Winter is coming to Park City. 

Park City Mountain announced Wednesday it’s targeting a Nov. 21 opening day, kicking off the ski season almost a week before Thanksgiving.

“The Friday before Thanksgiving is historically our target. For as long as most of us can remember, that has been our goal,” said Vice President of Mountain Operations Mike Lewis. “Our experience tells us that by that time, snowmaking and natural snowfall typically allow us to deliver a reliable, high-quality early season experience for our guests.”

Opening day is the product of year-round planning. It’s a careful balance of snowmaking, lift readiness, staffing and weather, said Lewis.

“Mother Nature always plays a role, and when she cooperates, we take full advantage by getting our snowmaking going as early as possible,” Lewis said. “Snowmaking is critical not only for opening day but also for building a strong base all the way through to closing day. From the very beginning, we are already thinking about how to deliver a long and memorable season.”

From the first blast of the snow guns, the Park City Mountains operations team is already thinking months ahead, laying down a base built to last through the spring and planning terrain rollouts that will keep the mountain expanding steadily through the holidays. Priority goes to beginner terrain, like First Time Lift area, as well as critical mountain-wide connector trails, such as Homerun, along with key lifts like Saddleback and Tombstone that anchor early-season skiing.

“Our snowmaking team is strategic about where to start. We think about the mountain from top to bottom, side to side and across terrain types to make sure the right pieces come together,” Lewis said. 

Another early-season goal is to connect the resort’s Canyons Village and Mountain Village terrain by Christmas, a process that relies heavily on targeted snowmaking to ensure consistent coverage across critical terrain. Sometimes, that strategy means being patient. Lewis said the team will occasionally hold off opening a lift by a day if conditions are lining up to add an extra run and create a better overall experience.

“It’s a balance, especially at the largest resort in the country, and our team is incredible at managing the changing dynamics and putting out a strong product,” he said.

Park City Mountain operates the largest snowmaking system in Utah, according to Lewis. That technology has allowed for a consistent opening window regardless of natural snowfall, making it a critical component to a successful start to the ski season each year.

“Snowmaking plays a huge role in making sure we are ready to deliver an amazing opening day,” said Lewis. “That means when temperatures and conditions line up, we can create high-quality snow surfaces even if natural snowfall has been light.”

The resort replaced almost 1,400 feet and added 700 new feet of snowmaking pipe this summer. Crews also did substantial work in the 3 Kings Terrain Park by building in the base for certain features with dirt, reducing the need for snowmaking there and freeing up resources for other parts of the mountain.

“The reality is that the puzzle pieces that get us ready for opening day start being assembled almost as soon as the lifts stop turning from the previous season,” said Lewis.

This year’s work included cable splices on four lifts, a full haul rope replacement on the Quicksilver Gondola, bullwheel bearing replacements and safety testing across the resort’s 41 lift fleet. 

Park City Mountain will debut the Sunrise Gondola, offering another point of access to the upper mountain from Canyons Village this year. 

“It may still feel like summer in Park City right now, but our team is dialed in and focused on creating a fun, exciting and memorable winter,” Lewis said. “Every detail we take care of in the summer and fall, and the critical days once snowmaking becomes feasible, means that when the first chair leaves the base, our guests are stepping into a season that is set up for success from day one.”

Only two other Utah resorts have announced opening dates so far, with the early-season rivalry for Utah’s longest ski season once again coming down to Brian Head and Solitude. Brian Head is targeting Nov. 7 this year, while Solitude plans to open on Nov. 14.

That competition has become something of a tradition. Last season, both resorts opened on November 8, though Solitude squeaked ahead into the record books by spinning its lifts at 9 a.m., an hour ahead of Brian Head, technically claiming the title of Utah’s first resort to open for the 2024-25 ski season.

Deer Valley Resort has not yet announced its official opening date for this winter. 

“We’ve historically always opened the first Saturday in December. However, the last two seasons, we pushed the date up by a week or so and announced the change in early/mid November based on early-season conditions, natural snowfall and snowmaking progress. At this time, our opening date is not set for the 25-26 season,” said Emily Summers, director of communications at Deer Valley. 

The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center is currently forecasting neutral ENSO conditions this fall, with a weak La Niña possibly forming in early winter before fading back to neutral in the spring. Neutral or weak La Niña winters in Utah have brought mixed outcomes in years past, with some seeing abundant snowfall, while others rolled in with lean starts.

