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A Sundance State of MindBy Angela Wibking
Today it’s still the last thing Robert Redford wants. It was after Redford’s success in Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park and the subsequent hit film version in 1967 that the actor acquired his first acreage Utah. Then in 1969, Redford became a full-fledged superstar thanks to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. So, when big corporate ski development threatened his neck of the Utah woods in the late 1960s, Redford was able to buy up the remaining 5,000 acres surrounding him in the North Fork of Provo Canyon. Then he convinced his own group of investors that developing a small community devoted to cultural, environmental and artistic pursuits was better than covering the canyon with condos and ski lifts. That’s certainly not to say you can’t ski at Sundance, as Redford named his dream community. Some 30 years since Redford officially founded Sundance, outdoor activities are as integral a part of the resort as ever. But this still isn’t a ski resort in the usual sense of the word. Don’t look, for example, for a big, flashy ski lodge and lots of cookie-cutter rooms, restaurants, cocktail lounges and ski shops. In fact, if you’re looking for what passes for the main lodge here so you can check in, you’re apt to pass it right by. Mandan Lodge is barely larger than the guest cottages and is meant for registration and cozy gatherings for coffee and pastries in the mornings and wine and cheese in the evenings in front of the large fireplace.
The downhill ski area at Sundance encompasses 450 acres, with a vertical drop of 2,150 feet. It offers challenging skiing, as well as group and private lessons, for every experience level. The atmosphere here is welcoming rather than frenzied and it’s a rare day when you see folks waiting at the lift line. A daily limit of 1,200 skiers or less is strictly enforced and snowsuit-padded toddlers with parents are a more common sight than swinging singles or snowboarding teens. Besides downhill, the resort also offers 15 kilometers of gently rolling cross-country trails. For a unique experience, try the trails at night, when guests can ski by lantern light –and the light of the Utah moon and stars—until 9 p.m. As for “apres ski” at Sundance, that usually means quiet dinner at the Tree Room and a hot toddy in front of your own fireplace back at the cottage. You can also rent a video for viewing or take in a film at the resort’s Screening Room on weekends. If more typical ski nightlife is what you’re looking for, though, you’ll have to look about 40 miles down the road. There, in Park City, you’ll find all the hotels, condos, restaurants and shops anyone could wish. Park City is also the place where the famous Sundance Film Festival unfolds each January. Sundance is an active and very appealing non-winter resort, too. In warm weather months, outdoor activities run the gamut from horseback riding and mountain biking to hiking and fishing. In the summer, the Sundance Kids program offers 3-day camps for children that explore the environment, Native American heritage, outdoor activities and theater. Also in the summer, guests can attend live professional theater productions presented in a natural amphitheater on the resort grounds. Sundance is a 55-minute drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport. For more information on the resort, call (800)892-1600 or visit their web site at http://www.sundance-utah.com Photo courtesy of Sundance Resort. |
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TM
When a handsome blonde actor achieved success on Broadway 35 years ago,
he was able to reward himself by purchasing a few acres in the Wasatch
Mountains of north central Utah. Naturally, the last thing that actor wanted in
his own backyard was a ski resort.