Tag Archives: Deer Valley Ski Area

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Park City Strong

Friends since Kindergarten.

Did you ever have one of those days where you said- ” this was the perfect ski day? ” Well, a couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to ski with my lifelong friend Tom Birsic, whom I have known since Kindergarten. My wife Janet had had enough after 5 days of hitting it hard at Deer Valley, Snowbasin and Powder Mountain. Our friends the Flying Smittys had gone back to Philly. and Patter( Tom’s better half) had other plans for the day. So Birsic and I hit it early and it was a sunny glorious day at Deer Valley. Tom doesn’t ski anywhere else as he loves Deer Valley. In particular, he loves the Nabob Run and also the signature Steins Way- a black diamond that is so much fun to ski when it is groomed.

So riding up the Sultan Express, Tom and I welcomed a guy to ride with us who was from Australia. An interesting guy who was in Utah for 3 weeks skiing and taking in the NBA All Star Game. He was a developer for Microsoft and was invited to the game due to his work on the PlayStation platform involving the NBA teams. He asked us on the way up if we knew the mountain and could suggest where to go. We asked him what kind of a skier he was and he said ” black diamonds and double black diamonds.” Tom looked at him and said “follow us.” I love Tom’s confidence! We took him to Steins Way and the competitive streak came out in me as I got the jump on him and let it fly down Stein’s waiting for him and Tom at the chairlift at the bottom. He looked at us and said” so glad I connected with you guys” and we skied with him the rest of the morning.

The chairlift conversations developed, and we learned about his life in Australia, where he skied, what his job entailed, and then Tom, being the educated guy that he is, began to ask about Australian Rules Football. I looked at Birsic and said” what do you know about Australian Rules Football?” The Aussie was impressed with Tom’s knowledge of the game. Tom went on to discuss cricket and the finer points of that game and I was in awe of his knowledge. Tom in fact had spent some time in Australia representing K+L Gates- his firm with whom he is a partner. Birsic is a very successful litigator and lives full time now in Park City because he loves the mountains and he loves to ski. The Aussie was so glad he connected with us and we kept making runs with him. On one of the runs, he asked politely how old we were. He was a bit stunned when we said 68, as he was 52 and was hustling to keep up even though he told us he skied nothing but black diamonds and double black diamonds. Tom and I took him down Perserverance Bowl and Nabob and some other signature Deer Valley runs, and he was so appreciative of the tour.

I did tell the Aussie ( whose name is Drew), that Tom is in excellent shape. He skis a lot of days, takes hikes with his dog and hits the weights in his gym at home and at his club. So really, Tom works out about 3 times a day and he shows it. He is in great shape. Point being here that you need to be in shape to ski. As we get older, it is virtually impossible to ski yourself into shape and you are much better off being fit to really enjoy the skiing experience. I ride a mountain bike or hike 4 days a week, year round, but really need to take a tip from Tom and hit the weights. My doc, who is my mountain bike buddy, says that I could use a little upper body strength. I have been on this plant based diet and have lost 10 pounds that I did not need to lose. Thus, my doc says, ” Pat- you are in shape and your legs are strong, but you need to start lifting so that your upper body does not lose tone due to the weight loss.” I am taking his advice and starting that program slowly so as not to hurt myself. I will get there Syed.

When Tom and I bid farewell to Drew- he said,” I sure hope I can ski like you guys when I am 68.” Tom and I chuckled and told him what a pleasure it was to meet him and to ski with him. Somehow, I am sure he will tell his mates about the old dudes he skied with and what a nice tour they gave him. In many ways, Tom and I appreciated the compliment but really, it affirmed that we both were doing something right and hopefully we will be able to keep doing this for years to come. Tom and I really loved skiing with the young guy, and it kind of made the day even a little more special. We are still in the game.

I have written a lot lately about keeping active and keep moving as we get older. It is so important and if you like to enjoy things like skiing, riding a bike, running, or whatever floats your boat, as you age- keep moving. You can do things for a long time if you do. Thanks for reading.

You don’t quit skiing because you get old, you get old because you quit skiing.

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The Theory of Self Selection

Stein’s Way- named after the famous Stein Eriksen.
The Barrister and his pal Jamie.

