Happy Valentine's Skiing

Snowballs are heart-shaped at Big White, BC

Sundance: Utah's rustic, romantic resort

Valentine's Day is being celebrated worldwide this weekend with romantic assignations. My hubby and I have already had ours in advance though, when we stayed last week in the secluded cabins at Sundance Resort, Utah. With lusty log fires and decadent, down-duveted beds, the cabins are so cozy we almost didn't want to go out skiing! However, by now you know me well enough to be sure that we put in a solid six hours on the snowy slopes each day in order to earn our luxurious leisure time.

Later, when we wandered down for drinks at the Owl Bar, the romance continued. The prettily lit pathway meandered down past cute cabins tucked away in the pine and aspen forest and over a bubbling brook to the rustic resort village. If you were a fan of Westerns like me, you would love the Owl Bar which was the actual saloon frequented by the Hole In the Wall Gang back in the late 1800s. It was originally in Wyoming but was dismantled and rebuilt at Sundance after Robert Redford took over.


For romantic resorts in the Rockies, check out the Banff Lake Louise Valentine's Day promo video from 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixUX6MQz5e0. You might recognize some of the "actors"!

Panorama Resort in British Columbia today

Good news for snow lovers in Canada - lots of snow falling and more forecast for the weekend. Panorama got 40cm overnight Thurs - the most in one night for ten years! Looks like Whistler Blackcomb got it first, with 35cm overnight Wed followed by Red Mountain 10cm, Kicking Horse 12cm, 14cm at Fernie and then Lake Louise which was doused in 15cm of fresh on Thurs. Great news for my March trip to Canada - keep on snowing!


With snow and skiing the ideal Valentine's gifts, ski resorts all over North America celebrate Feb 14 in style. Here are some ideas for ski lovers:

Lake Louise Romantic Torchlit Descent

Valentine's Day Torchlit Descent Feb 14 at Lake Louise. Starting off with music and munchies at mid-mountain Whitehorn Lodge right after skiing, everyone then gathers for guided skiing back down to the village. If you've never tried night skiing, this is a must - a surreal experience which challenges your senses with speed and perspective seeming to evaporate in the darkness - or maybe that was the effect of the Whitehorn wine? Anyway, it is a signature event, followed by a fabulous dinner and more dancing at the lodge. Tip: keep a change of clothes in the lodge so you don't have to spend all evening in your ski gear.

Speed Dating with Cupid at Banff Mt Norquay

High-speed dating at Banff Mt Norquay:
I wonder how many ski or snowboard fanatics have met their future partner - or clinched the deal - on a chairlift? Mt Norquay, Banff's nearest ski hill, is actively trying to make this happen with its Lifts of Love Valentine's event Feb 14. A new spin on high altitude speed dating, it starts at 7pm with chairlift hook-ups for the next two hours. Next is the Après Ski Mixer in the Lone Pine Lodge from 9pm - when hopefully nobody will be either lonely or pining! Night skiing and tubing are also a regular Friday and Saturday night feature at Mt Norquay. For bookings, call 403-762-4421 or email sales@banffnorquay.com

Intimate fireside après ski at Sunshine Mountain Lodge

The remote and secluded Sunshine Mountain Lodge is perfect for a romantic rendezvous for Feb 14. Start with aperitifs by the fire at Chimney Corner Lounge. And then there's a special feature menu in the elegant Eagle's Nest Restaurant, with award-winning California wines and plenty of Veuve Clicquot bubbly.

Valentine's ski outfits at Alta, Utah

Alta Lodge, Alta, Utah is a lovely cozy spot to cuddle up. It would be a great place to meet like-minded skiers, too, as it has an innovative dining system - a bit like European chalets or CMH's heliski lodges - where anyone can sit with anyone. Actively encouraging socializing, hook ups start in the hot tubs where everyone is very chatty. The conversation then moves on to the Sitzmark Club bar and lounge and later people form impromptu eating groups for dinner. Collins Grill on the hill is the ideal Valentine's lunch venue with a special "Heart of Darkness" cup cake to seal the deal.

