PARK CITY, Utah — If you’re on social media, you’ve likely seen the posts about non-refundable ski trips gone wrong and less-than-ideal conditions, as Mother Nature simply hasn’t cooperated this season
“We were trying to get some of that Utah blower powder… no one told us about all the ice and rocks!” said Christian Rogers in one of those posts.
Rogers posted about the situation at local resorts in Park City after having made one of those non-refundable road trips from California.
“We thought it would be some good prime conditions. But we got here and were like…what’s going on?" he said Monday.
However, local Jim Osselaer gave a different take.
“I actually find it pretty good," said Osselaer, a Park City resident. "It is spring skiing, so it’s pretty lovely in some ways."
Osselaer, along with others, is making hay despite all the sunshine. He’s already been out 10 days this season.
“You know the groomers are really great," he said, "and I think the staff has been really good about snowmaking.”
Low snow year tests this Park City staple, but sleigh ride tradition endures:
Alison Palmintere with Ski Utah is trying to keep her hopes high as well.
“I think the skiing is pretty great for the snow that we’ve gotten,” she shared.
Palmintere and the Ski Utah team have been working to highlight all the work that on-mountain crews have done to navigate this low-snow season.
“To manage our snowpack, to make sure that the runs are skiing great, to open as much as they can, as fast as they can, as safe as they can,” she said.
Palmintere added that these types of seasons can be a great time for people to learn, and not read too heavily into what social media shows.
“Once people are up in the mountains and they are actually on the snow, they are so pleasantly surprised by the conditions," Palmintere claimed.
According to Ski Utah, several resorts have begun promotions to get more skiers out on the slopes. Enthusiasts like Rogers wish that it could bring more reasonable pricing.
“Some of them… $350, $310... for a day ticket. It’s kind of crazy, who’s able to pay this?” Rogers asked.
Rogers, too, applauded the snowmaking and grooming efforts by resort crews, and he wanted to extend his trip.
“You know, we just didn’t realize Utah was doing the whole dry January thing,” he joked.
