This review of DV is amazing and accurate. Two things I’ll add/clarify: 1) the beginner experience at DV is top notch, maybe the best in Utah. True that the pure count of green runs might not be impressive but there is a solid green run on 4 of the 5 mountains which makes it fun for a beginner to have some variety. Also these greens are longer than many of the resorts I’ve been to. 2) The limited ticket sales makes a HUGE difference for folks that hate long lift lines. I have an Ikon pass and often go to DV on holidays and weekends and even on those days the lift lines are always pleasantly short. This is NOT the case at some of the other Utah resorts like Brighton, Solitude, Alta, and Snowbird - you can easily be in 20 min waits on busy days on those resorts but not at DV. I go to DV to chase powder sometimes as well just to avoid big lines.
I've lived in Park City for 32 years, now. I think this is a very accurate assessment. I'll add some perspective from my POV. I'm now 70 and get about 80 days per year on telemark gear, mostly at DV, but I also have a PCMR pass and get over to BCC and LCC as well - and yes, they ARE much superior to the Wasatch Back! If you are retired military (I am), or over 65, DV has a cheaper season pass, or coupons as well. You almost can't ski DV on a day pass due to the cost. A positive is that the runs/lifts are "almost" never crowded at DV. Bump runs in particular remain in great shape much more than PCMR/Canyons. Crowds are well distributed also. The one exception that could get you is on a rare, crowded day (like 3 or 4 times a year) skiing the Sultan or Mayflower lifts can be a real problem, as there is no other way out other than to take the Sultan lift. Knowing the area, I find powder well after it's all gone at PCMR/Canyons where I also am familiar with the stashes. Most of the good runs (actually, most of the runs) at DV are Silver Lake and above, as that portion of the mountain is above 8000' which helps with snow quality. Years ago, I was a frequent snowboarder over the course of about 8 years, so I have nothing against snowboarders, but contrary to your observation, I find the difference in snow quality between PCMR/Canyons and DV to be significant on the groomer runs, and on powder days but insignificant on the bump runs. Being retired military a season pass at PCMR/Cantons is only around $150! I always get that pass, but I rarely get more than 10 days on it and that's just because they open sooner than DV! But if you are retired military, it's a smoking deal and veterans also get a discount.
Telemark gear is not applicable to this review, period. I am also 70. Good for you getting a discounted pass. I am also former military, but do not flaunt it. I have the IKON pass this year. Works just fine. Don't get your comparison snowboarder and snow quality? Never mind private.
Skied Deer Valley 4 years ago, review is accurate. Nice mountain with great lifts and lots of groomed trails. Lunch at Stein’s was awesome, best burger ever and a very nice glass of Bordeaux, oops, 2 glasses.
I've grown up skiing the Cottonwoods almost exclusively (mostly Snowbird), but the Daley Cutes and the steep trees off of Lady Morgan at Deer Valley are still some of my favorite spots at any resort.
When they get fresh powder at Deer Valley it’s not going to get cut up a fast as it does in the Cottonwoods. When we have a long dry spell between powder days up at Alta we pick a nice sunny day to use a Deer Valley pass we get as a benefit. The food is really good and there are some good bump runs.
I would just like to point one thing out. This review was made 1 year ago during one of the worst ski seasons deer valley has ever had in terms of snow accumulation. I have been going to deer valley for 10 years and this past 2022-23 season was their best ever. The lines weren’t long after late December, there was powder, and a longer season.
