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It's summer: Time to hit the ski slopes
Western ski resorts gear up for second season of hiking, fishing, festivals
 | A couple takes off on the Extreme Zip Ride at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah. |
Douglas C. Pizac / AP |
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When ski slopes become blanketed with grass and wildflowers in the summer, the towns in the mountains of the West stay bustling with crowds looking for an unusual mix of culture and outdoor experiences.
In fact, ski resorts and ski resort towns around the West make a point of trying to attract visitors in the offseason, usually spring and summer.
Colorado
In the Vail Valley, one can fish in legendary rivers or hike to the top of a 14,000-foot mountain, and then catch a concert or dance performance under the stars.
Since 1987, Vail gradually has built up a cultural following with the construction of the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, which holds 1,260 in fixed seats and an additional 1,240 on the surrounding hillside.
Not far away, tourists can stop by for a food-and-wine festival or Jazz Aspen Snowmass (June 22-25), go whitewater rafting, horseback riding, camping or climbing. Telluride, about 200 miles southwest of Denver, boasts some kind of festival just about every weekend of the summer -- from bluegrass and jazz to wine, culinary arts and films.
On the Net:
- Vail: http://www.visitvailvalley.com or (800) 525-3875.
- Aspen: http://www.aspensnowmass.com or (800) 525-6200.
- Telluride: http://www.tellurideskiresort.com or (970) 728-6900.
Utah
Barely a month after spring skiers pack it in, Park City and its three downhill ski areas -- Park City Mountain, The Canyons, and Deer Valley -- begin to buzz again as summer tourists take their place.
The resort town is a popular destination for mountain bikers and hikers, drawn by spectacular scenery and more than 300 miles of public trails linking the three resorts. Wide, paved bike lanes and recreation paths are also plentiful, as are organized group rides and races.
Musical offerings include weekly outdoor concerts, the Park City International Music Festival, the Deer Valley Music Festival and the Park City Jazz Festival. Movies are also shown outdoors by the Sundance Institute, known for its Sundance Film Festival in winter.
Twelve golf courses, six public and six private, are within a 20-mile radius of town.
The Utah Olympic Park, which hosted the jumping and sled events, remains busy in summer, with wheeled bobsled rides that go up to 70 mph, "zip-line'' rides, and shows every Saturday featuring freestyle aerial skiers jumping into an outdoor pool.
Several stables offer horseback riding, and local streams provide abundant options for fly-fishing.
For lodging, there are more than 6,000 rental units, and rates are well below the peak winter months, officials say. Dining is available at more than 100 local eateries. There's also the Park City Food and Wine Classic, featuring more than 300 wines and gourmet food. Salt Lake City International Airport is 36 miles away via Interstate 80.
On the Net:
- Park City Mountain Resort: http://www.parkcitymountain.com/summer/index.html or (800) 222-7275.
- Deer Valley Resort: http://www.deervalley.com/index.jsp or (888) 754-8477.
- Canyons Resort: http://www.thecanyons.com/home.aspx or (435) 649-5400.
Idaho
Sun Valley Resort's 18-hole golf course consistently has been ranked No. 1 in Idaho by Golf Digest and features a 6,892-yard course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Greens fees are $145, or $125 for guests of the Sun Valley Lodge. The lodge opened in 1936 as the cornerstone of Union Pacific Railroad Chairman Averell Harriman's desire to provide UP rail passengers an opportunity for "roughing it in luxury.'' The resort also features evening ice skating performances by Olympic medalists from mid-June to mid-September, the latter on a rink that offers rink-side dining by reservation.
At Tamarack Resort in Donnelly, President Bush tried out the 25-mile circuit of mountain bike trails during a presidential vacation last summer. Besides lift-served access to the mountain, the resort has a Challenge Park with mountain bike "teeter-totters,'' rocks and other obstacles. A "jump park" at the resort includes multiple ramps for various skill levels, and clinics on jumping and riding are scheduled during the summer. Group and privately guided mountain bike tours are also available.
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