 A recent conundrum. And in comparison to the bigger challenges of the day, not pivotal. Yet, it keeps coming up, so I’m exploring it with you. Between the change of season and the current barriers to social activity, bike use is way up. Just ask anyone in the industry. I’m out on some trail or another about six days a week and it seems like as more weeks goes by, so do more bikes. I’m all for excursive, but here’s one of my questions. Is riding an e-bike exorcise? Yes, uphill takes work, but isn’t the work one of the reasons you’re on the bike? I have good friends in town who use their e-bakes as an alternative to getting in the car. They’ll use the e-bikes to run multiple errands and cover more ground. I get it. But as a trail ride, it seems an odd choice. This past weekend I hiked to the top of one of the local ski runs. Right before descending, a guy riding up hill on an e-bike passed. Wow. So, this is a person, who feels equipped to take on some relatively challenging downhills, opted for an assisted up. Made me think. Unlike previous years, the lifts aren’t taking riders up the mountain. You have to get up under your own steam, which is going to exclude quite a few folks. But now, the way up just got easier. And I get it. The guy would have had one heck of a climb and been spent for the technical challenges of the down. So, I gave him a pass. (Kind of.) But then, if he gets a pass, where’s the line? Ultimately, it’s not my line to draw. I’m passing judgement on strangers. Never a good idea. So I ask, what makes you say, “Hey, I think I’m passing on my regular trail bike and grabbing an e-bike?” Is it that you’re able to cover more ground, so you get to a spot you would have otherwise passed on? Do you feel like you’re still getting a workout? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Cheers to your next visit, Your Resort Resident
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 What the what? I woke up yesterday, June 8th, to a back deck covered with an inch of snow. As a dear friend of mine likes to say…Seriously? We had been in shorts and T-shirts just two days earlier. In fact, we’d been out on a pontoon boat on the Jordanelle four days earlier and enjoying paddle boarding. The next thing I knew, everyone in town was posting pictures of their new snow-covered yards, decks and patio furniture. And the snow kept coming down hard. Typically, when we get snow out of season, it melts the moment it hits the ground. But we’d had a hard freeze overnight and the snow wasn’t going anywhere. On social media people where telling us how lucky we were. I’m sorry, but when your brain is prepping for summer, inches of snow don’t make you feel lucky.
But then, I forced to remember where I am. Utah’s Wasatch mountains. There has not been one month on the calendar that hasn't seen snow in some year. I chose this place for many great reasons. And if a June snow is the price we Parkites must pay for all that’s great here, so be it. So, out came the thick socks and sweatshirt I thought I wouldn’t see again until Fall. The evening was spent with the heater working and The Maltese Falcon on the TV. Not much to complain about. And today, we’re back to sunshine and happiness. Cheers to your next visit, Your Resort Resident  Taken from the roof-top deck at the No Name Saloon Skiing, golfing, paddling, mountain biking…yes to all of them. But one of the most beloved local sports is, without a doubt, Deck Surfing. And Park City has some of the best. From outdoor seating at our three, count ‘em, three local resorts, to restaurant roof-top decks, to private home decks, the views and air quality here are both uplifting and reinvigorating. And when you can earn your deck time, even better. What does it mean to earn deck time? A great ski day. A long bike ride. An intense hike. Decks are always that much sweeter after you’ve just made yourself physically exhausted doing something incredibly fun. During ski season, two of my favorite decks are at, Lookout Cabin at Canyons Resort and Stein Eriksen’s at Deer Valley. They both have a winning combo of location, great views, good food, a decent wine list and servers who are happy to create relationships. (side note: several have become friends.) In the summer, the patio deck above the No Name Saloon is the winner for amount of space, view of Main Street and nostalgia. And, as of this post, they’re just reopened. I’m also a fan of the deck/view at Silver Star Café. Try the watermelon & feta cheese salad. But it gets better. After an active day and a respite at one of these fine establishments’ decks, moving back to our home deck, or the deck of a good friend is even sweeter. Hopefully, good friends with a grill. So, I raise a glass to Park City’s least celebrated…and most celebrated sport. Here’s to you, deck surfing! Cheers to your next visit, Your Resort Resident  Park City is starting to consider reaching out to tourists again. The chamber is saying things like, “We’re kind of turning the corner on that and it’s now time to maybe put out the welcome mat in a careful and thoughtful manner…” Which sounds like they're hedging their bet. But who wouldn’t? The plan, as we understand it, is to start reaching out to tourists who can drive to Park City for vacation. Folks in Utah and our neighboring states. That way, if someone has a problem, they can drive home. They’re also planning to only reach out via social media. So again, if something where to become a challange, they can pull the marketing immediately. As a local, I’m already seeing an up-tick in cars on the roads and people on the trails. I’ve also seen local property managers start to advertise Park City as a place where people can come, get a stunning change of scenery and still keep their distance. It makes sense.