This is a good take overall... I had a DV season pass for 10 years after my Dad (ex-Park City Instructor turned DV devotee) passed and left me his condo on Park Ave... I skied the area multiple days a week during that decade as a local and its a wonderful experience from that perspective, but its is a rare and vanishing perspective to be sure! All of the global wealth is destroying the fun, as it always does, and we sold the condo a couple of years ago when prices got nutty... but I keep thinking about going back! ;)
And a knowledge of the bus schedule to zip past the people standing in line at the "Silver Lake Express"! Shhhhh. I'm old and on tele gear, so the slow ride up gives me time to rest, + no one seems to want to jump onto those two runs on a powder day! I know what run I'm on by what lift tower I get to before I catch my breath! Want to bypass the people taking 30 minutes to work their way over to Empire/Lady Morgan - who first waited 20 minutes for Silver Lake Express to open? Park at Snow Park, jump on the #3 bus to the #9 purple bus up to Empire lodge early, grab a coffee, and wait for them to drop the rope to LM. Sometimes that happens before 9 AM. If the rope's down, the lift is running and available. You'll still have to deal with the Montage crowd, (and sadly, now the condo crowd) but they're mostly sleeping in or waiting for Empire to open. I've generally gotten in 3 or 4 runs before people really start to show up.
Deer Valley is a whole different experience reminds me of Beaver Creek. Nicest employees ever and yet single skiers don’t like chatting on lifts. So much POW in the tress yet lots of the clients are sub-par skiers and don’t experience these untouched lines. Awesome place wish they allowed snowboarding 🤙
Lady Morgan is a pretty tough area! X-files is nuts. It is a better resort than the review, but his negative points are legit. He also missed the best lobster roll over at Rime next to the jordanelle gondola. Worth every penny.
His main complaint is about the amount of lodging, whereas his main complaint with many of the cottonwoods or ogden resorts is the lack of lodging. I agree there are areas at DV that feel overly developed for a ski hill. But there are still many places where you can find isolation, and best of all, true isolation because you don't run into anyone else back there. Most folks are skiing the cruisers so you've got the steeps and trees to yourself. The other main complaint about price is completely valid but I believe they joined Ikon to make it more accessible to everyone.
Glad I didn't go to Deer Valley when we visited Utah in the 1990s - Your video seems to confirm it. I would have been disappointed with all those condos right up in your face while you're skiing. Ski-in ski-out sure, but Deer Valley seems to be stuck with an old 1980s concept concerning this theme and even though it has 5-star resorts on the mountain, it gets a hard pass from me just because of all the concrete you see while skiing. Not to mention sticker shock. Hit Alta instead! Thanks, PR!
This seems to be an accurate review. I would say, however, that last year I ended up skiing Deer Valley a lot with my kids because: 1) Flagstaff mountain had almost no lines - even on weekends! They handled crowds on busy days better than any Ikon resort in Utah. Although I personally love big mountain terrain, when skiing with kids one often looks for good intermediate and beginner terrain, which Deer Valley has plenty of. 2. Utah went for a dry spell last January to February, and we went up skiing totally expecting horrible conditions, but I was super impressed by the grooming and snowmaking at DV, which made days that could have been terrible and icy actually really nice. 3. Free parking. 4. Skiing through the aspens there is a very wonderful experience. Anyway, as a middle class ski bum type, I thought DV would be just a snobby rich place, but actually, it turned out to be the most reliably fun place for us on the Ikon last year (mainly because the other places are just too advanced for my kids). 😂 Anyway, I love your channel!
@@PeakRankings nice! Where will that lift go? Anyway, your initial video nailed it, but I just wanted to point out that DV’s image (at least among many locals I’ve met) that it’s only for pampered rich people doing cruisers hides a few of its lesser-known attributes.
@@wnee1 Makes sense! The new Burns lift will extend higher than the old one, covering the entire green portion of the Little Stick trail and allowing access to the Mountaineer Express.
I was at Deer Valley last new year’s for ⛷️ ; one of my relatives has a condo at one of the lodges. If you need a good lunch after a morning of skiing, I recommend the 🦃 🌶️, something the resort is known for.
Ah Deer Valley, the premier ski resort of “look at how rich I am”! In all seriousness I’ve been there and enjoyed my time there, but there’s no reason to go there compared to any of the BCC or LCC resorts, or even Park City.
"Deer Valley's defining characteristic is its' hospitality"....to only skiers and pure disrespect for snowboarders. Honestly doesn't look like I'm missing anything. I've been to Taos and it appears to be on another level compared to this.
You are missing something. A bunch of rich families skiing poorly and lifts going over luxury housing. Deer valley sucks and is my least favorite Utah resort.
