National Geographic Traveler - Jan 1999 Going For The High Life: Utah's Park City, a former silver-mining town, shoots for the gold as Olympics host and winter hot spot…

1. GOING
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3. GoJorit -",u'""hll_ KLIZTI WAS ANI ADULTERESS WHO MAt
shapt . fort; rc,methinB
tanicr?Whatt going on herc? HERSELF
I r'r.ondered. Midlife passagc?
Second u.ind? I rvas leeling like NOW
the hot:hot I'd lancied Inlsell
to be u,hen I first skied_Park
City in 1982. Could it bt
TURNING
I u;as expericncing my ovn ON THE
Park Cit-v comcback?
weil, r,hy not? Park citv LIGHTS. tt
itself has specialized in come
backs. This late 1800s silver boom totvn u'as razcd bv lire in
1898 but sprang back undauntecl. After being rebr'rilt, the tou'n
eventually gter" tu 10,000. Most of the ProsPectors left, horv-
er,er, g,hen the silr'er market crashed during the Depression'
By thc end of World War II, Park City had becomc a ghost
torm. Not until the 1960s did good fortunc return- rn dorvn-
hill skis. Nou., Utah's legendary snou', the Sundance Film Fes-
tival, and the onslaught of the 2002 Winter Olvmpics have
helped fashion this former miner's gulch into a mecca for
,poitr, art, ancl food u'here a resurgent population ofabout
z,ooo plays host to some half million I'isitors each year'
ain Strect, the heart of Park Citr', is
rife lr'ith resurrection tales. Side-
stcpping the slope are lancifulVicto-
rian clapboards, painted cinnamon,
canar,v, and sage mostlY boutiques,
eateries, and lodgings nolr'. At the top
of the hill, I stopped in at the 1904 Imperial Hotel, a board-
inghouse turned iaura Ashlcvesque B&B. With.a "horvd;'-d6"'
jeln-clacl innkeeper Karcn Hart shorved me the Mayflower
Room, replete with turn of-the-ccnturv lurnishings, aclan'-
lbot tub, and a resident ghost. "LizzY r'vas an adultcress," Hart
said laconicalll'. "Shc u'as shot in the act, and she busies her-
selfnow'turning on the lights and the clock radio'"
Back out on Main Sfeet, I made my u'ay past replicas of gas
strcetlights Iining the narrow sideu'alks, norv heaped u'ith
,r-roor,. ,ih.,rky p-ting fog ticd to one pole ' Over 120 of
rvas
the buildings'h"r" ut". o.t ihe Natiotlul Historic Register, and
plaques describe each one. City Hall' built in 1885, is a muse-
'rr-
ro.n uduvr. Mining memorabilia, a stagecoach, and a dis-
play on the i-ristory oiskiing sct the scere' But vestiges of the
i".i-tigl-tt district and the old territorial jail whisper more in-
triguiig yarns about the davs r'vhen Park Citv u'ns nicknamed
ttlJ"Si" bity ol Utah." Plank stairs creaked into dankness as I
clcscended io the brick cells of the jail' One wall bore graffiti
Skiers soak up the sun and the good times between runs at Deer
Valley Resort. Preceding page: Taking flight at the Utah Winter Sports
Park, a 2OO2 Winter 0lympics hopeful hones his ski-jumping skills'
66 NATIONAL CEOCRAPHIC TRAVELER
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY rgqq 67

5. left by union rabble rousers rvho'd come to Park City in 1916
in a futile attempt to organize thc miners.
Anchoring Main Street, thc old Union Pacific train station
now houses a restaurant named Zoont. Robert Redfbrd, the
onetime Sundance Kid, aeated this roadhouse grill. Black-and-
l'hite photos of Sundance Film Festival rvilurers, r,r.ith beam-
ing smiles and crystal statuettes, adorn the w.alls. Redford is
a longtime patron of the annual festival, rvhich came to Park
Citv in 1981. These days, Sundar-rce is America's premier show
case for independently produced films, drau.ing some 13,000
aficionados each January. At the art deco Egyptian Theatre
you can take in films w-ith heartfelt stories about identity,
redemption, and lor.e. No boom-boom action flicks here.
