Then, when it’s really dumping snow, White recommends heading about an hour west to 2,500-acre Snowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon. “It’s got fun big-mountain features and it’s a little more off-the beaten path,” White says of the Salt Lake City area resort. You can also shoot north an hour and a half by car to Powder Mountain in Eden, Utah. “It’s currently a private ski resort, so if you’ve got a friend there, check it out,” recommends White. “It’s a really fun place to go.” Want another resort off the tourist track? About 30 minutes south of Powder Mountain and an hour from Park City, 3,000-acre Snowbasin is the place for uncrowded, expansive terrain, wide-open bowls, and beautiful off-piste jaunts.
Eat and drink on Park City’s Main Street
Downtown Park City is a destination all its own and White is a big fan of its many après and dining options, especially right off Main Street. “You’ve got this beautiful street,” White says, “and there’s always something fun happening, like Sundance.”
If you’re capping off a ski day at Park City Mountain, ski right into town and directly across the street from the ski-in High West Saloon. “It’s pretty timeless and almost a tradition to come ride down to the Saloon, kick your boots off, and hang,” says White of the rustic western-style bar. “I remember the day I was finally old enough to actually come to the bar,” he laughs.
What to order? “Depends on the time of day,” White says, “but I usually like a hot toddy to warm up.” Next, he recommends an Old Fashion with High West Double Rye because it’s got a little spice to it. “I started drinking whiskey early in my career as an après thing because I could sip it and, like, drink,” he smiles, “instead of my buddy trying to get me to do shots.” Another fun après pub White likes to visit: “the Spur Bar & Grill at the very top of Main Street.” When it’s time to eat, White likes to keep it simple at Bangkok Thai, also on Main Street. “It’s on the second story and kind of my little sneaky place to go and grab something,” he says.
Kimball Junction
Anyone driving from the Salt Lake City area will pass through Kimball Junction just before arriving in Park City—and easily overlook it as a simple gateway town. But just a few miles from town and only 25 minutes from Salt Lake, White calls it a prime central location. ”It’s an epic place to be because it’s right in the heart of everything,” White says. There’s nearby Park City, plus the Utah Olympic Park just across the way, where you can ride the winter bobsled and watch athletes training on the ski jump. “You can go in any direction, and easily get back on the freeway down to Salt Lake City,” White says.
White likes to stay at the boutique Newpark Resort, where rooms offer fireplaces and private decks with hot tubs. Next, he says to head straightaway to 125-acre Woodward sports center for everything from on-mountain sports, like snowboarding and skiing, to indoor facilities for skateboarding, BMX, scooter and parkour. “You can skateboard down a ramp and catch air into giant foam pits,” White says, “or do [snowboard or ski] tricks and jumps on the mountain into airbags.“
White says it’s a blast and that anyone can do it. “That’s how we train as professionals and they’re making it accessible to families and kids,” he says of Woodward. Growing up in San Diego, White was able to get to the mountains, but also had a skate park 20 minutes from his house. “This is both,” White says. “It’s a skate park up on a mountain with jumps, rails, and features. It’s a small setup with one chairlift, but fun for families and for up-and-coming riders.”