So, I was out in Deer Valley, Utah last week and while riding the chairlift with my friend Tom Birsic, who is a resident of Park City, I remarked that the Wasatch chairlift and the Sultan chairlift were not crowded. They both service some black diamond slopes including the famous Stein’s Way. Tom remarked with his wry sense of humor that Stein’s Way self selects it’s skiers and that is why the chairlifts were not crowded. I kind of laughed at that and asked about his statement of self selection. He then went on to explain, that with the limited snowfall that Deer Valley had experienced in the last couple of weeks, the terrain over on that side of the mountain tended to get scraped and icy as we had found out. People tended to try Stein’s and then quickly found out that the icy, narrow entrance had probably weeded out return runs. Tom remarked that he had even seen a guy crawling back up the trail looking for an easier way down. Steins’ had self selected there and that guy probably would not be coming back. We were still skiing over there but that is just us.

Sometimes slopes like Stein’s can self select just from reputation. There are those who hear of the icy conditions and decide not to ski it. Take my wife for instance. Janet is a good skier but didn’t have to have the icy, narrow entrance and opted not to ski over on that side of the mountain. Sometimes maturity and consideration win out over ego and the right decision is made long before one enters the danger zone of a slope on which they maybe don’t belong. I am convinced Janet could ski Stein’s because she has good technique. She finishes her turns well but just didn’t have to have the stress to navigate the narrow entrance with the icy conditions. So, Stein’s self selected her without even seeing her skis. LOL!!

There are many other slopes and trails that self select as well. Take our local Laurel Mountain with it’s famous Wildcat. It is the steepest slope in these parts and often I remark to my friend Jaime that the crowd seems to be getting sparse on Lower Wildcat. Jaime laughs and says- ” Pat- have you noticed how it is getting scraped and icy?” Not many people want to ski that and opt out for the rest of the day. The slope becomes empty and only the diehards tend to continue to battle the ice with no one else in sight. Some even do it in the rain – like yours truly. But that is another story.

Tom and I continued to discuss self selection on the chairlifts as the day went on and what I got out of his humorous discussion was that discretion is often the better part of valor. Even his friend Jamie who was visiting from DC, and was a good skier, remarked that he had slowed down a little as he has aged and decided that it was not worth it to ski too fast or go to slopes that would test his skill beyond which he felt comfortable. One can have a great time without being self selected from a place of no return.

The Daly Chutes

I like to ski the Daly Chutes at Deer Valley. But they even self selected me this year because of the thin condition of the snow pack there. Riding the chair, I noticed that no one was skiing over there and with the thin conditions, the rocks and stumps were showing through along with the fact that it seemed rock hard. As much as I like to ski there I opted out or perhaps in Tom’s theory- the Daly Chutes had self selected me out this year.

So Tom, the barrister, had a valid theory and although certain slopes and trails in his words can self select, we all know that we should really analyze where we want to ski and leave the bravado for another day or another slope or trail if necessary. Enjoy the skiing, and ski to ski another day. Thanks Tom. Thanks for reading.

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The Stoke

The Daly Chutes – Deer Valley, Utah

” Dude- I am stoked”. ” Man- the stoke is high today.” ” Stoked man.” You have all heard this in a lift line or elsewhere on a great day. Young people still get excited about skiing and they verbalize it in different ways including the word………….”stoke”. Now I am beyond the stoke vernacular in age, so I would not be caught dead calling anyone a dude or that I am stoked. However, the neat thing about skiing is that all ages can participate. I have skied for 59 years – as a kid and now as a grown kid. But still- I know my place among the millennials and keep my distance when verbalizing how I love a great day of skiing. I get ……. well ……..excited ,or at the ragged edge of adjective description- ” pumped” LOL!!

Mammoth Mountain , California.

So really- for the older generation of skiers, what exactly is ” stoke?” Well- it can be used to describe something about to happen. Like when your skis are hanging over a cornice and you are about to drop in. The excitement is high as you visualize your first couple of turns. And you are ….” stoked” . You drop in and make a series of linked turns and when you get to the bottom, the stoke turns past tense and you are ” stoked ” with that run. You have finished a high anxiety opportunity and you made the best of it and your smile is a wide as your face and you are ……………”stoked”. Me………………I am happy to have made some good turns and I silently say………..” alright!!!!!!” Would never yell out ” stoked.”

Stoke can also be used to describe the atmosphere of the moment. Like when you are standing in a lift line on a huge powder day. You hear the whoops and yeeeeeeowwws of the younger set as they recover their skis that they strategically placed in line at the front and they wait for the rope to drop. The ” stoke is high” as they impatiently wait on the chair ride for those first untracked turns in great snow. You hear the word ” stoked” all over the place as the crowd rushes from the lift to make those first signature turns. ” Dude- I am stoked” Not for me. I stay my course and politely ski out of the way of the dudes.