“We are always analyzing weather trends, including snowmaking windows, so we can be out front in knowing when each piece needs to be put into place,” said Lewis. “Our goal for opening is to ignite excitement for a new season full of boundless skiing and riding opportunities and to ensure that everyone who comes to Park City Mountain has an experience where they feel like they belong.”

The post Park City Mountain to open November 21 appeared first on Park Record.

Park City Mountain opened Friday to a crowd of mountain enthusiasts ready to get in their first turns on their favorite runs. Well, the open ones, anyway. 

At 7:30 a.m., a whopping hour and a half before the first lift opened, lines of skiers and snowboarders filled the Red Pine Gondola entrance to make it up for the first turns at Canyons Village. A DJ played to the chorus of giddy riders ready for the season’s early start. 

Folks from across Summit and Wasatch County flooded the gates and endured the early morning cold to secure fresh tracks on the corduroy. Some even skipped school to spend over 19 hours waiting in line to lay the first set of tracks on the snow. 

Two of the lucky four who received the iconic “I Got Here First” Park City Mountain T-shirts, Ryder Frahf and Kennen Vareoman, are seniors at Wasatch High School. Arriving at 2 p.m. Thursday to set up camp, they spent the night outside on the plaza to earn their spot in line.

“We’re excited to get 30,000 (feet in vertical descent) today, planning on skiing all day,” said Frahf. As seniors, the lucky duo didn’t have school Friday, though they did confess to skipping last period Thursday to stake their claim in line.

Frahf and Vareoman were determined to start this season strong after last year’s disappointment when car troubles on the way from Heber cost them first chair. While they managed to snag second chair then, their dedication this year paid off as they finally claimed their spot at the front of the line. 

The two of them rushed the opening day banner with two other high school students at the top of Saddleback Express, the highest banner break in all of Utah, boasted Park City Mountain Communications Manager Emily McDonald.

Kemper Allison, a youth group leader at Mountain View Church in Heber, earned his spot on the second chair with friends from the youth group this year.

“We got here at 8 p.m. and camped out right behind (Frahf and Vareoman),” said Allison. Allison is no stranger to first chair sacrifices, having earned this spot multiple times in previous years. When Ty Dixon and James Luke, students at Wasatch High, approached him with the idea, Allison said, “Let’s do it! I hadn’t done it in a while and I wanted to do it again.” 

Ty Dixon said, “We’re here just to get the season off to a good start. We’re super excited about it. And camping out was fun. We toured the hotels and got free hot chocolate at the Grand Summit. It’s great.” 

Paul Tirrano has been skiing Park City since 1982, and his love for the place only grows greater with time, he said. Paul and his wife, Christine, moved to the area 10 years ago, having fallen in love with “bluebird skies and amazing snow,” said Christine, though they stayed for the community. Christine is a certified alpine level instructor and children’s specialist at Park City Mountain, but she was off the clock on opening day, happy for the time to connect to the snow. 

“We just found such a community here, which we love. But what’s kept us here is the snow is amazing,” said Paul. “I can’t imagine why I would ever want to leave or live somewhere else.” 

The Shank family — Jonathan, Steven, and their father, Dave — upheld their longstanding tradition of early runs on opening day, celebrating Jonathan and Steven’s 30th season alongside Dave’s more than 50 years on Park City’s snow. Their mantra is simple: “Get in early and get out early,” said Dave. 

One of the highlights this season is Park City Mountain’s investment in snowmaking infrastructure. Over the summer, the resort upgraded its snowmaking capabilities on two trails, Another World and Chicane, on the Canyons Village side. Both trails are expected to be open before the month’s end, according to McDonald. 

“These upgrades include over 1.6 miles of new pipe and 35 snow guns on Another World, and 14 new snow guns on Chicane,” McDonald said. “This expansion allows us to open these trails earlier than ever, giving guests more options to ski and ride at the start of the season.”

Deirdre Walsh, COO and vice president of Park City Mountain, emphasized the effort behind the day’s success.

“We’re so proud of the team and what they’ve put together for an opening package,” she said. “Every employee that’s behind the scenes makes opening day come to life.”

The opening day package at Park City Mountain included the lifts Saddleback Express and High Meadow, accessed by the Red Pine Gondola at Canyons Village and First Time and Payday at Mountain Village. 

Ski school opened Friday, as well, with the carpet Tommy Knocker available at Canyons and Sweet Pea at Mountain Village. 3 Kings is also open for park riding at Mountain Village.

