Family Snowshoeing Adventures in Park City

I have been feeling a bit childish lately.

My friends and family like to remind me of my impressive gray hair-production capabilities, but as the father of two young sons (3½ -year-old John and 9-month-old Charlie) I cannot help but think their youthful energy has rubbed off on me a bit. I never thought I would have this much fun re-watching old Disney movies, playing with Lego bricks, and building forts!

Adventures Take on New Meaning

My adolescent attitudes appear most prevalent when certain meteorological conditions begin to develop—the snowstorm. Reading forecasts, pretending to know what the models are saying, and counting down the days until a storm’s arrival makes me giddier than ever. On the night of a storm, I like to peek out the window, refresh snow stake cams, and think about how epic the next day is going to be. Though I am on a temporary hiatus from racing to the ski hill and grabbing first chair, seeing my son’s smile at the sight of fresh snow in the morning is so much better.

After a modest snowstorm at the end of January, our imaginations started to race as we thought about the fun adventures we were going to have on our next family snow day. Having already skied, sledded, and constructed snowmen this week, I decided we ought to try something new. So, I gave All Seasons Adventures a call to see if they had any ideas. We signed up for a guided Snowshoe to S’mores Tour, located on the shores of the Deer Valley Ponds.

Snowshoe Tour Logistics 

When presented with our departure time options (4:30, 5:30, or 6:30 p.m.), my wife Becca and I agreed that the 4:30 option gave us the best chance of executing our consistently inconsistent evening routine—bites, baths, books, and bed by 7:30. So, dessert before dinner it is! It’s alright though. We have not put too much weight into the order of operations of John’s feedings, given his diet comprises primarily of cheese pizza, mac and cheese, cheese quesadillas, grilled cheese—just cheese.

We met our guide Isabell at the northwest corner of parking lot 5 at Deer Valley as the sun was just starting to think about hiding behind Rossi Hill. Becca and I slid on our snowshoes and were ready to go. John took a bit more convincing. “What are these things, Dad? I just want to walk around in my snow boots!”

We’ve gotten better over the years at coming up with complete nonsense on the fly that John understands and can relate too. “They are Donald Duck’s feet, and they help us walk through the deep snow,” I said. That’s all the convincing he needed, and he quickly slid into his duck feet and started to waddle around to get comfortable in all the fresh snow.

Isabell gave us a couple of options. We could go for an extended walk, taking in the views, and exploring the ponds and marsh area. Or, we could go straight to the gazebo, which had a firepit, s’mores supplies, and hot chocolate.

My college friends and I used to travel from Boulder to Golden, CO, to do the Coors Brewery Tour (don’t worry Mom, I was 21). Coors also offered two tour options: An extended version lasting 90 minutes that highlighted the malting, brewing, and packaging processes, or an accelerated version that went straight to the tap room where three complimentary eight-ounce cold beers were waiting.

Just like I always chose the accelerated brewery tour, my wife and I agreed a straight shot to the gooey goods at the gazebo was our best strategy. Though our destination was only a quarter mile away, this seemed like a tall order for our flock of developing ducks as we trudged through four inches of powder.

Memories Made

Along the way to the gazebo, we saw some birds fly overhead, crossed a bridge, and drew a smiley face in the snow. We were careful not to get too close to the ponds’ edge, though John really wanted to say hi to the “fishies” he met last summer at Deer Valley’s Pebble Beach. Since the fish were sleeping for the winter, John and I chatted with the baby trees planted around the pond instead. He can’t wait to go back over the years to see how big they have grown.

We had finally arrived at the gazebo and boy did we work up an appetite. I am not sure why, but I was expecting Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows, Honey Maid Graham Crackers, Hershey’s Chocolate Bar, and Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate. Just your good ol’ classic, big box retailer s’mores supplies! I was very wrong. You’ve heard Deer Valley Ski Resort’s motto “Ski The Difference,” right? Well, they have another motto—“Taste the Difference,” where dining experiences features fresh preparation and an emphasis on locally-sourced products. We were so excited to unpackage the homemade s’mores supplies made fresh daily just across the pond at the Deer Valley Café, this was too good to be true!

It took John a minute to trust our guide Isabell as she showed him how to roast the perfect mallow, as we’ve always asked him to be careful around fire. In hindsight, we should have introduced John to the s’more scene from the classic 1993 film, The Sandlot. John got more comfortable with each marshmallow, but don’t expect him to open a s’more stand anytime soon. For whatever reason he thought it was hilarious when the marshmallow got too hot, caught on fire, and then started to melt over the fire. Something to keep an eye on.

John, Becca, and I were smiling ear to ear as we enjoyed our treats, but you could see the rage begin to build in Charlie’s eyes. He wanted a s’more too! We’re trying to wait for his first birthday before introducing him to sugar, but we’ve had a few slip-ups. Charlie dove right into that warm marshmallow, which temporarily put his tears at bay.

And That's a Wrap

Not that long after, Charlie officially had enough, and he decided to tell all of Summit County about it. We packed up and headed back to where we started. Becca and Charlie opted for an efficient and direct route, but John was jacked on 50 grams of sugar and really starting to feel confident in his new duck feet. He and I meandered back, taking several detours to ensure we were walking through the deepest snow. It was amazing to see his confidence increase throughout this new activity he had never even seen before. John and I shared a lot of smiles and laughs together as our adventure was ending.

Upon arriving back at the trailhead, we found Becca drinking a glass of wine and Charlie chugging his “ba-ba.” It’s amazing how your favorite beverage can help to bring stress levels down a little bit.

Isabell helped us out of our snowshoes and began to prepare them for her next guests. As mentioned, the Snowshoe to S’more tours go off at 4:30, 5:30, and 6:30 p.m. It was dark when we finished, which was perfect timing for us, but makes for a unique and memorable snowshoe experience in Park City for the later guests. Next time, it will be fun to enjoy the fire under a moonlit sky, gaze at all the holiday lights, and try to track the snow groomer as it works its way up Bald Eagle Mountain.

Thank you to All Seasons Adventures for an incredible snowshoe in Park City—it's an experience our family will never forget! 

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