Tucked within the foothills surrounding Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, the Nordic Yurt plays host to guests for a fine-dining experience. That is, after a short snowshoe up to their evening destination.  In a largely snow-less winter, the Nordic Yurt is still putting on a full winter adventure. That includes a snowshoe guide like Hunter Christian, who often leads the way for guests from the Soldier Hollow Discovery Center building up to the yurt, donned with fairy lights and complete with outdoor campfires, Adirondack chairs and s’mores for roasting.  Christian guides guests through putting on their snowshoes, securely packing their wine bottles (guests can bring their own if they choose) and trekking up the half-mile to the yurt, which is just visible from their starting line. Christian said this year has been a bit slower with dinners just three or four times per week as opposed to nearly every night, like in years past. That, he said, is likely due to the low snow year.  But the weather doesn’t deter guests like Connor Norat, who visited the yurt along with his wife, Evann Bush, and parents, Paul and Marci Norat. Connor said he first trekked up to the Nordic Yurt four years ago. He wanted an evening that melded a trip outdoors with a few finer notes — like a four-course dinner, for instance. “It’s the perfect blend of good food with an outdoor activity,” Connor said.  It’s why he went back to the Nordic Yurt for a second time, and then with his parents as guests. He said he wanted to avoid “just going out to eat.” Instead, he wanted a full evening to spend quality time as a family exploring outside and indulging in fine food. A full moon lights up the Nordic Yurt patio, which has outdoor fireplaces and benches for lounging. Credit: Andrew Charbonneau/For The Park Record Connor and his family, wearing snowpants, boots and carrying a tote of quality wine, strapped into their snowshoes and walked the snowy path up to the yurt, led by Christian, who chatted with guests along the way. While Soldier Hollow has made snow for its own cross-country ski trails, the Nordic Center has also blown snow for the Nordic Yurt, making for a white and snowy — slightly worn and crunchy — path uphill. At the top of the lone hill before reaching the yurt, Christian stopped to let the guests catch their breath. He pointed out the rising full moon — a “snow moon,” that month — and bid them all to pray for more precipitation. Guests arriving at the yurt are greeted by Marissa Shea and Claire Osborne, who are Nordic Yurt servers, but more like evening guides.  It’s Osborne’s “fun job.” A realtor who lives in Midway, Osborne has also been working at the Nordic Yurt for years because she simply loves meeting guests, working outdoors and living in the moments the yurt provides.  “They’re so excited. They’re so jazzed to be here,” Osborne said. “It’s just a genuine, authentic and fun evening in an environment they’ve never been in before.” Osborne said, for many guests, it’s their first time on snowshoes, let alone in the Wasatch Back “backcountry.” Osborne and Shea set up the yurt for around a dozen patrons that night, but the night before, they had a roaring party of 40.  The Nordic Yurt is a snowshoe-as-you-are event. Some guests wear jeans, jackets and boots. Others, like the Norat family, wear snow gear to fully prepare for the evening. Jackets and snowpants can be removed at the door and hung on the wall next to the large bearskin rugs that hang on the curved ceiling.  The Nordic Yurt can host parties of up to 40 people, but also offers private events. Credit: Andrew Charbonneau/For The Park Record There are tables with books and games, a hot cocoa bar, place settings for each patron and a center skylight overhead. Outside, Shea greets the guests and explains that the menu is set to be paced out with 20 minutes or so between courses. First: a salad. Then a butternut squash soup, short ribs with roasted carrots and a gourmet take on s’mores with a chocolate ganache and graham cracker crust.  Nordic Yurt owner Kate Silvey said everything about the event, from the “vibe” to the pacing of the meal, is intentional.  “We’ve been doing this for nine years, so we really know what works and what doesn’t work,” Silvey said.  Kate referenced the meal, which is prepped by chef Lindsay Ford and brought up via four-wheeler or snowmobile — whatever is convenient for the season. Then, everything is cooked on a smoker outside of the Nordic Yurt itself.  The butternut squash soup is flavorful with créme fraiche and local thyme. The winter salad is sprinkled with roasted sweet potato, pomegranate, goat cheese and toasted walnuts. The short rib is slow-braised, and the ganache is smooth and rich. If that’s not enough, Silvey said the s’mores and hot chocolate do the job, too.  The menu changes every year, so guests can have a different experience every time they return, if they choose to.  “The short rib seems to always be a winner,” Kate said. “We’ve switched it out a couple of times, and people asked us to bring it back.” Kate said it’s the perfect balance between outdoor fun and fine dining. Upon arrival, Shea offers up a round of drinks and lets the guests be as they are around the fires outside while the first course is prepared. Between courses and after the sun goes down, Osborne encourages the guests to take a look at the moon or get a breath of fresh air and stretch their legs.  A group of guests trek on snowshoes from the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center to the Nordic Yurt, which is just up the hill. Credit: Andrew Charbonneau/For The Park Record Kate said she and her husband and co-owner, Bryan Silvey, did not want to “overdo it” when it came to offering snowshoeing alongside a full dinner.  “But we wanted to make it just enough that people felt like they got a good view of the valley, that they got to be on the trails, and when they got to the yurt, they felt pretty deserving of a meal, but not so difficult that they didn’t feel like it wasn’t enjoyable anymore,” Silvey said.  Kate has worked in the restaurant industry for nearly her entire career. Bryan has been a guide in the outdoor industry for just as long.  “We were like, how can we, together, create something?” Kate said.  By year three, Kate said the pair had Nordic Yurt events down to a science. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the private dining opportunity became all the more popular. This year, she said, being located within Soldier Hollow provided an opportunity to stay open and offer a winter experience where few others can.  “We’ve all had challenges with the lack of tourism and trying to manage these winter businesses with no snow, and one thing we’ve seen is that we’ve had the luxury to keep operating, and a lot of tourists that have come in have had their excursions canceled,” Kate said. “We feel like we still are offering a little piece of winter that other people are missing out on.” The Nordic Yurt’s “little piece of winter” is paired with the kind of quiet that can only be found outdoors, but with a view of Mount Timpanogos and the lights of the Heber Valley.  “We want you to feel relaxed when you get there,” Kate said. “We want you to be able to take it all in. Take a deep breath. You’re out of the city.” Kate said some locals come to visit, but also a good deal of “city people” who don’t often have a view of the stars or mountains. “It’s pretty breathtaking for a lot of people who have never experienced something like that,” Kate said.  But Connor’s father, Paul, said it was almost a nostalgic visit.  Nordic Yurt guests are greeted by a warm dining room and outdoor space for sitting around a fire. Credit: Andrew Charbonneau/For The Park Record “We’ve traveled a lot, and this reminds me of the small towns we’ve traveled to in Europe,” Paul said.  Paul and Marci, visiting from Delaware, said it was an evening they would not forget, and one they would like to repeat one day. After their meal finished and the family got up to don their snowpants and jackets, Paul said it was an evening well-spent. Though the sun had set, the family chose to forgo headlamps to snowshoe back by the moonlight. The post Nordic Yurt offers a ‘little piece of winter’ in a largely snowless season appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less