Deer Valley’s Future in Flight awes helicopter enthusiasts

Perched on the rocky ridge line of Bald Mountain, Mary Jane Johnson and Michael Joseph Vasquez — the MJs — sat shoulder to shoulder, binoculars in hand. They watched as a helicopter helped build Deer Valley Resort’s new chairlifts on Saturday.

Longtime partners, die-hard skiers and self-described helicopter chasers, the MJs arrived early to Deer Valley Resort’s Future in Flight helicopter event. The couple staked out their viewing area to watch construction on the new East Village Gondola and Pinyon Express lift — two of the seven lifts to debut this upcoming winter, completing phase two of the resort’s historic terrain expansion project. 

“I’m a dedicated skier and helicopter enthusiast,” said Vasquez. “We were really excited to find out it was a Chinook,” Vasquez said. “That thing’s got two jet engines and can carry 12,000 pounds at altitude. It’s so orchestrated and just very intriguing.”

Vasquez’s father was a U.S. Air Force helicopter test pilot, taking him and his family all across the country for his work and allowing Vasquez a few coveted rides through the air.

“I’m digging what Deer Valley is doing. I’m going to enjoy the new lifts next year and enjoy Keatley and the 3,000-foot vertical drop. I love the way Deer Valley has made it an adventure for us,” he said. 

The MJs were joined by almost 1,000 others in attendance Saturday, excited to catch a glimpse of the helicopter. The common thread of excitement was the surprise of seeing a Chinook helicopter, an aircraft equipped with tandem rotors capable of lifting heavy loads with precision through rugged mountain terrain, something most had only seen in movies.

Guests spread out across the top of Bald Mountain at the top of the Sterling Express lift to watch as the Chinook moved between projects, flying from the new East Village base area, where lift parts were staged for takeoff, and up to the top of Park Peak.

“This is one of the most exciting things we’ve had in a while,” said Carla Coonradt, a Park City local of over four decades. “It’s so gorgeous up here. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. This expansion is really something. It’s a great event, and all they’re doing for the kids is really spectacular. I might have to get a LEGO helicopter for my grandkids.” 

Deer Valley set up tables at the Silver Lake Beach with helicopter LEGO sets for the many kids in attendance, along with Deer Valley safety vests and mini hard hats, inviting them to feel part of the construction action while they watched. 

Chu and Leo Capalleja brought their young children, Sophia, 4, and Remy, 2, to experience their first Deer Valley day ever. Remy took his first chairlift ride on Saturday, hoping to get him comfortable with the experience before the ski season. 

“We thought this would be a cool way to go on a mountain, with great weather, and let them see how things are built. The kids are really into construction stuff right now, and Deer Valley is just so good about community events,” said Chu. 

While the outing was a fun excuse to get the kids outside and maybe make nap time a little easier, it was just as exciting for the parents, they said. Hoping to ski the resort next season, the Capallejas were glad to begin building early memories of the expansion to think back on when they are sitting on the new lifts in the future.

“It’s so cool to see the expansion because we can remember being here and seeing it all come together when we ski here next season,” said Chu. “And I’ve never seen a Chinook like this. It is the real deal. It’s super cool.” 

As a search and rescue and Flight for Life helicopter pilot, Kyle Demuth joked that, even on his day off, he somehow ended up back with helicopters. But for him, the excitement wasn’t just about the spectacle; it was about celebrating the utility of the aircraft he works with regularly.

“It’s still really exciting to watch, just seeing the usefulness of helicopters. That’s what I love about them. You can really see what they actually go do and accomplish,” said Demuth. 

An avid skier and mountain biker, Demuth is equally thrilled about what the expansion means for recreation.

“Doubling the acreage is rad,” he said. “I spend a lot of time biking here too — it’s cool to see it all happening.”

The same goes for Lamar Anderson, who, as an engineer, was excited to see the construction with a sense of expertise and admiration. 

“I’m just enjoying it. It’s a fairly unique occurrence. You don’t see it every day. It’s interesting to watch the intricacy of putting it in place. You can see how precise it is,” said Anderson. 

Throughout the day, lift manufacturers and contract crews worked to install more than 30 towers across the new terrain, with about 20 for the upper half of the East Village Gondola and all 11 towers of the Pinyon Express lift. 

Pinyon Express is a six-pack bubble chair that will service 9,000-foot beginner terrain and act as a connector between the existing ski resort, between Bald and Flagstaff mountains, and Park Peak. The new gondola is a 10-passenger, two-stage lift, meaning it can run either the bottom or top section independently of each other in the event of high winds. 

“That’ll be nice beginner and intermediate terrain for guests. If you’re a beginner coming up from the East Village, you could actually take the gondola all the way to the top and then ski that beginner section at the top of the mountain, get those great views of the Timpanogos, and then back,” said Todd Bennett, president and COO of Deer Valley. 

These two lifts will debut alongside five others this winter, providing access to 80 new ski runs. In total, 10 new lifts will have been added since last season. By the end of the project, the resort will more than double its current terrain, aiming to expand by 3,700 acres.

This winter marks the end of the second phase of the expansion, with 2,900 acres open to the public, 100 runs and over 300 acres of snowmaking coverage.

“By far, the largest expansion of the ski resort in North American history. We’ll double the terrain and 50 miles of snowmaking pipe, which will put a nice blanket of snow and make sure we get a chance to get into some early-season conditions out in the terrain,” said Bennett. “We’re just thrilled, and we’re probably most impressed and excited that we’re doing it the Deer Valley way — high attention to detail, genuine care and exceptional service.”