Cold-Weather Escapes: Park City

Park City’s cheery downtown / Courtesy photo

Glimmering silver beckoned miners to the Wasatch Mountains in the 1860s, but the real treasure of Park City’s peaks is fresh powder. For skiers hardened by years of icy (though undeniably awesome) runs in the East, the fluffy piles might be life-changing. Just 35 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport, the town boasts the largest ski resort in the country.

Before you hit the slopes, fuel up with a hearty mascarpone-topped hotcake at Five5eeds, a breakfast-all-day café with the first Modbar espresso machine in Utah. You’ll need a caffeine kick to decide which of Park City Mountain Resort’s more than 300 runs to start with. (Up for a challenge? Hop on the Bonanza lift for steeper trails.)

Après-ski, you might start at High West Distillery, the world’s only ski-in gastro-distillery. Its tasting saloon offers a huge menu of soul-warming cocktails, but a glass of the classic American Prairie Bourbon—paired with cumin-and-jalapeño deviled eggs—is a must-try. For heartier fare, go to Twisted Fern, tucked away in a strip mall (yes, really), where chef Adam Ross dreams up dishes like chicken-fried portobello mushrooms and confit wings, updating his menu each month to showcase local farms. Of course, a day’s worth of downhill calls for a nightcap at Old Town Cellars, a new winery on Main Street.

Bar snacks at High West Distillery / Courtesy photo

Not a die-hard ski bum? Hop on the Town Lift for a ride to Main Street to browse the contemporary works at Gallery MAR, or peruse the modern-rustic dry goods at Park City Mercantile. If you’re up for a hunt, there are Banksy originals hidden in the alleys between the old mining buildings. Or try winter fly-fishing in Utah’s Provo River with All Seasons Adventures.

And if you’re lodging at the Waldorf Astoria Park City, with its seriously indulgent spa, year-round heated pool, and fireplace-equipped rooms, you might get so cozy that you forget about the slopes entirely.

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GETTING THERE
JetBlue nonstop to Salt Lake City International Airport

INSIDER TIP
Lucky for New Englanders, Vail Resorts’ acquisition of Stowe Mountain in Vermont and Park City Mountain Resort means that the company’s $899 Epic Pass offers unlimited access to runs in the East and West.

More cold-weather escapes from our Boston Traveler 2018 issue.