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Deer Valley

Lollapalooza

Monkey
Jan 22, 2007
527
0
Can anyone tell me what lift we use at Deer Valley?
For what? Only the lower elevation trails are open right now due to the amount of snow we had over the winter. For that you use the Silver Lake express. Some other lift opens during Norba to take you to the top of NCS but I forgot what it's called. Once the upper trails open, Sterling Express is the way to go.
 

manwithgun

Monkey
Nov 4, 2004
257
0
Any course updates or is it going to be samo DH course; 5 pedal strokes, rock dub, w.fall, b.rubble, breathe, 2x step down, rut, drop, warp speed singletrack, spin cycle, huck to finish...
 

jbogner

Monkey
May 8, 2006
315
0
Fort Collins, CO
I'm heading up to Park City on Wednesday for the IMBA conference. Is anything meriting my big bike (Uzzi vpx) going to be open for riding, or should I just bring the XC bike? I'd much rather ride lift-served DH, but I'd rather not get stuck pedaling the 40 lb freeride bike up for some half-baked XC downhills... thanks.
 

MouseMonkey

Monkey
Jul 29, 2006
116
0
Salt Lake City
I'm heading up to Park City on Wednesday for the IMBA conference. Is anything meriting my big bike (Uzzi vpx) going to be open for riding, or should I just bring the XC bike? I'd much rather ride lift-served DH, but I'd rather not get stuck pedaling the 40 lb freeride bike up for some half-baked XC downhills... thanks.
NCS is a go, everything else is "half-baked XC downhills"

So if you want variety, bring your little bike.

MM
 

Lollapalooza

Monkey
Jan 22, 2007
527
0
any word on the slalom track? i don't have a dh bike now, but might race the slalom if things work out... & can get a bike together! ha
They haven't started making it yet. They'll build it two days before the race and then tear down the berms but leave the doubles after the race is over. :crazy:
 

stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
They haven't started making it yet. They'll build it two days before the race and then tear down the berms but leave the doubles after the race is over. :crazy:
Are you sure this will be the case again? not ball bustin' just wondering.

Isn't there some RM members that would be willing to help these guys build the track?
 

MouseMonkey

Monkey
Jul 29, 2006
116
0
Salt Lake City
Isn't there some RM members that would be willing to help these guys build the track?
If DV ever chose to remove their collective heads from their hineys, there would be HUNDREDS of people willing to help.

They are pretty much immune to taking any intelligent action regarding lift-serviced DH. The fact that racing exists there at all is an anomaly.

MM
 
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stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
If DV ever chose to remove their collective heads from their hineys, there would be HUNDREDS of people willing to help.

They are pretty much immune to taking any intelligent action regarding lift-serviced DH.

JMH
These kinds of things suck to hear. Are you talking about DV ski hill staff in general-or the MTB guys that come in and put on the event? No amount of being 'warm and sincere' helps the matter?
 

MouseMonkey

Monkey
Jul 29, 2006
116
0
Salt Lake City
These kinds of things suck to hear. Are you talking about DV ski hill staff in general-or the MTB guys that come in and put on the event? No amount of being 'warm and sincere' helps the matter?
Yup, it's a huge bummer. The owners tolerate bikes and are willing to let us pay them for the chairlift rides. The lifties and trail crew are actually seem pretty stoked, but they don't have the numbers, equipment or support to execute serious improvements or even keep up with deteriorating trail conditions during the summer. We have a 50+ member group (WAFTA) that would love to help them with pretty much ANYTHING but DV doesn't seem too interested.

It's the DV philosophy, they don't allow snowboards either. Archaic, backwards, call it what you want - Their most devout clientele are literally dying off, 60 year old tools in $2000 ski suits straight out of Dumb and Dumber.

"this town needs an enema!"

MM
 

daisycutter

Turbo Monkey
Apr 8, 2006
1,664
131
New York City
Come on Dear Valley is just a large real estate play. Every year they put up more houses and condos. It has so much potential but little of it realized. Is wolf mountain open this year?
 

Lollapalooza

Monkey
Jan 22, 2007
527
0
Come on Dear Valley is just a large real estate play. Every year they put up more houses and condos. It has so much potential but little of it realized. Is wolf mountain open this year?
There's a race there this weekend and it's been fully open for about a month.
 

SPINTECK

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2005
1,370
0
abc
I hear all this stuff about DV and I have some doubts. This mountain was one of the firsts in the country open to bikes. They actually had a Downhill Mania (4 man DH race w/slalom eliminations) way back in '94. The owner must be loaded to the hilt, so I doubt they care about making money off the handful of riders, therefiore the owner must like biking on the mountain for some reason other than profit.

