Alli Childress is a mountain biker, but rather than going on her own, the mother of three prefers to ride with her family, including 6-year-old Bex, 9-year-old Brodie and 11-year-old Brantley. The Childress family stood together at Deer Valley Resort on June 19, the opening day of summer operati ons. They donned helmets, gloves and pads and prepped their bikes for a swift descent down the mountain.  When asked why they like mountain biking, Bex exclaimed that he didn’t like it.  “I love it!” he said.  Oldest Brantley added, “Wheelies are the best.” He explained that sometimes he scares his mom with his mountain biking antics and tricks. “They’re incredible,” Alli said.  Her kids, Alli said, have surprised her with their capabilities. Downhill mountain biking is now something the Childress family does together throughout the summer. They ride the chairlift up the mountain and descend, taking their favorite trails back to the lifts to do it all again.  Deer Valley is the family’s chosen mountain biking destination for summer. The resort, which halted mountain biking operations last year, is ready to welcome bikers once more to its trails.  Mountain bikers are able to take chairlifts up the mountain at Deer Valley Resort. Riders can explore the upper level of the mountain or keep to lower levels for more intermediate terrain. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record Downhill mountain biker Rachel Seibert said the sport is an avenue to engage with a new community that’s not easily found in the wintertime. Skiing, she said, can be more of a solo sport. But mountain biking is where new friends are easily found.  Seibert has a Deer Valley Resort pass for the summer. She said she is excited to be back and biking at one of her favorite destinations for downhill trails. She also enjoys runs like Fire Swamp.  “I haven’t hit the upper section, but the lower section is super fun,” Seibert said. “I love the drops.” Winding through trees, Seibert likes to descends on two wheels at top speed. This is her fourth season as a downhill mountain biker. She said the sport allows her to access new ways of learning because it focuses and calms her mind.  “It’s very high consequence,” Seibert said. “It really relaxes me, even though that sounds a little contradictory. But also the friends that I’ve made through mountain biking have been out of this world.” For Deer Valley employees in charge of summer operations, community is the main focus. Deer Valley staff member Grace Warner loads a mountain bike onto the Silver Lake Express lift as the resort’s mountain biking season begins. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record Kevin Kirksey, vice president of marketing at Deer Valley, said it’s all about creating great stories about the mountain to get more people to visit and “create more amazing experiences for them once they are here.” Kirksey is new to the Deer Valley team, joining as vice president of marketing nearly two months ago.  “I’m just really looking forward to having a summer here at Deer Valley and really enjoying a lot of the different activities that are just so much better in the mountains,” Kirksey said.  That includes mountain biking, hiking, scenic lift rides and events from concerts to food festivals.  “It’s kind of just a mix of really wonderful things that you can do every weekend as well as during the week to enjoy time up here in the mountains,” Kirksey said.  Deer Valley Resort opened for summer operations on June 19, welcoming visitors to the mountain for bike riding, hiking and scenic chairlift rides. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park RecordDeer Valley Resort employees said that mountain biking is one of the resort’s top attractions in the summer. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park RecordIf visitors are unable or do not want to ride the trails on two wheels, Deer Valley Resort is open to hikers and scenic viewers. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park RecordChairlifts at Deer Valley Resort accommodate mountain bikes as well as riders. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record Deer Valley hosted its third annual Mountain Pride Day event in partnership with the Summit Pride Foundation on Sunday. The family friendly event, Kirksey said, celebrated inclusivity, community and a belief that everybody belongs in the mountains.  Mountain Pride Day featured outdoor yoga, live music by Will Baxter Trio and a community Pride Ride down Holy Roller from the top of the Sterling Express chairlift. It was one of Deer Valley’s first “big moments” for the summer, Kirksey said.  Weekly live music at Silver Lake will kick off in July with food trucks and family friendly offerings. Then there’s the twilight ride series and guided hiking. For Jacob Musyt, vice president of food and beverage, the real star of the summer show is, well, food and beverage.  That includes the Fire and Flavor Festival at Silver Lake, when chefs bring live-fire cooking to the mountains every Saturday and Sunday from July 11 until Aug. 8. Each weekend brings a different lineup, including open-fire seafood, regional barbecue and highlights from local breweries.  “It really comes down to understanding when our guests are coming, who our guests are,” Musyt said.  Musyt said he’s most excited for events that bring the community together.  “It’s just the experience that we’re creating every weekend,” Musyt said. “The mountain community hanging out outside, listening to music, drinking beer and eating food. That’s what I think summer is all about and that’s what I’m really excited for.” Concerts will take place weekly over the summer at Deer Valley Resort with plenty of food and beverage options, according to Jacob Musyt, vice president of food and beverage at Deer Valley Resort. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record A full list of summer events can be found on the Deer Valley Resort website at deervalley.com/things-to-do/events.  The post Deer Valley Resort officially opens for summer appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less