A Slow Day Trip To Sundance
I believe that we don’t always have to go to far off destinations in order to find respite. Most often, an escape just around the corner can provide the perfect setting for a slow adventure. Visiting Sundance was like that for me - a sweet local escape that felt worlds away.
The mountains, lusciously green with patchy arrangements of snow, beckoned me. I craved wildflower lined trails and a cozy atmosphere where I could hike, eat, and relax in a small mountain village. Sundance Mountain Resort was the perfect setting for my solo slow day-venture. Located just forty five minutes from my home, in Salt Lake City, lies this charming mountain resort.
I began my day by taking a scenic lift ride up to Ray’s Summit, a peak about half way from the top of the resort. From there, I embarked on a few short hikes on the designated trails. The network of trails lead me through shady aspen groves and alpine meadows thick with mountain bluebells. The bees were busy and the birds joyfully narrated my wanderings. After a bit of hiking in the morning, I continued the lift ride up to the top of the resort. Bear Claw Cabin, positioned on the peak, was the perfect rest stop.
The summit boasts expansive panoramic views of the Wasatch mountain range, Heber Valley, and Utah Valley. I rested my feet and took in the sprawling views while I sipped on cold beer, and snacked on delicious chips and salsa. It was quiet enough to hear the gentle wisps of wind and distant murmurs of other visitors. In addition to a few other hikers and mountain bikers, there were families ziplining from peak to peak. Each small group enjoyed their alpine reverie.
After riding the lift down to the base, I returned to the resort grounds and meandered around this little village. A large pond and running creek cuts through the heart of Sundance and brings with it’s rolling waters cool mountain air, along with a deep sense of tranquility. Scattered around the resort grounds are a handful of restaurants, lodging, a quaint general store, a gear rental shop, a spa, and an art studio. It wasn’t long before this place began to entice me to extend my slow day trip into a slow weekend away. To be honest, I could have stayed much longer.
Although I didn’t extend my little adventure, I bookmarked all that Sundance has to offer and began planning when I could return with Rob. I would like to participate in an art class. Some workshops include soap making, painting en plein air, pottery, jewelry making, and more. Or perhaps I’d visit the spa and relax into a luxurious massage after a day of fishing on the nearby Provo River. The mountaintop yoga classes look amazing to do before a day of hiking. I know Rob would love to experience the Summer Music Concert Series on the grassy outdoor amphitheatre, and we’d both love to sit around the fire pit and stargaze after a delicious dinner at the Tree Room.
The imagery of a slow weekend away at Sundance with my husband is so compelling. Better yet, I see Sundance being a wonderful gathering place with friends, old and new, for a slow mountain retreat. Either way, I have resolved to return before too long.
After enjoying the mountain resort grounds, I jaunted up the canyon road to Stewart Falls trail. Had there been a bit less snow, I could have hiked directly from Sundance. A three mile hike from the trailhead lead me to an enormous double tier waterfall. This scene was a stunning end to my slow day trip to Sundance. A perfect little getaway close to home.
“This place in the mountains, amid nature’s casualness toward death and birth, is the perfect host for the inspiration of ideas: harsh at times, life-threatening in its winters of destruction, but tender in attention to the details of every petal of every wildflower resurrected in the Spring. Nature and creativity obey the same laws, to the same end: life.”
-Robert Redford