In Zoom's grill room I ran into some of the characters r,vho
help lend the festival its charm. At the table next to mine r,r'ere
"studio people," as they labeled themselves, "up from L.A. to
screen some indies." lnto a cell phone, a ,-oman in black sought
dinner reserrations. She described the smoked red trout I u'as
having as "faaaabulous." Its drizzled dill sour cream sure did
me in. I couldn't finish my grilled portobello mushroom on
focaccia, it rvas so "maaarvelous."Yet Zoom's staff rvas decid- rcmake of Cool Runnings it's not. Safety is insured by veteran
edly unpretentious, and local. Though "Bob" did not stop b1.. "sliders" at the controls, and volunteer Olvmpic hopefuls help
launch the four-person'sleds. The 350-pound projectile rat-
-'r'!:rrr.rri"" "''1l]ifill:.'"
elping resuscitate the valley around Park tlcd away with the Brazilian aboard then dipped out of sight
|il* Siiil City are three ski areas: DeerValley Re- like a Ping Pong ball being sucked through a vacuum tube.
,lllllli::,:,'::,,r,:,,,",:iilifiir sort is at the southern box end, Park Ciq,
j*';l:{:iliirrriiiril;'f;i:il Here at the Winter Sports Park, hardv dilettantes can also
Mo'ntain Resort is in the middle, ar-rd Th" Iearn to luge or attempt a 65-meter Nordic jump.
lllli l1;:1 Canyons formerly Wolf Mountain is Back in Park City proper, I encountered another sort of
closcst to Salt Lake City. The 2002 Win-
,,,,,,,liril:::',,,,, ,,.,,,,,tiiliil!:; progress in tlis Mormon state, evidence of u.hv Park City is
ter Olympics is based there, in the state capital, some 30 miles becoming an epicurean epicenter. In the past, strict liquor lar.vs
to the west.Yet a third of the skiing events will be held here, put a damper on Utah nightlife, and although private clubs
and the neu. Utah Winter Sports Park near The Canyons still requirc a "membership" cover charge, liquor 1au.s have
will host Nordic ski jumping, luge, and bobslcd. been modified to allow aicohol to be served without a mem-
"Don't push too hard," pleadcd a Brazilian man about to be bership in restaurants-as long as one has the "intent" to eat.
shoved down the bobslcd run. As only the third such track At the Riverhorse Cafe, I had more than the intent to eat.
in North America (after Lake Placid ancl Calgary), this 25- Upstairs in the former Masonic Hall, booths line an airy
million-doilar, refrigerated, 90-mph ice groove is statc of the room under murals of horses at gallop. With old friends I'd
art. And it's open to the public. Yet at 5100 per run, somc cheap bumped into on Main Strcet, I quafl'ed an oakv '93 Chardonnay
68 NATTONAL GEOCRAPHIC TRAVELER

6. "This town has survived both burn and bus!" says shop owner Scott
Lewis, referring to the 1898 blaze that leveled Park City and the
crash of the silver market during the Depression. Now boutiques
and crowded clubs (oppositel enliven Main Street. Getting away
from the hustle, balloonists take to the air (following paged.
"As your mountain host," our sprightly ski guide, Chris, ex-
plained on the quad lift, "l'll shorv you parts of DeerVallel'
most people never see." Only three of us had gathered for the
Ifee daily tour. I'd rented high tech skis called parabolics. These
short skjs-known for fast, easy turning are bringing manv
has-been skiers back to the slopes.
"AIl you have to do is keep up," Chris teased. We skied the
Olyrnpic slalom slope, past helmeted kids doing airplane turns,
then lve lifted higher. Fresh snorn"' had softened the bumps on
the double-blues, so we skied a couple at speed. When Chris
started 4,earing betn-een the trees, one fellou. begged off. We
arched or.er a black diamond face, and as u.e shot into a track
and more trees, the other man said he'd meet us at the lift.
Norv in a tight glade *'ith branches slapping my face, I, too,
nondered r,r.here mI courage had gone.
"Have no flear!" Chris called from below Sure. New snow-,
bumps, and trees? I was high-altitude gasping, my goggles
fogged. "Be one with the
THIIMP! mountainl" he coached. I
hopped dou-n three turns at a
THIIMP! time and was relieved to make
it safely to the bottom.
MUTED I celebrated my survival
u'ith a steaming cup of cocoa
BLASTS at Stein Eriksen Lodge. This
Nor"r egian alpine inn -is
WOKE ME mid-mountain right on Deer
Vallev's slopes. Tor,r ering
AT DAWN. I FELT LIKE I ryAS PART columns, stone slabs, and
roaring fireplaces grace the
OF THE AYALANCHE TEAM. foyer. Smelling of evergreen,
it seems like an exclusive spa.
u.hilc grazing on u'ild mushroom tarts, ginger shrimp pot A colossal deck overlooks the valley and a sprinkling of
stickers, andVictnamese spring rolls. While serious steaks and million-dollar chAteaus. After lunching on soup, mesclun
pasta can be had at Riverhorse, my favorite was the scared ahi salad, and liqueur-drenched tiramisu, I gave up my plans for
tuna. The slightly charred hunk of ruddiness melted-there afternoon skiing.
