Deer Valley envisions major expansion in Wasatch County

Deer Valley Resort and a small group of other landowners in Wasatch County with a combined hundreds of acres under their control have started discussions about a major expansion of the resort on ground overlooking the Jordanelle Reservoir.

An expansion would involve new ski terrain and a substantial amount of residential development. The land is situated in unincorporated Wasatch County, meaning that county leaders there will review any proposals from Deer Valley and the other landowners. No applications have been filed.

Bob Wheaton, the president and general manager of Deer Valley, said the resort and the other landowners have been in talks over the past year about acreage in the direction of Heber from the base of the Jordanelle Express gondola. It is on the Deer Valley side of U.S. 40. A development application or multiple ones could be filed in Wasatch County by the end of the year, he said. Park Record

Sundance’s impact on Utah slips first time in 3 years

The Sundance Film Festival’s economic impact on Utah this year fell sharply as those who attended the 11-day event apparently cut back on their spending.

The impact, a number representing how much the world-famous festival added to Utah’s gross state product, was $69.5 million, down 13 percent from $80.3 million, according to a study released Wednesday by the Sundance Institute in Park City. In 2011, the estimated impact of Sundance was $70.9 million.

The study, prepared by the University of Utah’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, shows that 45,947 people went to the festival this year. The attendance count was 1.7 percent lower than in 2012, when 46,731 showed up. Attendance in 2013 was little changed from 2011. Salt Lake Tribune

Vail’s business is up as it joins Utah ski scene

Vail Resorts Inc. is entering the Utah ski market with enthusiasm after finishing its winter-ending fiscal quarter with a healthy bump in business.

The company, which last week signed a long-term lease to operate Canyons Resort for Talisker, said it earned $97.6 million, or $2.66 per share, in the quarter that ended April 30. That was up 22.7 percent over the same quarter a year earlier. The company also reported net revenues of $469.7 million, an 11.5 percent increase over the previous year.

Purchasers of Vail’s Epic Pass, he noted, would have access to Canyons along with Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Northstar, Heavenly and Kirkwood resorts. An Epic Pass for 2013-14 now costs $689 for adults. A 2012-13 adult season pass at Canyons cost $849. Salt Lake Tribune

Timpanogos cave opened to large crowds

Hundreds of spelunkers turned out for the opening weekend of the Timpanogos Cave National Monument in American Fork Canyon.

Park officials said cave tours were running at capacity all day from Saturday's opening day through Memorial Day.

Hunt said the cave's season began roughly two weeks late this year and will end about three weeks early on September 22. The shortened season is a result of federal money cuts, which cut back on the operating budget of the park. Deseret News

Sundance Film Festival began Thursday

Park City is in its last minute sprint of transformation as it prepares for A list stars and the debuts of culture changing films.

All this buzz has been good for Park City and for Utah. The Hotel Caledonian, which features 19 swanky condominiums, usually rents a single bedroom for one night at a rate of $650. The festival drives the price for the same room up to $1,300 a night.

“It’s great for the economy. I hope that it continues for a long period of time,” said Carlos Rivera from Puerto Rico.

There are plenty of people willing to pay top dollar for good digs. According to Park City Chamber of Commerce President Bill Malone, 18,000 people will pack Park City hotels during the opening days of the festival. The average hotel occupancy rate of the festival is 14,000 a night.

Malone says the festival injects $60 million into Park City's economy and more than $80 million into Utah's economy.

Most of the Sundance Film Festival tourists come from California and New York. The festival begins Thursday and continues for ten days. ABC News

Ski six of the best resorts in Utah

A glorious but demanding traverse of 1.9 miles up in Utah's Wasatch Mountains forms the most testing part of the Utah Interconnect, a 27-mile ski route between the state's six best resorts.

Utah prides itself on having "the greatest snow on earth", and however hyperbolic that may be, this guided adventure is one of North America's greatest days out on skis. It's a thrilling ski journey that uses a combination of lifts and easy backcountry skiing that any decent intermediate skier could manage and visits, in around six hours, Deer Valley, Park City, Solitude, Brighton, Alta and Snowbird. You are taken back to the start point in a minibus at the end of the day.