Needles Lodge at Snowbasin, Utah

Needles Lodge is where the wooing's happening at Snowbasin, Utah this Friday. There's a special Sweetheart Dinner planned which sold out early. Couples are whisked 2317 vertical feet up the mountain by gondola for a five-course feast complete with roses for the ladies.

Wearing your heart on your sleeve at Whistler Blackcomb

Whistler Blackcomb, BC has a "kissing booth" planned for Feb 14. A photographer stationed right by the new Harmony 6 Express chair will take pics of cuddly couples. 

And later on love will be in the air with the Superfly Zipline evening dinner tour. Take your love to new heights with a romantic snowcat ride, tandem ziplining under starlit skies, and gourmet dinner by Bearfoot Bistro in a mountain top yurt. Extra touches include roses and complimentary photos. Call Superfly at 604-932-0647 for bookings.

In love with Copper Uncorked 

The Copper Uncorked and In Love event runs all weekend, from Feb 14 – 17, to take in Presidents Weekend as well. It features affordable wines ripe for tasting from across the globe, while chefs from around Copper Mountain compete for best pairing during the Wine-n-Wing Challenge on Sat, Feb 15. A Moonlight Snowshoe Tour runs afterwards, traversing frozen creeks and wooded trails, leading to a romantic meadow lit by the full moon. Call 970-968-2318 ext. 45861 for reservations.

Valentine's Gondola at Big White, BC

Big White, BC does Valentine's Day in style, with bullet chair speed dating, gun barrel coffee cocktails, aphrodisiac tapas and candlelit, petal strewn gondola rides.

Romantic rides on the Gondola of Love include champers, chocolate-covered strawberries, candles and Lionel Richie love songs. This comes for free with a dinner reservation at Kettle Valley Steakhouse. Email concierge@bigwhite.com for bookings.

Speed dating at Big White, BC

Couples in condos get to watch sunset over the Monashee Mountains from private hot tubs on their decks, sipping local Okanagan wines after a day on the snow-swathed slopes.

The Gunbarrel Grill specializes in setting Gran Marnier alight and pouring it down a gun barrel into a glass of brandy. Afterwards coffee or hot choc and whipped cream are added to the fiery concoction. Aphrodisiac tapas include oysters with champagne cocktails, tabletop smores, and a Mr and Mrs table quiz at the Globe Café. Singles tables get a free bottle of wine to get the conversation flowing - for bookings, contact activities@bigwhite.com

Snowboard dating at Big White

Mountain Matrimony at Loveland

Well-named Loveland, Colorado has gone a step further and organized actual weddings for Valentine's.

One hundred couples are going to tie the knot or renew their vows there on the 23rd Annual Valentine's Day Marry Me & Ski Free Mountaintop Matrimony event.

Looks like ski lovers will do anything for a free ski ticket!

Family February

Families that play together, stay together - so we are told. And what better playground than ski areas? I skied first with my parents and sister in resorts throughout Europe back in the 70s. Then with my husband while working in the Alps and California in the 80s and early 90s. And later with our two sons who learnt to ski in Verbier, Switzerland. After moving to Canada in 1999, family skiing for us revolved around Alberta and British Columbia resorts. And, since relocating to the USA, we have skied en famille at lots of Colorado destinations.

Heated chairlift at Canyons

An extensive track record you might say but we have just discovered that we have been missing out on an entire ski state and some great family ski resorts - in Utah. After spending a week there, we literally fell in love with Salt Lake City skiing and it is definitely not just a holiday romance.

Emerging from the glades at Sundance

Having had a taste of Sundance, Alta, Canyons, Snowbasin and Deer Valley (and a sneak-a-peek at Park City), we fully intend to include Utah on our annual ski trip list and we're even looking at it from a future live-ability point of view. Prices are affordable by ski resort standards - always a plus for family skiing - and every resort has a multi-generational vibe. People are incredibly friendly and helpful and there is an air of continuity everywhere with locally-sourced employees many of whom have been in their jobs for decades rather than just a season or two.

Families have the choice of staying right on the hill at Canyons, Deer Valley or Alta, for example, or staying in the valley at Salt Lake City - the Grand America is a must for a five-star splurge or Little America for family fun - or in a smaller city such as Ogden. Everything is so compactly located in the canyons surrounding Salt Lake City that you can easily plan a ski safari to encompass a wide variety of wintersports' experiences in the same week.

