Park City

A snowHead

Hi there,

I was hoping some of you could give me a bit of advice on Park City. I've had a good look around at the various threads about both this resort and the skiing in the other areas around Utah and see that quite a few of you have been there and have a great deal of praise for the place - there's some very useful info on here. Hopefully someone will be able to answer a couple of questions.

Me and a mate are planning a trip to the USA or Canada in January. We've narrowed it down to either Park City or Whistler and will make a decision near the time based on which one looks like having the best snow. We're leaning towards Park City as one of us has already been to Whistler and because we quite fancy the idea of being able to drive off and ski the different areas around and about on different days - it just sounds like a new and exciting slant on the usual approach to a skiing holiday. Anyway, enough of my ramblings, onto a couple of questions....

Firstly, in practice how do the unusual drinking laws affect you? A big part of the holiday for us is having a few drinks in the evening, and as I understand it this is not necesarilly too easy here. Are the laws at all restrictive and a bit of a pain, or is it easily surmountable? I gather you have to "join" each bar you go to is this correct? And how late do they stay open? Don't get me wrong, we're not alcoholics out until 5am each night (well, not every night!!!!), but a few drinks are important at the end of the day aren't they?!?!

And secondly, does the fact that one of us is a skier and one a snowboarder mean that we won't get the best out of the resort? I gather that one or two of the resorts like Alta do not allow snowboarding. Do you have any thoughts on whether or not this might be a reason to steer clear, or will the other areas make up for it?

Anyway, thanks very much for any advice you can give us, your help is much appreciated.
Cheers and fingers crossed for lots of snow!
Billy M

A snowHead

Billy M, welcome!
The unusual drinking laws are not a major issue. Here are a few comments:

Always carry your passport. Most places you are required to show photo ID on entry (it's not an age thing, but supposedly for fire regulations)

There are three types of drinking establishment:
1. Public bar. A bit like a bar here. You will get beers. Local ones, such as Polygamy Porter, and well known brands, like Guinness, Coors, Budweiser, etc. These will not be more than 3.75% proof (I think that's the break point), so if you're one of the guys who has to prove his manhood by only drinking 8% beer, then forget it! You can buy pitchers of beer as well, which tend to work out at about 4 pints for the price of 3.
2. Restaurant. Many places get round selling drink by calling themselves "restaurants". When you go there, they will not serve you drink unless you buy food - but they will sell you a plate of starters, to keep within the law.
3. Private Members Club. You join the club (for $5-10), then you can drink whatever you want.

You can also buy beer in shops, and spirits etc in Liquor Stores. But again, carry your passport.
There are quirky rules within the Pubs and restaurants, but the easiest way is just to accept them, and in most places, you'll have waitress service, which will help keep you right.

But, if you're in Park City, come off the slopes and head for the Pig Pen. It's overlooking the ice rink, and is a good place for apres. There are plenty of touristy places on the main street as well, but I don't remember any of them in particular.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Hi WTFH,

Thanks for that, very helpful. Sounds good, I'd actually be quite flattered to be asked to show ID these days, it's been a while! And personally I'd say 8% beer is a little offside myself, it'd send me down like a sack of spuds!

Thanks again for the comments and maybe bump into you in Snowbird!!

Cheers

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Billy M, just to clarify WTFH's wise words. If they brew beer on the premises you don't need to join. If they don't it is, as he says, typically $5-$10 but only one person in your group needs to join and its $10-$15 to join for the week. Most pubs are "clubs".

I had no trouble giving myself a fine set of hangovers.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Billy M, yeah, like WTFH and David says it's not really a problem. We were staying in the Canyons and mostly drank in one of the hotel bars or a massive shed-like bar at the bottom of the slopes. Absolutely no problem - don't even recall being asked for ID.

We had a few nights out in Park City and drank in a bar down the main street. Can't remember the name but it was down some stairs and looked a little seedy. I absolutely loved it. It was a private members bar but somebody at the bar always vouched for us so we didn't even need to join. And they gave us free drinks a fair few times. Very cool place and mostly full of locals.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Been to both....PARK CITY wins by a mile!
As others have said no real issues with alcohol availability.
Much nicer town (Intrawest is rather fake).
Locals are really pleased to get Brits in PC (In Whister every other person is a Brit).

Snowboarders can't go to Deer Valley (yawn) and Alta (a terrific place).
That still leaves PC and The Canyons in the PC vicinity and Snowbird (A trip you have to make), Brighton and Solitude are about 45mins away.

You MUST rent a car, you'll be stuffed without one.

