Editor’s note: This season Park City Mountain celebrates its 60th anniversary. As the season approaches, we’re looking back on the rich history of Park City Mountain from its earliest days to the world-class destination it has become today.

The past 10 years have been a time of growth and expansion for Park City Mountain. During this time, Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons Resort were joined to become the largest lift-served ski area in the United States.

Building on its legacy of Grand Prix, World Cups, World Championships and Winter Olympics over the previous 30 years, the mountain continued to host world-class events and has focused on ensuring Park City Mountain is a welcoming, inclusive and fun place that people from across the country and around the world can enjoy.

In 2013, owner Talisker leased Canyons Resort to Colorado-based Vail Resorts, which began operating the area during the 2013-14 season. In the fall of 2014, Vail Resorts announced that it had purchased Park City Mountain Resort from POWDR, culminating a multi-year period of contention surrounding the lease on the land on which the ski area operated. Additional details of the acquisition are available HERE.

Vail Resorts invested heavily in both Canyons Resort and Park City Mountain Resort, ultimately connecting the two resorts in 2015 and unifying them under the name Park City Mountain. Each resort base area kept its unique charm and personality even as they were renamed Park City Mountain Village and Canyons Village at Park City Mountain.

In advance of the 2015-16 season, Vail Resorts invested $50 million in upgrades and infrastructure at the newly unified resort. The connection was completed with the installation of Quicksilver Gondola, a brand-new eight-person gondola that would carry guests from Thaynes Canyon, near the base of Silverlode Express, up and over Pinecone Ridge into White Pine Canyon near Dreamcatcher. The addition of Quicksilver enabled guests to ski and ride across the entire combined 7,300-acre resort.

On the Mountain Village side, Motherlode chairlift was upgraded from a fixed-grip triple to a detachable high-speed quad, and King Con was upgraded to a detachable high-speed six-seater. At Canyons Village, additional snowmaking systems were installed on Iron Mountain to help expand terrain earlier in the season, and several popular runs, including Chicane, were widened to improve access to Tombstone Express and the new Quicksilver Gondola.

Park City’s investments in the guest experience continued with the development of a new beginner ski area and lift upgrades at Canyons Village.

High Meadow Park opened during the 2018-19 season with new learning terrain designed to enhance the ski school experience for guests and provide a playful setting for beginner skiers and riders to improve their skills and spend more time on the snow.

The existing High Meadow chairlift was upgraded to a high-speed quad at that time, and significant grading was required to complete the learning area.

In 2019, Over and Out was installed to easily transport guests from the bottom of Tombstone Express to the Canyons Village base area.

The FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships returned to Utah in February 2019, with Park City Mountain, Deer Valley Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort hosting events. Park City Mountain hosted the halfpipe and slopestyle snowboarding and freeskiing. American Aaron Blunck won gold in the freeskiing halfpipe; Chris Corning won gold in snowboard slopestyle; and Chloe Kim won gold in snowboard halfpipe.

A global pandemic and several historically low snow years brought a challenging period in the early 2020s, but Park City’s 2022-23 season would be one for the history books. The resort had one of its earliest openings on record when it moved up its opening by two days to spin lifts on November 16, 2022.

All of the mountain’s lifts were spinning by Christmas Day, and all of its terrain — including Pinecone Ridge — was open by the end of January.

The snow kept falling, and with a record-breaking 636″ of snowfall during the season, Park City extended its season all the way to May, closing on May 1 for its longest season in 30 years. 

During this historic season, Park City also launched a new brand for the mountain: “This is Your Mountain.” It tells everyone — guests, team members and the community — that they are welcome and can feel included at Park City.

Thank you for joining me on this journey through Park City Mountain’s rich history. I hope you can join us on Friday to celebrate our 60^th anniversary season and start making the next 60 years of Park City history. Deirdra Walsh is the vice president and chief operating officer of Park City Mountain.

The post Park City Mountain at 60: Connecting Park City Mountain and Canyons Resort, and all the way to May, 2013-23 appeared first on Park Record.

