Everybody’s heard of the Deer Valley Difference. Corduroy that’s the stuff of legends. Ski lodges with food that could make the cut at the finest dining establishments. Attentive staff happy to sweep each snowy chair with smiles on their faces. Without a doubt, The Difference is real, but there’s a lot more to Deer Valley Resort than cruiser groomers and slopeside luxury.

In addition to those perfect groomers with panoramic views of the Wasatch Mountains and the Jordanelle Reservoir, you’ll find rock-lined steeps, endless powder stashes in the trees and Olympic mogul courses. And once you’re finished ripping chutes, zippering bumps lines, digging trenches in fresh snow and laying railroad tracks down the groomers, you’ll find a diverse après scene to share with fellow shredders. Whatever type of skier you are, there’s a side to Deer Valley for you.

Extreme Eddie

“The Blizzard of Ahhhs” plays in a constant loop on your television. The steeper the better as far as you’re concerned. All your skis are rock skis, because rocks can’t ding up your bases and edges when you’re jumping over them.

Zip up your finest neon outerwear, and hop on Empire Express. On the lift up you’ll cruise above the enticingly open Empire Bowl, but turn your gaze to the looker’s left and you’ll see the Daly Chutes. There are a ton of steep challenges for even the boldest of skiers, from the relatively-straightforward lines in Daly Bowl, to the meaty cornice atop Chute 3, to the puckering steeps of Chutes 4-6, which include the rarely-attempted Chute 5 that approaches 50 degrees in spots with a mandatory air in the middle. 

Once you’ve had your fill of the chutes, cruise past the base of Empire and ride up Lady Morgan Express. Directly underneath the chair are some top-shelf Hollywood airs with plenty of dramatic-looking rock faces. Tame, these lines ain’t.

You’ll likely fancy a watering hole at which to tell tall tales of your steep skiing exploits. If so, head to the The Brass Tag located in the Lodges at Deer Valley for a brew and some amazing après fare.

Powder Pillager

There’s only one ski movie in your rotation, and it’s called “In Deep.” You own two snorkels but never go to the beach, and you didn’t renew the lease on your apartment because you’re living full-time in the white room now.

When the skies open wide with a generous helping of famous Utah powder, bring your fattest skis to Deer Valley. The groomers may get all the headlines, but the mountain holds endless powder stashes in the trees. From up high on Bald Mountain, head down Ruins of Pompei or Tycoon and duck into the Triangle Trees. More than 1,000 vertical feet of perfectly spaced trees hold innumerable faceshots and even a few cheeky pillow lines that dump you back on to Sultan Connection so you can do it all again.

Once you’ve tracked that up, head as far looker’s right as you can and duck into Centennial Trees off Lady Morgan Express. With a consistent slope angle in north-facing evergreen glades, you can often find pow here days after a storm. Ski the sheltered slopes of Ontario Bowl off Flagstaff or head far skier’s right past the Daly Chutes to X-Files. No matter which lift you’re riding, there’s a stash to be found.

After plumbing the depths of The Greatest Snow on Earth®, you may as well continue indulging in the finer things with a stop at the aptly-named Après Lounge. The yurt located at the Montage is rustically elegant, leaning towards elegant, and serves up a variety of champagne cocktails to keep you living the high life. 

Mogul Masher

You watched “Molly’s Game” but the only part you can remember is the competitive mogul skiing in the introduction. You live for a zipper line, with extra points if it’s under a chairlift so you can flex your tight technique to onlookers.

Break out the skinny sticks and limber up those knees because The Buck has the best bump skiing anywhere around. The famed Champion run—where Jonny Moseley stomped his legendary dinner roll during the ’02 Olympics—hosts the FIS Mogul World Cup each winter. It’s relentlessly steep has consistent competition-worthy bump lines ready to challenge your quads. Pull off a clean, non-stop T to B run to earn your bragging rights.

After some sublime bump skiing without quite the leg-roasting character of Champion? Hop on the Red Cloud chairlift to rip some laps down Square Deal and Three Ply. Reliably soft, well-spaced moguls with a more moderate pitch make for perfect bump lines. The fixed-grip triple chair is never crowded and gives your legs a nice reprieve between runs.  

Everyone knows mogul skiers enjoy a party. Wrap up your day with a visit to EBS Lounge for some live music and a couple après cocktails at the Snow Park base.

Rocket Racer

That Lindsey Vonn documentary “The Final Season” is more than just inspirational viewing, it’s what gets you through those dark times between televised World Cup races. Aggressive edge bevels, meticulous temperature-specific wax applications and hip-dragging carves are on the menu.

Tune up those incomprehensibly stiff race boards and head up Sterling Express. There’s great groomer skiing all over the mountain—it’s Deer Valley, y’all—but the runs off Bald Mountain are consistently steep and sustained. If you’ve got the skills to tip ‘em and rip ‘em, runs like Nabob and Keno are where you can show what you’re made of with some high-G arcs. 

There are a couple of highlights further looker’s left on Bald Mountain, too. Lay over some big GS turns all the way down Tycoon to the base of Sultan Express without stopping if your legs have the gas. On Stein’s Way, I recommend taking the speed down a notch, if only to soak in the amazing views of the Jordanelle Reservoir without things getting too blurry.  

Once you’ve finished reliving your ski racer glory days, head to the Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley near Silver Lake for a little après. Take a peek at the Stein’s sizable trophy case with the legend’s Olympic and World Cup medals, and grab a cocktail and some apps at the Glitretind or Troll Hallen.


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