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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

Powder Mountain
Powder Mountain is a ski resort located in the western United States east of Eden, Utah, stretching between Weber and Cache counties in the Wasatch Range which covers 12,000 acres (18.8 sq mi; 48.6 km), and is one of the largest ski resorts in the U.S.. The resort was established in 1972, and has 162 trails, nine lifts, and two terrain parks; it is 55 miles (90 km) northeast of the Salt Lake City International Airport.

Powder Mountain is a multi-season mountain destination, home to an expansive public ski resort, an open-air museum of land art and sculpture, and a unique residential neighborhood with dedicated access to private ski lifts, premium amenities, and elevated alpine living.

Powder Haven

Located at the panoramic summit of Powder Mountain, Powder Haven is a residential and 600-family private-ski community nestled in 12,000 acres of alpine wilderness overlooking the Great Salt Lake.

Homeowners act as stewards, protecting vast open spaces, enhancing the adjacent uncrowded public ski resort, and establishing a unique land art park. Residents enjoy year-round amenities including private ski lifts, lakeside and mountain lodges, and a planned state-of-the-art wellness center.

Powder Art Foundation

Powder Art Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the legacy of land art and supporting the vision of contemporary artists on Powder Mountain.

One of the Foundation's key initiatives is to create an open-air museum and sculpture park where visitors will experience site-specific artworks integrated throughout the terrain. This ambitious new project will integrate transcendent works of art into the ruggedly beautiful landscape, with a grand opening slated for Fall 2026.

Access will be free and open to the public for hiking and biking during summer and fall months, and skiable with a season pass or lift ticket during the winter.   

The Powder Art Foundation is made possible through the philanthropic support of founding and principal donor Reed Hastings.

Powder Mountain has five public chairlifts (Timberline, Lightning Ridge, Sundown, Hidden Lake, & Paradise) and three homeowner dedicated lifts (Village, Mary's, & Raintree). Beyond its lift-accessed terrain, it can also be accessed by snowcat, cat skiing and guided tours.

History

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

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.

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.

Alvin Cobabe sold Powder Mountain in 2006 to Western American Holdings. The resort remained under the same management team, led by Aleta Cobabe (Alvin's daughter) during the 2006–07 season. It was purchased by Summit Series, an event-hosting group, in 2013. Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix and homeowner at Powder, acquired Powder Mountain 2023 and assumed his current role as CEO & Chairman.

Timeline

  • 1971–72: 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 km) of lift-accessed terrain. Snowcat skiing moves to Lightning Ridge, accessing an additional 700 acres (2.8 km) acres.
  • 2006–07: A high-speed lift replaces the Hidden Lake Lift.
  • 2012–13: Summit purchases Powder Mountain.
  • 2016–17: The Village Lift and Mary's Lift Skytrac Systems are added.
  • 2023: Reed Hastings (co-founder and former co-CEO of Netflix) assumes ownership of Powder Mountain. Introduces blended public-private ski resort model, new real estate development, and plans for open-air museum & sculpture park.

Awards & Accolades

In 2023, Ski Magazine ranked Powder Mountain #1 in their annual Top 30 Resorts in the West, and Men's Journal named Powder "Best Ski Resort to Avoid the Crowds" in their 2024 Best Ski Resorts in U.S. List. In addition to widespread recognition as one of the best ski resorts in the country, Architectural Digest called Powder "The Hottest Design Destination You Probably Haven't Heard Of" in 2018, due to the unique architectural vision of its residential community.

References

  1. ^ "Mountain Statistics". Powdermountain.com. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  2. ^ Olmstead, Larry (October 28, 2016). "Utah's Powder Mountain: Inside The Largest Ski Expansion In North American History". Forbes Media. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  3. ^ "Powder Mountain Ski Resort - Map, Weather & Information". Skiuta.com!. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  4. ^ Megroz, Gordy (March 29, 2024). "Can Reed Hastings Disrupt Skiing?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  5. ^ "Mountain Statistics". Powdermountain.com. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  6. ^ "Powder Mountain". Powdermountain.com. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  7. ^ "James Peak (UT) : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost". Summitpost.org. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  8. ^ "History of Powder Mountain Resort". Powdermountain.com. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  9. ^ "About #PowMow". Powdermountain.com. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  10. ^ "Why Buy A House When You Can Buy A Mountain?". NPR.org. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  11. ^ Potter, Everett. "Netflix Billionaire Buys North America's Largest Ski Resort". Forbes. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  12. ^ "New owners' updates to keep Powder Mountain the same". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  13. ^ "Utah's Powder Mountain Embarks on Largest Ski Resort Expansion in US History". Tetongravity.com. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  14. ^ Editors, The (October 20, 2023). "Top 30 Resorts in the West (2024)". SKI. Retrieved September 2, 2024. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  15. ^ Young, David (April 4, 2024). "Best Ski Resorts in U.S. for Iconic Runs and Après-Ski Fun". Men's Journal. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  16. ^ O'Neill, Meaghan (November 13, 2018). "Powder Mountain Is the Hottest Design Destination You Probably Haven't Heard Of". Architectural Digest. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
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