Editor’s note: This season Park City Mountain celebrates its 60th winter season. As the season approaches, we’re looking back on the rich history of Park City Mountain from its earliest days to the world-class destination it has become today.

Following the excitement and global spotlight of the 2002 Olympics, Park City continued to grow and expand over the next decade.

Both The Canyons and Park City Mountain Resort invested in new lifts and terrain expansion and embraced snowboarding with the creation of new terrain parks and through hosting world-class events, including the 2011 FIS Freestyle World Championships.

For me, this decade marks the start of my career at Park City, as I originally joined the team in 2007 as part of the food and beverage department.

In the early 2000s, American Skiing Company continued to invest in The Canyons, adding more lift-served access to White Pine Canyon with the installation of Dreamcatcher and upgrading Tombstone Express to a high-speed six-seater in 2006.

American Skiing Company sold The Canyons to Talisker Corporation in 2008. Between 2009 and 2011, Talisker invested heavily in The Canyons — redesigning the base area, expanding terrain and adding uphill capacity. They renamed the area Canyons Resort in 2010. 

As part of the base area redesign, the bottom terminal of the Red Pine Gondola was relocated to create space for a ski beach, and new restaurants opened, including The Farm, which was named Best New Restaurant in Utah by Salt Lake Magazine in 2011.

On mountain, two new lifts, Orange Bubble Express and Iron Mountain Express, were installed. Orange Bubble Express was the first enclosed, heated-seat chairlift in North America when it was installed in 2010, and it increased uphill capacity out of the base area. The installation of Iron Mountain Express in 2010 opened an additional 300 acres of lift-served terrain on Iron Mountain.

Upgrades to Canyons Resort helped bring world-class events to its slopes in the early 2010s. In February 2011, the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix at Canyons debuted, featuring the U.S. National Snowboardcross championships.

At Park City Mountain Resort, the legacy of the 2002 Games brought the 2004 World Superpipe Championships to Park City. In 2005, Park City’s terrain parks were voted No. 1 by TransWorld Snowboarding Magazine (now known as Snowboarder Magazine).

Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley jointly hosted the FIS Freestyle World Championships in 2011, with Park City hosting the slopestyle and ski halfpipe events.

Alex Schlopy of Park City won the men’s slopestyle world championship during the event. During the 2012-13 season, the Sprint U.S. Grand Prix came to Park City Mountain Resort’s Eagle Superpipe. 

Following the success of the half-pipe event at the Olympics, Park City Mountain Resort expanded its terrain park offerings with the creation of Pick Axe and Little Kings in 2006, followed by 3 Kings in 2011.

“Hosting the 2002 Olympics solidified terrain parks as a staple in Park City. I’ve been extremely stoked to be part of that and to watch the growth of the sport in Park City and across the world,” said Johnny Hall, Park City Mountain terrain park manager.

Three lifts were installed at Park City Mountain Resort between 2006 and 2011. Silver Star triple chair was installed in 2006 and provided uphill access to a mountainside lodging, dining and shopping area located at the base of Thaynes Canyon. The bottom terminal of Silver Star is located near the east end of Spiro Tunnel, which housed the Skier Subway in the 1960s. The Ski Team triple chair was removed in 2008, and was replaced with Crescent Express, a high-speed four-seater.

Park City’s terrain parks received a dedicated lift in 2011 with the installation of the 3 Kings triple chair. To this day, 3 Kings is one of the most popular chairlifts on the mountain, serving our 3 Kings and Pick ‘n Shovel terrain parks and the Eagle Superpipe.

Many thanks to Sally Elliott from Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History, Connie Nelson from the Alf Engen Ski Museum and, Morgan Pierce and Dalton Gackle from the Park City Museum for their help with the history and stories of Park City Mountain over the past 60 years.

Deirdra Walsh is the vice president and chief operating officer of Park City Mountain.

The post Park City Mountain at 60: Snowboarding and terrain parks grow, and North America’s first heated chairlift, 2002-13 appeared first on Park Record.

