Deer Valley gutsy expansion

When it opens this December 1, Deer Valley will double its terrain by adding 100 new runs and 10 new chairlifts in a single year, bringing its total skiable terrain to more than 4,300 acres. 

This comes at the confluence of two disquieting elements, global warming and a new area with a base at 6,450 feet elevation with a south eastern orientation making it difficult to get and keep snow over its slopes. 

True, the Deer Valley East Village base elevation is 6,530 feet, a relatively low one for a major Utah ski resort base, especially when considering the effects of a warming climate. In addition, the terrain, particularly near the base and lower mountain, includes many south- and east-facing slopes. 

This orientation receives more direct sun, which can accelerate snow melt and create slushy conditions later in the day and season compared to what happens on north-facing slopes. These are factors that the resort staff has acknowledged will be challenging for natural snow retention. 

Sure there will be state-of-the-art artificial snow including 1,200 snow guns fed by 350,000 feet of pipes, 3 new pump houses and a new 10-million-gallon snow-making pond. That infrastructure is specifically designed to provide consistent coverage on the lower, sun-exposed terrain (mostly under 7,700 feet). 

Higher up on the mountain, things will be easier starting from the top, Park Peak, at 9,350 feet elevation providing about 2,900-foot vertical drop. Further, a new East Village Gondola will whisk skiers 2,570 feet up from the low base to the mid-mountain and a summit option near 9,100 feet, allowing skiers to quickly bypass the lowest and potentially warmest sections. 

Time will tell if that gamble is eventually likely to make it with a low and sunny base area heavily relying on the effectiveness of new snow-making technology and cold enough temperatures throughout the season to make and conserve snow.