So I've been lurking around this site taking in the wealth of knowledge of local ski resorts and trip planning for going out West. Actually, you guys have been a bad influence

Anyways, me and a buddy are heading to Park City from 3/10-3/14, and for the both of us this is our first trip to Utah. We are staying at the Chateau Apres (hello $99/night rooms), and are planning to ski the 3 local resorts.

The order in which we plan to visit each resort is:
Thursday: Park City
Friday: The Canyons
Saturday: Deer Valley

Are these the best days to ski each resort? I am also looking for great local places to eat. Someone on here (maybe another site?) suggested looking on http://www.skitownrestaurants.com/. If there are any "must eat" places please pass them along.

Thanks for the help!

Chris

The Canyons might actually be the least crowded on Saturday since it's a bit out of town and very spread out. When I was there two years ago, PCMR got very busy on Saturday with long lines for the high speed lifts, but ski on for the old fixed grips.

Might not be a factor for you and a buddy, but my wife still talks about the hot chocolate at Deer Valley. Their cafeterias were pretty amazing as well.

As for food in the town, everywhere we went was good, but nothing really stood out as a "You must go here!".

Deer Valley will most likely be the least crowded on Saturday. It is a bit more $$, has an exclusive reputation, and doesn't allow boarders, so that keeps the crowds down a bit. Unless you know the mountain well (and can ski advanced terrain), The Canyons can get really crowded on Saturdays. It is spread out, but you have to funnel through choke points and most newbies tend to gravitate to the same sections of the mountain.

Connie Lawn recently posted an in-depth trip report on the Utah Resorts and Park City. She stayed at Apres Ski also.
I have stayed there also, nothing fancy, but friendly and less expensive.
Enjoy...be sure to eat lunch while at Deer Valley...it is a treat unlike any other ski resort!
The Colonel

Thanks for the quick responses. I read Connie Lawn's trip report this morning...very good.

That's not a bad schedule. Keep in mind that The Canyons is very spread out so it's best to pick an area of the mountain and ski it for a while before moving on. Personally I love the stuff off 9990 and Dreamscape.

As for Park City I really enjoy the two bump runs off Thaynes and Blue Slip Bowl. McConkeys and Jupiter are a blast if it's not windy. The above poster was spot on about the High Speed lifts w/ the exception of McConkeys. King Con and Silverlode get really crowded.

On Saturday, I'd call one of the van services and head over to Solitude for the day. It will probably be cheaper than skiing Deer Valley and it's a completely different scene (plus no crowds).