While Park City Mountain Resort had planned to kick off the winter season Nov. 19, Mother Nature unfortunately had other plans.
Still, the team at PCMR is excited to welcome back skiers and snowboarders as soon as the lifts are able to start turning, and spokesperson Jess Miller said the resort has been hard at working preparing, including now making snow in earnest.
“The energy is high and we know we have many fun days of skiing and riding ahead of us,” she said. “Our snowmakers have taken advantage of the cold weather this week and have made some good progress. We are keeping our eyes on the forecast and will issue an update on our new target opening day soon.
“In the meantime, we are continuing to monitor the weather minute-by-minute and making snow at every opportunity conditions allow.”
When opening day does arrive, Miller said the resort will have DJs at both Park City and Canyons Village base areas, complimentary treats and hot beverages and, of course, the traditional opening day banner breaking. The brave souls who are first in line will receive T-shirts to mark the achievement.
So what else is on tap this season? Miller said special events are back, for one thing.
Festivities will kick off on Friday, Nov. 26, with PCMR’s annual Tree Lighting Celebration in Canyons Village. Complimentary activities will begin at 4 p.m. with a live music performance by Flamingo, hot beverages, photos with Santa and an ice carving demonstration.
“We’ll also be handing out souvenir Park City Mountain ornaments to attendees,” Miller said.
The fun will continue throughout December and into the new year with a series of events including Silver Sky Nights firework shows in Canyons Village on select Friday nights and two of the community’s favorite holiday traditions: Santa coming down the Town Lift on Dec. 17 and the Torchlight Parade on Dec. 24.
“Looking ahead to spring, we’re also excited to bring back our annual Spring Gruv celebration with live music, daily après ski, Pink Park City and more,” Miller said.
As far as workforce concerns, Miller said that is something PCMR contends with every year, though she acknowledged this season may present “unique challenges.” But, she said, the resort is offering more perks in hopes of drawing more talent.
“We recently announced that, starting this season, we’ll be offering paid sick time off to all seasonal full-time employees who are not already eligible, in addition to COVID-19 emergency sick leave,” she said. “In June, we also announced the decision to raise our minimum wage to $15/hour, which will be the largest single investment we make as a company as we head into next season.”
There will be changes with the dining experience on mountain this season, as well.
Guests who would like to sit down to dine this season can book their table through the Time to Dine platform on the EpicMix app, which Miller said is a convenient way to book meal times so guests can enjoy skiing and riding “without worrying about the lunch rush.”
“Our bars will also be open again this season, including the Public House at Mid-Mountain Lodge,” Miller said.
This week, PCMR also announced new strategies taking effect this season to enhance the guest experience and prioritize pass holders. This includes limiting lift ticket sales during the three most popular holiday periods. Dates include: Dec. 25-Jan. 2, Jan. 14-17 and Feb. 18-27.
Miller said the resort is also deploying a new operating plan which should “significantly improve” how efficiently lifts and gondolas are loaded and reduce wait times, and launching a new daily forecast of lift line wait times in the EpicMix app to “help guests better plan their ski and ride day.”
One tip from Miller? Make sure you have the EpicMix app and check @ParkCityMtnAlert on Twitter for the most up-to-date information on lift line times and any weather delays or closures. Those who don’t have Twitter can see the feed at parkcitymountain.com/status.