If they were linked, these resorts would easily make up the largest ski area in North America. The Interconnect offered a chance for a little backcountry expedition and a way to avoid any crowds as we skied from one hill to the other.

Greeting our mixed group of British, Texan, Canadian and Swedish skiers at the start point in Deer Valley, our guides Bob and Calvin told the nine of us that we'd need no special ski touring gear to complete the Interconnect and we should look upon it as much as a chance to ski Utah's best resorts, as a backcountry adventure.

When I booked the Interconnect I was given a ski pass that covers all the resorts to be visited – plus avalanche transceivers and a brief lesson in how to use them. In theory there's nothing to stop you doing the Interconnect independently, but I was glad to have the knowledge of a qualified guide. (And there could be legal implications should you get into trouble beyond the resorts' boundary ropes – this is the US after all).
Alta and Snowbird are linked by ski lift so it's easy getting from one to the other. It's hard for any keen skier not to love these two quintessential Utah resorts. They offer lots of steep, very challenging off-piste terrain plastered in dry chalky snow, fast and furious groomers and a friendly, old- school feel. Alta is so old-school that snowboarding is still banned there.

As we stood on the summit of Snowbird's 3,353m Hidden Peak ready for the last run of the day, my fellow traveller Lewis said, almost as if to himself: "Imagine this in powder …"

Whether he was talking about our last run, Snowbird or the entire Interconnect I'm not sure, but having experienced all three in far from ideal conditions and still had a ball I knew that like me, he was already talking himself into returning. Alf Anderson of The Guardian

Provo Air Terminal Expansion Needed for Allegiant Passengers

Provo will have to enlarge its current terminal to accommodate the number of passengers Allegiant can put onto its planes.

Allegiant announced this week that it will be offering non-stop flights beginning Feb. 15 between Provo and the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, replacing Frontier Airlines, which will cease flights between Provo and Denver in January.

Airport manager Steve Gleason said the city built a terminal that could house federal screening equipment in 2011, when Frontier brought commercial flights to Provo. However, Frontier's Embraer 190 airplane holds 99 passengers. Allegiant's MD-80s hold 166 passengers, more than the terminal's capacity.

Gleason added, "Commercial service is important to our community. It's a great day for Provo."

Unique to Allegiant is the one-leg destination flights. For instance, the Provo to Mesa flight is a destination to destination flight. So, while there are many locations to which Allegiant flies from Mesa, such as Hawaii, Branson, Mo., and Las Vegas, passengers will have to book those connecting flights as separate itinerary flights, he said.

"We're confident Utah County will enjoy our low airfare and great packages," Hansen said.

Hansen also noted that throughout the year there are times when travel is significantly down and Allegiant will pre-cancel flights. He also anticipates other times, perhaps for LDS General Conference or other activities, when additional flights will be necessary and those can be added. All of this is under discussion.

Allegiant is expected to serve a large group of business and personal travel passengers to and from the Mesa area. Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix is about a 20-minute drive, and shuttles from Mesa to Sky Harbor are provided.

Allegiant also flies to the Ogden airport. Daily Herald

Utah’s Ski Resorts Rate an ‘A’ for Awesomeness

 Forbes.com thinks Utah’s ski resorts are "awesome."

At least the areas rank high in "Pure Awesomeness," according to the business website, which this week published its list of "The Top 10 Ski Resorts in the United States for 2013." 

Seven of Utah’s resorts —Alta, Snowbird, Park City, Deer Valley, The Canyons, Brighton and Solitude — all landed in this year’s rankings based on Forbes’ hardly scientific and decidedly dorky "Pure Awesomeness Factor," or PAF.

"We only rank one thing: Awesomeness," the site said of its measuring algorithm. "It’s the most important thing we can measure. If you can know a place’s awesomeness, do you need to know anything else?"

The top spot went to Jackson, Wyo., for what Forbes said was the "best skiing mountain in North America. It still has the best continuous fall line, the best terrain and the best backcountry of any mountain not in the Himalayas."