was no other word for it on my tongue. For dessert, I pur- DeerValley prides itself on foodJormidable, and the show-
sued Death By Chocolate, as a ringed moon rose outside the case is the Mariposa, my dinner spot that evening. Amid
windows, lorecasting more sno,-. burnished Douglas fir and eclectic antiques, the crackling
Thunp! Thump! Muted blasts u'oke mc at dawn. In the Snow firc furnished the loudest sounds. "Degustation," u.as all I
Florver Condominiums, right off Park City's slopes, I lelt like uttered a traditional European sampler. From salmon to
I was part of the ski patrol's avalanche team. Later that morn- sea bass, pheasant to lamb, I r,vas presented u'ith culinary
ing, I drove up to the DeerValley Resort, u'here I rvas given works of art, each one better than the last. Tastings of Ger-
a reception rovale at the Snou'Parkbase lodge. Green-suited man Sauterne, French Bordeaux, and NapaValley Caber-
attendants greeted me, unloaded my equipment, and safe - net complemented the meal, as did an array of sweets
guarded it while I parked. ) la Mariposa.
J AN UARY/FE B Rt.lARY r999 69

7. SHOTILD I GC
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NATIONAI, CEOCRAPHTC TRAVELER
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8. FORIT? IASKED MYSELF. SUDDENLYI Shuttling back to tou.n, I
trundlccl clou-n Main Street,
WAS IN u'hcrc a slcu' of ethnic eater-
ies spokc of thc immigrants
FLIGHT, u-ho had u.orkccl the nou -
defunct mincs. Boutiques such
GLIDING as Familv Jcu-cls, Great Garb,
and Crosbv Collectibles stai
IN open late to offer handmaclc:
-ares, r.intage clothing, and
ABS OLUTE Natile An-rerican crafts. Atthc
Images of Nature photo gallcrr',
CLEAR. I admired a
grabbing a saLnon miclair.
picturc ol a gt'iz.z.lv
Yet it u.as the crustier: shops I enjoved most. Rock & Sih.er, a
brightlv lit spread o1'crvstals, fc-,ssils, and ambe r, is run br. a Wild
Bill Hickok kind of guv: blond-locked, barrel-chcsted, talc
spinning Scott Leu-is. He hcftccl a biscctcd gcoclc, its insides
shimmering rvith lar-cndcr- and frostv u-hitc cn.stals. "Mv thm-
ilr''s bccn in dris busincss lor three generations,"he saicl, adding
that hc "gren' up in Peruvian copper mines." That explained
u,hv he kneu' so much about Park Citv's mining histon, its
1,200 milcs of tunnels and the one that's still open lor tours.
Doun the street at Southrvest Indian Traders. housed in
thc ton n Elks Lodge, I brou secl among big-game trophies,
old nooden skis, and colorful col-bov gear pilcd up to thc
storc's 25 lbot high punched tin cciling. I cor-ctcd the Lone
Ranger's original Colt .45 relolvers onlr' S50,000 for
the pair! "Could I buv just one of the silr,er bullets?" 1 asked
proprictor Raette Mullcn, u-ho inforrncd rnc that thcv
uouldn't break the set.
hose poles are a hazard, manl" the teenage
snolr.boardcr screamed as I passed hirn earl-v
thc ncxt morning. I l-anted to be lirst to ski
tu'o I'eet of lresh por'r'dcr in Park Citv's Jupiter
Bou'l. I skied past an abandoncd silver mine
ancl onto the ski iift. Snon.llakes spar.kled in the
sunlight. Whcn thc thump, thump;ng of the avalanche charges
stopped, I lbllou.ed tracks along a ridge to a pristine perch.
Should I go for it? I askcd mvsclf.
I inched closer to the edge. I don't rcallv knou, il I pushed
* ofl'or the cornice gave 'a)', but suddcnlv I u.as in fllght. A
u'ar.e of rvhite gushcd over my lace and up m1. back. Mv legs
shot fonvard and I rvas gliding, floating in absolute clcar. I
flo.,ved through teeming pou.der bctr.r'ccn snorvv hundred-
foot pines as lree and casv as a tu'entvsornething Ii jockel.
Seems I Aad made a Park City comcback.
CaltJornia-basedwriter PETER SHERMAN CROSBY talks about
the changes he's seen in Park City on page 8.This is Colorddo
ph oto g r aph er IoANNA etNN r o'sf rs t
Je atur e
-for the
m ag a z ine.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY r999 7r