Unprecidented. Massive. Epic.
There are a lot of ways to describe the new Park City resort, none of them understated. Though it took some time and a messy lawsuit to get to this point, the proverbial dust has now settled and skiing in Park City will never be the same.
Last summer, Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) and Canyons were officially combined by Vail Resorts into one entity. A new logo using the Canyons insignia and the PCMR color palette punctuated the historic deal.
Now simply called “Park City” with the tagline, “There is only one,” the resort is the largest in the country, giving skiers and boarders access to over 7,300 acres of skiable terrain. Improvements didn’t come cheap, with Vail investing over $50 million, one of the most ambitious resort projects in history.
“The improvements offer skiers and riders more terrain and upgraded lifts to enhance the guest experience and reduce lines and crowding. New and upgraded restaurants and more snowmaking capabilities are part of the overall ‘touching up’ of all aspects of the resorts,” said Blaise Carrig, past president of the mountain division for Vail Resorts. “The plan was based on feedback from guests and the local community as well as discussions with the senior operating teams at the two resorts.”
Among improvements guests will notice in the 2015/16 ski season are:
» The Interconnect Gondola, an eight-passenger, high-speed two-way gondola from the base of the old Silverlode Lift at PCMR to the Flatiron Lift at Canyons. Gondola passengers can unload at the top of Pine Cone Ridge for gated ski access to Thaynes Canyons at Park City, or into the Iron Mountain area at Canyons through new trails that will be created from Pine Cone Ridge.
» Upgrade of King Con and Motherlode lifts. The King Con lift was upgraded to a six-person, high-speed detachable chairlift to increase capacity. The Motherlode lift was upgraded from a fixed-grip triple to a four-person, high- speed detachable chairlift, also increasing lift capacity.
» Restaurant Upgrades. A new restaurant, Miner’s Camp, will be located at the base of the old Silverlode Lift, next to the Park City terminal for the Interconnect Gondola. It boasts indoor seating for 500 people. The Summit House got a makeover, which will help customer flow and increase seating capacity. And Red Pine Lodge was remodeled to create an additional 250 indoor seats.
Vail Resorts also spent about $5 million for additional snowmaking equipment and overall maintenance. With all these improvements and additional skiable terrain now available with one ski pass, rest assured, this winter season will most definitely be “epic.”