Editor’s note: This season Park City Mountain celebrates its 60th winter season. As the season approaches, we’re looking back on the rich history of Park City Mountain from its earliest days to the world-class destination it has become today.

Between 1993 and 2003, as our country headed into a decade marked by technological advancement, prosperity and the rise of some of my favorite music genres, both Park City Ski Area and ParkWest would see significant changes and bring global events to Park City’s doorstep. We welcomed the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, expanded terrain with the installation of lifts including Ninety Nine 90 Express and McConkey’s Express, and embraced snowboarding on our slopes. Both resorts would also undergo ownership and name changes during this decade.

In 1994, Nick Badami sold Park City Ski Area to POWDR Corp, a Salt Lake corporation owned by Ian Cumming. POWDR Corp changed the name to Park City Mountain Resort in 1996 and invested in four new high-speed six-seat chairlifts over the next two seasons. Silverlode Express, the resort’s first high-speed six, was installed in 1996 to replace the four-person Prospector chairlift.

Park City’s original 1963 gondola and the existing Payday chairlift were removed in 1997 and replaced with detachable six-seaters Payday Express and Bonanza Express. McConkey’s Express was installed in 1998, providing lift access to McConkey’s Bowl for the first time. McConkey’s Bowl and McConkey’s Express are named in honor of Jim McConkey, the first ski school director when the resort opened in 1963.

The 1996-97 season saw one of Park City’s earliest openings when lifts started spinning on Oct. 26, 1996, thanks to significant October snowfall. This was also the first season the mountain opened to snowboarding.

ParkWest changed hands twice between 1993 and 2003. Kenny Griswold and Michael Baker bought the area in 1994, renaming it Wolf Mountain, renaming many of the trails after endangered species and investing in infrastructure upgrades. In 1997, Wolf Mountain was purchased by American Skiing Company, which renamed the area The Canyons.

American Skiing Company invested heavily in The Canyons, expanding skiable and rideable terrain and adding and upgrading a total of 11 lifts between 1997 and 2003. Red Pine Gondola, Saddleback Express, High Meadow chairlift and Tombstone Express (a four-seat detachable, predecessor to today’s six-seater) were installed in 1997, significantly expanding terrain to the south.

Terrain expansion continued in 1998 with the installation of Ninety Nine 90 Express, followed by Peak 5 in 1999. Lift access to terrain in the area of White Pine Canyon opened in 2000 and 2001 when Dreamscape and Day Break were installed.

The Cabriolet was installed in 2000 to improve the guest experience and provide a unique way to transport guests from parking to the main village area, known today as the Canyons Village Forum.

“Opening so much new terrain at The Canyons in the late ’90s was an exciting time to be a ski patroller,” said Lynne Offret, Park City Mountain director of mountain operations, prior ski patroller at Canyons Village. “There was a lot of work needed to assess and understand all the new terrain that would open when we expanded to the areas off Tombstone Express and Ninety Nine 90 Express. We had to create new avalanche mitigation routes in terrain that had previously been part of the backcountry. This was a team effort that required our Ski Patrol to use our collective experience in avalanche forecasting to create and implement new routes to keep our guests safe in the newly expanded terrain.”

The 2002 Winter Olympics

The 2002 Winter Games brought the world’s eyes to Park City Mountain Resort and The Canyons.

When Salt Lake City won its bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics, Park City was an ideal venue in part due to its long history as host of World Cup events and as the home of the U.S. Ski Team. Park City’s vibrant Main Street also made the town attractive not only for athletic competition, but also as a place for spectators from around the globe to gather for live music and other events.

Park City Mountain Resort hosted the men’s and women’s halfpipe, men’s giant slalom and men’s and women’s snowboard parallel giant slalom events in its Eagle Race Arena. Spectators could view the events from temporary grandstands constructed at the end of the race area. This stadium could accommodate 16,500 spectators per event.