Salt Lake City is a Delta hub so there are lots of direct flights from all over North America. If you plan an early flight arrival, you can be skiing the same afternoon and, on departure day, an evening flight adds an extra day's skiing at the end of your stay. Ski-mad New Yorkers take the red eye in order to squeeze a wintersports weekend into their busy cityslicker schedules.

Snowbasin on Thursday

You'll notice I haven't yet mentioned the snow for which Utah is so famous. Well, that's just to stop you being too jealous! Seriously, it really is super light and fluffy with hardly any moisture in it due to a combination of geographical factors - something to do with the salt sucking much of the moisture out of the precipitation. We skied seven consecutive days during what locals are saying is not the best snow season so far. And yet we skied powder every day. All the pistes were beautifully covered and well manicured but, best of all, the off-piste areas and glades we skied were loaded with fresh snow and not too tracked out. Yes, there was some visible undergrowth, but the fresh foot of powder was irresistible. If this is what it is like after a relatively dry January, it must be like cat or heli skiing when they get 700 inches!

Utah's Family Features include:
- high quality customer service at all Ski Utah resorts
- ski variety: 11 very different ski hills within one hour's drive of Salt Lake City
- delivery ski gear rentals direct to hotel rooms with Ski Butlers at Park City
- free ski buses in and around resorts
- kiddie carts at Canyons Resort
- ski hosts who help unpack the car at Snowbasin and Deer Valley
- iFly (virtual sky diving experience) at the Salomon Center in Ogden
- kids' snowshoe tours at Snowbasin
- bobsledding, skeleton and luge camps at Utah Olympic Park at Park City
- chairlift ride to top of 7,130 ft ski jump at Utah Olympic Park at Park City
- chocolate exhibition at Natural History Museum of Utah, Salt Lake City

Career-play at Discovery Gateway Children's Museum

- educational play at Discovery Gateway Children's Museum, Salt Lake City
- luxury self-catering condos at the Park City Waldorf Astoria at Canyons Resort
- great terrain parks for skiers and snowboarders at Canyons and Snowbasin
- specialist ski tuition at skier-only resorts of Alta and Deer Valley
- night skiing at Sundance  
- Western history, food, culture, arts, eco-tourism and film festival at Sundance
- Alpine chalet-style communal dining at Alta Lodge
- raclette and chocolate fondu at Empire Canyon Lodge, Deer Valley cooked at the fireplace
- horse-drawn sleigh rides at Deer Valley
- affordable lodging/ski packages at Summit Hotel, Ogden accessing Snowbasin and Powder Mountain
- daycare at most resorts from 6 weeks old - eg Canyons
- free ski passes at some resorts if you ski on your arrival day on presentation of boarding card
- kids 6 and under ski free at Snowbasin
- smaller, easily navigable acreage and cheaper ski passes at Sundance

Alta-tude: pounding the pow on Tuesday

- fun slopeside tree skiing at all resorts - esp. Deer Valley and Alta -  to dip in and out
- children's art and pottery classes at Sundance
- snowmobiling at Deer Valley
- zipline at Park City
- kiddie spa at Sundance
- 5th and 6th grade free passport to ski one day at each of Utah's 14 resorts and Yeti pass for parents
- for families with older kids - Ski Utah Interconnect Adventure Tour - 16 or older

There's so much more I could write about Utah's skiing but no time right now. So stay tuned to One, Two, Ski to hear more about our experiences over the next few weeks.






Talking about families, it's Family Day Weekend in British Columbia (Feb 8-10). With the Alberta equivalent following next weekend (Feb 15-17), it is a really popular time for skiing and snowboarding in Western Canada.

Family Day ski events include:

Kicking Horse, BC, Canada - reduced tickets, Box and Rail Jam workshop, dual races, barbecues and live music. To read more about Kicking Horse's culinary scene, check out my Food High article in Eat.Drink.Travel magazine.

February Skiing at Red Mountain by F. Marseille

Red Mountain, BC, Canada - reduced lift tickets on Feb 10 and lots of snow promised in the February forecast .

Check out the full list of half-price lift tickets in BC collated by Canada West Ski Areas Association.

