Utah Vacation Homes has been adding some simply amazing properties lately and this most recent one is a stand out.  Slopes and Shores #2 is truly an unique townhome located in between Deer Valley’s Jordanelle Gondola and the Jordanelle Reservoir.

This 4 bedroom 3.5 bath townhome sleeps 10 and is one of those places you can “escape” to and enjoy a vacation with family and friends. But you’re still within close proximity of the town of Park City just a few minutes away.

After a day of skiing, wouldn’t it be nice to come home to this:

Check out the rest of the images of Slopes and Shores #2 on the Jordanelle along with the property details.

There’s nothing quite like Old Town Park City in all of Utah.  The feel, the old miner homes, the shops and the adjacent mountains on either side make for unbeatable surroundings.

One of the lesser known historical features about the layout of what is old town and now present day Deer Valley Drive is that this road was once the “Red Light District”.  Only a couple of remaining miner’s cabins and relicts exist today but despite this a number of properties on lower Deer Valley Drive near the round-about have the look and feel of a modern day “old town” property.

Utah Vacation Homes recently added one such property to its rental pool - Aspen Grove #2 (pictured above).  Just steps from Main Street and the Town Lift, and a very short bus ride to the base of Deer Valley this 2 bedroom 2 bath condo is a real treat.

It was recently renovated and is in top condition.  If you’re headed to Park City this winter and would like the best of both worlds, Aspen Grove #2 is a premier location.

FYI - It’s also a great spot for anyone attending the Sundance Film Festival in January.

Solitude Mountain Resort opened for the 2008-09 season today under bluebird skies and not a bit of wind. While most dream of a knee to waist deep opener, I think the bluebird day is a great way to open.

I shared the 5 tips for Solitude from my post earlier this week with Nick Como (pictured below) who works in Marketing up there and he replied back with 5 tips of his own. Hey, we go to the source for our Utah Vacation Homes guests!

Here they are:

• Parking close to Eagle Express, instead of Moonbeam get more vertical on the first run.
• Hit the cafeteria at 11:30 to beat the lunch lines
• Buying tickets down in the valley,[or from Utah Vacation Homes] saves you about $8 a person
• Want to ski some of Solitude’s powder? Sign up for a Backtracks tour with the ski patrol.
• Looking to ski pow on your own? Hit Honeycomb Canyon.

There you go, straight from the source!

Thanks Nick.

Deer Valley once again ranked #1 in Ski Magazine for the second year in a row.  This is no fluke.  Whether you like long mellow runs, challenging groomers or trees that hold powder for days, Deer Valley has something for every skier.

I don’t let a season go by without skiing at least a couple of days at Deer Valley, and when I’m there I take advantage of what could be the best food any ski resort has to offer.  Turkey Chili is all the rage, mark my words.

Here are my top 5 tips for making a day at Deer Valley Resort one to remember.

1. Tycoon could be one of the most enjoyable blue runs in the country, especially if it’s freshly groomed which it is nearly every night
2. If the snow it plentiful, don’t forget about Mayflower lift.  It’s out there but you’ll have the place to yourself
3. Lady Morgan has some of the best tree skiing (skiers left of the lift) to be found in all of Utah
4. Speaking of trees, the Triangle Trees hold powder for weeks, literally!
5. Northside Express is an intermediate’s paradise.  You can have fun for hours on this lift!

Checkout Deer Valley Resorts’ trail map.

Long the icon of resort towns and resort mountains, Park City Mountain Resort is as good as all the magazines have said over the years.  Rich with history reaching back into it’s mining past and as recent as the Winter Olympic Games, Park City should be on every skiers and snowboarders top 10 list.

While not as “in your face” as perhaps Snowbird or Alta, there is room to turn at Park City and more runs that you can cram into a week of skiing.

I’ll do my best but here is a top 5 list of things you should not miss when skiing Park City.

1. From the base try out the new Crescent High Speed Quad because, well, it’s new!
2. Are you a blue skier?  King Con is you’re sugar daddy.  Don’t miss this lift
3. Blue Slip Bowl is hard to beat first thing in the morning on a powder day.
4. Terrain Parks - Regardless of how you like to flip, slide, spin or jib, the terrain Parks at Park City are fun even if you’re a spectator.
5. The hike to Jupiter is better from the McConkey Lift than from Jupiter Lift and the view is worth every step

Check out the interactive trail map at Park City Mountain Resort’s website.

The Canyons Resort in Park City is the largest single ski resort (measured by lift accessed acres) in Utah. If you’re planning on visiting this resort you should plan two days in order to ski most of it.

Be sure to get a trail map and pay close attention to my tips below as The Canyons is likely one of the most unique set ups for a resort that you’ll find.

