SKI UTOPIA

In the Rocky Mountains of Utah, Jeremy Drake discovers a luxurious ski town with a rugged cowboy soul.

- Jeremy Drake

Our horse-drawn carriage glides down the dark ski slope at pace. In the distance, the silhouette of a cowboy hat, the thump of hooves and the warm glow of a fireplace at Deer Valley Resort’s famed Fireside Dining are the only reminders I’m not dreaming.

Unlike other traditional restaurant waiting areas, this one is highly experiential. Admittedly it’s pitch black and about minus 14 degrees Celsius. Still, the combination of adrenaline and a soft cashmere blanket is enough to warm my ski-weary muscles from my first day on the slopes. For consecutive winters, I’ve been lucky to experience the very best in epicurean mountain delights and alpine culture throughout America’s west coast.

Depending on your mountain, ski resorts and ski towns throughout California and Colorado have a distinctive flavour. They’re either upmarket and luxurious or rugged, raw and full of city-based weekend warriors.

Unlike the more premium resorts of Aspen Snowmass, Breckenridge or Heavenly, the twin resorts of Park City Mountain and Deer Valley in Park City, Utah perfectly manage to straddle both sides of this metaphorical snow pole.

While the city of Aspen and its resorts attracts old money, fur, white gloves and opulence, Park City (the town that shares a name with the ski resort within it) is the newest destination for America’s nouveau-riche, a playground for authentic mountain locals and it’s also home to the annual Sundance Film Festival, with a creative community bursting with artistic flair.