This is Your Mountain
Winter 2024. My daughter was recovering from a terrible back injury (two broken vertebrae) and my oldest son was planning big things for his 15th birthday in February. If you have children, you probably understand how living in the same house does not mean everyone in that house lives in the same reality.
The big thing my son was planning was to learn how to ski. Obviously, my daughter was not able to participate in this, so my husband and I had to divide and conquer. My husband had no interest in also breaking his back; so, he stayed with our daughter and I took the boys skiing.
The three of us, myself and my two sons, made a few trips to the slopes nearest to us (Perfect North in Lawrenceburg, IN). Then we went several times the next season. Skiing became our "thing."
For spring break this year we planned a trip to Park City, Utah. Their spring break week is always the 1st full week of April. I worried that the ski season would be over by then, but not to worry, Park City operates through April and often into May. Since this trip would be only 3 of my family of 5, I needed to work with a pretty tight budget, so that I would be able to plan another trip either with or for the other 2 family members.
We flew direct from CVG (Cincinnati) to SLC (Salt Lake City) on Delta and rented a Toyota Camry through Enterprise. I was able to pay for all of it using credit card points! We packed carry-ons only, keeping airfare costs at a minimum, and ensuring we’d be able fit ourselves and our stuff in a standard sedan. Everything went smoothly with transportation.
We stayed at the Westgate Resort in Canyons Village, the sister base camp to Park City, on the other side of the mountain. The Westgate boasted ski-in/ski-out proximity to the slopes, an in-house equipment rental shop, a couple of on-site restaurants serving standard American fare (burgers and wings!), fitness center, indoor/outdoor pool, adult-only serenity pool, and daily yoga classes for only $20. The amenities and the rate were perfect. We opted for a one bedroom king suite with fold-out sofa. The room had a small refrigerator/freezer, cooktop, dishwasher, pantry, and all the pots/pans, cutlery, utensils, etc. for eating at home—perfect for my budget!
I wish I could say that our stay at the Westgate was as amazing as the description portrayed. But it wasn’t. For starters the room was incredibly small. When the fold out sofa was open you could barely walk between the end of the bed and the “kitchen.” And by barely walk, I mean, turn sideways and shuffle. There was a cooktop which also served as the countertop, so there was nowhere to prep and cook food at the same time. We wound up getting basic stuff for breakfast and decided to eat the rest of our meals out. There was also no table in the room. Not even a coffee table. So, the one night we got take out we sat on the sofa with plates perched in our laps, trying not to spill burrito on the furniture.
Somewhat heartwarming, we heard the family in the adjacent room every morning and every evening. It was a young family, so the morning conversation centered around getting the day pack together, trying to find shoes, and fussing over uncomfortable clothes. In the evening it was the struggle to get the kids in the bath and then bribing to get them out of the bath. While it was sweet to reminisce on those times when my own kids were small, and the gratitude that those days are behind me, it wasn’t great that I heard each and every word as if I was in the room with them. Likewise, I’m sure they didn’t appreciate my boys’ bickering, PG-13 movies, and crass YouTube content coming through on their side of the paper-thin walls and hollow core door.
A resort is more than just the rooms, however, so I was eager to explore the other amenities. The indoor/outdoor pool was a major reason we chose the Westgate. However, it was under construction. This was not mentioned on the website at the time of the booking or at the time of our stay. There was another outdoor pool (heated) but it was clear on the other side of the property, small, and unappealing. I had been looking forward to the afternoon yoga classes on Tues, Wed, and Thurs. But I received a text message from the resort on Tuesday that they had to cancel their Tuesday session. I reached out on Wednesday to see if the classes would be available. Unfortunately, the entire spa was closed for the remainder of the week. Again, no notice posted on the website. Finally, dining options. The majority of the restaurants in the village were either closed for the season, or operating on modified hours. The high-end restaurants weren’t an issue, but the coffee, pizza, and ice cream shops—big bummer! The burger joint inside the Westgate was open and they crushed it with the gourmet burgers.
Despite all of the negatives I’ve mentioned, the Westgate also had some perks. The Aloha Ski Shop was fantastic and very convenient. We were properly fitted for our skis, and they educated us on the different types of skis for different types of skiers. We were also able to leave our gear in the shop overnight. So, no lugging skis, boots, etc. all over the resort. Aloha is also accessible from the outside, so you don’t have to stay at the Westgate to rent or buy from Aloha.
Next best thing was the adult serenity pool. This adult-only spa-like space featured a heated indoor pool, plenty of deck chairs, a hot tub, steam room and sauna. After a long day on the slopes this was exactly what I needed to relax my achy muscles and get a break from my always-energetic sons.
The resort fitness center was well equipped and much larger than most hotel fitness rooms. I was concerned, however, that there were no security cameras in the space and only one entrance/exit. As a woman exercising alone this was very unsettling, especially when the facility is available 24/7 to resort guests. Staff members frequently stopped in to refresh towels, water, etc. while I was exercising. That was reassuring, but I still think there should be some additional safety measures put in place.
Finally, the best part of my experience at the Westgate: the proximity to the slopes! We were able to maximize our time on the mountain due to the location of the resort. Every time I thought about raising a complaint to management about the thin walls, the closed pool, or anything else, I thought about the amount of time I would miss having fun skiing with my sons. I wish I’d had a travel agent to do the dirty work for me!
Honestly, for the rate we paid, I think the resort was just fine. And for beginning skiers or first-time visitors to Park City, choosing a resort with ski-in/ ski-out access is a great way to eliminate a lot of stress. You don’t have to worry about parking, hauling your gear, or kids forgetting something back in the room. Additionally, since we went at the end of the ski season, we practically had the slopes to ourselves. We never waited in a line for the lifts, had plenty of room to ski, and try new skills. Bathroom and meal breaks were a breeze. Even with reduced staff we never waited long for anything.
If I were to do this trip over again here’s what I would do differently:
1) Stay in Park City, not Canyons Village. Park City was not a long drive from Canyons Village, but there are so many more restaurants and shops there. And it would have been nice to take an early morning walk for coffee and a bagel in the morning; or an evening walk for ice cream after dinner.
2) Planned more dinners away from the resort/downtown areas. Resort dining is always expensive. And so is dining in touristy areas of town. When you plan to be on the mountain all day, an expensive lunch at a resort restaurant is a given (because I’m not gonna ski with a lunch box, though some people do). And an incredibly hungry belly at the end of a full day of skiing is also a given…not to mention the hungry belly of a 16 yr old boy. The best meal we had all week was the takeout we got from Café Rio in Kimball Junction.
3) Checked one large bag for our snow clothes. We stuffed everything into our carry-ons! Snow jackets, ski pants, gloves, and our regular clothes. I had assumed that with the elevation and the fact that we would be on actual snow that we would be cold on the mountain. I was wrong. By the end of the week, we had all shed our coats, our sweaters, and were skiing in t-shirts. I should have just paid the extra $50 and made room for more clothes that would accommodate the fluctuating spring weather. Not to mention a direct flight means there’s practically no chance of the airline losing your luggage.
4) Purchased an Epic ski pass. This is a tough call because this was our first time skiing at a major resort. I assumed that all the passes were for season-long use, so I didn’t even look into it. Turns out there are 4-7 day passes available when you purchase far enough in advance. (I’ve already purchased my Epic pass for the 2025-2026 season!)
I'm already looking forward to the 2025-2026 ski season! Next trip: Breckenridge, CO.