I have lived all my life in pine valley on the Southside of empire from deer valley. What they did to this mountain and my cabin area was unforgivable! So I give deer valley a monster goose egg!!! 0
One of my fave bump runs at Copper has started attracting the advancing snowboarders the last few years. There are times where my favorite line is almost unskiable cuz of how chopped up it is. The boarders have every right to try their luck at moguls, but I wish they'd stay in the middle of the fall line and scrape that off all helter skelter instead.
The big crucial part of your review does not talk at all about local places to go/eat/hang out/drink beer. You did turn me off to Deer Valley though as it is for kids and all the development. thanks
IF YOU CRAVE FIRST CLASS SERVICE AT EVERY LEVEL AT A SKI RESORT , AND LOVE PERFECT GROOMED RUNS , AND PIECE AND QUIET ONLY 7,500 SKIERS ALLOWED PER DAY. THIS PLACE IS HEAVEN. DEER VALEY PUTS ASPEN AND BEAVERCREEK TO SHAME. YES IT IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE LIFT TICKET IN ALL OF NORTH AMERICA BUT THERE ARE OVER 20 REASONS FOR THAT. DON’T LIKE THE PRICE , GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, NOBODY FORCED YOU TO COME AND COMPLAIN ABOUT PRICES. IF YOU HAVE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT COSTS HER ,YOU CAN’T AFFORD IT. SKIING AT DEER VALLEY AND STAYING AT STEIN ERICKSON LOGDE , IS A MUST ON A SKIERS DREAM BUCKET LIST .
DV really seems to lack the charisma of most serious ski mountains. Is it really just a family (rich family) vacation spot for casual skiers? Kind of like Disney world on snow
This is so dumb how they gonna discriminate against snowboarders in 2024 skiers are some of the most stuck up snobby people ive ever seen this mountain gets a zero star review never go there even if you are a skier just because they are unaccepting of everyone
The review felt hostile and biased against Deer Valley. It's almost a review you would expect from someone who has personal political issues with the mountain. They had to keep mentioning commercialization, snowboard bans, terrain limits and various complaints repeatedly while saying dog whistle things like "although there's no denying it appeals to a certain crowd..." The tone is so negative that my girlfriend sitting on the other side of the room just said "That guy really has an issue with that place haha." She doesn't even ski...I've been there before and everyone is friendly, the snow and terrain were great and I honestly had a wonderful experience. It's expensive, but so are many places now that are equally as costly. Just admit you have personal issues with the mountain. Thumbs down and you've lost a potential subscriber.
This review of DV is amazing and accurate. Two things I’ll add/clarify:
1) the beginner experience at DV is top notch, maybe the best in Utah. True that the pure count of green runs might not be impressive but there is a solid green run on 4 of the 5 mountains which makes it fun for a beginner to have some variety. Also these greens are longer than many of the resorts I’ve been to.
2) The limited ticket sales makes a HUGE difference for folks that hate long lift lines. I have an Ikon pass and often go to DV on holidays and weekends and even on those days the lift lines are always pleasantly short. This is NOT the case at some of the other Utah resorts like Brighton, Solitude, Alta, and Snowbird - you can easily be in 20 min waits on busy days on those resorts but not at DV. I go to DV to chase powder sometimes as well just to avoid big lines.
I've lived in Park City for 32 years, now. I think this is a very accurate assessment. I'll add some perspective from my POV. I'm now 70 and get about 80 days per year on telemark gear, mostly at DV, but I also have a PCMR pass and get over to BCC and LCC as well - and yes, they ARE much superior to the Wasatch Back! If you are retired military (I am), or over 65, DV has a cheaper season pass, or coupons as well. You almost can't ski DV on a day pass due to the cost.