Golf courses are starting to open up, restaurant are offering more than just curb-side and there are even door-to-door concerts that you can order to come to right to your driveway.
We’re all currently trying to live our lives while watching the evolution of the unknown. What we do know it that Park City remains a desirable destination. And we know why. Hope to see you soon. Be safe. Cheers to your next visit, Your Resort Resident
One of the things that attracted us to Park City in the first place (yes, in addition to the crazy great skiing) was how much this town cares about the arts. From the world-class musician who make this town a regular stop, to Park City’s commitment to the visual arts, this town is a mixed-media paradise. Our yearly Arts Festival is one of the biggest art festivals in the country. With all of the hiking and biking I’ve been enjoying these last few months, I’ve really been struck by the amount of outdoor sculpture there is here. On most every trail near town you can find one or two pieces. And while I’ve known they were there, this is the first time that I’m really stopping to look at them. Most are metal and in varied degrees of rust. All take into account their location. It’s fantastic.  And there’s more. You likely know that Park City used to be a mining town. Thus we have ski runs named Copper Head, lifts named Sliver Load and an entire resort section named Iron Mountain. What you may not know is that many of the remnants of our mining past have been left up and now stand like art on the side of hikes and ski runs. We’ve literally stopped, part way through a run to read a plaque and stare into the past. Particularly now, with so much of our relief from life’s stresses being outside, having all of this art is enriching. I certainly hope you’re able to get here soon and enjoy it with us. Cheers to your next visit, Your Resort Resident  Gyms, Restaurants & Music, Oh my! It’s not just the flowers that are opening up here in Park City. Businesses are starting to re-emerge from COVID lockdown. Utah has gone from level RED to level ORANGE. We’re seeing restaurants prepare their outdoor seating. Local coffee shops have reopened. Stores on Main Street are slowly figuring out how they can get back to business. Gyms are offering classes again, all be it with limited class sizes. These are all good things for local business owners. And Park City is a town that puts a high priority on supporting local business,. Yet, with so much of the country still operating under “shelter-in-place,” we don’t want to celebrate these small advances too loudly. We all have friends and family in places like New York and we appreciate that they are nowhere near ready to enjoy the social and business freedoms that we’re starting to get back to. They still a long road ahead of them…As do we all. We are still wearing masks to the market, and we're seeing larger events cancelled for a while. Park City is know for fantastic concerts, both paid for and free. And many of these are on hold. Yet, we’ve also seen pop-up stages happening here and there where locals are playing for neighbors. And Mountain Town Stages is “toying around with the concept called the Door to Door Tour 2020 and essentially will bring the concerts to the people.” From the start of COVID, virtually every Park City local was saying things like, “if we have to go through this, we’re so lucky to go through it here.” And as restrictions here begin to relax, that sentiment remains. We are lucky, indeed. Cheers, Your Resort Resident  This week Summit County, where Park City resides, lifted “shelter-in-place.” That said, we are still being asked to wear masks in public spaces and maintain six feet of distance from other people. Also, gatherings should be kept to no more than twenty. Twenty? That seems a big number. It will be interesting to see how the new rules play out. What won’t change is Parakite’s ability to self-heal through outdoor activity. As the snow melts and temperatures rise, the number of locals taking advantage of our enviable trail system increases. Our trails are cared for by Mountain Trails. They do a bang-up job clearing the brush and stumps and general trail maintenances. And locals are great about not littering. I have literally never seen a cigarette butt on a trail and on the few times something is laying on the ground we pick it up and dump it after our hike. But I digress. The point is, daily outings on trial have helped us maintain sanity. Being able to get out, be physical, breath clean air, and enjoy the views has meant everything. And because we haven’t been going to the gym, we hike way more than before. We’re far from alone. It’s been interesting to see people decide what their “stay safe” trail edicate will be. Do they stand off to the side of the trail and look away as people pass? Do they just keep going, head down, but hold your breath when strainers go by? We’ve seen lots of versions of the safe, yet friendly trail pass. On our hike the other day, we were approaching an older gal with a dog. She stepped way to the side of the trail and said, good morning. We said, hey. Then she said something about the weather and it was clear that she wanted to chat. So, we kept our distance and talked with her for a bit. Turns out, she lives