Industry News
With the start of ski season just weeks away, here’s all the new and exciting things that will greet skiers at resorts in Utah, courtesy of Ski Utah.
- Related: Ski Utah Strongly Supports a Gondola as the Answer to Little Cottonwood Canyon Traffic Woes
Alta Ski Area
The Corkscrew trail on the Collins side has been widened to enhance the skiing experience on this popular trail, and there will be enhanced snowmaking in the Wildcat base area to improve the guest experience. In addition, four Wyssen towers are being installed in the East Castle area, and there will be a new snow fence installation on the Devil’s Castle Road. These remote explosive devices (RACs) and snow fences will allow for safer and more efficient openings of the Supreme lift and the groomed terrain of Rock and Roll and Big Dipper.
Beaver Mountain Ski Area
Beaver Mountain is installing a new yurt this winter in the base area. It will serve as a “first stop” for new and beginner skiers and riders. Guests will be able to start the rental process, as well as discuss options for lessons with Snowsports instructors. Geared to expedite our “Learn to Turn” program, it will be a huge addition to the guest experience at Beaver Mountain Ski Area.
Brian Head Resort
Brian Head Resort is excited to announce the addition of a new snowcat and enhanced snowmaking. Brian Head has also added new evacuation equipment to ensure guest safety throughout the mountain.
Brian Head Resort will manage the Best Western Premier Brian Head Resort & Spa this winter. Located less than half a mile from the ski area’s Navajo Lodge and a recipient of Tripadvisor’s 2020 Traveler’s Choice award, the Best Western Premier offers resort guests a unique stay that is defined by the highest degree of hospitality, quality, and attention to detail. We believe this will greatly enhance our guests’ experience.
Brighton Resort
New for the 2021-2022 season, Brighton Resort will add snowmaking in the Snake Creek area. Brighton continues to improve and expand night skiing offerings by adding night lights on the Snake Creek lift and runs. In addition, Brighton will add a Piston Bully 600E+ Hybrid diesel-electric snowcat to their fleet.
Cherry Peak Resort
Cherry Peak has invested in updated snowmaking equipment to accommodate an earlier opening date for the 2021-2022 season.
Deer Valley Resort
Deer Valley Resort continues to offer a world-class mountain dining experience, and this season the Snow Park Restaurant will be reimagined, offering a new lunch and après experience in the base lodge for skiers. The new menu will feature build-your-own salads and bowls, soups and chilis, burgers, and an après ski menu with small bites and creative cocktails.
The resort continues to invest in annual improvements, and this year’s highlights include new Helly Hansen uniforms for all on-mountain staff; purchasing new state-of-the-art snowcats, and upgrades to snowmaking systems and transportation fleets.
Deer Valley’s Snow Park Lodge and base area will soon start on a multi-year, complete revision to create a premier base area experience and complete the Resorts 40-year master plan. The new Snow Park base will provide additional accommodations and skier services, new contemporary food and beverage and après options, plus an expansive ski beach. An integrated transportation and mobility hub and new underground parking facilities will dramatically improve the mountain access experience. Pending local government review and approval, Snow Park is projected to break ground in 2022.
Eagle Point
Eagle Point has laid down infrastructure to expand snowmaking capacity to extend to the Skyline Lift area, providing snow coverage to some of the more popular runs for beginners and ski lessons. The Canyonside Collection is now available to rent and represents a new lodging standard at Eagle Point, right in the heart of the village. These brand new condominiums contain all the modern amenities a family needs, with luxuriously appointed and spacious designs, panoramic views, and private hot tubs completing the modern mountain lifestyle. These are the first new condominium builds at the resort in 20 years.
Nordic Valley
Nordic Valley has added four brand new trails for the upcoming season, as well as new bathrooms to enhance the guest experience. They’ve also upgraded their snowmaking on the new trails. As expected, Nordic Valley’s new high-speed 6-person chair lift officially opened on January 24, 2021.
Park City Mountain
This October, the Elektron Solar Project will break ground- an 80 MW solar project that will provide renewable energy for 100 percent of Park City Mountain’s electric usage by 2023. This investment in renewable energy is part of Park City Mountain and Vail Resorts’ Commitment to Zero sustainability initiative to achieve zero waste to landfill, zero net emissions, and zero net impact to forests by 2030. Park City Mountain is proud to support this audacious goal, and their teams are working hard toward achieving it. Vail Resorts also recently signed the Climate Collaborative Charter, the ski industry’s first unified effort to combat climate change, with other industry leaders including Alterra, Boyne, and POWDER.
