Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week 2010

Park City's big gay skiing to-do

Sponsored by the same company, Community Visions (877-429-6368), that co-sponsors Colorado's increasingly popular Vail Gay & Lesbian Ski Week, Park City's Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week has become a top event among LGBT ski buffs. Park City - the swank resort town just a half-hour's drive from Salt Lake City - is best known in January for its prestigious and star-studded Sundance Festival, which dominates the entire region during the second half of January (January 15-25 in 2009). But gays and lesbians, who already have a strong presence at Sundance, start heading to Park City just a bit earlier for the town's rollicking gay ski week. In 2010, the party runs from January 6 through January 10. This is a wonderful event not only because Park City is a cool little town to shop and play in, but also because Utah's Wasatch Mountains offer some of the best skiing conditions in the world: spectacular powder, sunny weather, and beautifully kept facilities.

Here's a look at 2009 Utah Gay Ski Week - details regarding the 2010 event will be posted soon:

The event kicks off on Wednesday with welcome lunch events at Mid-Mountain Lodge, at Park City's own Park City Mountain Resort, whose lifts carry skiers right into the heart of downtown; and at rustic Silver Lake Lodge at the chichi (and beautifully groomed) Deer Valley resort. That first evening there's also a Friendship Dinner at 7:30 pm at the gay-friendly Wasatch Brewery Pub. Park City's third outstanding resort, The Canyons, gets into the action on Thursday, when it's the venue for skiing and a midday lunch.

The three resorts remain the focus of skiing and snowboarding throughout the five-day event, with one notable exception - Deer Valley is one of the only facilities in the country that does not allow snowboarding, so boarders choose between The Canyons and Park City Mountain.

A number of bars and restaurants in Park City hosts parties and events, among them the popular Wasatch Brewery Pub and Kristauf's martini bar. If you're looking for some other terrific dining ideas, consider the trendy and gay-friendly Pan-Asian restaurant, Shabu, or the superbly innovative Southwestern eatery, Chimayo.

The aforementioned Canyons Resort is one of the region's best options for upscale accommodations. The organizers of Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week also have information on condo rentals on their website.