“The 2002 Salt Lake City Games were incredible, and a special time to be part of the resort team,” Mary Flinn Ware, senior manager of Park City Ski School. “It was so impressive to witness so many outstanding athletes in person here at our resort. The number of guests who were able to attend each of the events we hosted was really amazing.”

The men’s and women’s halfpipe at Park City was a historic moment for Olympic snowboarding. The 2002 event was the first appearance of a 22-foot halfpipe in the Olympics, following the event’s debut on a smaller half-pipe in 1998 at the Nagano Games. Americans Ross Powers, Danny Kass, and Jarret Thomas made Olympic history when they swept the medals in the men’s event, while American Kelly Clark won gold in the women’s event.

The men’s giant slalom took place on CB’s Run, and American Bode Miller won silver. Men’s slalom and ladies’ slalom runs were used for the snowboard parallel giant slalom races, and American Chris Klug won bronze in the men’s event.

Throughout the Games, The Canyons served as the backdrop for coverage by NBC’s “Today Show.” The popular morning show shared information and updates daily from the Games and interviewed athletes from the beautiful Grand Summit Hotel.

Many thanks to Sally Elliott from Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History, Connie Nelson from the Alf Engen Ski Museum and, Morgan Pierce and Dalton Gackle from the Park City Museum for their help with the history and stories of Park City Mountain over the past 60 years.

Deirdra Walsh is the vice president and chief operating officer of Park City Mountain.

The post Park City Mountain at 60: Lots of change and Olympics too, 1993-2003 appeared first on Park Record.

Editor’s note: This season Park City Mountain celebrates its 60th winter season. As the season approaches, we’re looking back on the rich history of Park City Mountain from its earliest days to the world-class destination it has become today.

The decade between 1983 and 1993 in Park City stands out in many of our fondest — and in some of our saddest — memories. For me, this was the decade when I first tried skiing as part of a sixth-grade field trip to Hidden Valley Resort outside St. Louis, Missouri. For Park City Ski Area, this decade would bring the FIS World Cup to Park City along with the possibility of skiing to Main Street and riding back to the mountain via Town Lift. This was the decade when our nation watched the Challenger space shuttle explosion, and this was the decade when our small mountain town lost Craig Badami in a tragic helicopter accident.

Park City Ski Area made its debut on the world stage, hosting its first FIS World Cup event, the Men’s and Women’s Slalom, on March 19-20, 1985. Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg won gold in the men’s event and Erika Hess of Switzerland won gold in the women’s event. (Fun Fact: Erika’s Gold off Crescent Ridge is named in honor of Erika Hess.) After a second successful event in March 1986, Park City moved its FIS event to November for the 1986-87 season, rebranding it “America’s Opening” as the first world cup event of the season in America. Park City would continue to host America’s Opening through the 2000-01 season.

Mel Uhl, Park City vehicle maintenance manager, former snowcat operator and snowmaker: “The World Cup races were a great event that everyone looked forward to each year. A tremendous number of resources were dedicated to making them happen in November, all while hoping for cold temperatures so we could build the surface the racers had come to expect. Some years we had to use the snowmaking system to firm up the surface, while other years we would have to carefully remove new snowfall from the course. All in all, the experiences our team gained thorough the World Cup races enabled us to be ready for the Olympics in 2002.”

The early part of this decade saw the arrival of two more triple chairlifts that have since become iconic and beloved parts of our mountain. Pioneer chair was installed in 1984 and Town Lift in 1985. Town Lift connected Park City Ski Area directly to historic Main Street, giving guests the ability to ski into town and ride back up the mountain. This unique experience remains a beloved Park City tradition.

In the mid ’80s, ParkWest expanded its on-mountain dining options, turning a former snowcat maintenance shed into a burger shack. Located near the top of the Tomahawk and Slaughterhouse double chairs, this burger shack would evolve into today’s Lookout Cabin.

