Skiing:  Snow Basin

Snowbasin is a gem that is beginning to shine. The Olympic downhill and super-g are scheduled to be held here in the 2002 Olympics. The area is undergoing a transformation into a four-season resort. The owner has plans for condo’s and a golf course in the coming years.

In the last year four new lifts have been added. Two gondolas, a high-speed quad, and a jig-back tram. Three of the new lifts access terrain previously only skied by those willing to hike. From the top of the new Strawberry Bowl gondola you can peer over the edge down into Ogden. This lift is the first to go to the top of the mountain.

If you like your ski area to be just about skiing and not the après-ski scene you had better come here now! In a couple years the resort is going to become much more like the Park City resorts. Come here now if you like to ski without the glitz and glamour. The terrain here will wear you out so you don’t really need the bar scene. If you are looking for all the extra’s in a ski area go someplace else. If fantastic terrain and powder that lasts more than a few hours are what you are looking for, come here this year.

Snowbasin has so few crowds you can ski powder all day without having to look for it real hard. If you feel up to it and the ski patrol says it’s ok you can hike to the top of middle bowl and sample some of the great chutes through the rocks. The ridgeline between Strawberry Bowl and Middle Bowl usually holds powder for weeks. Traverse the ridge till you see a line you like and drop in. Although short these lines are usually quite exciting.

The food in the day lodge isn’t too bad but you will be better off picking up something in town and brown bagging it. There are no on-site accommodations yet so you will have to stay in Salt Lake or Ogden. The road up to the resort is terrible, steep and narrow it winds constantly. If you are caught behind a bus it may take you a while to get there. This should improve by next year when another road to the resort is finished.

The lift passes cost $39.00 for adults and $24.00 for children. You might want to call ahead and check on the snow conditions and lift closures. The John Paul area and Strawberry Bowl are often closed. These areas are hard to avalanche control and quite often will be closed storm days.

Despite the lack of base facilities and lift closures I heartily recommend checking out Snowbasin!!

Additional Resources

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SNOW REPORT

Snowbasin Snow Report

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