BENJAMIN ZACK, Standard-Examiner file photo

It’s almost time once again for people to hit the slopes in the Ogden area.

When the snows return and skiers flock to resorts like Snowbasin, Nordic Valley and Powder Mountain, they’re bound to see changes across the board.

Nordic Valley Ski Resort

While other ski resorts are looking to add on, one is putting new bells and whistles on hold for the time being — but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been working to improve the guest experience even in the face of challenging times.

In January, Nordic Valley Ski Resort lost its lodge facility to a major fire. The resort was only closed for a few days but returned to action with temporary facilities for ticketing and other services. The resort also sustained the loss of an important chairlift.

Nordic Valley general manager Pacal Begin told the Standard-Examiner last month that this offseason has largely been dedicated to recovery.

BEN DORGER, Standard-Examiner file photo

“Last year was such a chaotic year with the loss of the Apollo chairlift, the barn burning down with all of the amenities,” he said. “It was pretty much to rebuild and get back on our feet more than bringing out new stuff.”

Begin said they’ve made some great progress in bringing the resort back to form.

“Our first mission was really to get our old chair Apollo back online and back in service,” he said. “There’s this team we hired from the Northeast that are pretty much the best on planet Earth when it comes to haul lifts like the lift that we have. They spent the summer replacing vital parts and every moving part of the lift — the line assembly that’s on the towers and everything.”

Begin said there were no challenges to getting Apollo back up and running.

However, a permanent replacement for the lodge that burned down earlier this year is still a ways down the road.

BEN DORGER, Standard-Examiner file photo

“A brick-and-mortar skier service building, we’re going to have something up, but not until season ’26-’27,” Begin said. “In the meantime, we’re going to be a couple seasons in a temporary structure. We’re going to have a double-wide (trailer) that’s going to be used as a lodge and also as an office to replace the barn.”

He said even with all the hardship endured during the ’23-’24 ski season, they’re looking forward to a new year.

“We’re just hoping for a good snow year and we’re really looking forward to having our season pass holders and our guests back on the mountain,” he said. “We could’ve built new things and added new things, but at the end of the day, we’re very committed to our business model. … We had to adapt and put out the biggest fire first and put our money into skiing first and make sure the product is good and back up to par so that we can host our season pass holders and our guests.”

Snowbasin Resort

Snowbasin Resort had a big summer that has set the stage for bigger winters ahead.

In the long term, it was announced that Snowbasin will once again host Alpine skiing during the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

In the meantime, an August press release announced that the resort also will play host to several improvements in time for the upcoming ski season.

“Snowbasin is committed to being the most accessible mountain in Utah and these improvements will make a significant impact to our accessibility and efficiency,” Snowbasin General Manager Davy Ratchford said in the release. “We look forward to welcoming guests to experience these new enhancements, which will further elevate the world-class amenities and top-notch service we strive to provide.”

One project the resort has embarked on is the upgraded Becker chairlift.

“The highly anticipated upgrade to Becker Chairlift will unveil prior to the 2025-26 winter season,” the release said. “One of the resort’s oldest chairs initially installed in 1986, Becker will transition from a fixed-grip triple chair to a detachable quad, greatly enhancing capacity by transporting around 1,800 riders per hour. The high-speed lift will also cut skiers’ lift time in half, offering a swift six-minute ride to the top terminal. The Snowbasin team has spent the summer clearing the path for the new lift line, paving the way for an enhanced guest experience.”

As the Becker project unfolds, guests can expect to see refurbished cabins on the Needles gondola.

The release adds that the resort also has worked on access improvements.

“Snowbasin continues to offer free parking without reservations and free shuttle service from the lots to the slopes, and has seen success with recent initiatives to improve the resort’s arrival experience, including the expansion of parking lots and doubling bus service,” the release said. “This summer, Snowbasin partnered with the Utah Department of Transportation to implement a new traffic pattern off Trapper’s Loop that allows cars from south and northbound lanes to simultaneously turn onto Snowbasin Road, improving traffic flow and allowing for an estimated 25% increase in vehicle speed. To further incentivize carpooling and reduce the number of cars on the road, Earl’s parking lots A-E will be reserved for vehicles with three or more people every weekend until 11 a.m. This update will increase traffic flow for guests by separating traffic into two lanes and will offer express parking and priority access for carpoolers.”

Snowbasin also served as the site where Thomas “Racer Tom” Hart of North Ogden compiled the majority of his recently certified Guinness World Record for “Greatest vertical distance skiing downhill in one year (male)” last ski season. He told the Standard-Examiner in August that he intends to try to break the record again.

Powder Mountain 

Powder Mountain also is looking at showing off an improved product to skiers this winter.

According to a September press release, the resort will feature two upgraded lifts, including:

• Paradise: “A new Doppelmayr detachable quad will take a once 16 minute ride down to 7 minutes. Given the Paradise lift’s location at a key artery, the new lift will have an important impact by increasing uphill capacity and helping to spread guests throughout the lift network.”
• Timberline: “A new Skytrac fixed-grip quad replaces a two-seat 51-year old lift that was one of the oldest operating lifts in Utah while doubling carrying capacity”

The release adds there will also be two totally new lifts, including:

• Lightning Ridge: “Providing access to the advanced chutes of Lightning Ridge and lift connectivity between the Sundown base area and the rest of the resort, the brand new Skytrac fixed grip quad will make its debut this winter season.”
• Raintree: “The first newly-constructed lift for Powder Haven Residents, the Raintree lift will provide access to advanced glade skiing and riding. Joining the Village and Mary’s lifts, which primarily serve ski-in-ski-out homesites, Raintree will become part of a private lift network on the mountain’s eastern flank accessible only to property owners.”

The press release also heralds a big return for the resort.

“For the first time since 2020, terrain parks are returning to Powder Mountain,” the release said. “Powder was the first resort in Utah to allow snowboarding in 1984/85. 40 years later, Powder is recommitting to that legacy by building terrain parks at the Sundown and Hidden Lake base areas.”

However, Powder Mountain will not just serve as a showcase for skiing this year.

“Art has long held a special place at Powder,” the release said. “To further its commitment to the arts, owner Reed Hastings established the Powder Art Foundation, 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. The grand opening is slated for Fall 2026, however several new works will be installed and on view this season.”

But not everyone is excited about changes coming to the resort, which boasts the largest skiable acreage in all of North America. The implementation of a $12 parking fee until 1 p.m. on weekends and holidays — to be waved for groups of three or more people sharing a ride — has ruffled the feathers of some season pass holders, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.