Huntsville, Utah — Snowbasin Resort will celebrate its 85th anniversary with another chairlift replacement, along with a few other notable improvements.
Fresh off being ranked the number one ski resort in North America by Ski Magazine in 2024, Snowbasin has made more upgrades to the on-mountain experience for this upcoming winter.
“It’s remarkable to see what Snowbasin has become over the past 85 years, from a modest local hill to an Olympic host and a bucket-list destination,” said Davy Ratchford, the General Manager of Snowbasin Resort. “Through it all, we’ve never lost that family-owned warmth or our critical focus on guest experience and joy. These new improvements and ongoing enhancements help ensure Snowbasin stays the kind of place people return to, season after season, generation after generation.”
Here’s a rundown of what’s coming to Snowbasin for the 2025-26 season:
New Chairlift
The Becker chairlift was one of the last fixed-grip chairlifts remaining at Snowbasin. Installed back in 1986, the fixed-grip triple was a slow ride up the mountain.
Its replacement is the Becker Express, a new detachable high-speed quad chairlift. The base terminal will be closer to the Wildcat Express than its predecessor, resulting in easier accessibility. The new Leitner-Poma chairlift will be able to carry 1,800 people per hour. It’ll be a speedier journey, with its under-seven-minute ride time being an improvement over the 12-minute journey up the old Becker. This faster lift will lead to easier access to the Middle Bowl and Strawberry terrain pods.
This is Snowbasin’s fourth new chairlift over the past eight years, which includes DeMoisey, Middle Bowl, and Wildcat. Following the opening of Becker, Porcupine will be the only fixed-grip chairlift active at Snowbasin.
Terrain Enhancements
This summer, the Bear Hollow trail was regraded and widened. As one of the ski resort’s main convergence zones, these improvements will enable better skier flow on Bear Hollow. Snowbasin worked on terrain improvements on the Snowshoe and Slow Road trails in prior offseasons, making the Becker area a better experience for beginners.
RFID
While most Ikon Pass mountains had RFID systems, Snowbasin was one of the last holdouts. This changed this offseason, as Snowbasin installed RFID gates in its lift queues. For season passholders and Ikon Pass members, this means that your pass grants you direct access to the lift.
This will allow for a more streamlined process for skiers getting through the lift maze and onto the chair. It’s estimated that it could lead to a reduced wait time of up to 25%, meaning more time on the slopes and lifts.
Snowbasin’s projected opening date is November 28th.
Image Credits: Snowbasin Resort
