The snowpack at Deer Valley Resort had been melting about a foot each day, according to Director of Mountain Operations Steve Graff. Thursday, that melt was put on a brief hold just long enough for one last powder day, or two.
Graff said the resort saw about 4 inches of fresh powder Thursday throughout the day. That snow helped cover up some muddy and icy patches, allowing for a more enjoyable experience.
Deer Valley has just two mountains open until closing day Sunday, Bald Eagle and Bald. Bald, sitting thousands of feet higher in elevation, is providing the best snow conditions. Despite some choppy stuff on Bald Eagle, skiers said they are leaving happy and ready to book return trips.
Andre Hirst traveled to Deer Valley from El Salvador with a group of 90. Temperatures back home are reaching into the high 90s year-round, he said. But he’s not worried about having to shed a few layers for his spring skiing here.
“My skiing was great,” said Hirst. “We got snow, and we thought we were not going to ski this weekend.”
Hirst’s giant group included family and friends in town for Easter break. They found their favorite runs off Sterling. Hirst tabbed Mumbai House in town as a group favorite when off the slopes.
“It’s actually our fifth time coming,” Hirst said. “Easter break was very late, so we were scared we weren’t going get any snow. We’re happy.”
Spencer Martin and his son Graham, of Silver Summit, took one look at the live camera today and decided they had to come up. Graham, a Park City High School student, was on spring break and happy to get in some final ski days.
“We decided to capitalize on the new snow,” said Spencer. “If you could find the fresh snow, that was really fun. We found some of that off Wasatch and a little bit on Sultan.”
Spencer said that you can never quite guess what the late-season conditions will be like, so it’s good to appreciate what snow comes your way. He said he thinks the two have skied about 30 days each this winter, largely in town, and they’ll head over to Alta or Snowbird this weekend.
“It’s been a pretty good winter,” Spencer said. “The last two winters have been really warm.”
Spencer advised fellow skiers to come on out for closing weekend — and hope for more snowfall.
Graff will be echoing Spencer’s prayers for more snow, expanding on how difficult late-season maintenance has been. Graff said most runs are having to be groomed multiple times.
“We chose to spend our time and resources on things that we knew we could make good,” said Graff. “That’s one of the luxuries of this kind of year with less skier demand.”
Graff said the colder temperatures that accompanied Thursday’s snowfall were more crucial for maintaining runs than the snow itself. He acknowledged the difficulty some skiers may have with the snow conditions, requiring more skill than usual for greens and blues. Graff anticipated the grooming team being able to better handle their tasks Thursday afternoon and night in the colder temperatures, firming up the snow.
“The closing days at ski resorts are just such a fun, celebratory time,” Graff said. “The employees — it’s bittersweet for them. … That vibe is kind of infectious, and locals and even visitors get to participate in that; everyone’s out.”