A positive is that the runs/lifts are "almost" never crowded at DV. Bump runs in particular remain in great shape much more than PCMR/Canyons. Crowds are well distributed also. The one exception that could get you is on a rare, crowded day (like 3 or 4 times a year) skiing the Sultan or Mayflower lifts can be a real problem, as there is no other way out other than to take the Sultan lift. Knowing the area, I find powder well after it's all gone at PCMR/Canyons where I also am familiar with the stashes. Most of the good runs (actually, most of the runs) at DV are Silver Lake and above, as that portion of the mountain is above 8000' which helps with snow quality.
Years ago, I was a frequent snowboarder over the course of about 8 years, so I have nothing against snowboarders, but contrary to your observation, I find the difference in snow quality between PCMR/Canyons and DV to be significant on the groomer runs, and on powder days but insignificant on the bump runs. Being retired military a season pass at PCMR/Cantons is only around $150! I always get that pass, but I rarely get more than 10 days on it and that's just because they open sooner than DV! But if you are retired military, it's a smoking deal and veterans also get a discount.
Telemark gear is not applicable to this review, period. I am also 70. Good for you getting a discounted pass. I am also former military, but do not flaunt it. I have the IKON pass this year. Works just fine. Don't get your comparison snowboarder and snow quality? Never mind private.
I’m so excited for this ski season, I’m especially excited for you to review Bear Valley Ski Resort!
Skied Deer Valley 4 years ago, review is accurate. Nice mountain with great lifts and lots of groomed trails. Lunch at Stein’s was awesome, best burger ever and a very nice glass of Bordeaux, oops, 2 glasses.
I've grown up skiing the Cottonwoods almost exclusively (mostly Snowbird), but the Daley Cutes and the steep trees off of Lady Morgan at Deer Valley are still some of my favorite spots at any resort.
When they get fresh powder at Deer Valley it’s not going to get cut up a fast as it does in the Cottonwoods. When we have a long dry spell between powder days up at Alta we pick a nice sunny day to use a Deer Valley pass we get as a benefit. The food is really good and there are some good bump runs.
I would just like to point one thing out. This review was made 1 year ago during one of the worst ski seasons deer valley has ever had in terms of snow accumulation. I have been going to deer valley for 10 years and this past 2022-23 season was their best ever. The lines weren’t long after late December, there was powder, and a longer season.
This is a good take overall... I had a DV season pass for 10 years after my Dad (ex-Park City Instructor turned DV devotee) passed and left me his condo on Park Ave... I skied the area multiple days a week during that decade as a local and its a wonderful experience from that perspective, but its is a rare and vanishing perspective to be sure! All of the global wealth is destroying the fun, as it always does, and we sold the condo a couple of years ago when prices got nutty... but I keep thinking about going back! ;)
You can access three ply, and square deal it just involves knowing a secret trail and skiing a relatively steep blue
And a knowledge of the bus schedule to zip past the people standing in line at the "Silver Lake Express"! Shhhhh.
I'm old and on tele gear, so the slow ride up gives me time to rest, + no one seems to want to jump onto those two runs on a powder day! I know what run I'm on by what lift tower I get to before I catch my breath!
Want to bypass the people taking 30 minutes to work their way over to Empire/Lady Morgan - who first waited 20 minutes for Silver Lake Express to open?
Park at Snow Park, jump on the #3 bus to the #9 purple bus up to Empire lodge early, grab a coffee, and wait for them to drop the rope to LM. Sometimes that happens before 9 AM. If the rope's down, the lift is running and available. You'll still have to deal with the Montage crowd, (and sadly, now the condo crowd) but they're mostly sleeping in or waiting for Empire to open. I've generally gotten in 3 or 4 runs before people really start to show up.
First two things I do before I book any resort is check out powderhounds and check out peak rankings. Keep up the great work!
I believe Ikon Pass holders no longer have to reserve a spot!
This is correct!
Yes they do!
Great review. Exactly what I wanted to hear to make vacation decisions.
Have you ever been skiing at Jackson Hole? If so how was it and will you ever do a review on it?
Yes! We have a written review here: peakrankings.com/content/jackson-hole/
@@PeakRankings Will you ever do a video on it?
Have you ever ridden at Powder Mountain in Utah? If so, how was it?
