No everyday person was ever going to spend $3,499 on a mixed reality computer, but Cook’s pitch for the Vision Pro definitely tried to overcome a public discomfort with VR headsets, even to the point of projecting the wearer’s eyes onto the Vision Pro’s glass front. Having the user be present while wearing the Vision Pro was considered a serious priority. But for a number of reasons, the Vision Pro, even in its latest M5 iteration, just hasn’t crossed that acceptance threshold. It’s big, it’s unusual, it’s rarely seen in public (for good reason), and it’s expensive. It certainly never turned into AirPods.
But I think a lot about faces and tech. Apple has figured out a way to make AirPods work, and it even broke through an acceptance barrier of having our own faces be scanned as biometric authentication to unlock our phones. Face ID was no small hurdle when it debuted in 2017. When I reviewed the iPhone X, I had to explain this strange new world of face-focused logins. I shaved my beard to test its recognition.
The Vision Pro is impressive, but it never overcame social acceptance limits.
Josh Goldman/CNET
Now that Tim Cook is stepping down in September and handing CEO duties to Apple’s hardware chief, John Ternus, there will be plenty of expectations and opportunities for Apple. AI is a huge part of the challenges that still need to be solved. But also, among all of Apple’s ongoing personal tech explorations — our pockets, our wrists, our ears — Apple is still trying to figure out faces. Will it be under Ternus that Apple finally cracks the code?
I’m used to putting my face in the forefront of testing tech, because my own awkward journey is everyone’s. What I feel, good or bad, wearing earbuds or a VR headset or smart glasses, might be an echo of what someone else feels. And when it comes to smart glasses — a whole emerging landscape of AI-powered devices being sold by seemingly everyone except Apple (so far) — tech companies are pushing people’s acceptance threshold. Including my own.
Smart glasses are increasingly being seen as a privacy threat or a socially unacceptable device, since a number of Meta-focused reports of data privacy leaks and incidents of public recording in inappropriate places. The concerns are coming from two directions: Are camera-connected glasses covertly recording others without their consent? Also, are AI glasses safely handling the things we do record and share in ways that won’t expose that information to others?
Meta’s Ray-Ban Displays, released last year, push the boundaries of tech. But acceptance and function are still missing pieces.
Tharon Green/CNET
What Apple could bring to smart glasses
Apple is likely on the cusp of announcing its own smart glasses, which could be Apple’s next big thing after its expected folding iPhone. They will be, by far, the biggest bet Apple has made on our faces. They’ll likely be priced far more affordably than the Vision Pro and aimed at a far wider market.
But Apple will also have to explain the why, and the benefits of them, and make them look good enough to overcome the social stigma of “pervert glasses.” Apple needs to either make them look amazing or make them so desirable, so functional, that people will wear them anyway. Or both.
Glasses look to be just one part of an expanding, AI-connected wearables category for Apple. Revamped AirPods, future iterations of Apple Watches, and possibly pins or pendants should be in the mix. And iPhones, which, while not wearable, are something we all carry around and always have at the ready. Reports of AirPods gaining cameras later this year that add AI-related features could be the first phase of Apple exploring new areas of face-worn AI acceptance. Apple’s Gemini-infused version of Siri, expected this year, will be a big part of it.
Google’s line of smart glasses is on deck for this year.
Scott Stein/CNET
Apple isn’t the only one in the glasses race. Meta is already there, and Google’s up next. But of all these companies, Apple has the most hardware ready to be interconnected with glasses. And it already has its own vast network of retail stores to potentially set up demo or fitting stations.
Tim Cook has said that augmented reality is the future, and under his leadership Apple has made its tech much more a part of our everyday lives than it ever was under Steve Jobs. But where Apple chooses to go from here is still unwritten, and how AI can be our cognitive companion — and with what technology to enable that — is an ongoing question for assistive tech and for the very nature of what computing is.
Apple wasn’t wrong that spatial computing is a big piece of what comes next. But can Apple make glasses that don’t creep people out? We’ll probably find out soon enough.
Deer Valley’s new terrain expansion is one of the most ambitious projects in modern skiing. The resort plans to nearly double its skiable terrain while maintaining the industry-leading standards it’s known for. We spent an extended trip in early 2026 skiing the new footprint alongside Deer Valley representatives and Olympic skier Fuzz Feddersen to see how it all came together.
Construction is still ongoing, and this season marked the worst snow year in Deer Valley’s history. Even so, we found the new terrain diverse and distinct, yet seamlessly integrated into the legacy Deer Valley experience.