Tragedy befell the Park City community in late 1989 when Craig Badami, part-owner and vice president of marketing for Park City Ski Area, was killed in a helicopter accident following the FIS World Cup. Mourned across the Park City community, state of Utah and ski industry, Craig was remembered for his loyalty to his friends and community, his dedication to Park City Ski Area and his energetic and creative spirit. The successes of the Park City World Cup races that Craig spearheaded helped solidify Salt Lake City’s bid for the 2002 Olympic Games. Craig’s legacy lives on today in the Mountain Village base area in our iconic eagle statue, dedicated to Craig and his father, Nick, and on the slopes as CB’s Run in Park City Mountain’s race arena is named in honor of Craig Badami.

Many thanks to Sally Elliott from Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History, Connie Nelson from the Alf Engen Ski Museum and, Morgan Pierce and Dalton Gackle from the Park City Museum for their help with the history and stories of Park City Mountain over the past 60 years.

Deirdra Walsh is the vice president and chief operating officer of Park City Mountain.

The post Park City Mountain at 60: America’s Opening and skiing to Main Street, 1983-93 appeared first on Park Record.

Editor’s note: This season Park City Mountain celebrates its 60th winter season. As the season approaches, we’re looking back on the rich history of Park City Mountain from its earliest days to the world-class destination it has become today.

Park City Ski Area continued to expand and carve its place on the world’s ski stage in the 1970s. The decade saw the arrival of the U.S. Ski Team in Park City to set up their new training center and headquarters. In 1975, Park City Ski Area would change ownership from Edgar Stern to Nick Badami, ushering in a period of growth and transformation that would lay the eventual groundwork for supporting a successful 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic bid.

In 1973, Park City Ski Area expanded its terrain offerings with the installation of its first triple chair, named for the Silver King Consolidated Mine — the first iteration of the current King Con six-person lift. The new lift provided access to intermediate terrain on the west side of King Con Ridge. New runs were cut into the east side of King Con Ridge for athlete training.

Edgar Stern and his team focused on supporting the local Alpine racing community, and their efforts helped the US Ski Team make the decision to open a training center in Park City in 1973 and, ultimately, move the Alpine portion of the U.S. Ski Team to Park City in 1974.

Under the direction of Willy Schaeffler, old mining buildings were repurposed for a new Alpine Training Center, located just above the mid-station of the gondola, near the bottom terminal of present-day Bonanza Express chairlift. (Fun Fact — Willy’s Run is named after Willy Schaeffler.)

A boardinghouse and two bunkhouses once used by Silver King Mine workers were transformed into an administration building and two athlete dorms. The U.S. Ski Team’s headquarters remained at Park City Ski Area until 1998.

Park City Ski Area changed ownership from Edgar Stern to Nick Badami in 1975. Nick and his son Craig would expand and transform Park City Ski Area over the next 19 years. The Badamis made key investments in infrastructure and operations across the mountain during the mid to late 1970s.

In 1976, Ski Team and Jupiter chairlifts were installed to access more of the mountain’s advanced and expert terrain. Jupiter remains a favorite terrain area to this day. The first iteration of Motherlode was installed in Thaynes Canyon in 1980.

The Badamis also invested in a fleet of snowcats to groom runs, built a snowcat maintenance shed and installed Park City’s first snowmaking system in 1978 to bolster the natural snowpack on the mountain after a few low-snow winters.

To the north, Ski Park City West continued to grow in popularity and with construction of condominiums at the base area. In 1974, the resort was purchased by Jack Roberts and Harold Babcock, who renamed it ParkWest, which it would remain for the next 20 years.

In the early 1980s, a summer amphitheater was constructed at ParkWest and hosted musical acts including the Beach Boys, B.B. King, Emmylou Harris and the Grateful Dead.

The 1970s elevated Park City’s place in the ski industry through terrain openings, infrastructure improvements and the arrival of the U.S. Ski Team. These events would help push Park City onto the world stage in the decades to come.

Many thanks to Sally Elliott from Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History, Connie Nelson from the Alf Engen Ski Museum and, Morgan Pierce and Dalton Gackle from the Park City Museum for their help with the history and stories of Park City Mountain over the past 60 years.

