Recent snowfall has allowed Snowbasin Resort in Huntsville, Utah to move up its opening day. The new Ikon Pass partner announced last week that they’d be opening this Friday (November 18th). It will be the earliest opening in its eighty-year history. The following lifts will be open: Needles Eye Gondola, Middle Bowl Express, Littlecat Express, Wildcat Express, and the Wildcat Handle Tow. Significant snowfall, along with consistent snowmaking temperatures, has led to excellent coverage going into their opening.
The opening weekend will be available exclusively to season passholders. This includes Snowbasin Premier & Value Passes, Ikon Passholders, and individuals who have the Mountain Collective. These passholders will be allowed to use buddy passes to bring guests.
This Thursday night, Snowbasin will be hosting its inaugural season kickoff party, The Moose is Loose, from 3-8:30 p.m. Some of the festivities will include a rail jam, a ski movie film festival, various food options, and the opportunity to pick up your season pass. After that, if you want to stay overnight to get the first gondola cabins, they’re allowing people to set up tents in the gondola lift line. You have to pick up after yourself by 7 a.m. though.
Davy Ratchford, the General Manager of Snowbasin, said the following about their earliest opening ever:
“We’ve always said that as soon as we can open the mountain safely, we will, and this year mother nature mixed with our advanced snowmaking system has allowed us to do just that – and even earlier than ever before. We cannot wait to welcome guests back to the mountain to experience a season that is shaping up to be unlike any other at our incredible resort. If you haven’t purchased your pass yet, now is the time.”
During the offseason, Snowbasin worked on numerous projects to enhance the skier and rider experience. These additions included new tree skiing around Dan’s Run, Becks and in the Bear Hollow Woods, a snowmaking expansion on 10 acres of terrain with 22 new energy-efficient machines, the widening of the Boardwalk trail, regrading of the Bullwinkle run, the installation of a Gazex avalanche mitigation system around the Allen Peak Tram, a new educational adventure zone on the Snowshoe run, and an uphill route was added below the base of the Strawberry Gondola.
Mountains across the state of Utah have moved up their opening dates, as Brian Head, Brighton, and Solitude have already opened, Park City will be opening this Wednesday, and Alta and Snowbird will be opening Friday. You can read Snowbasin’s official press release here.
Earliest opening on record!
See you all on Friday the 18th ⛷🏂
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Opening weekend will be exclusive to pass holders, click the link for more details! 📲https://t.co/4ioSEqQJO0 pic.twitter.com/I3CKlwpEzK— Snowbasin Resort (@SnowbasinResort) November 11, 2022
Image/Video Credits: Snowbasin Resort