Family Fireworks at Panorama Mountain Village

Although actually in BC, Panorama is celebrating Alberta Family Day weekend with a fireworks display on Feb 15. The resort is almost fully booked already due to a new Family Day Flex package which allows visitors to customize their stay. They also get up to 15% savings even during this peak period. The new Pano-Pass is also helping sales as it gives unlimited tubing, tobogganing, night-skiing and cross-country skiing, as well as the usual downhill day.

Utah

Utah Pow by Scott Markewitz/Ski Utah

I'm en route to Salt Lake City as you read this. So exciting! Will I bump into Robert Redford in Sundance this weekend? Or be invited back to Mitt Romney's ski chalet at Deer Valley, perhaps? Or share a chairlift with Donny or Marie? Probably not - but what is sure about this long-awaited trip is that I will ski the snowy slopes of Utah's mountains at last, something I've been wanting to do since the 80s. Out of curiosity, I just googled "mountains in Utah" and found a list of 70 on Wikipedia - and it said the list may be incomplete! 

Sundance - Chad Linebaugh

With a bit more research I discovered that Sundance, first resort on my itinerary, used to be called Timphaven and is on the slopes below 12,000 ft high Mount Timpanogos. It was Redford who renamed it Sundance back in 1969 when he started his artistic and environmental enterprise there. Although with only 450 skiable acres and 42 runs it's Utah's smallest resort, I have a feeling this boutique resort is going to be really memorable. Bonus: snow in the forecast this week and then it clears up for the weekend so I should be able to see the amazing views over the Vinta Mountains whenever I pause for breath at Bearclaw Cabin.

Afternoon tea at the Grand America

Next we're heading back to Salt Lake City, the gateway to ten great ski resorts all within an hour's drive, so I'm told. Here, Rossignol skis are going to be delivered directly to us by Ski Butlers - a ritzy rental service that I've always been intrigued by - they deliver right to your hotel room. We're staying at the Grand America in SLC (I particularly like the sound of the afternoon tea - in ski gear though) and we'll be checking out Settebello Pizzeria that night.

Next stop Alta - an advanced-oriented, skier-only resort. Although I understand the great value of snowboarding for the perpetuation, general appeal and longevity of wintersports (and I certainly don't want to offend any of my snowboarding friends who are reading this), I am looking forward to a stress-free ski day!

Alta Lodge, Alta, Utah

Usually, my ski-dar is on red alert for the slightest sound of approaching snowboarders who seem to come from behind, from the side and even uphill sometimes! And then there's that sudden stopping and sitting they sometimes do, typically just out of sight over a ridge in the middle of the slopes. As a non-snowboarder, I never know quite where they will turn (or stop) unlike fellow skiers whose moves I can usually anticipate by their body language. So, it will be interesting to ski in what should be a more relaxed mode. Note: I'm sure that snowboarders, too, would enjoy a skier-free zone (for whatever reasons we skiers irritate or confuse them). After skiing, we'll be able to ski right into our overnight accommodation at Alta Lodge, the resort's first ski lodge. 

Canyons Resort, Utah

Feb 5 we ski Utah's largest area, Canyons. Don't think I'll manage to ski all eight mountains in the one day we have there, but I'll get as much mileage in as I can. 

Canyons Resort, Utah

Later, we're staying in luxury at the wonderful Waldorf Astoria at the base of Canyon Resort Village and having dinner at the Farm, voted best new restaurant when it opened in 2012. 

Snowbasin, Utah

Our penultimate ski day is at Snowbasin, which has nine lifts and 104 trails over 3000 skiable acres, so pretty big. As well as endless diversity, it's known for short lift lines even after a storm. Looks gorgeous and it should be as powdery as these pics if it gets all that forecast snow! 

Snowbasin, Uta

The Needles at Snowbasin by Chris Pearson/Ski Utah

To get an idea of the whole spectrum of family fun in the area, a tour of the Salomon Center in Ogden and a taste of the iFly experience is next on the itinerary. The latter is a zipline facility with an indoor wind tunnel - slightly worrying as I know wine is not a big part of Utah's culture but I can't imagine trying something like this without some element of inebriation. Maybe hubby, Simon can be my official "taster"? Later that night we're recovering with dinner in Ogden, a city at the heart of Northern Utah, dating back to 1846. We're lodging at the Summit Hotel & Conference Center which has a great indoor pool and hot tub area - vital after all that skiing!

