightmare.

Here are the (dare I say “tentative”?) opening dates for Utah’s 14 resorts:

Insert courtesy Ski Utah

Broadening its winter sport program offerings, Utah Olympic Park has created the Park City Ski Mountaineering Team. The inaugural Park City ski mountaineering program begins December 3 and registration is available online.

The Wasatch region hosted its first ski mountaineering races in 2003, and to date, is the only North American region that has hosted World Cup races sanctioned by the International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF). Utah currently hosts more than 20 ski mountaineering races including venues in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Logan. Working closely with the IOC, leaders of the ISMF aim to have ski mountaineering included as an Olympic sport by 2022.

A timed racing event, ski mountaineering, or “SkiMo,” follows an established trail where the skier negotiates diverse alpine terrain while passing a series of check points. Ski mountaineering is a multi-sport discipline, combining the endurance of a Nordic skier, mountain biker or runner with the skill and strength of an alpine skier.

Founded by Nina Silitch, who has been competing at the World Cup level for more than eight years, the Park City Ski Mountaineering Team provides an opportunity for skiers to practice ski mountaineering skills and compete in the Wasatch region, while fostering a passion for the sport. The curriculum includes skill-specific development including uphill, downhill and technical travel on snow; sport-specific fitness development and sport education that focuses on nutrition, mental training for competition and year-long training plans. The team is open to participants ages 14 and up with an intermediate to advanced ski background. There will be a strong focus on the development and recruitment of junior athletes from ages 14 to 21.