This guide introduces the terrain, lifts, and base-area amenities in Deer Valley’s East Village so you can make the most of the Expanded Excellence initiative.
East Village: A Second Front Door
Photo Credit: Deer Valley Resort.
Deer Valley East Village is seamlessly connected on the slopes, but geographically separate from the main resort, and that separation works in its favor. Accessed via US-189, it bypasses Park City traffic entirely.
Yes, it’s still a work in progress. You’ll see active construction throughout the base area. But the core infrastructure is already in place, and it functions like a fully supported ski base. What’s here now works and what’s coming will only enhance it.
The East Village base area delivers the Deer Valley essentials: free parking, rental shop, ski valet, and East Village Restaurant, where a bowl of the resort’s signature chili tastes especially good on a cold afternoon.
Where to Stay in East Village (25/26 Season)
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
For the 25/26 season, the clear lodging choice is the newly completed Grand Hyatt. It offers a signature restaurant, on-site Ski Butlers rentals, a full spa, and shuttle service to Park City and Snow Park. There’s no ski-in/ski-out access yet, but a short shuttle brings you directly to the East Village base.
Additional hotels are expected to open for 26/27, which will further transform East Village into a true walkable ski hub.
We found the Grand Hyatt welcoming and highly functional, particularly with Ski Butlers on-site and a massive locker room that makes gearing up painless. Their High Hot Chocolate service, modeled after high tea but featuring locally processed cocoa, may become a new tradition for us. It’s indulgent enough to stand in for a light meal or serve as a sweet reset between Park City’s famously rich dinners.
The only logistical wrinkle is shuttle coverage. Service does not extend to Empire Canyon (Fireside Dining) or Silver Lake (Stein Eriksen Lodge, Mariposa), so a bit of planning is required. Still, between Snow Park (St. Regis, Cast & Cut) and downtown Park City, dining options are abundant. With new hotels opening next season, you may soon be able to walk to a different restaurant every night and still not try them all.
Snow Science: The Engine Behind the Expansion
Photo Credit: Deer Valley Resort.
Deer Valley’s reputation has always been built on snow quality, from immaculate corduroy to sophisticated snowmaking. The expansion continues that legacy in a serious way.
The new terrain draws most of its water from Jordanelle Reservoir. Roughly 80 miles of new snowmaking pipe now support more than 1,200 high-efficiency snow guns. The reservoir isn’t just scenic, it’s foundational.
What’s more impressive is the sustainability loop. Deer Valley is allocated just 1% of the reservoir’s available water. Through dedicated irrigation channels, approximately 80% of that allotment is returned by season’s end. Combined with an expanded grooming fleet, that system allowed the resort to open a record number of runs during a historically hot and dry winter.
If you’re wondering how the terrain skied so well in a lean year, this is your answer.
East Village Gondola: The Spine of the New Terrain
Photo Credit: Deer Valley Resort.
The 10-passenger high-speed East Village Gondola is one of the two primary lifts out of the base area. It’s a 15-minute, 3,000-vertical-foot ride to Park Peak (9,350’), with a mid-station at Big Dutch Peak (8,170’).
From Park Peak, you access some of Utah’s longest runs along with terrain served by Pinyon Express and the Vulcan Express / Revelator Express lifts.
Green Monster is the headline act: a 4.85-mile green descent between Park Peak and Baldy Mountain, nearly 40% longer than Park City Mountain’s Home Run. It weaves between two blues: Carbonite, which drops along the ridge, and Age of Reason, which follows the valley floor.
Deer Valley partnered with longtime Mountain Host Michael O’Malley to name the new terrain in ways that honor both local mining history and the resort’s evolving identity. “Green Monster” references a Wasatch County copper mine, though you’ll never convince me there isn’t a double entendre for the 37-foot-tall wall in Fenway Park that has foiled many home runs. Common sense tells us that “Age of Reason” is an homage to Thomas Paine, and I could imagine cruising down the exposed ridge would freeze you like the compound that imprisoned Han Solo. However, “Carbonite” is a nod to Park City’s silver mining legacy.
Names aside, the terrain progression is smart. Carbonite offers a manageable ridge experience before committing to Redemption Ridge. And if confidence wavers, Green Monster provides a bailout.
Another thoughtful touch is Corduroy Lunch. Select freshly groomed terrain off the gondola’s mid-station remains roped until noon. Carving fresh tracks midday is a true afternoon delight.