“At Park City, you can truly choose your own adventure,” McDonald said. “Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned expert, we have terrain that fits your needs.”

Despite the fanfare surrounding opening day, folks were impressed with the efficiency and manageability of lift lines. Joe Plomin has skied at Park City Mountain for over 15 years and likes to call opening day his “equipment-check day. I get everything on and find out what’s not perfect.”

Plomin wasn’t quite as ambitious to get first chair and took a leisurely start to the day after walking his dogs Friday morning.

“I was really pleased that it isn’t so crowded here. (Lines) have been manageable. I was very jazzed for opening day. I was hoping for a few little storms to get here beforehand, but I think it’s impressive they can start this early,” said Plomin. 

Park City Mountain employees walked the line at the Red Pine Gondola handing out their new aprés-ski treat, a doughnut with a rosemary and honey filling called the Orange Bubble Bite, an homage to the Beehive State and the Orange Bubble Express at Canyons. With the DJ jamming and the sweet treats flying, the only thing people were wishing for was good snow. 

For Robb Lentz, the early snowfall was the deciding factor for his attendance on opening day.

“We moved here in the summer of ’98 and it’s been our mountain ever since,” said Lentz. “We don’t always make it for opening day, but when conditions are good, we try. The snow is good today. We’ve only done one run, but I can certainly say I’ve skied worse.” 

The mountain plans to open more terrain throughout the week and into mid-December. As more runs become available, people will be able to continue to progress in skill and terrain with Park City Mountain’s emphasis on progression and learning, said Emily McDonald.

“I think something really neat about Park City is just the ability to be yourself and whatever you want to ski a ride that day. We have it for you,” said McDonald. 

Nine trails were open Friday morning, and Park City Mountain plans to roll out more than 350 trails in the coming weeks. With snow in the weekend forecast, McDonald and other guests are optimistic about early openings, hoping for cold, snowy weather in the future.

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Solitude Mountain Resort opened its beginner double lift, Link, the weekend of Nov. 8-10, claiming first in Utah to open for the season. Brighton Ski Area opened two lifts last Thursday, its main quad, Majestic, and neighboring beginner triple, Explorer. Then on Friday, back to Solitude, opening its high-speed quad lift, Moonbeam Express.

For now, all the action is at the head of Big Cottonwood Canyon, achingly close to Park City by the closed-for-winter Guardsman Pass, but a long drive around. But that will change this Friday as Park City Mountain opens, soon followed by Woodward to skiers and riders the following Friday (Nov. 29), and soon after that, Deer Valley, the following Saturday (Dec. 7). Welcome to the 2024-25 season.

Barring big snow this weekend, speaking of achingly close with the next promising storm expected to pass mainly to the north of Utah, the progression for now looks like a lift here and a lift there as snowmaking prepares scattered skiable ribbons.

But for at least some hardy skiers who can’t wait for the season to begin, including some from Park City, Brighton and Solitude proved irresistible.

Early morning Thursday at Brighton was filled with long cheering lines and energy drinks. Skiers, boarders, ski skaters and ski bikers queued up for the first chair on Majestic, which opened at 9 a.m.  

“Have fun with it. Be safe,” said Brighton’s opening team through a megaphone as the crew handed out neck gaiters to the first 50 people in line and the gates finally opened. Skiers and snowboarders lined up over an hour before the lifts opened at Brighton and at Solitude, fueled with excitement for their first days on snow this season. 

One skier, John, also known as JB Sizzle in his skiing community, celebrated his 19th season at Brighton.

“It’s such a great vibe,” Sizzle said. “It’s very youthful, but I love it, it rubs off. Very contagious, very cool.” He got in line at 8 a.m., excited to “work out the kinks” before the season ramps up and get a few turns in before work. 

Roxanne has been coming to Brighton since she was in the seventh grade. She said she had lined up for the first chair, though she was not one of the four to kick off the quad lift’s inaugural journey this season. 

“We were here early, trying to get in as many runs today as we can. I’ve had a season pass here for three years, and I love the vibe. To me, it feels like the locals’ resort. Everyone here is just so happy to be here and together,” she said. 

The morning at Solitude the next day opened a bit slower. The eager early birds lined up at 8 a.m. for first chair, though many people waited until closer to 9 a.m. to queue up. Folks trickled into the annual DJ + Donuts party, where a DJ played behind a table of free doughnuts all morning. Solitude has put on this opening event for the past five years. The doughnuts were a big hit.

