Well that didn’t last long. Just last season, Park City Mountain became the largest resort in the United States when Vail Resorts combined both Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons Resort. But that title will belong to Powder Mountain this ski season when they fire up two new lifts to complete what they say is the “largest lift-serviced resort expansion in North American History.”
Here’s the breakdown: Powder Mountain is adding two new lifts that will access over 1,000 acres of new ski terrain. The Village Lift and Mary’s Lift is scheduled to open this season, making Powder Mountain the largest resort in the U.S. at 7,900 skiable acres. In addition, PowMow is also building a town… that’s right, a whole town, just six miles away from the resort’s mid-mountain base. Described in a press release as “modeled after the Swiss town of Wengen,” it 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.
If that’s not enough news, Powder Mountain also announced that starting this season, they will be capping day passes at 2,000, while only selling 1,000 season passes. The goal? To keep skier density to one acre per skier in order to “preserve the pow.”
With all this expansion, new town, and new vibe, you’d expect ticket prices to skyrocket. But day passes will be sold at a reasonable $79.
Here’s what the new Powder Mountain looks like, by the numbers:
- 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
You can read the full press release from Powder Mountain below:
In 2011, Chairman Greg Mauro, then a local season pass holder, approached Summit with the idea to save Powder Mountain from overdevelopment and overcrowding and build a next-generation Alpine town with the Summit community as an anchor. The Summit organization strives to catalyze entrepreneurship, support creative achievement, and drive positive global change. After a crowdsourcing campaign, Powder Mountain was purchased in 2013 by Summit Powder Mountain–the youngest ownership group in the ski industry. Since the resort is not owned by a large corporation or private equity firm, it has the ability to reject the usual corporate resort formula of mega-homes, luxury outlets, and crowds reminiscent of an amusement park.
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, historically, has been known for its adventure skiing, uncrowded slopes and expansive terrain. In addition to the largest expansion of a US ski resort in history, Powder Mountain is also announcing the capping of adult season passes at 1,000 and total day passes at 2,000 daily, enabling a skier density less than 10% of what is found at comparably sized resorts. “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!” said Mark Schroetel, General Manager of Powder Mountain Resort. Schroetel added, “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.” Utah based lift manufacturer SkyTrac will be installing the new lifts in Lefty’s Canyon and Mary’s Bowl with a scheduled completion in mid-December. The addition of two new lifts accessing over 1,000 acres of new terrain for the 2016-2017 winter season pushes lift accessible terrain total to 7957 and total skiable acreage to 8464 making it one of the largest ski areas in the United States. Mary’s and Village Lift will access terrain previously accessible only by all day guided cat skiing adventures.
Powder Mountain offers a unique opportunity for skiers and riders of all levels to experience their personal adventure within our expansive boundaries. Novice powder skiers and riders can easily dip into any of the powder stashes off our impeccably groomed trails with the knowledge they can return to the corduroy any time they want. Intermediates and advanced powder fans can access true side country adventure via single ride cat on Lightning Ridge, Rain Tree and the newly added Lefty’s cat serviced terrain. Those seeking a bit more adventure can opt for a full day snowcat expedition to Davenport, an area known for steep canyon descents and deep, untracked powder. If you are seeking the ultimate guided adventure, check out the experts only Wolf Creek and DMI (Don’t Mention It) Tours that provide skiers and riders access to over 1,500 acres and over 3,300 feet of vertical drop. Lifts, snowcats and shuttles deliver easy access to these areas, so you can focus on the extreme pitch and the pure joy of ripping your powder paradise. Also new this year, we are offering all day and single ride heli skiing adventures. Diamond Peak’s skilled guides can customize an experience that will make your wildest powder dreams come true.