GOINGFORTHE

urAH's PARK CITY, A FORMER SILVER-MINING TOWN, SHOOTS FOR

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tanicr?Whatt going on herc? HERSELFI r'r.ondered. Midlife passagc?

Second u.ind? I rvas leeling like NOWthe hot:hot I'd lancied Inlsell

to be u,hen I first skied_Park TURNINGCity in 1982. Could it bt

I u;as expericncing my o\vn ON THEPark Cit-v comcback?

weil, \r,hy not? Park citv LIGHTS. ttitself 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

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'

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 rvas ticd to one pole ' Over 120 of

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

66

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NATIONAL CEOCRAPHIC TRAVELER

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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, theonetime 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 ParkCitv in 1981. These days, Sundar-rce is America's premier showcase for independently produced films, drau.ing some 13,000

aficionados each January. At the art deco Egyptian Theatreyou 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. toscreen some indies." lnto a cell phone, a \,-oman in black soughtdinner reserrations. She described the smoked red trout I u'as

having as "faaaabulous." Its drizzled dill sour cream sure didme in. I couldn't finish my grilled portobello mushroom onfocaccia, it rvas so "maaarvelous."Yet Zoom's staff rvas decid-edly unpretentious, and local. Though "Bob" did not stop b1..

-'r'!:rrr.rri"" "''1l]ifill:.'" elping resuscitate the valley around Park

|il* Siiil City are three ski areas: DeerValley Re-,lllllli::,:,'::,,r,:,,,",:iilifiir sort is at the southern box end, Park Ciq,j*';l:{:iliirrriiiril;'f;i:il

Mo'ntain Resort is in the middle, ar-rd Th"

lllli l1;:1 Canyons formerly Wolf Mountain is

,,,,,,,liril:::',,,,, ,,.,,,,,tiiliil!:; closcst to Salt Lake City. The 2002 Win-ter Olympics is based there, in the state capital, some 30 milesto the west.Yet a third of the skiing events will be held here,and the neu. Utah Winter Sports Park near The Canyons

will host Nordic ski jumping, luge, and bobslcd."Don't push too hard," pleadcd a Brazilian man about to be

shoved down the bobslcd run. As only the third such trackin North America (after Lake Placid ancl Calgary), this 25-million-doilar, refrigerated, 90-mph ice groove is statc of theart. And it's open to the public. Yet at 5100 per run, somc cheap

rcmake of Cool Runnings it's not. Safety is insured by veteran"sliders" at the controls, and volunteer Olvmpic hopefuls helplaunch the four-person'sleds. The 350-pound projectile rat-tlcd away with the Brazilian aboard then dipped out of sightlike a Ping Pong ball being sucked through a vacuum tube.Here at the Winter Sports Park, hardv dilettantes can alsoIearn to luge or attempt a 65-meter Nordic jump.

Back in Park City proper, I encountered another sort ofprogress in tlis Mormon state, evidence of u.hv Park City is

becoming an epicurean epicenter. In the past, strict liquor lar.vs

put a damper on Utah nightlife, and although private clubsstill requirc a "membership" cover charge, liquor 1au.s havebeen modified to allow aicohol to be served without a mem-bership in restaurants-as long as one has the "intent" to eat.At the Riverhorse Cafe, I had more than the intent to eat.

Upstairs in the former Masonic Hall, booths line an airyroom under murals of horses at gallop. With old friends I'dbumped into on Main Strcet, I quafl'ed an oakv '93 Chardonnay

NATTONAL GEOCRAPHIC TRAVELER

"This town has survived both burn and bus!" says shop owner ScottLewis, referring to the 1898 blaze that leveled Park City and thecrash of the silver market during the Depression. Now boutiquesand 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 theIfee daily tour. I'd rented high tech skis called parabolics. These

short skjs-known for fast, easy turning are bringing manvhas-been skiers back to the slopes.