Heidi Voelker, Deer Valley's Olympic Ambassador

Good news is that instead of spending our last day killing time for a 5pm flight, I just heard we're going to Deer Valley to ski! This resort is ranked #1 for Guest Service, Family Programs, Dining, On-Mountain Food, Lodging and Grooming by readers of SKI Magazine this year. I'll let you know what I think! It must be pretty good since three-time Olympian Heidi Voelker hangs out there. 

Ski Butlers deliver rentals right to rooms in Utah, Colorado, Tahoe,
Wyoming and British Columbia

By the way, this Sunday (Feb 2) slopes all over North America will be empty due to Super Bowl Fever which glues around 164 million people to their TVs. As a consequence, there are great deals to be had on Liftopia:

Colorado

• Save 51% at Loveland with 1-day lift tickets starting at $29.99
• Enjoy 42% savings on 1-day lift tickets at Arapahoe Basin with prices starting at $48
• Discover Crested Butte with a 41% savings on 1-day lift tickets starting at $58
• At Copper Mountain save 39% on 1-day lift tickets starting at $72
• Experience Winter Park with 1-day lift tickets tickets starting at $70 (36% savings)

New England

• Discover Stratton, Vt. with 53% savings on 1-day lift tickets staring at $48
• Enjoy Attitash, N.H. with 1-day lift tickets staring at $39 (44% savings)
• Save 44% on 1-day lift tickets at Wildcat, N.H. with prices starting at $39
• At Okemo, Vt. save 27% on 1-day lift tickets starting at $65 

New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania

• Save 35% on 1-day lift tickets at Plattekill, N.Y. with prices starting at $37
• Experience Mountain Creek, N.J. with 1-day lift tickets starting at $47 (27% savings)
• Ski or board Windham, N.Y. with 1-day lift tickets starting at $54 (27% savings)

Tahoe

• Save 41% at Diamond Peak, Nev. with 1-day lift tickets starting at $35
• At Sierra-at-Tahoe, Calif. save 28% with 1-day lift tickets starting at $62
• Enjoy 24% savings at Mt. Rose, Nev. with 1-day lift tickets starting at $55

Mid-Atlantic

• Save 43% at Snowshoe, W. Va. with 1-day lift tickets starting at $48
• Discover Canaan Valley, W. Va. with 42% savings in 1-day lift tickets starting at $30
• Spend the day at Bryce Mountain, Va. with lift tickets starting at $45 (26% savings)

Midwest

• Discover Caberfae Peaks, Mich. with 1-day lift tickets starting at $19.99 (56% savings)
• Save 45% on 1-day lift tickets at Grand Geneva, Wis. with prices starting at $25
• Enjoy Christmas Mountain, Wis. with 1-day lift tickets starting at $27.99 (32% savings)
• At Crystal Mountain, Mich. save 26% on 1-day lift tickets with prices starting at $48

Pacific Northwest

• Enjoy 33% savings at Mt. Hood, Ore. with 1-day lift tickets starting at $48
• Experience Anthony Lakes, Ore. with 1-day lift tickets starting at $23 (32% savings)
• Ski or board 49 Degrees North, Wash. with 1-day lift tickets starting at $42 (25% savings)
• Save 21% at Mt. Spokane, Wash. with 1-day lift tickets starting at $40

Other Regions

• Save 50% at Arizona Snowbowl with 1-day lift tickets starting at $29.75
• Discover Owl’s Head, Quebec with 1-day lift tickets starting at $89.25 (32% savings)
• At Wolf Ridge, N.C. save 26% with 1-day lift tickets starting at $39
• Enjoy Solitude, Utah with 1-day lift tickets 25% off (starting at $54.99)
• Spend the day at Alyeska, Alaska with lift tickets starting at $46 (22% savings)
• At Ski Snow Valley, Ontario 1-day lift tickets start at $34.40 (20% savings)

Canyons Resort, Utah

Sundance by Chad Linebaugh