No one is under any illusion that it has been a stellar start to the winter, at least as far as snowfall is concerned.
The first significant snow storm — apart from a few October flurries — didn’t come until the second week of December. And we have not to this point experienced the kind of powder dump that we’ll remember long after ski season ends.
Yet, both Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort are open, offering guests a quality experience even as Mother Nature has declined so far to provide much in the way of help. That’s a testament to the hard work of the on-mountain crews, from snow makers to ski patrollers, at both resorts, who are the unsung heroes of each successful winter in our ski town.
It’s remarkable that both resorts are able to deliver a product worth lacing up the boots for even when not as much natural powder is falling as we would like. Parkites — and visitors who flock to Park City for our skiing and snowboarding — shouldn’t take it for granted because it doesn’t happen without tremendous effort behind the scenes.
The on-mountain crews work tireless hours, and in some of the most unpleasant conditions imaginable — the middle of the night, with temperatures well below freezing or early in the morning on dangerous parts of the mountain — to get the slopes ready for skiers and snowboarders. The focus for both resorts so far this season has been on making enough snow to get more lifts turning, but the crews’ jobs aren’t any less challenging when winter is in full swing and snowstorms are pummeling Park City.
The workers’ efforts don’t exactly go unnoticed — skiers and snowboarders understand that the slopes don’t groom themselves and that safely cruising down Homeward Bound at Deer Valley or PayDay at PCMR wouldn’t be possible otherwise — but they seldom get the amount of credit they deserve.
Let’s acknowledge their contributions throughout as we rack up dozens of days on the mountain this winter and enjoy the fruits of their hard work. Much like the lifties, restaurant waitstaff, hotel housekeeping staff and countless others who keep our town functioning, we wouldn’t have the kind of ski seasons we’re accustomed to without the on-mountain crews.
That we enjoy world-class skiing and snowboarding is a testament to their commitment and their craft. Parkites are fortunate that they deliver, year after year, and ensure ski season in Park City lives up to its reputation.