Park City Mountain, the largest ski resort in the U.S., has the most expansive snowmaking system in Utah which ensures world-class skiing conditions all season long, regardless of natural snowfall. With the help of its tenured snowmakers, the resort is scheduled to be one of the first resorts in Utah to open for the 2021-22 winter season on Friday, Nov. 19. Epic Pass prices were reduced this year, so unlimited skiing and riding at Park City Mountain all season long just got even more accessible.
Powder Mountain
Powder Mountain will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and is also excited to have joined the Indy Pass lineup for the 2021-2022 season. “Joining the Indy Pass has been on our radar and now that we share the same technology partner – Entabeni Systems – it became a very simple integration with our unique philosophy of limiting skier visits to 1,500 per day on our slopes,” explains Mark Schroetel, Powder Mountain’s General Manager.
Snowbasin Resort
Snowbasin announced significant enhancements and upgrades coming to the resort and guest experience and ultimately, the introduction of overnight accommodations including a hotel and village master plan.
Phase one features a new Ridgeline chairlift, expanded beginner terrain, parking, and hotel with completion planned by December 2024. Construction of the resort village is planned to commence by 2025, with additional retail, residential, and resort amenities to be added over the span of many years. East West Partners, North America’s most experienced mountain resort developer, and international planning firm Ecosign are engaged with Snowbasin in planning and coordination of development activities.
Snowbasin will replace a fixed-grip triple mid-mountain lift, Middle Bowl, with a high-speed detachable 6-pack. Opening is slated for Christmas 2021. The new chairlift will reduce ride time from 12 minutes to 6 minutes.
Parking is being expanded for the upcoming season with approximately 435 stalls added to the Maples and Canyon Rim parking areas. This will add to Snowbasin’s already high parking capacity and expedite guest access to the mountain. Construction on the new parking sections will begin in July and will be complete prior to Opening Day of the 2021-22 winter season.
Snowbird
The 2021-22 season marks Snowbird’s 50th anniversary. Guests are invited to celebrate all season long with activations and limited-edition merchandise.
Snowbird Power Systems came online in July 2021. Snowbird Power Systems is a complex network of facilities that produce electricity and heat to operate the resort efficiently and reliably. The main component consists of a cogeneration plant that uses natural gas to produce electricity while recycling naturally occurring heat waste to warm the resort. Through Snowbird Power Systems, Snowbird is able to produce between 90-100% of the mountain’s energy needs right up in Little Cottonwood Canyon while saving the equivalent carbon emissions of removing 789 personal vehicles from the road a year.
Additionally, Snowbird is installing Wyssen Towers in Mineral Basin. This will allow for remote-triggered avalanche mitigation work to occur, ideally making openings more efficient.
Finally, Snowbird plans on launching an all-new product in early October. More details are to be released soon.
Solitude Mountain Resort
Solitude is proud to have recently announced a $15 minimum wage for all non-tipped hourly employees.
Sundance Mountain Resort
Sundance Mountain Resort is thrilled to announce the addition of a new high-speed lift to mid-mountain summit. This lift will open up additional lift-accessed terrain, which was previously unavailable. An additional fixed-grip lift is being installed, and three magic carpets for the new beginner terrain will be operating for the 2021-2022 season.
Enhanced snowmaking will also be added for this season, including a snowmaking reservoir and new snowmaking equipment. In addition, Sundance Mountain Resort is expanding parking and adding about 160 newly paved parking spots for guests.
In addition, The Lookout, opening December 10 and reinvented from the original Creekside Cafe, will provide an additional option for those wishing to enjoy a casual meal at the base. Sweeping mountain views will accompany this modern BBQ menu where guests will enjoy drinks, burgers, grilled meats, salads, and bowls during both the summer and winter seasons.
Woodward Park City
Woodward Park City, the ultimate year-round action sports community club, continues its mission of empowering and inspiring the next generation of action sports athletes with upcoming capital improvements. Improvements for the 2021-22 winter season include new features in the 10,000 sq. ft. indoor concrete park; the development of a stage within the parkour zone providing a space to host events including film premieres, athlete speakers, live music performances, and more; and a micro clubhouse to serve Woodard’s smallest action sports athletes, ages 1–6. The micro clubhouse will include a small trampoline, foam pit, bouldering wall, and more activities for our youngest enthusiasts.
Woodward Park City offers a fully integrated campus made up of a 66,000 square foot state-of-the-art action sports hub and more than 60 acres of Woodward Mountain Parks, a network of featured terrain park zones that, together, offer a balanced variety of exciting on-mountain experiences for all ages and abilities. In addition, visitors can experience snow tubing on the longest lanes in Utah and Utah’s only 22’ halfpipe. This winter, Woodward Park City introduces Ride With Woodward lesson programming offering group and private lessons for first-timers through advanced park riders. Ride With Woodward lessons take advantage of Woodward’s terrain that is designed for progression from the Start Park through the network of Progression Parks.