Second were both Alta and Snowbird for "the terrain against which all others are measured," according to the site. "The snow is dependable and comes in a density that’s user friendly, like a stiff dollop of whipped milk on a cappuccino."

Park City, Deer Valley and The Canyons as a group were in fifth place, praised not only for the level of skiing but for the fact that they surround Park City, a place that is "picture perfect in every sense."

Brighton and Solitude landed eighth and ninth places on the list, respectively, not only for their quality of the snow but their comparative lack of crowds.

The rankings didn’t include resorts east of the Rocky Mountains because the website favored the West’s powder to the ice it claims covers ski areas in the eastern U.S.

"No resort east of the Rockies has the snow or terrain to crack our Awesomeness rankings — something that matters for both beginners and experts," the site said. Salt Lake Tribune

A Catalyst for Downtown Economic Activity

Amid the bustling energy and recent growth of Provo’s downtown Center Street, the $40 million Utah Valley Convention Center has risen. Located on 220 W. Center Street in Provo, the 83,578 square-foot convention center is projected to bring many visitors to Utah Valley as well as cater to the needs of local residents.

Plans have long been brewing for a convention center in Utah County. In 2006, John Q. Hammonds broke ground for both a hotel and convention center in Pleasant Grove, only to have it come to a halt a few months later as the economy took a nose dive. Utah County took matters into their own hands, financing Provo’s Utah Valley Convention Center, which broke ground in June 2010.

The return on investment for a convention center is different than most commercial buildings. Revenue is distributed to the city rather than to the facility itself. Thus, convention centers facilitate financial opportunities for local businesses. Visitors require lodging, entertainment and transportation – all which influence the economy of the county.

“A lot of people think it’s only the businesses right around the convention center that are benefiting,” said Wheeler. “But there’s a thing called compression.When you get people into downtown Provo, they’re staying in the Provo Marriott, and the people that would have been staying there are now staying in Orem and Lehi. It spreads it out for the entire county.” Utah Facilities

Park City Visitors Center open for business

The Park City Chamber/Visitors Bureau is putting the word out, the new Visitors Center will host an Open House for its members and the community Thursday, Oct. 4. The event will be the first opportunity for locals to see the $1.3 million space set up and running.

Following more than a year of construction, the 4,000-square-foot center will be decked in its new kiosks and touch screens, its coffee bar and gift shop, all with one goal in mind: get heads on beds. The Visitors Center will serve as a starting point for incoming guests, whether it was a planned stop or not, with the intent to get tourists to spend more in the community, bolstering local businesses.

"We believe strongly in the fact that the people who go to the center will do two things," said PCCVB Executive Director and CEO Bill Malone. "They will stay longer and spend more money. We like both of those."

The Visitors Center was paid for using bonds from lodging taxes through Summit County. Over the next 20 years, the PCCVB will lease the space from Summit County. After the 20 years, the nonprofit will own the space.

The PCCVB will be walking a fine line as their operations expand with the opening of the new Visitors Center, being sure to stay focused on their mission statement to promote local businesses. Some services such as selling maps and potentially hosting events may be considered, but weighed against the intent of the PCCVB and not siphoning dollars away from other businesses. Park Record

NBC to Broadcast Live from Aspen and Beaver Creek World Cup Events

The U.S. Ski Team and NBC Sports Network will air Audi FIS Alpine World Cup ski racing in the U.S. live as part of a pre-Sochi broadcast schedule announced by the network and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.

The live coverage will feature Olympic champions Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso from the Nature Valley Aspen Winternational Thanksgiving weekend along with fellow Olympic gold medalists Ted Ligety and Bode Miller at the Audi Birds of Prey World Cup in Beaver Creek, CO a week later. It’s part of an extensive coverage package between NBC and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association including 11 hours on NBC and 22 on NBC Sports Network.

U.S. Ski Team and NBC Sports Network partnering on first-ever U.S. live TV broadcasts of alpine ski racing with Audi FIS Alpine World Cup events in Aspen and Beaver Crreek, CO.

