Lifts & Terrain
The Canyons Ski and Snowboard Terrain The Canyons ski resort is a big mountain with almost 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) of ski and snowboard terrain spread across eight peaks. Highlights of the terrain are the steep fall line groomers and the many well gladed areas for advanced to expert powder hunters.
When first riding at The Canyons, you might experience a case of déjà vu as you fly down runs bordered by wooden fences and go over and under bridges, an experience reminiscent of a Playstation skiing game. The terrain looks so familiar that you wonder whether some of the earlier games were modeled on The Canyons. The many pines trees also trick the olfactory senses into thinking that someone is following you around with a spray can of Pine Fresh.
Most of The Canyons' terrain is not visible from the base area. The front face of the mountain that rises up from the village is far from the highlight of the terrain, and the snow conditions here are primarily man-made and can be thin and sloppy due to the lack of elevation. Further up at the Red Pine Lodge at the top of the gondola is really the main base of the skiing area. From this major hub, lifts and trails fan out in all directions.
There are trails to suit all ability levels, with a greater weighting towards more difficult slopes. Forty six percent of the terrain is for advanced and expert skiers, which includes moguls, couloirs, and lots of gladed runs off Dream Peak, Peak 5 and 9,990 lifts. The tree and off-piste skiing is very limited across a few lifts due to the presence of winding roads through the resort that access the various multi-million dollar properties. The main pistes cross over bridges, but short of taking off your skis and walking across the road, there is no other passage.
The Canyons Lifts
The Canyons has 17 lifts used for skiing purposes, with two other lifts for village access. The Sunrise lift is really only used for access as well considering that it’s only open for two hours in the morning. The lift infrastructure is very good, and there are multiple high speed lifts. Queues at the Flight of the Canyons gondola can be horrendous in the morning for uploading, as well as late in the afternoon for downloading beginners. Queues at other lifts are a problem during holiday periods, and sometimes on weekends.
The layout of the lifts is a bit clunky at the base of the Golden Eagle where a hike or a rope tow is required to get back to the village. One of the best lifts is the Super Condor Express but it’s a bit exposed so make sure you’ve got a neck warmer (gaiter) with you.
Lift Tickets
Lift tickets are most expensive when purchased at the resort on the day. For small savings and the flexibility to ski across
Deer Valley,
Park City Mountain Resort, or The Canyons, the Silver Passport multi-day tickets are available when purchased as part of various lodging packages. It’s not available during the Xmas week.
Various ski shops in Salt Lake City sell significantly discounted lift tickets including
SkiTruck.com, Casco,
Ski N See and
Canyon Sports. The discount is generally a whopping $22 per day for an adult ticket.
Snow and Weather Conditions
The snowfall at The Canyons isn’t as abundant as it is at the Cottonwood Canyon resorts, but The Canyons still has considerable snowfall with an average of 9 metres of dry powder per season. The Powderhounds didn’t strike it lucky and it was their experience that the snow quality wasn’t as good here compared to the other Park City resorts. They also have a tendency to open up runs with very thin cover that other resorts would keep closed. The resort has snow making, but for a resort this size it’s difficult to cover a major proportion of it.
For the Beginner
Only 10 percent of the terrain is green, but this is adequate considering the size of the resort. The children’s learning area is behind the Red Pine Lodge. Nearby is the dedicated beginners’ area off the High Meadow lift where there are no hoons to distract learners. Confident beginners can progress onto the long double green trails off the Golden Eagle chair. The next step is the easy blue Kokopelli.
For the Intermediate
With 44 percent of the terrain for intermediates, there are plenty of options across nearly all the lifts. With single and double blues, intermediates can easily differentiate the gentle groomed runs from the steep ones. Many of the groomers have a great fall line and are protected by trees on either side. Twilight into Harmony is a very long cruising run which gets the thighs burning. Fabulously steep groomed runs include Sidewinder (off Tombstone chair), Apex Ridge (off Super Condor Express) and Pipe Dream (off Dreamcatcher). These are a definite highlight of The Canyons.
Ski Terrain For the Family/Kids
The area around the Red Pine Lodge is family central. Around here is ski school, the novice area, and the beginners lift. Lots of runs of varying difficulty also feed into this zone as well as the runs from the terrain parks.
Parks and Pipes
The Canyons has two terrain parks. The Progression Park off Kokopelli is for those on their “Learner” plates and has small hits. The next step up is the big terrain park on Upper and Lower Respect that has large jump and rail features.
The Canyons also has natural terrain half-pipes in creek beds. Canis Lupis is one of the best. These pipes can be quite challenging especially early in the season when there’s not much coverage on the walls. A degree of park etiquette is required in these narrow pipes, so don’t stop for a breather on the way down!
Advanced Skiing
The Canyons has done some fantastic glading across multiple areas. There are tree playgrounds galore in which powderhounds can go for a sniff. Mystic Pines in the Peak 5 area is great, as are the challenging lines off 9,990. One of the best hidey holes is over at the solitudinous Dream Peak where there are tree runs and mogul runs, if your knees are up to it.
If you are a crazy mogul-lover, try the runs such as Yard Sale off the right side of the Super Condor Express. These are rated as double blacks but they are not really worthy of the status. A “yard sale” is only likely if the moguls get really big. These runs get sunbaked and have a tendency to be crunky unless the powder is fresh.
Expert Ski Terrain
The most challenging terrain can be found off the legendary 9,990 chairlift where there is plenty of merriment to be had. At this elevation (of 9,990m) the snow quality is good and the terrain includes palm-sweating tree runs and steep chutes. Slightly less challenging are the many lines through the Condor Woods. The terrain is not particularly steep, but the trees are tight in places.
For the Powderhound
For expert skiers that are willing to hike up the ridge from the top of the Condor Express, there is a good likelihood of freshies in the steep Murdoch Bowl.
The Canyons has some fabulous backcountry skiing that can be accessed through gates. As with all backcountry skiing, only those with appropriate experience and equipment should pass through the gates, and you do so at your own risk.