Keetley Express: The Connector
Photo Credit: Deer Valley Resort.
Keetley Express is the other primary East Village lift and likely the fastest gateway back to legacy Deer Valley terrain. After the 1.25-mile ride up, a short ski down Road to Sultan brings you to Sultan Express.
Of course, you have to take Sultan up the mountain before you get back to skiing. That sets you up for over 5 continuous miles of green runs if you combine Homeward Bound with McHenry, or take a run on the classic black Stein’s Way. You could also use connectors to access the lower half of Green Monster or McHenry directly, or try the plethora of intermediate runs off Keetley Point.
Advanced skiers should keep Keetley on their radar as well. When conditions align, it’s a sneaky access point to Mayflower Bowl and its quiet pocket of expert terrain.
Aurora: Small but Essential
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Aurora is easy to underestimate. It’s only about 700 feet long and takes two minutes to ride, but it plays a crucial role.
It’s the return lift from McHenry, which connects directly to Silver Lake Lodge, and it services Keetley Point terrain. There’s also a confusing sign near the top of Aurora on Green Monster directing skiers left toward East Village. If you follow it, you’ll earn a short Aurora ride, and remember to hang right next time if you want to return directly to Keetley and the gondola.
These lifts rise from one of the steepest valleys in the Deer Valley footprint, so steep that lift towers had to be installed by helicopter.
Redemption Ridge is the signature descent, often described as Stein’s Way on steroids. At roughly twice the length of Stein’s, it drops 2,700 vertical feet over 2.5 miles. Once you commit, you’re in it, with steeper, more technical lines breaking off the ridgeline into the valley.
If that feels ambitious, start on Stein’s to calibrate. Carbonite also offers a similar exposed-ridge experience that’s much more forgiving. But If the snow is right and you can hang, Redemption could be your saving grace from the Bambi Basin blues.
Pinyon Express: High-Alpine Access for Everyone
Photo Credit: Deer Valley Resort.
Pinyon Express and Revelator both reach Park Peak, but their personalities diverge from there.
Pinyon serves a beginner-friendly zone on the north side of Park Peak, allowing newer skiers to experience high-mountain terrain without intimidation. Clipper stands out because it also connects the East Village Gondola back into legacy Deer Valley terrain, but there are multiple easy route options.
Because Pinyon sits right at the boundary between old and new terrain, it functions as a seamless crossover point. Novice skiers and ski classes can access this alpine playground from either side of the resort.
The Future of Deer Valley Is Already Underfoot
Photo Credit: Deer Valley Resort.
It would be easy to judge an expansion like this on acreage alone. Nearly doubling skiable terrain is headline material in any snow year, let alone the driest season in resort history. But what impressed us most wasn’t the scale; it was the intention.
Expanded Excellence doesn’t feel bolted on. It feels studied. Deliberate. The lift placements make sense. The terrain progression makes sense. Even the names tell a story. You can ski a 4.85-mile green down Green Monster, test your mettle on Redemption Ridge, duck into legacy terrain off Keetley, and end the day with corduroy that rivals anything Deer Valley has ever groomed, all without feeling like you’ve left the original footprint of the resort.
That’s no small feat.
Skiing with Olympic veteran Fuzz Feddersen gave us an insider’s lens, but even without that access, the throughline is obvious: Deer Valley isn’t chasing growth for growth’s sake. They’re building a second front door that will eventually feel as iconic as Snow Park or Silver Lake, and they’re doing it with the same snow science, guest service, and meticulous grooming that built their reputation in the first place.
East Village still hums with construction equipment. You’ll see cranes on the skyline and fresh dirt where hotels will soon rise. But beneath that temporary noise is something permanent: infrastructure that works, terrain that skis well in lean years, and a blueprint that positions Deer Valley for the next several decades.
If this was Expanded Excellence in the worst snow year on record, it’s hard to imagine what it will feel like in a banner winter.
One thing is certain: the future of Deer Valley isn’t coming. It’s already here!
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Disclosure: A big thank you to Deer Valley Resort for hosting us, setting up a fantastic itinerary, and usage of some of the images throughout (image credit in hover text ).
As always, the views and opinions expressed are entirely our own, and we only recommend brands and destinations that we 100% stand behind.
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Hi! We are Jenn and Ed Coleman aka Coleman Concierge. In a nutshell, we are a Huntsville-based Gen X couple sharing our stories of amazing adventures through activity-driven transformational and experiential travel.
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