Deirdra Walsh is the vice president and chief operating officer of Park City Mountain.

The post Park City Mountain at 60: Ski team moves in, and Badami years begin 1973-83 appeared first on Park Record.

Editor’s note: This season Park City Mountain celebrates its 60^th winter season. As the season approaches, we’re looking back on the rich history of Park City Mountain from its earliest days to the world-class destination it has become today.

The 1960s were a defining time in American history across culture, politics and art. In Park City, local leaders made a bold decision to redefine Park City’s history and place in America, laying the groundwork that would change the area from a fading mining town to a world-class winter sports destination.

Park City Mountain opened its slopes on Dec. 21, 1963, as Treasure Mountain by United Park City Mines. It featured the world’s longest gondola at the time, the Prospector double chair, and Silver King J-bar, as well as base and summit lodges.

The mountain’s story began two years prior to its opening when members of United Park City Mines hatched a plan to revitalize Park City’s economy and transform the mining town into a year-round recreation resort.

Mining officials applied for a $1.2 million loan through the 1961 Area Redevelopment Act, a federal program that targeted business development in urban and rural depressed areas. There was no movement on the application until August 1962, when a group of Utah publishers were invited to the White House for lunch with President Kennedy.

Among the invited publishers was Jack Gallivan, then-owner of the Salt Lake Tribune, who mentioned the unfulfilled loan application to the president. Two weeks later, loan in hand, United Park City Mines began construction for Treasure Mountain.

When Treasure Mountain opened, it boasted the world’s longest gondola. Multi-colored gondola cabins carried four passengers each two and a half miles up the mountain from the base area at what today is the Mountain Village base area to an angle station near the top of present-day Town Lift and on to the top of the mountain, where Summit House is now located. The gondola transported thousands of skiers 2,300 feet up the mountain until it was retired in 1997.

After Treasure Mountain’s first season, United Mines installed a new chairlift, the first iteration of Thaynes chairlift. Access to the original Thaynes chair has earned a place in ski resort history, as the old mine workings of the Spiro Tunnel were retrofitted with subway-style cars to transport guests nearly three miles underground from what today is Silver Star Plaza to the Thaynes hoist building near the present-day Thaynes chairlift. Skiers would then ride an elevator (or hoist) 1,800 feet up to the surface to access the chair lift.

The “skier subway” was only in operation until 1969, but it remains a unique moment in Park City Mountain’s history. You can still sit in one of the original subway cars and view a hoist today at the Park City Museum on Main Street.

In 1966, Treasure Mountain was renamed Park City Ski Area, and it would go by that name for the next 30 years.

Skiing continued to grow in popularity across Utah, and on Dec. 20, 1968, Ski Park City West, another ski area, opened nearby. The new resort featured a Wild West cowboy theme, with chairlifts Tomahawk, Iron Horse, and Short Swing. There were also four Mitey Mites rope tows: Boomerang, Pony Express, Tumbleweed, and Pathfinder.  The ski runs also reflected the Wild West theme with names like Ambush, Wagon Trail, Bronco, and Sixshooter.

Ski Park City West would later become The Canyons and was based in what’s now Canyons Village.

After several years of running a recreational enterprise, United Park City Mines sold Park City Ski Area in 1971 to Edgar Stern, a real estate developer from Aspen. Stern recruited his good friend, the legendary Stein Ericksen, to promote skiing in Park City.

Under Edgar Stern, three new double lifts were installed in 1971: Payday, Lost Prospector, and Crescent, setting the stage for the next era of skiing in Park City.

Many thanks to Sally Elliott from Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History, Connie Nelson from the Alf Engen Ski Museum and, Morgan Pierce and Dalton Gackle from the Park City Museum for their help with the history and stories of Park City Mountain over the past 60 years.

Deirdra Walsh is the vice president and chief operating officer of Park City Mountain.

The post 60 years at Park City Mountain: 1963-73 — Treasure Mountain and the ‘skier subway’ appeared first on Park Record.