I was there in '94 and 2004- not much changed, but that was a good thing. I do remember the locals saying building jumps really wasn't allowed at the time.

Anyway, I'd hate for it to get back to the DV owner that we're putting words in his mouth and not appreciative, I for one am. Building jumps and rewriting a guy's insurance profile is probably a scary thing, so unless someone knows the owner personally, I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt.

It's about negotiation, communication and delivery- all RM monkey's are obviously experts in those fields!!! ;)
 
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stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
I hear all this stuff about DV and I have some doubts. This mountain was one of the firsts in the country open to bikes. They actually had a Downhill Mania (4 man DH race w/slalom eliminations) way back in '94. The owner must be loaded to the hilt, so I doubt they care about making money off the handful of riders, therefiore the owner must like biking on the mountain for some reason other than profit.

I was there in '94 and 2004- not much changed, but that was a good thing. I do remember the locals saying building jumps really wasn't allowed at the time.

Anyway, I'd hate for it to get back to the DV owner that we're putting words in his mouth and not appreciative, I for one am. Building jumps and rewriting a guy's insurance profile is probably a scary thing, so unless someone knows the owner personally, I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt.

It's about negotiation, communication and delivery- all RM monkey's are obviously experts in those fields!!! ;)
Yes, yes and yes.
I went to DV at its inception as well and numerous years after, it was always a world class event. I have not been since 01' I think? but might head out for this, to ride since the mrs' wants to race.
:cheers: Heres to hoping DV can reclaim its luster!
 

blue

boob hater
Jan 24, 2004
10,160
2
california
Yup, it's a huge bummer. The owners tolerate bikes and are willing to let us pay them for the chairlift rides. The lifties and trail crew are actually seem pretty stoked, but they don't have the numbers, equipment or support to execute serious improvements or even keep up with deteriorating trail conditions during the summer. We have a 50+ member group (WAFTA) that would love to help them with pretty much ANYTHING but DV doesn't seem too interested.

It's the DV philosophy, they don't allow snowboards either. Archaic, backwards, call it what you want - Their most devout clientele are literally dying off, 60 year old tools in $2000 ski suits straight out of Dumb and Dumber.

"this town needs an enema!"

MM
All this Deer Valley ranting makes me miss my real mountains.

*tear*
 

MouseMonkey

Monkey
Jul 29, 2006
116
0
Salt Lake City
Anyway, I'd hate for it to get back to the DV owner that we're putting words in his mouth and not appreciative, I for one am. Building jumps and rewriting a guy's insurance profile is probably a scary thing, so unless someone knows the owner personally, I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt.
It's actually a group of people. Some are either in favor of development or ambivalent. There is one holdout that blocks any serious progress, and that's his prerogative. They know how riders feel, they have been approached every year by different groups of varying credibility and the song remains the same. This includes personal friends, successful businesses/lodges WITHIN Deer Valley, etc. It won't make them sad to see me criticizing their policies, they are quite content and I am just one person. Insurance is not the issue.

To their credit, DV are supportive or at least tolerant of racing, but remember that when DH racing started there used to be BIG money for the ski resorts. They would actually compete to get a world cup for the financial incentives. Now the money is gone and it's just an added hassle for them. I do appreciate the fact that NCS exists and I appreciate the efforts made to keep it running.

But I guess I don't feel that DV is doing riders any big favors, and that's in stark contrast to resorts that are making an effort to attract us.

MM
 

go-ride.com

Monkey
Oct 23, 2001
548
6
Salt Lake City, UT
The on mountain staff at DV are a great group who seem in many ways to have their hands tied when it comes to progress. They do build some new trail each year and the local riders are thankfull, but as resorts like Whistler, Winter Park, Diablo and a number of others up their game, it gets harder to be excited about riding the same DV trails.

As others have said it is a bit of a surprise that DV even caters to DHers at all. The DV ski customer is usually very wealthy and spends $1000s at the mountain each ski trip. So for them to welcome your average $20 a day DHer who packs his own lunch I am thankful.

As far as I know the DH course is the same as last year and there is not much dirt left. It's rocky top to bottom. Hopefully, they will fix or remove that boulder drop near the middle that claimed a lot of riders last year.
 

blue

boob hater
Jan 24, 2004
10,160
2
california
As others have said it is a bit of a surprise that DV even caters to DHers at all. The DV ski customer is usually very wealthy and spends $1000s at the mountain each ski trip. So for them to welcome your average $20 a day DHer who packs his own lunch I am thankful.
Yeah, the lack of semi-affordable on mountain food sucks. Always hit up El Chubasco once we were finished up there...