Lastly snow...obviously there are no sure things when it comes to Utah Powder but the chance of being rained out by the Pineapple Express in PC are exactly 0%.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Hi Guys,

Thanks very much for the replies, it's great to hear so many positive things said about the place. Can't wait to get there. Other than the one trip to Whistler, we've both grown up on a diet of the usual European fare, so the unusual-ness of a Park City holiday is what has caught our eyes.

rungsp - couldn't agree more about the fake town and abundance of Brits (not to mention Antipodeans and Japanese) in Whistler, so a more down-to-earth holiday in an old town with locals sounds just the ticket (Anyone else have visions of Cicely, from Northern Exposure?!?!). And the Utah powder is precisely the main reason for our interest. Yup, renting a car is the plan too.

Thanks too to David and Alan for the replies. Much appreciated.

Cheers guys,
Billy M

After all it is free

WTFH and others have pretty much covered it. The UT drinking laws are silly but won't stifle your opportunity to hoist a few after skiing. Park City is sort of the sin city of UT -- lots of bars, restarants, and shops. If you go into the "private" clubs someone will often sponsor you without even paying the membership fee -- really a stupid system but liquor laws in the USA generally make no sense. IMO, the Park City resorts do not compare with the Cottonwood Canyons. Within Park City we actually prefer The Canyons to Deer Valley (though DV probably has the best on mountain food of any resort in the US) and Park City Mountain Resort is kind of a mecca for boarders. Not being able to visit Alta is a loss but plenty to ride at Snowbird, Solitude, and Brighton (Brighton is another hot spot for boarders). Haven't been but always hear great things about Snowbasin (an hour or so from Park City). I agree you'll want a car unless you're content to stay in Park City and adjoining resorts. Watch the weather if you're driving up to Snowbird, there is a bus at the canyon entrance. The road is restricted to 4-wheel drive and chains. If the weather is nice, 2-wheel drive is really not a problem but the road is subject to avalanche closure and if it was snowing I wouldn't want to drive with 2-wheel drive and no chains. FWIW, the beer at the Wasatch Brew Pub is quite good, the food is pretty good and not too expensive. My wife and I love the Buffalo burgers at the No Name Saloon, inexpensive and a fun place. Can't compare to Whistler, haven't been.

FWIW, we stayed for 2 weeks and managed without a car. Still managed to get to Park City, Deer Valley, Solitude, Sundance, Alta and Snowbird without any difficulty. A car would probably be better but I'd (obviously) disagree that it's essential. We hate driving so this worked well for us.

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Ahhh nuts, that's something we'd not considered. Was planning on arriving on 21st Jan for 10 days and I see that the festival is on from the 19th to the 29th. And seeing as we were going to wait and see what the snow was like, I guess that means we'll really struggle to get any decent accomodation at short notice. That's chucked a spanner in!! Like the sound of the mountain being quiet though.

Glad you mentioned that Acacia, I wouldn't have thought of it. Thanks.

snow reports

Try asking on www.epicski.com as they might be able to tell you how the festival will impact on lodging availability...they may also suggest some other places to stay, especially if you have a car and are mobile. My experience of the people on there suggests they may stay in the suburbs of Salt Lake City as a base (places called Sandy or Midvale seem to feature a lot), on the basis that you can get most places relatively quickly from there

Billy M, Hi take a look at this site www.crystalholidays.co.uk. I read in the sunday times they are doing great deals to park city the time you want to go. Have a great time Clive. Sorry just checked paper it was winter park but at £260 for week I think I might move resort.

You know it makes sense.

Billy M, Have just booked flights into Salt Lake City 24.2.06-4.3.06 - very exciting.

I should also have mentioned that I've skied Whistler twice and although I lurve Blackcomb I think Utah might well be more fun based on a few days there two Novembers ago. We are apparently going too late for assured powder (why am I doing that? no idea! doh!) but we like skiing crud, honest.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

This thread may help.

http://www.goneboarding.co.uk/Forum/ShowThread.aspx?ThreadID=7087

Hit Snowbasin and my favourite Powder Mountain when you're there. You won't be disappointed.

And rungsp, Deer Valley is the place to go on a powder day if you're in Park City.

A snowHead

Also on a powder day...ski the bottom slopes in Park City itself.
All the powder was tracked out up high by early-time and we were still making fresh tracks at 4pm.
Wierd how so many skiers dismiss the lowr slopes...their loss.

A snowHead

Mike Pow, wow. Thanks. What an incredible season last year was out there. I skied Teton Pass pre-thanksgiving and the locals were already amazed at the early quantity.

rungsp, it's amazing what you can find if you're canny... wink

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

There's almost always powder to be found if you know where to look.

Help!!

Park City

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