"AIl you have to do is keep up," Chris teased. We skied theOlyrnpic slalom slope, past helmeted kids doing airplane turns,then lve lifted higher. Fresh snorn"' had softened the bumps onthe double-blues, so we skied a couple at speed. When Chrisstarted \4,ea\ring betn-een the trees, one fellou. begged off. Wearched or.er a black diamond face, and as u.e shot into a trackand 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 gogglesfogged. "Be one with themountainl" he coached. Ihopped dou-n three turns at a

time and was relieved to make

it safely to the bottom.I celebrated my survival

u'ith a steaming cup of cocoa

at Stein Eriksen Lodge. ThisNor"r egian alpine inn -is

mid-mountain right on DeerVallev's slopes. Tor,r eringcolumns, stone slabs, androaring fireplaces grace thefoyer. Smelling of evergreen,it seems like an exclusive spa.

A colossal deck overlooks the valley and a sprinkling ofmillion-dollar chAteaus. After lunching on soup, mesclunsalad, and liqueur-drenched tiramisu, I gave up my plans forafternoon skiing.

DeerValley prides itself on foodJormidable, and the show-

case is the Mariposa, my dinner spot that evening. Amidburnished Douglas fir and eclectic antiques, the cracklingfirc furnished the loudest sounds. "Degustation," u.as all Iuttered a traditional European sampler. From salmon tosea bass, pheasant to lamb, I r,vas presented u'ith culinaryworks of art, each one better than the last. Tastings of Ger-man Sauterne, French Bordeaux, and NapaValley Caber-net complemented the meal, as did an array of sweets) la Mariposa.

THIIMP!THIIMP!

MUTEDBLASTS

WOKE MEAT DAWN. I FELT LIKE I \ryAS PART

OF THE AYALANCHE TEAM.u.hilc grazing on u'ild mushroom tarts, ginger shrimp potstickers, andVictnamese spring rolls. While serious steaks and

pasta can be had at Riverhorse, my favorite was the scared ahi

tuna. The slightly charred hunk of ruddiness melted-therewas no other word for it on my tongue. For dessert, I pur-sued Death By Chocolate, as a ringed moon rose outside the

windows, lorecasting more sno\\,-.

Thunp! Thump! Muted blasts u'oke mc at dawn. In the Snow

Florver Condominiums, right off Park City's slopes, I lelt likeI was part of the ski patrol's avalanche team. Later that morn-ing, I drove up to the DeerValley Resort, u'here I rvas givena reception rovale at the Snou'Parkbase lodge. Green-suited

attendants greeted me, unloaded my equipment, and safe -

guarded it while I parked.

J AN UARY/FE B Rt.lARY r999 69

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7o NATIONAI, CEOCRAPHTC TRAVELER

FORIT? IASKED MYSELF. SUDDENLYIWAS IN

FLIGHT,GLIDING

ABSINOLUTE

CLEAR.

Shuttling back to tou.n, Itrundlccl clou-n Main Street,u'hcrc a slcu' of ethnic eater-ies spokc of thc immigrantsu-ho had u.orkccl the nou -

defunct mincs. Boutiques such

as Familv Jcu-cls, Great Garb,

and Crosbv Collectibles staiopen late to offer handmaclc:

\\-ares, r.intage clothing, and

Natile An-rerican crafts. AtthcImages of Nature photo gallcrr',I admired a picturc ol a gt'iz.z.lv

grabbing a saLnon miclair.

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 WildBill Hickok kind of guv: blond-locked, barrel-chcsted, talcspinning 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, addingthat hc "gren' up in Peruvian copper mines." That explainedu,hv he kneu' so much about Park Citv's mining histon, its1,200 milcs of tunnels and the one that's still open lor tours.

Doun the street at Southrvest Indian Traders. housed inthc ton n Elks Lodge, I brou secl among big-game trophies,old nooden skis, and colorful col-bov gear pilcd up to thcstorc's 25 lbot high punched tin cciling. I cor-ctcd the LoneRanger's original Colt .45 relolvers onlr' S50,000 forthe pair! "Could I buv just one of the silr,er bullets?" 1 asked

proprictor Raette Mullcn, u-ho inforrncd rnc that thcvuouldn't break the set.

hose poles are a hazard, manl" the teenagesnolr.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 JupiterBou'l. I skied past an abandoncd silver mineancl 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. Au'ar.e of rvhite gushcd over my lace and up m1. back. Mv legs

shot fonvard and I rvas gliding, floating in absolute clcar. Iflo.,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 e t N N r o'sf rs t Je atur e -for the m ag a z ine.

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7rJANUARY/FEBRUARY r999