Kevin in Perseverance Bowl

The best kinds of days sneak up on you, just like the best kinds of moments do. During the ski season it’s usually some unplanned, mid-week perfect snow day. And because I am a “ski bum with health insurance (read: found a fulltime, year-round job at Deer Valley)” I can answer the mountains’ call if I want to.

This year it was Wednesday, January 20. Park City had just come off some major December storms which had continued into January – it was more snow than we’d all seen in a while (it was all finally happening!). My “winter feet” had returned (a favorite topic of most ski people…I won’t bore you with the details) and my body was feeling worn already. I had been in ski boots 12 out of the previous 13 days and that Tuesday night, with a random weekday off in my immediate future, I declared, “I will not ski!”

Wednesday morning I woke to a snowy sky, noticeable accumulation and a text from a friend, “Skiing?” I stuck to my guns, blew him off, got ready for the gym (*gasp* no I was not going to sweat outside today!) and revved up my 2-wheel drive Jeep (give me a break; I grew up in Los Angeles).

Looking up from Perseverance Bowl

You know when you make a decision and you know it’s not the right one? And you know you’re going to change your mind; it’s just a matter of time? At the light where Deer Valley Drive meets Bonanza is when I finally gave in. What was I doing, going to the gym when there was ALL THIS SNOW? I scrambled back to my house for a quick change, wolfed down something to eat and texted my friend asking for forgiveness, “I lied! I’m skiing! Where should we meet?!”

As I made my way to the top of the Mayflower chair, I knew this day would be a great day. With the Sundance Film Festival just one day away, Deer Valley was practically void of visitors. People were busy prepping for the Festival and lodging blocks had already begun. This snow day was the reward us locals got for working a busy opening holiday season.

Me in Triangle Trees

I will remember Wednesday, January 20, as the day I finally felt comfortable in powder. Don’t get me wrong, I always LOVE a powder day – I just usually spend it partly flailing around, not always upright on my two feet. Not to brag, but I crushed it on January 20. Round after round in Triangle Trees – boy was it sweet in there – I couldn’t get enough. There were countless laps on all faces of Bald Mountain – no matter where I skied; my tracks were fresh that day. You hear it a lot if you know me, and you might have heard it during one of my famous Deer Valley Media Tours, but I consider a great powder day at Deer Valley one where I don’t even make it to Empire.

Kevin in Triangle Trees

Now, in all honesty, January 20 wasn’t the day with the most snow we saw all season. I didn’t have the deepest turns or the most face shots. The beauty of the day was the serendipitous way that just the right amount of snow fell in just the right quality during a time when the resort was in between visiting crowds, through which something just clicked in how I handled myself floating on skis.

Parting shot. Again, me in Triangle Trees… I told you it was good in there