Any word on Snowbird possibly putting in some DH stuff in the lower elevation areas? Also, when I was working at Park City last winter there were some strong rumblings of putting in DH stuff this summer.
 

Dylan Dean

Monkey
Oct 12, 2007
608
0
southern California
As far as I know the DH course is the same as last year and there is not much dirt left. It's rocky top to bottom. Hopefully, they will fix or remove that boulder drop near the middle that claimed a lot of riders last year.

i "heard" that they were... don't recall offhand who told me, so i can't say that it's worth believing or not... but i heard tha the were going to go back to the way it was before the drop... off camber single track that looped around or something... don't really remember how it went.
 

PatBranch

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2004
10,451
9
wine country
I just did my first lift assisted DH race the other day at N*. :D My time was like 5:02 and most of the course was a rockgarden. I was beat when I got to the bottom...mostly because of how long and rough the course was. It was a huge contrast to the races in Southern CA that are generally smoother and shorter.

Are there different DH courses for all classes at Deer Valley? How gnar is the course? I race sport.
 

Shepherdwong

Monkey
Apr 19, 2005
131
0
Two totally different courses. I used to race sport too, the expert/pro course I found intimadating and had to just survive a run down it. The sport/beginner course is fun and it feels like you can really race it rather than just survive it.
 

Lollapalooza

Monkey
Jan 22, 2007
527
0
The sport/beg course is awful. It has short uphills and would probably be fastest on a 6" bike. On the other hand, the expert/pro course is real DH. It's fast and gnarly and a ton of fun.
 

leprechaun

Turbo Monkey
Apr 17, 2004
1,009
0
SLC,Ut
It sounds like there will be 3 new sections on the course this year, avoiding the most blown out sections in favor of some new dirt. They are working on the new bits of trail right now.
 

leprechaun

Turbo Monkey
Apr 17, 2004
1,009
0
SLC,Ut
NOT confirmed!

I know the Niagra is in, and they are, i heard, re routing psycho spin (bottom) turns that are pretty much un rideable, and i guess there is another gully that parallels it that will be suitable to build course on. My friend is an instructor up there and he was telling me this info that he had heard so far. We are all pushing for a re route of the middle section drop that claimed a lot of riders.
 

BC VAN

Monkey
May 4, 2005
624
0
The sport/beg course is awful. It has short uphills and would probably be fastest on a 6" bike. On the other hand, the expert/pro course is real DH. It's fast and gnarly and a ton of fun.
isn't the point of having a course for separate classes so that actually fit the skill set? if i was a beg rider i wouldn't wan the course description to be "gnarly"

i do believe that uphills have no place in downhills though, i don't even think they have a place in Super D
 

MinorThreat

Turbo Monkey
Nov 15, 2005
1,630
41
Nine Mile Falls, WA
Anyone know if I can park a motorhome in the main event parking lot, overnights?
No, No and No. Not even the satellite lot below, I'm sure. If you've ever gotten an event pamphlet from the Deer Valley Nat, you will see a prominent snipe on each and every page: "NO CAMPING IN DEER VALLEY." I'm surprised all those multimillionaires with their used-once-a-year multi-million-dollar vacation homes tolerate us riff-raff up there even on a day-use basis for a race :rolleyes:

Best bet for your motorhome for free will probably be the Wal-Mart parking lot down in Park City (well, out at Kimball Junction).
 
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tmx

aka chromegoddess
Mar 16, 2003
1,683
2
Portland
I just did my first lift assisted DH race the other day at N*. :D My time was like 5:02 and most of the course was a rockgarden. I was beat when I got to the bottom...mostly because of how long and rough the course was. It was a huge contrast to the races in Southern CA that are generally smoother and shorter.

Are there different DH courses for all classes at Deer Valley? How gnar is the course? I race sport.
Sport course they've had in past years isn't gnar (although 'gnar' is a relative term..). Not sure if it's the same this year, but I would suspect it is. There is some pedalling as mentioned, but I don't recall there being any serious "uphills". I haven't raced that course in years but usually get a run or two in on it because it's fun.

Congrats on getting your first lift-assist race under the belt. It's easier to get your flow on, right?
 

DirtDivaDH

Chimp
Oct 16, 2005
49
0
Beautiful Moorpark, CA
so does anyone know what the course is now? I heard a rumor from someone who was there today that the entire bottom half was new, and some sections of the top were new. Also that we came into the drop in the middle straight on, which would mean down that super steep cliff-like hill, that will be equally as sandy...
Any word? We are on the road riding Southern Utah. This sure is a beautiful state!