Ski titans headed to court with ski season at 1 of Utah's largest resorts in the balance

A Utah judge is expected to issue a ruling Friday in a long-running court battle between two ski titans that will determine whether the lifts stand idle this season at one of the state's largest ski resorts.

The judge is expected to decide how much Park City Mountain Resort must pay to cover back rent and court costs so it can stay operational through April 2015.

Vail Resorts, Inc. stands ready to take over the property following a May ruling that the Park City fixture missed a deadline to renew its decades-old sweetheart lease deal.

The two sides are also trying to hash out a settlement through mediation, but they were more than $100 million apart on the amount of a bond at a hearing last week.