The mood was quiet but festive at Deer Valley on the last day of the ski season Sunday.
Dedicated skiers turned out to the mountain to enjoy one final day of spring skiing. Though only a handful of lifts remained open, the Snow Park base still had some traffic. Plenty of visitors came decked out in superhero costumes, Hawaiian shirts and helmets adorned with glittery streamers.
Eric Sunberg came with his whole family for the final day.
“The day of skiing has been pretty good considering it’s the middle of April,” he said. “We’ve got my oldest in his bear costume, and our middle one as Spiderman – always have to come dressed for success here on the last day at D.V. for the season.”
Sunberg said his family was delighted the season lasted longer than originally scheduled. In March, the resort announced it would extend its spring season an extra week, the second year in a row it’s done so.
“We love that it was extended for an extra week and lucky that we’re able to come out here,” he said.
While the Sunberg family are all local skiers, Rhen Avner visited all the way from Ohio for the last few days on the mountain.
“I’ve been here all week, the last extra week of the year,” he said. “The snow was better than I thought it would be, and from everybody I talked to, they said the same thing.”
He said he chose to come to Deer Valley because of its reputation for grooming the slopes – he said he felt confident it would be a good place to end the season.
It’s been a busy winter for Deer Valley since the resort opened Dec. 2. This season, the FIS World Cup returned to the mountain with aerials and moguls competitions, drawing thousands of spectators. And season passholders took tours of the terrain expansion – some of which is projected to open next winter.
And the resort’s skiers say they’re happy as they bid farewell to another winter of enjoying the mountains.
“Any day on the mountain, we say it’s a good day to get out,” Sunberg said.
In northern Utah, Brighton, Snowbird, Solitude and Snowbasin all plan to stay open for more days of spring skiing. Park City Mountain closes Monday, April 22.
