I’ve been to 62 ski resorts. None compare to Deer Valley for quality intermediate skiing. There
is the light, fluffy snow of the Central Rockies; Deer Valley grooms better than anyone else;
most of the runs are laid out to ski from top to bottom– no flat, boring spots; there is a great
variety of intermediate steepness; Deer Valley limits ticket sales to hold down the crowds.
Most of Deer Valley’s runs are intermediate. The easiest intermediate runs are off the Northside
Chair and at Deer Crest. Northside is more popular, since it is a high-speed chair. Deer Crest
offers no lift lines and empty runs.
Bald Mtn. (Wasatch and Sultan quads) has steeper intermediate runs. Looking downhill from
the top, the runs are easier to your left and get more difficult the right, to the Advanced
Intermediate Wizard, Perseverence, and Tycoon.
Bald Eagle Mtn. (Carpenter high-speed quad) has Last Chance, the easiest (see the Bear
House). It’s our favorite last run of the day when going back to the main parking lot.
Solid Muldoon, straight ahead from the top of Homestake chair or after making a U-Turn off
Carpenter, is a nice intermediate cruise with one steeper spot beside the Olympic aerial jump.
White Owl, double blue, rarely groomed, includes the Olympic area hill. Warning– the landing
hill is beyond black diamond steep. There is an escape route to the right. Start down Success by
making a U-turn under the Carpenter chair.
Big Stick is one of the most popular intermediate runs at Deer Valley, discussed separately
under How to Ski Big Stick.
There are some difficult (double blue) intermediate runs off the Empire Canyon Express chair.
Supreme, skiers left, is groomed every day. Orion, skiers right, is groomed most days, but has
one short expert pitch. Empire bowl, the vast snow field under the chair, is double blue to
skiers right of the chair, but it is heavily moguled for the first 800 vertical feet, after which the
bowl funnels onto either Orion or Supreme. WARNING: Lady Morgan Bowl, to the left of
Supreme, is much steeper than it looks, and even Experts, if they don’t know where
they are going, can get into serious trouble on this run. DO NOT ski Lady Morgan until after
you talk to Ski Patrol on how to do it.