Not yet. We're planning to hit it this March
Thank you for thinking of us snowboarders in your score breakdown :(
I love Deer Valley. It's one of my favs.
“This looks like a nice place to snowboard”
“There is a ban on snow boarding”
“Well guess it’s time to learn skiing”
Any chance you guys are planning on hitting Solitude and Brighton as well?
Yes! Our written reviews are already up on the website and we have footage that we'll edit into video reviews in the coming months!
Deer Valley is a whole different experience reminds me of Beaver Creek. Nicest employees ever and yet single skiers don’t like chatting on lifts. So much POW in the tress yet lots of the clients are sub-par skiers and don’t experience these untouched lines. Awesome place wish they allowed snowboarding 🤙
makes sense for shitty skiiers to want to ride at ski only resorts.
The lodge looks cool for drinking the actual ski area 😂😂😂 looks like Boreal California with an upscale lodge.
Lady Morgan is a pretty tough area! X-files is nuts. It is a better resort than the review, but his negative points are legit.
He also missed the best lobster roll over at Rime next to the jordanelle gondola. Worth every penny.
His main complaint is about the amount of lodging, whereas his main complaint with many of the cottonwoods or ogden resorts is the lack of lodging. I agree there are areas at DV that feel overly developed for a ski hill. But there are still many places where you can find isolation, and best of all, true isolation because you don't run into anyone else back there. Most folks are skiing the cruisers so you've got the steeps and trees to yourself.
The other main complaint about price is completely valid but I believe they joined Ikon to make it more accessible to everyone.
Glad I didn't go to Deer Valley when we visited Utah in the 1990s - Your video seems to confirm it. I would have been disappointed with all those condos right up in your face while you're skiing. Ski-in ski-out sure, but Deer Valley seems to be stuck with an old 1980s concept concerning this theme and even though it has 5-star resorts on the mountain, it gets a hard pass from me just because of all the concrete you see while skiing. Not to mention sticker shock. Hit Alta instead! Thanks, PR!
This seems to be an accurate review. I would say, however, that last year I ended up skiing Deer Valley a lot with my kids because: 1) Flagstaff mountain had almost no lines - even on weekends! They handled crowds on busy days better than any Ikon resort in Utah. Although I personally love big mountain terrain, when skiing with kids one often looks for good intermediate and beginner terrain, which Deer Valley has plenty of. 2. Utah went for a dry spell last January to February, and we went up skiing totally expecting horrible conditions, but I was super impressed by the grooming and snowmaking at DV, which made days that could have been terrible and icy actually really nice. 3. Free parking. 4. Skiing through the aspens there is a very wonderful experience.
Anyway, as a middle class ski bum type, I thought DV would be just a snobby rich place, but actually, it turned out to be the most reliably fun place for us on the Ikon last year (mainly because the other places are just too advanced for my kids). 😂
Anyway, I love your channel!
Thanks for that input! We'll be back at Deer Valley again this winter, and we're looking forward to seeing how the new Burns lift stacks up.
@@PeakRankings nice! Where will that lift go? Anyway, your initial video nailed it, but I just wanted to point out that DV’s image (at least among many locals I’ve met) that it’s only for pampered rich people doing cruisers hides a few of its lesser-known attributes.
@@wnee1 Makes sense! The new Burns lift will extend higher than the old one, covering the entire green portion of the Little Stick trail and allowing access to the Mountaineer Express.
When was this filmed? April?
Second week of March!
Can’t speak highly enough for this place. I wouldn’t want to spend my winters anywhere else.
I was at Deer Valley last new year’s for ⛷️ ; one of my relatives has a condo at one of the lodges. If you need a good lunch after a morning of skiing, I recommend the 🦃 🌶️, something the resort is known for.
I do both at an expert level. Wouldn’t go here to do either. Doesn’t even look fun.
Ah Deer Valley, the premier ski resort of “look at how rich I am”!
In all seriousness I’ve been there and enjoyed my time there, but there’s no reason to go there compared to any of the BCC or LCC resorts, or even Park City.
Nice job.. thx
"Deer Valley's defining characteristic is its' hospitality"....to only skiers and pure disrespect for snowboarders.