The broadcast initiative is part of a concerted effort by the USSA under new Chief Marketing Officer Mike Jaquet to grow the public awareness of its sports through television and digital distribution.

The broadcast schedule features the most same-day and same-weekend coverage ever, including two live programs from the Audi FIS World Cup. Utah Skier

The World's Foremost Sheepdog Trial

About 300 wild sheep from the Cache National Forest are unloaded Wednesday at Soldier Hollow Olympic Venue before the start of the Soldier Hollow Classic, which runs Friday through Monday and features the world’s best border collies and their handlers in competition in front of thousands of spectators in Heber Valley. Salt Lake Tribune

The Soldier Hollow Classic features the world's best border collies in a competition that will fascinate and amaze you.  These canine athletes come from around the world to Soldier Hollow's spectacular Olympic hills to match wits and athletic ability with wild'n wooly Utah sheep.

In addition to the sheepdog trial championship the event features a host of activities, competitions and performances. There will be great food representing the shepherding cultures of the world and the traditional Scottish music performed throughout the event by the Salt Lake Scots.  A biathlon shooting, face painting, contests for kids, and dutch oven cooking.

For more information, click here.

Pedal power, punctuated

The Tour of Utah bicycling race ended on Main Street on Sunday, drawing a huge crowd for the festivities on the street as the riders competed on a course noted for its difficult climbs and a steep descent into Park City.

It's not yet clear whether the fanfare will be repeated in 2013.

The Tour of Utah has not finalized its plans for next year's edition, but it seems that there could be a push locally to convince organizers to return the final stage of the race to Park City in 2013.

Main Street was jammed on Sunday as people watched the racers start the last stage of the race, stayed on the street for the afternoon and then elbowed for room as the bicyclists crossed the finish line and the winners were crowned in formal ceremonies.

Tourism officials in Park City are gathering opinions from the business community and others involved in the Tour of Utah in an effort to learn what sort of affect the event had. Bob Kollar, who is the director of special events for a joint venture involving City Hall and the Park City Chamber/Bureau, said he wants to learn about the economic impact as well as any problems.

Alison Butz, the executive director of the Historic Park City Alliance, a business group, said her organization is conducting a survey of businesses on or close to Main Street asking questions about sales on Sunday and whether the Tour of Utah promoted the street in a positive manner. Park Record

Summer serving high visitor numbers in Park City

Park City's resorts are taking in a strong summer season this year. While winter may have left something to be desired in the way of snowfall, summer visitor numbers are up at all three resorts. 

Summer months have always been important, said Coleen Reardon, the Deer Valley Director of Marketing, but that importance is rapidly growing. 

Summer months at the resorts have been on a steady path of growth since the economic downturn in 2008, but with the warm weather and dry conditions, visitors from the Wasatch Front and surrounding states have flocked into town. 

Mountain biking has been a longstanding part of the resorts' summer business, with Deer Valley adding mountain biking 20 years ago, but adding Ziplines, concert series and movie nights has increased interest in the summer months. Park Record

Summer tourism big money to east side of Summit County

When it comes to tourism, it's the bread to Park City's butter. But what about the rest of the county? City officials and business leaders from Kamas to
Coalville agree: it's downright important to their local economies.

"There are all sorts of tourism," said Coalville Mayor Duane Schmidt, "whether that it is fishing, boating, water skiing, snowmobiling or horseback riding. There is definitely tourism here, and it's a benefit to our community."

While Park City reaps the benefits of the winter months with its three resorts and special events such as Sundance, the small towns dotting reservoirs and state parks also rely on incoming visitors, especially during the summer. Whether it's a pit stop at a nearby grocery store or a scenic drive to an out-of-the-way restaurant, visitors are patronizing East Side businesses. Park Record

Hidden Garden tour returns to Springville

For more than 15 years the popular Hidden Garden Tour was held as one of the Utah Valley Regional  Medical Center fundraising programs. When that group decided not to sponsor the tour, the Utah County Master Gardeners Association stepped in to continue the tradition.