Laurel Mountain, Pa. 8:00 AM

I get excited as I look out on a perfectly groomed trail ready for the first turns of the day. I smile and click into my bindings, push off, and feel pretty darn good as I make my first turns on a sunny winter day no matter where I am. Out west or local. I am …….excited” I probably didn’t sleep real well but that is ok. I still have the enthusiasm of a kid as I slide down the mountain. Yes- I guess I am ” stoked” although I would never admit it or say it ……..except to you.

Things are a little weird now and my Jeep is my lodge as I now say. But we are happy booting up in the lot and eating our lunch in the Jeep. The stoke might be a little askew but we are definitely happy that the lifts are turning and we are skiing.

So although “stoke” is not really in my vocabulary, I am happy that the young people still enjoy the merits of skiing like I do and for that I guess I am …………………..” stoked.” Enjoy the winter and thanks for reading- dude.

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The Scoop on Deer Valley

After a roller coaster ride on the trail through the trees leading out to the sign for the Daly Chutes at Deer Valley, Utah, I made my way to the cornice and peered down over the lip to the drop in for Chute # 4. After dropping in and making a series of steep jump turns down through the throat of the chute, I came out to a wide open field full of avalanche debris from the patrol blasting the cornice the day before. Weaving my way through the debris and then a chicane through the woods I popped out in full view of the lodge at the bottom of the Empire Canyon. Deer Valley takes a lot of heat for being a powder puff area servicing the rich and famous. But I am here to tell you that this area has all you can handle if you are a skier looking for challenge. Look no further than the Daly Chutes with steep pitches through trees and rock outcroppings. You can also get your fix way over under the Sultan and Wasatch chairs and ultimately lapping Stein’s Run named after the Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion Stein Eriksen, who was the Director of Skiing at the area for many years before his recent death. Big GS turns with nobody in your way makes for a lot of fun.

But on that other note of service and gentility, Deer Valley is unrivaled. My wife loves Deer Valley and at the kind invitation of our very dear friends who live in Park City nearby, we were treated to a fabulous time last week in the Wasatch Range of Utah.

From the minute you drive up to the base lodge, you are treated with respect as the valets take your skis and boots from your vehicle and place them in the racks. You can enter the spacious locker room where you can check your valuables and make your way out to the slopes that are perfectly groomed often accompanied by brilliant sunshine. This past week was a little cold but my wife braved the temperatures and enjoyed herself as she made her way down the perfectly manicured trails. The food at Deer Valley is unparalleled as far as ski areas go.The famous Deer Valley turkey chili is available in all the lodges along with freshly baked bread, pastries, and sumptuous salads. The real treat is to go to the Stein Eriksen Lodge where you can see the trophy display that features the gold and silver Olympic and World Championship medals that Stein Eriksen won in the 50’s. You can ride up the Viking Lift right to the entrance to the Lodge and as you walk into the Troll Hallen Lounge after perusing the trophy case, you are greeted by a waiter who seats you at a table adorned with white table cloths and napkins and appropriate wine goblets per your choice of vintage wines. The lunch options are fabulous and a real diversion from my standard of a yogurt and Gatorade at most areas. Maybe a cookie or Kind Bar if I splurge. Again, my wife Janet adores the whole experience and our friends are the most gracious hosts in a most gracious area. http://www.steinlodge.com

Deer Valley does everything right from the grooming, to the food, to the end of the day where you can store your skis and boots in a complimentary area complete with valets who again take your skis and store them for the evening. You can even have an overnight tune if you desire. Deer Valley is often ranked # 1 in service for all ski areas in North America by Ski Magazine each year and you can see why when you spend some time there. Janet tried out a new pair of Volkl Kamas that I bought her in the spring, and with the pristine conditions of the slopes, she made some of the best turns of her life. She likes her new boards but she also says that the total experience at Deer Valley not only is highly enjoyable but it inspires confidence because you just get the feeling that the area management and the employees want you to have a great experience in their end of the world. Our friends feel the same way and when they welcome guests into their home like they did for Janet and me, they do it the Deer Valley way. Nothing is left undone. Thanks Patter and Tom.

As a final comment, I try to make my wife’s experience on the slopes as pleasant as I can. She is not a fanatic like I am about skiing, but if I can get her to Deer Valley, she is a happy camper. I am turning her into a mountain girl slowly but surely. She will be ready for the Flying Smittys. Thanks for reading.