But enjoy the challenge of skiing this mountain as the unique layout provides a wide variety of slopes and vistas to take in.

1. On a busy day when the gondola line can get unruly, skip it and ride the two person Golden Eagle chair. It’s slow and you’ll feel like you’re in the 1970’s but you’ll also get first tracks when others are still in line
2. Don’t miss Aplande off of Condor, especially if they have groomed it. This LONG fall line run is hard to beat
3. If you like trees, the Mystic Pines on the Peak 5 lift are, well, Mystical.  Hard to beat on a powder day.
4. If it’s a big snow year and you catch The Canyons on a powder day, keep to the low lands and spin laps on Golden Eagle.  Be sure to ski Lookout Ridge to Badlands!
5. Want long groomers with no crowds?  Find Upper Crowning Glory at the top of Peak 5 and follow it past Middle and Lower Crowing Glories to the bottom of Tombstone for a real leg burner.

Check out the trail map for The Canyons Resort.

With just over 1000 skiable acres (1050 to be exact) Brighton Resort may be the biggest little resort you ever ski or snowboard.  I’ve never seen 1000 acres ski like this.  Add to that the variety of terrain and the home style feel that is friendly and it’s hard to beat a day at Brighton.

Here are my top 5 tips if you’re headed to Brighton for the first time.

1. If it’s a powder day, escape to the Milly Express and don’t leave until it’s tracked up.
2. Want a good long cruiser?  Try Thor from the top of Snake Creek to the bottom of the Great Western Express
3. Speaking of Great Western, Elk Park Ridge is worth the ride alone, not to mention the rest of the runs around it
4. On busy days, steer clear of the Crest Express as it can back up with lines
5. The trees skiers left of Hawkeye hold some stashes so dive in if the trees are what you crave

Check out Brighton’s trail map to scope out your plan of attack. (link is to a pdf)

Long live the TRAM!  Snowbird Resort’s icon lift, the tram, lives up the the hype.  For advanced and intermediate skiers alike, the Tram at Snowbird delivers the goods.  But don’t be fooled, there are a lot of hidden gems to find when skiing Snowbird.

It’s a big mountain and getting on the wrong run could result in some tricky skiing.  Here are my top 5 tips for skiing the Bird.

1. The mid cirque traverse can be painful to endure, but endure to the end and enjoy Dalton’s Draw.  Trust me
2. If you’re riding the tram and they don’t list Tigers Tail as a closure, forget all previous made plans and get there, fast
3. Want to test your legs?  Ski Chips Run from the top of the tram to the bottom non stop.  This blue run is a load of fun.
4. If the tram is packed, take the Peruvian Quad and while you’re on your way up, scope out powder stashes for the decent.
5. Buy your lift ticket in Salt Lake from Utah Vacation Homes and park at the Gad lot to start your day.  You’ll avoid crowds this way.

Check out one of Snowbird Resorts’ trail maps.

Alta.  It’s a word known throughout all the ski world and for good reason.  Alta Ski Resort is home to an annual 500″ of snow that is light and dry like no other.  But skiing this legend of a resort isn’t as easy as one might think when standing at either of the base areas.

Here are a few tips that might make the skiing experience all the better if you’re headed to Alta for the first time.

1. Don’t be fooled by the old Wildcat lift - this 2 person lift hides many powder stashes not otherwise reachable from another lift
2. While High Rustler is a real treat, it gets tracked pretty fast.  Set your sights for West Rustler and you’ll be glad you did
3. Don’t, I repeat, DON’T stop on the High Traverse.
4. When you get off of the Supreme lift, turn left and up the short hike to Catherine’s Pass.  But be sure to do this in the morning as the late afternoon sun can put a damper on this slope.
5. Glory Hole - it’s worth the trip but keep your speed at the bottom of you may regret reading this tip

For the Alta Ski Resort trail map click here.

Skiing or snowboarding at Solitude Mountain Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon can be a surreal experience given that it’s not uncommon to find yourself skiing a deep powder day with but a handful of locals.

It’s sort of the country club ski experience for those in the know. Which coincides nicely with their tag line “If you only knew”

If I were sending someone there for the first time here are the top 5 tips I’d have them keep in mind.

1. Get there early and park at the upper “Village” parking lot. It’s small so don’t waste time getting there.
2. No matter how deep it is, don’t be the first out the traverse in Honeycomb.  Let someone else put in the traverse and then head out there for freshies
3. Milk Run - need I say more?
4. Don’t be fooled by the Powder Horn lift.  Although slow, this double will deliver the fresh snow all day long.
5. Do you like tree skiing?  Skiers left of Challenger holds some of the most untouched tree skiing on the mountain.  You’ll thank me later.

Check out the Solitude trail map.