Powder Mountain, UT = The New Largest Ski Resort in the USA at 8,000-Acres…

SnowBrains |
Powder Mountain, UT
Powder Mountain, UT

Powder Mountain ski resort in Ogden, UT will soon be the largest ski resort in the USA at 7,957-skiable acres (8,464 acres if you include their cat skiing terrain).  The only ski resort with more lift served terrain in North America is Whistler Blackcomb, B.C. at 8,171 acres.

Powder Mountain is currently going through the largest lift-served ski terrain expansion in North American history by adding 2 chairlifts (Mary’s Bowl & Village) that are increasing their terrain by 1,060 acres.

This expansion is slated to be completed this winter.

2 lifts being built that will expand Pow Mow's terrain by 1,060 acres.  image:  powder mountain
2 lifts being built that will expand Pow Mow’s terrain by 1,060 acres. image: powder mountain

POWDER MOUNTAIN, UT STATISTICS:

  • 500″ of annual snowfall
  • 2,205′ vertical feet
  • Opening date:  “as soon as mother nature lets us”
  • Closing date:  April 9th
A helicopter installing lift towers for one of the two new lifts being installed at Powder Mountain.  photo:  Powder Mountain
A helicopter installing lift towers for one of the two new lifts being installed at Powder Mountain. photo: Powder Mountain

Powder Mountain is also executing an unprecedented skier cap.  This mean that Powder Mountain will only sell 2,000 daily ski passes per day and only 1,000 adult season passes this year.

This skier cap will make Powder Mountain the lowest skier density of any major ski area in North America at only 14 skiers per acre and an advanced sale adult day ticket is only $79.

The two new Powder Mountain lifts:

  • Mary’s Lift at 3,880 feet long and rising 867 vertical feet
  • Village lift at 3,680 feet long and 582 vertical feet.

“We strive to maintain the uncrowded, wide open, adventurous experience Pow Mow is known for.  By adding two new lifts and over 1,000 acres of new lift accessible terrain, capping ticket sales at 2,000 per day and establishing a limit of 1,000 adult season pass holders annually, we aim to keep our skier density of 1 acre per skier. Compare that with some of the largest resorts in the region who routinely see skier densities in excess of 14 skiers per acre, it is easy to see that we are truly committed to Preserving the Pow!With an advanced full price lift ticket price of $79, we truly offer all the terrain of the largest resorts in the country at half the price and a fraction of the crowd.”” – Mark Schroetel, General Manager of Powder Mountain Resort

Before Powder Mountain, Park City/The Canyons was the largest ski resort in the USA at 7,300 acres.  Before Park City, it was Big Sky/Moonlight Basin at 5,800 acres.

Village plans from June 2014.
Village plans from June 2014.

Powder Mountain will also be building a new town at 8,600′ on the mountain.  This new town will be modeled after the Swiss village of Wengen and will be the size of historic part of Aspen and Telluride.

Town Details:

“The two lift expansions, along with 6 miles of new roads, connects the existing resort to the new town location, which rests on a saddle intersecting the top of three bowls at an elevation of 8600 feet.  This new town location features topographic features and views unlike any location in the US, including sprawling meadows and views of the Great Salt Lake. Ultimately, the new town, which was modeled after the Swiss town of Wengen, will be similar in size to the historical parts of Aspen and Telluride. The town will feature a main street with pop-up stores, micro-apartments, farm-to-table restaurants, yoga boot-camps, public art, media labs and educational outlets offering training in everything from transcendental meditation, software development and athletic performance. It will embody a next-generation urbanism that nourishes social entrepreneurship, connection and collaboration, and responsible living.” – Powder Mountain

Cat ski terrain at Powder Mountain. photo:  skiutah.com
Cat ski terrain at Powder Mountain. photo: skiutah.com

POWDER MOUNTAIN, UT PRESS RELEASE:

Powder Mountain Announces Largest Lift-Serviced Resort Expansion in North American History and Unprecedented Skier Cap;

Adds Over 1,000 Acres of Terrain with Two New Chairlifts While Capping Day Passes at 2,000; 

Announces New Town Location Six Miles from Mid-Mountain Base

Eden, UT – Powder Mountain Resort is excited to announce the addition of two new lifts accessing over 1,000 acres of new terrain adjacent to the core of our future town for the 2016-2017 winter season. This is the largest lift-serviced resort expansion in North American history. Additionally, the resort is capping season and day passes which will increase the amount of acreage per skier, making Powder Mountain the largest and most spacious ski area in the United States.

  • 2 New SkyTrac Lifts: Village Lift & Mary’s Lift

  • Over 1000 Acres of New Lift Serviced Terrain

  • 4 Lift Accessible Side Country Areas

  • 7900+ Lift Accessible Skiable Acres – Largest in US

  • 8464 Total Skiable Acres

  • Lowest skier density of any major ski area in North America

  • Day Tickets Limited to 2,000 per Day

  • Adult Season Passes Limited to 1,000

vintage Powder Mountain trail map.
vintage Powder Mountain trail map.

POWDER MOUNTAIN HISTORY:

1971–72 season

  • Powder Mountain opened with Sundown Lift.
  • Ski School began.

1972/73 Season

  • Main Lodge opened.
  • Sundown Lodge opened.
  • Timberline lift opened.

1975/76 Season

  • Hidden Lake Lift added.

1981/82 Season

  • Shuttle service for employees and for Powder Country started.

1984/85 Season

  • Powder was the first Utah resort to allow snowboarding.

1986/87 Season

  • Hidden Lake Day Lodge opened.

1994/95 Season

  • Sunrise Lift opened.

1999/2000 Season

  • Paradise Lift, a quad, opened up an additional 1300 acres (5.3 km²) of lift accessed terrain.
  • Cat skiing moved to Lightning Ridge accessing an additional 700 acres (2.8 km²).
  • Powder Mountain became the resort with the most skiable terrain in America.

2006–07 season

  • Hidden Lake lift replaced with a high speed lift.

2012–13 season

  • In 2012, Summit announced its plans to purchase Powder Mountain with the goal of preserving the throwback character of Powder Mountain while creating a permanent home for the Summit community.

2016/17 season

  • Village lift and Mary’s Bowl lift being added to make Powder Mountain the largest ski resort in the USA at 7,957 acres.  These two chair will add 1,060 acres of lift served terrain.  With cat skiing terrain, Powder Mountain is 8,464 acres.
Powder Mountain even has night skiing.  image:  powder mountain
Powder Mountain even has night skiing. image: powder mountain

 


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3 thoughts on “Powder Mountain, UT = The New Largest Ski Resort in the USA at 8,000-Acres…

  1. I remember when it was bought this last time and a big show was made how.
    Powder mtn. was going to remain a ” locals ” resort .Now we are informed of the ” grand” plan they must of had all along. This sounds like the common real estate ploy used throughout the ski industry.Its all about the village retail and high end 2nd home development.I’d like to see who ends up really living there full time .Locals will be forced out of the valley and used as low paid worker drones.Oh,well it was fun while it lasted… .

  2. Do the new roads cross thru to Logan or Wellsville ?

    Also much of the 8,000 acres is rather flat and not good in powder.

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