“My heart was how can we get young people out here, you know, throughout the week. Middle schoolers, high schoolers, college kids down at Casper College… that was my heart. I just always had a vision of seeing a couple of yellow buses kind of pulling up right there at the front.”– John Lutz
Hogadon Basin Ski Area is an under-the-radar ski area on the outskirts of Casper, Wyoming. It’s a unique upside-down mountain, meaning the parking lot and lodge are at the top, and you ski down to the lift. This summer, a major project is underway: adding night skiing. According to Wyoming News Now, forty-six light poles have been installed to give resort night skiing for the first time. The night skiing project will be conducted in two phases. The first phase, being completed this offseason, will put lights on the Park Avenue, Boomeranged and the Bunny run. The next phase will put lights on the Dreadnaught run.
This was all made possible by a fundraising effort from the Hogadon Night Skiing Project. Since 2016, the Night Skiing Project has been raising funds to help local Casper school kids have a place to shred at night. Founder John Lutz, whose daughters’ ski teams shredded at Hogadon, began to ponder if night skiing was possible at the small ski area. Years of fundraising, persuading the local government, and small setbacks eventually led to this summer’s installation of the lights.
Hogadon Basin season passes, along with a night skiing add-on option, will go on sale in October. Night skiing tickets will also be available to the public during ski season.
Image Credits: Hogadon Basin Ski Area, Skimap.org
