Deer Valley Resort United States

Legendary

Deer Valley was the first ski resort in the world to put boxes of tissues at the bottom of every chairlift. It also added footrests to the chairs, so skiers could rest their legs on the ride up.

Small touches like that were the entire point. When Edgar and Polly Stern built this place, they weren't trying to make the biggest ski mountain. They were trying to make the most comfortable one.

People skied these slopes long before the resort existed. Work crews cut some of the first ski trails here during the winter of 1936 and 1937.

Before that, this was mining country. Prospectors dug into these hills starting in the late 1800s, hunting for silver, gold, lead, and copper.

Edgar Stern already knew the ski business. He had built and then sold a resort next door, the one now known as Park City Mountain.

He still owned land nearby, though. His family company got permission to develop it in 1975, and construction began soon after.

Deer Valley opened on December 26, 1981. It started with five chairlifts, 35 runs, and two lodges.

One rule has never changed since that first day. Deer Valley is skiers only, and snowboarding isn't allowed anywhere on the mountain.

Only a small handful of resorts in the United States still have that rule. Deer Valley is one of them.

The mountain caught the world's attention in 2002, when Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Olympics. Athletes competed here in freestyle moguls, aerials, and slalom racing.

The resort is currently in the middle of a huge expansion, adding new lifts, new runs, and a new village on the far side of the mountain. When it's finished, Deer Valley will be among the largest ski resorts in North America.

Ski the freshly groomed runs early in the morning, when the corduroy lines are still perfect. Look for the Burns lift, the only chairlift still running from opening day in 1981. Take a run down the Olympic mogul course if you're feeling brave, or watch from the side if you're not.