Ski Dude

Most people will avoid a layover at all cost. So I was surprised to have someone ask for the longest possible layover in Salt Lake City, Utah. I suggested maybe making his flight a multi-destination and get a hotel for the evening but he didn't want that. I found a flight with a layover of a little over three hours. Boy, was he happy! So obviously, I asked him why he wanted such a long layover. Turns out he wanted to go skiing in Park City, Utah. He somehow got in his mind that he could get from the airport to Park city, to the ski resorts, get in a few runs and get back to the airport to catch his connecting flights. The thing is Salt Lake City, like most cities, has the airport on the outskirts of town. And like most cities in the west, Salt lake is spread out over a large geographic area. In this case it also happens to be on the opposite side of the valley from Park City. Park City, like most ski towns is nestled in the valley. The ski resorts are above the town in the mountains. It's also very popular and very busy. I tried to explain to him why this wouldn't work: By the time he gets off the plane and finds transportation to the lifts, he still has a ride of at least 40 minutes to get to Park City (remember the airport is on the opposite side of the valley). Then he would need to wait in line for the lift tickets. Then wait again to rent the ski equipment. Add another wait for the lifts and you already have well over an hour, minimum. You might get a couple of runs in before you'd need to reverse the process to get back to the airport. If he missed his flight and had to reschedule it would require a re-booking fee which is substantial. If he is going to pay a re-booking fee he might as well stay in Park City for the night and just get a hotel. I did my best to explain this to him but he would not listen. So how do I know this? Well, I lived in Utah for many years and part of that time was in Park City. Even though I don't ski I made a fortune babysitting for neighbors who did. I heard over and over how busy it is and how much time it takes to get to the slopes. This is by far the most ridiculous scenario I have heard to date.