“We’re having a ball,” said Mary, a first-time skier at Solitude. “We’re looking forward to getting our first day on skis. We’ve never been to Solitude before, but it’s a blast! The music and the doughnuts are huge for morale. Looking forward to having a long run.” 

One gentleman who didn’t give his name said he has been skiing Solitude since it opened in 1957. He secured his spot as one of the first four on the first chair of Moonbeam.

“It’s a running tradition. Lifts open at 8, I got my doughnut, it’s great,” he said. “It’s been a long time. Things have changed a lot. Looking forward to when the snow gets deep.”

A snowboarder recovering from an ACL tear shared his journey back to the slopes at Brighton.

“I actually tore it here trying to land a backflip,” he said. “Now I’m six months recovered, and it feels so good to be back. I’m the designated filmer this season — no tricks for me — but I don’t mind. Brighton has been my spot for seven years.”

Despite the early wake-up, he was filled with energy and enthusiasm. “It’s just so great to be back. So stoked to be here right now.” 

New and old, Brighton’s opening day felt welcoming to all, said a University of Utah student new to Brighton and celebrating his first runs.

“Run one in the books — you can’t beat it,” he said. “I just moved here from Colorado, and I’m stoked to experience Brighton in a real way. The best ‘welcome to Utah’ I could ask for.” 

Inclusion is on the main frame for Solitude and Brighton this year. Solitude officially removed all blackout dates for Ikon Base Pass holders, allowing anyone to join in the fun without restrictions.

“For us, this is a really big deal. We just created more access for tons of pass holders, and that’s super exciting,” said Jeff Carroll, vice president of marketing at Solitude. “It’s about giving value to all of our guests that have Ikon passes. Blackout dates tend to happen on days when a lot of people are off of work, they’ve got time to ski. Now we can give them that back and that’s a huge win,” he said. 

Brighton is also gearing up for more night skiing opportunities with the addition of night lights to the runs accessed by the Milly Express lift. With night skiing more accessible at Brighton, folks who hope to learn how to ski have the opportunity to do so after work or the school day, and lift tickets are typically less expensive due to the quantity and quality of terrain available after dark. 

The projected opening date for Milly Express is Dec 13, weather permitting. 

As the first resorts open in Park City’s surrounding area, Brighton and Solitude present an exciting early season opportunity for growth and learning, as the ski community gets their legs ready for the snow. For park-goers, Brighton opens an area called ‘The Bone Zone’ in the early season, where people can work with the park team to build features and practice their skills on a few inches of snow in the parking lot before the slopes open. 

Brighton attracted every form of wintersports enthusiasts, opening their chairs to everything from skis and snowboards to ski bikes and snow skates. 

“Our whole goal is to keep Brighton what it is, and that’s affordable, family fun, not too caring about how expensive your goggles are, what kind of outerwear you’re wearing,” said Director of Marketing Jared Winkler. “It’s the everything-mountain. Everyone is here to do their own thing, and we welcome that.” 

Having opened with their beginner lift, Link, Solitude made history as the first to open in Utah for the 2024-25 season, but they did this for more than just name recognition.

“Two of the last three seasons we’ve had the longest season in Utah. So we’re kind of attached to that,” said Carroll. “Though we don’t just do it to pat our own backs. We have a lot of Ikon pass holders here, and if we can give them as much bang for their buck as possible, that’s a really big deal.”

With just the beginner lift open, skiers and riders only had access to Solitude’s Easy Street run.

 A great option for beginners, the run also presented an opportunity for seasoned skiers to get out there in the early season and have fun.

“There’s a lot of community. People were making some fun runs. We’ve set up a little mini park on Link, and people were there to just have a great time,” said Carroll. “The energy is super, super sweet. Very enthusiastic. We love it.” 

Solitude aims to open its six-person, high-speed lift, Apex Express, by next weekend. Brighton plans the same for its popular six-pack, Crest 6. 

The post Stoked for snow at Brighton and Solitude as resorts begin to open appeared first on Park Record.

Deer Valley Resort hosted their 25th annual Celebrity Skifest Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016, to help ring in their opening weekend. The festival featured Olympian and US Ski Team skiers who competed in slalom races. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

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Ski lift maintenance employees of Park City Mountain Resort work to replace the conveyor carpet on the 3 Kings ski lift Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016,  in anticipation of opening day next Saturday, Nov. 26th. The conveyor carpet was more than five years old. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

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