Season Preview with Deer Valley Resort Director of Mountain Operations, Steve Graff

Grab your skis, because Deer Valley Resort’s Opening Day is just around the corner. With miles of interconnected corduroy trails, first-class service, and stunning alpine beauty at every turn, it’s no wonder Deer Valley is consistently ranked one of the top ski resorts in the world.

We had the opportunity to catch up with Director of Mountain Operations, Steve Graff, for the inside scoop on skiing in beautiful Deer Valley this winter season.

The mountains are already covered in a very promising blanket of fresh snow. However, weeks before this bountiful snowstorm, the slopes were already looking ski-ready. According to Graff, this year’s snowmaking efforts have been the most productive to date. With colder than usual temperatures, they were able to get an impressive head start, which means more runs ready for Opening Day December 8th.

"For Stein’s owners and guests in particular, we tripled our capacity to make snow right out front of the Lodge, and we brought snowmaking all the way to the top of Viking Chair."

According to the Utah Division of Water Quality, snowmaking is a noncumsumtive use, because 85% of water used for snowmaking goes right back into the ponds. Additionally, Deer Valley has been making a lot of their own behind-the-scenes environmental upgrades all over the resort. They have replaced a number of snowmaking installations with energy-efficient guns. Graff is very excited that they just acquired four new snowcats, all of which are Tier-4, which means their emissions are practically non-existent.

"You can actually wipe your finger in the inside of the exhaust stacks, and there’s nothing."

The biggest upgrade this winter season is the new Homestake Lift. The old quad went about 300 ft/min, while the new high speed quad will run about 900 ft/min. The ride from Silver Lake to Bald Eagle will now be under 3 minutes.

We asked Steve if he has a personal favorite lift or trail. His nostalgic response reminded us of what makes skiing Deer Valley such an incomparable experience.

"One of my favorite things about skiing, and why I’ve done it a hundred plus days a year for over 25 years now, is it’s always different. I absolutely love it. The mountain is such a dynamic place, and it changes all the time. A favorite for me on a sunny day is Solid Muldoon. I like its multi-pitches and flat spots in between. I like the way it undulates. My favorite place to ski on a powder day is anywhere in the Sultan area- lots of vertical, really good tree skiing, good opens shots. I like Stargazer in the morning, when the sun shines on it, and it softens up just a little bit."

For the sixth straight year in a row, Deer Valley Resort has been awarded U.S Best Ski Resort by World Ski Awards. We asked Graff what he believes makes that famous Deer Valley Difference.

"It’s the people that work here. It’s our staff. In the beginning, the vision was set by the Sterns. When Edgar Stern decided to create a ski resort and operate it more like a luxury hotel, he laid the groundwork for that vision. That hasn’t wavered since our opening day 38 years ago. It’s all about customer service, anticipating our guests needs, delivering the highest quality product and experience that we possibly can. When that doesn't change year to year, day to day, it just builds on itself. So the staff is how we do it."

Come create your own perfect Deer Valley moments this winter season.   
For more information about Deer Valley Resort, visit the website here.

Additionally, our front desk team is alway happy to answer any questions and help you book your ultimate ski vacation.  435-658-9500