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A spring break guide to Deer Valley, just for skiers

Kimberly Nicoletti
For The Park Record
The views of Jordanelle Reservoir are spectacular and the bumps are tailored by and for skiers.
Kimberly Nicoletti/For The Park Record

Deer Valley Resort doesn’t allow snowboarders, but it is a skier’s paradise.

Bump skiers will immediately notice the more rounded, friendlier moguls, as opposed to more elongated formations.

Bald Mt. offers a fabulous bowl of bumps with hardly anyone there, even on a weekend. By around 11 a.m. on a sunny spring day, the predominantly south-facing bowl on the skier’s right of Mayflower is full of soft, slushy, bumps with solid coverage and stashes through the aspen groves. If you don’t like slush bumps, avoid this in the late afternoon, though the moguls are mellow enough to slip-slide through slowly. The triple chair here is the perfect place to hang out during mid- to late-morning to avoid any crowds and ski soft snow.



Sultan Express, on Bald Mt., is a nice, soft place for mixed intermediates to ski together. Edgar’s Alley, a double blue, offers bumps on one side of the groomed run to duck in and out of.

While just about any mountain vista is stunning, the top of Bald Mt. delivers particularly jaw-dropping views of Jordanelle Reservoir’s blue waters. It makes a great backdrop for photos.



Off Sterling Express, at the top of Ottobahn near the Race Hill Registration Building, you can demo the latest in Rossignol ski technology at the Rossignol High Performance Test Center. Just below, test your speed on the NASTAR race course, which happens to be free this season; all you have to do is register and sign a waiver.

With the buzz of the 2034 Olympics possibly coming here, Deer Valley is the perfect place to ski with a current Olympic athlete. Individuals or groups can book an exclusive half- or full-day adventure with Shannon Bahrke, Fuzz Federsen, Kaylin Richardson, Jillian Vogtli, Chris Waddell or Trace Worthington.

Deer Valley pays tribute to the 2002 Olympics in a variety of inspiring ways. Start the day with a breakfast burrito, eggs benedict, pancakes or other breakfast favorites — or enjoy lunch — at the 2002 Room at Snow Park Lodge. You’ll find athlete and volunteer uniforms, as well as a Children of the Light costume, displayed in shadow boxes, along with pins, tickets, bells and other memorabilia. A plaque commemorating the 2002 Winter Games, listing winners of alpine slalom, freestyle aerials and freestyle moguls, stands outside Snow Park Lodge. And just along Carpenter Express, off White Owl, you’ll find a sign and a snowy reproduction of the aerial jumps. Champion showcases a bump run, where you can watch athletes training.

The Daly West head frame is the most noteworthy monument to the rich mining history at Deer Valley. It sits between the Montage Hotel the the base of the Empire lift.
David Jackson/Park Record

The resort also features its fair share of mining history, with both signs and wooden and metal structures and relics, though many of Park City Mountain’s structures loom larger. Like Park City, it’s also an excellent resort to view huge luxury homes as you ski.

To avoid some of the more crowded main groomers that can get a little scraped off, head to the intermediate runs off Northside Express and Ruby Express on Flagstaff Mt. It’s a great place to make turns in the middle of the day.

Photo opportunities abound at the top of Silver Strike Express on Flagstaff Mt. While you’ll find plenty of amazing mountain backdrops throughout Deer Valley, beautiful snowcapped peaks await just to the skier’s right of Silver Strike’s apex. Adirondack chairs and one of the artistic single chairlifts present festive places to capture group and individual photos. Hint: Offer to take a group’s picture, and they’ll probably reciprocate.

If you want a true professional to capture a photo, seek out Mountain Ridge Photography. They’re based at Snow Park Lodge but hang out throughout the mountain, especially at main chairlifts.

Flagstaff Mt. also provides gentle beginner runs. Many of them are designated Ski School zones, so always ski slowly and with caution. Families can have a blast on the area’s greens, especially within the five Children’s Adventure Areas, which feature natural, off-trail terrain designed with young ones in mind.

Another benefit of Flagstaff Mt. lies in the fact that everyone can ride Quincy Express and start on green runs. Beginners continue to wind around the perimeter, while experts can hit Ontario Bowl, the trees or a couple other black runs. Intermediates can cruise down Hidden Treasure or peel off of family-friendly Ski School Zones on the aptly name Peeler.

Little Baldy Peak’s Mountaineer Express also offers extensive Ski School Zones and beginner runs, with a few blues and blacks thrown into the mix. This, and the learning center at Snow Park Lodge, sits at the lowest part of the mountain, so beware of slushy afternoons that can trip up kids and beginners.

Silver Lake Lodge tends to be more crowded for lunch than Empire Canyon Lodge, so heading toward Empire mid-day works well. Kids will love the buttered noodles or burgers, while the Natural Buffet caters to shrimp, smoked salmon and tuna poke lovers. A small bowl of fresh produce, seafood and pasta salad is a steal at $14 and extends well beyond typical ski resort fare. The turkey paninis feature a delicious cranberry sauce and are served with green salad. Fish tacos and gyros round out the menu. Again, noon is prime time for seating, so consider eating earlier or later.

On the Empire side of the mountain, Lady Morgan Express provides another hideout from any crowds, and it’s suitable for all abilities. You’ll find smooth greens and blues, as well as slush bumps and tree skiing, the latter of which can be a little refrozen and hard in shady sections.

Steep-loving, cornice-jumping skiers can find both narrow and wider chutes, as well as tree skiing, in Daly Bowl.
Kimberly Nicoletti/For The Park Record

Steep-loving, cornice-jumping skiers can find both narrow and wider chutes, as well as tree skiing, in Daly Bowl. Though some might consider it small relative to other steeps nationwide, this area packs a punch. Snow remains soft and more wintry, with colder, rather than slushy, snow, even during typical late spring afternoons.

For more guidance throughout the mountain, free tours start at the top of Carpenter Express and Homestake Express chairlifts on Bald Eagle Mountain at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for intermediates and 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for experts. And, of course, in the 2025-26 season, they will be much more terrain for skiers to explore.

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