Powder Mountain

Powder Mountain is a ski resort east of Eden, Utah, stretching between Weber and Cache counties and 55 miles (89 km) from Salt Lake City International Airport. Covering 8,464 acres (13.2 sq mi; 34.3 km2), Powder Mountain is the largest ski resort in the US by skiable acreage.[1] [2] The resort has 154 trails, nine lifts and two terrain parks.[3]

This article is about the ski resort in Utah. For the mountain in British Columbia, Canada, see Powder Mountain (British Columbia). For its associated icefield, see Powder Mountain Icefield.
Powder Mountain
Powder Mountain
Location in Utah
Powder Mountain
Powder Mountain (the United States)
LocationCache, Weber counties, Utah, United States
Nearest major cityOgden, Utah, 19 miles (31 km) southwest
Coordinates41°22′48″N 111°46′49″W
Vertical2,205 ft (672 m), lift-served; 2,522 ft (769 m) via snowcat
Top elevation8,900 ft (2,713 m), lift-served; 9,422 ft (2872 m) via snowcat
Base elevation6,900 ft (2,103 m)
Skiable area8,464 acres (34.25 km2); 2,800 acres (11 km2) lift-served
Runs154; 25% beginner, 40% intermediate, 35% advanced
Longest run3 mi (4.8 km)
Lift system6 chairs, 3 surface lifts
Lift capacity6,350 skiers per hour
Terrain parks2
Snowfall350 in. (8.9 m.) per year
Snowmakingnone
Night skiing1 chair, 1 surface lift

History

Powder Mountain had been the winter range for Frederick James Cobabe's sheep. Between 1902 and 1948, Cobabe accumulated land around Eden[4] and improved its previous poor land management. The area has been called "one of the best-managed watersheds in the Wasatch Mountains".[4]

Cobabe's son Alvin bought his father's livestock company (with its 8,000 acres) in 1948, and later acquired adjacent properties. When he opened Powder Mountain on February 19, 1972, he owned 14,000 acres.[4]

During the resort's first season, the Sundown lift was the only one in operation. The area was illuminated for night skiing, a ski school was established, and food was prepared on an outdoor barbecue. The main and Sundown lodges and the Timberline lift were added during the 1972–73 season.[4]

Alvin Cobabe sold Powder Mountain in 2006 to Western American Holdings.[5] The resort remained under the same management team, led by Aleta Cobabe[4] (Alvin's daughter) during the 2006–07 season. It was purchased by Summit, an event-hosting group, in 2013.[6]

Timeline
  • 1971–72 season: Powder Mountain opens with the Sundown Lift; ski school begins.
  • 1972–73: Main and Sundown lodges and Timberline Lift open.
  • 1975–76: Hidden Lake Lift added.
  • 1981–82: Shuttle service for employees and for Powder Country begin.
  • 1984–85: Powder Mountain is the first Utah resort to permit snowboarding.
  • 1986–87: Hidden Lake Day Lodge opens.
  • 1994–95: Sunrise Lift opens.
  • 1999–2000: The quad Paradise Lift opens an additional 1,300 acres (5.3 km2) of lift-accessed terrain. Snowcatat skiing moves to Lightning Ridge, accessing an additional 700 acres (2.8 km2) acres.
  • 2006–07: A high-speed lift replaces the Hidden Lake Lift.
  • 2012–13: Summit purchases Powder Mountain.[7]
  • 2016–17: The Village Lift and Mary's Lift Skytrac Systems are added.[8][4]

Powder Mountain has six chairlifts (one triple, four fixed quad, and one detachable quad) and three surface tows.[9] Beyond its lift-accessed terrain, it can also be accessed by snowcat, cat skiing and guided tours.[10] Snowcat service is available for Lightning Ridge, near James Peak (the 66th-highest peak in Utah).[11]

Powder Mountain is co-owned by Elliott Bisnow, Brett Leve, Jeremy Schwartz, and Jeff Rosenthal. [12]

References
  1. "Mountain Statistics". Powder Mountain. Retrieved 2019-03-23.
  2. Olmstead, Larry (2016-10-28). "Utah's Powder Mountain: Inside The Largest Ski Expansion In North American History". Forbes Media, LLC. Retrieved 2019-04-13.
  3. "Powder Mountain Ski Resort - Map, Weather & Information". Ski Utah!. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
  4. "History of Powder Mountain".
  5. "About #PowMow". Powder Mountain. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  6. "Why Buy A House When You Can Buy A Mountain?". NPR.org. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  7. "New owners' updates to keep Powder Mountain the same". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  8. "Utah's Powder Mountain Embarks on Largest Ski Resort Expansion in US History". Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  9. "Mountain Statistics". Powder Mountain. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  10. "Powder Mountain". Powder Mountain. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  11. "James Peak (UT) : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost". www.summitpost.org. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  12. https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-utah-these-entrepreneurs-are-creating-their-own-version-of-eden-11568905597
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