My first trip of 2021 was a visit to Park City, Utah with my Favorite Son. This trip was great for many
reasons, for one, time with my Favorite Son is always a good thing, it was my first time visiting Utah, a
chance to be in the mountains with a totally different change of scenery, and namely, I got to wear
some of my dope winter gear. On the ride from the airport to our hotel, Westgate Park City Resort &
Spa, I couldn’t help but take in the the snowcapped mountains, which looked like a picture from a
postcard.
Our hotel was gorgeous, with a lodge type vibe, and we each had our own bedroom in our suite, with
fantastic views of the property, along with a balcony. The property has onsite dining and heated indoor
and outdoor pools, a sauna, and a spa.
I was determined to go skiing while in Park City and we went about making it happen, we started looking
into it on our first night there. One of the things I learned while making reservations is to shop around,
because skiing is expensive. Adjacent to our property was Canyons Village, which offers ski lessons and
rentals, but they were a bit pricey. We didn’t reserve ski tickets in advance, which is something I highly
recommend, perhaps they would have been cheaper. You gotta love millennials, Favorite Son did a
google search and he came across Snowbird, which offered cheaper rates, so off to Salt Lake City we
would go, via an Uber to ski and snowboard.
Going to Snowboard in Salt Lake City gave us more of a chance to see Utah, the ride there was
phenomenal. It took us about 50 minutes to get there and cost around $42. The first thing we had to
do was rent equipment, ski shoes, skis. Here’s an important lesson: I thought we would be able to rent
everything, and I mean everything, at the rental shop. Maybe it’s because of COVID-19, but we couldn’t
rent ski suits, gloves, or goggles. Good thing we were dressed warm, but that is something to keep in
mind. I packed gloves, but forgot to bring them, and would I need them, because I fell so many times,
and the ice was of course cold. We rented skis and ski boots, It was my first time ever wearing ski boots,
and they felt weird and were hard to walk in, but I was told they are supposed to be snug; it takes a
while to get used to that feeling.
Once we finally got on the slopes, I noticed my left leg was in discomfort, my ski instructor, Kyle, was so
nice, he took my ski boot off and did a readjustment, he also taught me that your pants shouldn’t get
inside your snow boots, it can cause friction. He also shared to wear your socks OVER your pants.
I was in a class of three, and I was the novice of the group. Kyle gave us beginner instructions, we
learned about the duck walk and pizza move, and safety tips and after a while it was time to ski. The
first time I came down that mini slope I picked up speed, panicked and fell. My ski fell off, which is
common, and a source of protection for the skier. I gave it a few more tries, and a few more falls, and
decided I was not ready to go on the chairlift to go to the next level., I was quite happy staying at the
kiddie level. It was a great day and just the right amount of time, we took the three-hour class, I
highly recommend this time frame for a beginner. There’s also a six-hour option, for some tat may be
too long to be on the slopes. Taking in that fresh mountain air and being surrounded by the beauty of
God’s creation did something to me, I would go skiing again, and plan to. I’m now officially a ski bunny.
The hotel offers a complimentary guest shuttle that can take around most parts of town, we used it to
go to Main Street.