alone. Her family is out of state and she’s been by herself this entire COVID time. Her daily hikes are her only chance to change her view and see people. So, glad that we gave her time and we hope to cross her path again. Locals often say that they came to Park City for the winters and stayed for the summers. Why? Our trail system is one of those reasons. You can hike every day for a year and never take the same route twice. Not too shabby. And the amount and expanse of trails often means that there’s something close enough to your door that you don’t have to get in a car to get on dirt if you don’t want to. As I connect with friends in big cities, I’m doubly aware of how fortunate we in Park City are to have this outlet. These friends haven’t enjoyed the outside other than to sit on a balcony since COVID started. Don’t think we’ll ever take our trails and all they provide for granite. The next time you’re able to get here, I highly suggest slowing everything down and getting out on one or more of our trails. Your heart and your brain will thank you. Cheers, Your Resort Resident P.S. here’s what Mountain Trails says on their site about our trails: “Park City’s trail system entails approximately 400 miles of continuous, non-motorized recreational trail. Spanning two world-class mountain resorts (one is the largest in the US at 7,300 acres) and an additional 8,000 acres of preserved open space, Park City has been designated a Gold Level Ride Center by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA). From mountainous, alpine terrain reaching altitudes of nearly 10,000’, to rolling high desert, Park City’s trail system is predominantly buffed single-track interspersed with occasional technical sections.”  As you likely know, COVID shut down all of our ski resorts in the beginning of March. That includes PCMR, Canyons & Deer Valley. Then, Park City asked all visitors to please head home. And just like that, it was the end of ski season…or was it? For many folks who live in the shadows of some of the best ski runs in the country, the Siren’s song of un-touched snow and fresh powder was just too much. And even with the lifts closed, there was no stopping die-hards. We started seeing people quietly hiking up to get in one good run down. Remember, this is a very fit town. A common refrain from skiers who, in non-COVID times, hike up and ski down is, “Earn your turns.” There’s a pride to it. About a month ago, a gal carrying her snowboard on her back said, “No lifts? No problem.” A neighbor told us (from a safe distance) that when he’d hiked up the previous day, he’d seen two fellows from the resort on a snowmobile. He was worried that he was going to get in trouble. After all, he was poaching. But as they passed him all they just called out, “Stay safe.” And there was a comradery to it. Several snowshoers started regularly hiking up every day after work. They’d share their waves of recognition and solidarity. It was like an unofficial club. No one hung out, but seeing familiar faces was comforting. For anyone who took advantage of their proximity to the resorts, this has been an odd but special season. One I’m sure we’ll recount with a strange fondness. It was quiet, tranquil, beautiful. It was the season that the hard-core went back to basics. You want to ski down? Prove it. Hike up. Now that the snow is finally melting, the skis, boards and snowshoes are getting lockered until next season. The mountain and road bikes are starting to emerge. Again, it’s an active town. So, we raise a glass to the end of poaching season. Hope you earned your turns. Cheers, Your Resort Resident P.S. Vail & Deer Valley are offering discounts for next season to anyone who had a 2019/2020 season pass. See you out there.  We’ve been hearing from people all over the country, around the world really, talk about the changes they’re seeing in their surroundings during COVID. The positive changes to nature in their area. They’re sighting things like, noticing that the air is cleaner, that there is an increase in fish life in their waters, that they can see the stars at night. The following is not bragging as much as it is a love note to our small corner of the world. We’ve always had all those things here in Park City. Clean air, wildlife, stars at night. But we may not have appreciated it as much as we do now. Being in a resort town means that we currently have a lot fewer people here. Full-timers make up less than half of our capacity. And the people who are here are staying home except for individual hikes, bikes, fly fishing… So, on our outings, there’s little in the way of fully absorbing the beauty that is Park City all the time. We're watching the snow retreat a bit each day. We’re seeing the flowers start to come up. And as the days get longer, the evening transitions to night sky are more intense. How lucky we are. We wish everyone a safe journey through CV-19 and hope you’re all able to enjoy the beauty of where you are at the moment. We look forward to seeing you back here soon. Cheers, Your Resort Resident |
Your Resort ResidentWhen you live in Park City full time, you have the inside track on why this place is so special. Here's where we do our best to share that with you. Archives
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