Let's be honest, you can't just go anywhere on the mountain right off the bat for spring skiing. There are several things to consider. When is the sun going to hit my favorite slope? Where is the closest place for a beer? How many layers should I wear? If you take spring skiing as seriously as I do, you'll want to check out these 10 runs on your way across the mountain.
Park City Base Area
1.) Quit’N Time Town Lift
Half the fun of spring skiing is done off of your skis or snowboard. With minimal planning, you can ski right to Park City’s historic Main Street and step out of your bindings for a drink and delicious meal. Take Quit’N Time to the base of Town Lift, where you can store your skis or snowboard, and walk to The Bridge Café and Grill for all day breakfast, High West Distillery & Saloon for locally made spirits, or Old Town Cellars for the self-proclaimed official wine of après. When you’ve had your fill, hop back on Town Lift to ride past historic ski structures on your way back up the mountain.
2.) Motherlode Meadows Motherlode Express
For those late season powder days, you’ll want to get to the mountain early and know where to go. Step 1: Follow the lift line underneath Motherlode Express and tuck into the trees just after Single Jack. Motherlode Meadows opens up with several meters in between each tree. Step 2: Lap the area all morning. The north-facing slope keeps it fresh and away from the sun.
3.) Short Fuse Silverlode Express
The Park City side of the resort has 5 smaller tree runs with zigzags, whoopty doo’s, and bumps and jumps, also known as Adventure Alleys. The entrance and exit of each Adventure Alley is marked with its own personalized Snow Bug, a giant metal monster with jagged teeth, buggy eyes, and their own ski gear. Short Fuse begins on skiers left of Claimjumper, just a bit past where it turns left and splits from Bonanza run, twists and turns through a track in the trees, and spits back out onto Claimjumper.
4.) Jonesy’s Bonanza Express
With the sun warming up the south-facing slope first thing in the morning, Jonesy’s is a favorite of mine to start the day. Starting towards the top of the lift and ending at the very bottom of Bonanza Express, Jonesy’s is long and wide the entire way down. Plus, if you’re there early enough, you might just get fresh corduroy. Jonesy’s is usually groomed overnight. Check the EpicMix app to be sure.
5.) Temptation King Con Express
Although Temptation drops you off at the bottom of King Con, I believe the best way to get there is from Eagle lift. Avoid walking up the hill to PayDay or Crescent lifts and ski down to Eagle’s 3-person chair. The sunny ride will warm you up for the gradual slope down to the bottom. Temptation is a wide run with plenty of room and often groomed overnight.
Canyons Village
6.) Alpenglow Dreamscape
The first thing you’ll notice as you exit the top of the lift is the spectacular view. With mountain peaks are scattered across the skyline, this spot is prime picture-taking country. Once you’ve let the beauty soak in, you can either stop into Cloud Dine for their famous house-made donuts and a beer, or continue onto the run. (I highly recommend the donuts and beer part, though.) Often groomer’s pick of the day, Alpenglow is steep in the beginning and mellows out as you get farther down the hill. You can choose to lap it (for more donuts and beer, obviously) or merge onto Harmony to go back to Tombstone.
7.) Cloud 9 Tombstone Express
The pitches on Cloud 9 make the run both challenging and fun. Wait until the sun has reached the slope to ski Cloud 9 in the afternoon. Have a blast gaining speed on the steeper slopes and slow down as it mellows out. Plus, you’ll end up at a great place for a beer at the outdoor Tombstone Grill!
8.) Pipe Dream Dreamcatcher
Starting with a great view of the surrounding mountain range, this wide-open run dips underneath bridges and between tall aspens. Pipe Dream is a long and leisurely run with steep pitches and cat tracks through The Colony, but you can also ski past the bottom of the lift to continue onto Iron Mountain Express or Timberline, which head in opposite directions of the mountain.
9.) Boa Super Condor Express
If you’re in the beginning phase of learning to ski or ride, Boa is a good run to start to on blues. The run is long and wide, offering plenty of time to get the rhythm going. With plenty of space to take breaks, you don’t have to feel pressured to take it all in at once. Boa meanders back and forth between the boundary line of the resort and an edge of pine trees for both shade and sunny spots.
10.) Crowning Glory Peak 5
Crowning Glory, separated into three parts (upper, middle, and lower), is one of the longest runs on the mountain. Measuring around 3 miles long, Crowning Glory begins at the top of Peak 5 and ends at the bottom of Tombstone Express. The length of the run winds through both steep and mellow slopes. Trees lining either side of run will help keep the snow in great shape, even in warmer conditions. By the time you’re finished, you’ll definitely want to reward yourself with a frothy beverage at Tombstone Grill.
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