Master gardeners complete a program, which is part of the educational outreach of USU cooperative extension. The classes are held at Thanksgiving Point and in Provo twice a week from September through December. Each potential master gardener completes at least 40 hours of volunteer work in the community giving talks and demonstrations, diagnosing plant problems and answering gardening questions at the Utah County Fair and Farm Field Days. Daily Herald

Utah Scottish Association to host festival at Thanksgiving Point

Thirty-six family clans and cultural organizations along with Celtic bands and dancers will gather June 8-9 for the 38th annual Utah Scottish Festival and Highland Games.

"Festival events are for the entire community, not just those of Scottish descent," Bob Gallimore, a board member and publicity chairman for the Utah Scottish Association, wrote in an email. "All are graciously welcome to be Scots for a day!"

The festival and games will be held at Thanksgiving Point in Electric Park, a 15-acre outdoor venue with plenty of space to accommodate the wide range of activities offered. Highlights will include a Highland dance competition with ancient dances like the Highland Fling and the Sword Dance, Highland athletic competitions such as the National Sheaf Toss Championships, and multiple musical performances. Deseret News

Sundance Film Festival an $80 million impact, report says

The big stars and "star gazers" that come to the Sundance Film Festival spend big bucks.

The Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Utah reported Wednesday that the 2012 Sundance Film Festival generated an overall economic impact of $80 million for the state.

Total festival-related spending increased 15 percent over 2011 levels, driven by increases in lodging expenditures and retail purchases.

"The 2012 Sundance Film Festival was a resounding success from a number of perspectives, and we are pleased to see the positive impact it continues to have each year on the state's economy," said Jill Miller, managing director of Sundance Institute.

The economic impacts of nonresident visitor spending during the 2012 event included $69.7 million in gross state product and $36 million in earnings for Utah workers. The report showed that level of earnings supported 1,376 jobs in the state, generated $4.5 million in state tax revenue and $2 million in tax revenue for local governments over the 10-day period of the festival from January 19 to January 29. Deseret News

New organization created to promote SkiLink

SkiLink support is growing. In an attempt to rally Utah around the idea of an interconnect between Canyons Resort and Solitude, a new coalition has been created.

Early Tuesday, that new coalition, Lift Utah, was introduced at a press conference in Salt Lake City. Intended to promote SkiLink, Lift Utah will be chaired by former United States senator Jake Garn, Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan and the Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce President Lane Beattie.

Lift Utah is made up of 20 community leaders from along the Wasatch Front and Back, all with backgrounds in business and politics, from state legislators, bankers and chamber presidents. The group even has a few familiar names from Park City including Bill Malone, the president of the Park City Chamber/Bureau, and Tom Richardson, former president of the Kimball Junction Business Association and creator of Ski Our Canyons Responsibly, a local organization aimed at supporting the controversial gondola project.

Even as Lift Utah was announced at the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce headquarted in Salt Lake City, protestors from Save Our Canyons rallied outside. Save Our Canyons, an environmental nonprofit based in Salt Lake City, claims SkiLink could spur future development in the mountains, affecting the watershed of hundreds of thousands of people.

SkiLink was originally introduced as a transportation project last year as something that would cut down traffic, and therefore emissions in Big Cottonwood and Parley's Canyons. According to the SkiLink website, the gondola is projected to reduce ski season traffic through Big Cottonwood Canyon by as much as 18,000 cars per year. Since then, the project has focused more on the economic benefits SkiLink would offer creating the most connected ski resort terrain in the country. Park Record

Thousands expected at Little Sahara Sand Dunes for Easter weekend

Thousands of people from around the state are gearing up for an Easter weekend at the Little Sahara Sand Dunes, and local law enforcement is prepared to prevent potential problems and accidents.

Many of them are already there, saving a place for family and friends before the big crowds get here. By Friday night, 25,000 to 30,000 people will be at the popular Sand Mountain camping area in Millard County.

With nearly 60,000 acres of dunes, trails and sagebrush flats, there is something for every level of rider, from Sand Mountain, which has a wall of sand climbing nearly 700 feet high, to the dunes southwest of Black Mountain, which provide good terrain for beginners. Deseret News