Canyons never seemed to get the respect it deserved. Despite being the biggest ski resort in Utah ,with 4,000 skiable acres, it always seemed to be in the shadow of Park City and Deer Valley, the more glamorous neighbors in Parley’s Canyon. Canyons traditionally hosted roughly half as many skiers as Park City.
It couldn’t even settle on a name, which has changed four times since it opened in 1968. It started as Park City West. In 1975, it became Park West, then Wolf Mountain, then The Canyons, and finally simply Canyons Resort.
All that should evaporate soon. Operated by Vail Resorts since 2013, Canyons already has seen big improvements in its lift system, snowmaking and lodging. With management’s plan to link Canyons with newly purchased Park City Mountain Resort for the 2015-16 season, visitors may need to start calling it The Giant.
Canyons’ reputation has long been as a cruiser’s mountain, but that belies the breadth of skiing available. Yes, there is tons of wide-open intermediate terrain. Runs such as Pinecone, Lower Crowning Glory and Eclipse seem to demand speed.
In addition, skiers will find an abundance of narrow, groomed runs that wind through the trees off the Daybreak chairlift, perfect spots protected from the elements on blustery days. Elk Dance and Winter Way offer spectacular views to add flavor for the run down the mountain.
My second day at Canyons, I awoke to 6 inches of fresh powder and brilliant blue sky. All morning I rode the Dreamcatcher lift like a yo-yo. Run after run on Pipe Dream, Chimera, Phantasm and others. I kept going until I could no longer find snow to cut fresh tracks.
After a stop for lunch at the Cloud Dine restaurant (which is undergoing a complete renovation for this season), I headed up higher to the trails under the Daybreak lift. It was after 2 when I ran out of energy — before I ran out of untracked snow.
Glade skiers can sate their appetites on runs such as the Abyss, Shadowlands and Mystic Pines. These steeps and trees held the uncut powder well into the next day. Experts should find all the challenge they need on the runs served by the Ninety-nine 90 chair. Fright Gully, for example, is very aptly named.
Those are just a few of the more than 180 trails served by 21 lifts. One small caution: This isn’t a beginner’s mountain. Only about 10 percent of the trails are rated as novice terrain.
For good intermediate skiers and better, however, this mountain is a real playground. The lack of crowds combined with the vast terrain mean crowds are nonexistent other than during holidays. Lift lines are rumors except for the first thing in the morning.
But the sheer size of the mountain also can be a bit daunting at first, with skiers sometimes finding it tricky to navigate from one section of the mountain to another.
The resort management is certain to correct these logistical speed bumps (it is one of the things Vail Resorts does best), but it won’t happen overnight. Meanwhile, skiers should plan their days carefully, study the trail map and minimize moving from sector to sector.
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Other than the Ninety-nine 90 lift, intermediates will find runs they can enjoy in every section of the mountain. Even the Super Condor Express lift, which serves some of the mountain’s toughest terrain, also provides access to Upper Boa and Upper Apex Ridge, two of the area’s most enjoyable cruising runs.
If the mountain isn’t quite enough for you, helicopter skiing also is available. Wasatch Powder Guides (800-974-4354,
) offers daylong packages to the untracked backcountry powder, departing directly from Canyons.
Canyons’ base area is a pleasant about-face from the scope of the mountain. It is compact, and it has a distinctly laid-back, familial vibe. Apres-ski activity tends to revolve around Ski Beach, a large open area just off the village’s central plaza.
Plop into one of the plush beach chairs strewn across the plaza and enjoy a local beer or a margarita while you watch the last skiers come off the mountain. Listen to the joyful, post-skiing banter. It is less raucous and much more short-lived than at some of the celebrated ski resorts. By 6 p.m., most of Ski Beach’s occupants have headed back to their lodging to get ready for dinner.
Dinner choices are not extensive — there are fewer than a dozen dinner spots — but they are very good. The Edge Steakhouse serves superb beef, but the star is The Farm, a proponent of the farm-to-table, head-to-tail movement.
The Farm (435-615-8080,
) was voted Utah’s best new restaurant in 2012, and its original chef is returning this season with a promise of a new tasting menu that can be paired with the restaurant’s remarkable cellar.
The specialty obviously is steak at the Edge Steakhouse (435-655-2260,
), but don’t miss the chef’s tasting menu.
Canyons visitors who want more excitement or greater diversity in dining choices can head into Park City, just 15 minutes away by free public transit.
If you go
Getting there: Nonstop flights to Salt Lake City originate in numerous cities, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Orlando. Most major rental car agencies are at the airport, but public transit in the Park City area makes a car unnecessary. Shuttle service is available from All Resort Express (877-658-3999,
).
Staying there: There are just eight properties at the Canyons base area, but they offer nearly any level of accommodation (866-604-4171,
). The Grand Summit Hotel is an excellent option and offers everything from hotel rooms to three-bedroom suites right next to the Red Pine Gondola and Orange Bubble heated chair.
Dining there: Beyond the choices at the resort base area, nearby Park City offers more choices than anyone can sample in one trip. Shabu (435-645-7253,
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) features excellent sushi and what it calls “freestyle Asian cuisine.” Whiskey lovers shouldn’t miss High West Distillery (435-649-8300,
); not only can you sample award-winning ryes and other whiskeys, but the food is very satisfying whether you have only appetizers or go for a full meal.