Honestly doesn't look like I'm missing anything. I've been to Taos and it appears to be on another level compared to this.
You are missing something. A bunch of rich families skiing poorly and lifts going over luxury housing. Deer valley sucks and is my least favorite Utah resort.
Canyons has the best terrain in Utah, next is Snowbird and Alta.
As a snowboarder I agree. Doesn't look like I'm missing much. Looks like Park City with all those mansions and underpasses.
I have lived all my life in pine valley on the Southside of empire from deer valley.
What they did to this mountain and my cabin area was unforgivable!
So I give deer valley a monster goose egg!!! 0
Sorry to hear about that CJ.
Ok nimby. You can whine about the “good ol’ days” while the rest of the world develops around you.
Well, I won't be going there in the future.
The moguls must be awesome without snowboarders
You are uninformed.
@@levirichardson8505 no, he's not. All but the best snowboarders end up scraping off the tops.
Uh. The 90s are over bro. Let it goooo
One of my fave bump runs at Copper has started attracting the advancing snowboarders the last few years. There are times where my favorite line is almost unskiable cuz of how chopped up it is. The boarders have every right to try their luck at moguls, but I wish they'd stay in the middle of the fall line and scrape that off all helter skelter instead.
Snow quality is the worst of the Salt Lake ski areas. Best bumps in UT are at Alta and the Basin.
The big crucial part of your review does not talk at all about local places to go/eat/hang out/drink beer. You did turn me off to Deer Valley though as it is for kids and all the development. thanks
DEER VALLEY WILL ‘’NEVER’’ ALLOW SNOW BOARDERS .
IF YOU CRAVE FIRST CLASS SERVICE AT EVERY LEVEL AT A SKI RESORT , AND LOVE PERFECT GROOMED RUNS , AND PIECE AND QUIET ONLY 7,500 SKIERS ALLOWED PER DAY. THIS PLACE IS HEAVEN.
DEER VALEY PUTS ASPEN AND BEAVERCREEK TO SHAME. YES IT IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE LIFT TICKET IN ALL OF NORTH AMERICA BUT THERE ARE OVER 20 REASONS FOR THAT.
DON’T LIKE THE PRICE , GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, NOBODY FORCED YOU TO COME AND COMPLAIN ABOUT PRICES. IF YOU HAVE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT COSTS HER ,YOU CAN’T AFFORD IT. SKIING AT DEER VALLEY AND STAYING AT STEIN ERICKSON LOGDE , IS A MUST ON A SKIERS DREAM BUCKET LIST .
WHAT IF WE DON'T LIKE PEOPLE SHOUTING
DV really seems to lack the charisma of most serious ski mountains. Is it really just a family (rich family) vacation spot for casual skiers? Kind of like Disney world on snow
Should do a review on Sundance.
ayy ive been there
Wow so beautiful.
No thanks! A mountain that does not allow snowboarding is just plain discrimination and as a skier I won’t support dividing groups of people😊
So much better without snowboarders clogging things up.
As a lifelong skier, screw deer vally
This is so dumb how they gonna discriminate against snowboarders in 2024 skiers are some of the most stuck up snobby people ive ever seen this mountain gets a zero star review never go there even if you are a skier just because they are unaccepting of everyone
Damm this resort looks old and very bad, the infrastructure is 2000 or older WTF😮😮 vor 299USD per day
The review felt hostile and biased against Deer Valley. It's almost a review you would expect from someone who has personal political issues with the mountain. They had to keep mentioning commercialization, snowboard bans, terrain limits and various complaints repeatedly while saying dog whistle things like "although there's no denying it appeals to a certain crowd..." The tone is so negative that my girlfriend sitting on the other side of the room just said "That guy really has an issue with that place haha." She doesn't even ski...I've been there before and everyone is friendly, the snow and terrain were great and I honestly had a wonderful experience. It's expensive, but so are many places now that are equally as costly. Just admit you have personal issues with the mountain. Thumbs down and you've lost a potential subscriber.