If you’d asked any version of myself, prior to a couple weeks ago, I would have been an extreme advocate against the privatization of any ski resorts or mountains in general. I would have acknowledged the naivety of my stance, people with money hold inevitable power over those that do not, but I certainly would have stood strongly against any private resort. Powder Mountain showed me that I was wrong, private resorts can be in service of public and private skiers.
The next question you’d likely ask me is what changed my mind. I took a trip to Powder Mountain and saw first-hand the model for a private and public ski resort. I went in as a skeptic but left with a broader understanding of ski resort management and the future of resort skiing.
The way I understand Powder’s backstory really becomes unique with the purchase of the mountain by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. He had a vision for skiing to return to a sport that relies on building a personal connection with the mountain, something that is hard to do with hour-long lift lines.
Getting from the public side to the private side is easy at Powder, you just ski right down to the lifts. If you have a public pass, you won’t be able to scan onto the private lifts but Powder is no police state. They just simply ask that you respect the rules, signs are the only measure of security between the two sides (along with the aforementioned pass scanners).
I think what’s going on at Powder Mountain is a realistic case-study for the future of ski resorts. If people have the means and resources to allow themselves private skiing, why wouldn’t they? At least at Powder Mountain the real estate sales and membership costs generally cover the cost of running the public resort. The private side, and Reed Hastings, saved the public resort from running out of money. It’s a factor of reality that skiing and the cost of running a resort is extremely expensive.
While I haven’t made up my mind about the privatization of mountains and skiing, nor do I feel knowledgable enough to say anything definitively, this realistically seemed inevitable at Powder especially if the public lifts were to remain in use. Throughout my three days of skiing there I also noticed that while the terrain on the private side was less busy, there wasn’t anything privately available that you couldn’t find a similar aspect to on the public side.
Homeowners on the private side are getting exactly what they are paying for, empty runs and untracked turns. Along with a community of people that live and ski in the same place. Even the public lifts had basically no lift lines and I was able to find fresh tracks all day during my trip.
The resort as a whole was relatively empty, but you could certainly feel more of the local energy on the public side. I’m certain if I was a member of the community that has developed on the private side there would definitely be a sense of culture, as it was obvious from being in the lodge and sitting on the lift that those on the private side have built a community of their own. Â
For the couple of hours I skied by myself at Powder Mountain, I rode every private lift and a hand-full of the public ones as well. It’s certainly a give and take relationship. The snow was lasting longer throughout the day but I had to work for the sense of community I usually experience at other resorts.Â
Then again, all the people I talked to were welcoming of newcomers and more than excited to share their thoughts on all the recent changes. Private and public skiers alike, there was a true appreciation for the sport of skiing at Powder Mountain.
And there is certainly a local culture on the mountain. We were introduced to the Powder Keg, a local spot in the Timberline lodge (on the public side). Usually boasting live music and rowdy crowds, the Powder Keg really brings the feeling of what I imagine Powder Mountain was like thirty years ago. I could really feel the love for the mountain and the community here.
I’ve skied big conglomerate resorts and small mom and pop ones, but it’s hard to say how mountains should be managed. This is one model that boasts objective success and the people seem generally positive about the changes being made or at least have an understanding of their necessity.
It’s hard to watch your local mountain develop into an exclusive space. But I think in this slice of the Wasatch, that without Powder Haven (the private resort), there would be no Powder Mountain and the two coexist well. Not to mention how beautiful the resort is as a whole (and supremely massive).
Skiing is evolving and so is the resort experience. For now, everything I saw at Powder Mountain made sense and I truly enjoyed my time there, both on and off the hill.
Eden, UT provides its own unique addition to the resort experience and I saw a lot of camaraderie from locals rallying behind the success of the mountain as a whole, meaning supporting the private side in tandem with the public.
Powder aims to be transparent about the relationship between the two sides and I could tell from the energy there that everyone is working towards the overall goal of great skiing, of which I would say they are succeeding.
From backcountry access through gates, to skiable chutes and big cliffs, Powder Mountain did really have it all (and on both sides of the resort).
Powder Mountain was certifiably huge and on any typically snow year, there are no rope closures. Every feature you see above is skiable at Powder (if conditions allow).
Again I can’t say objectively whether or not mountains should be bought and sold, but it is what’s happening. Powder has done their best to respect the mountain and the culture that’s been pre-established for generations while simultaneously creating a successful business model. They are working to make a diverse audience happy on both sides of the mountain.
I can’t speak for every one of the true Powder locals, but if you find yourself with the opportunity to visit: go, explore, and ask questions. We are all learning together as our world and these sports continue to grow but it was clear to me there is no ill intent from anybody at Powder Mountain, they are simply working to keep skiing alive.
With major additions coming to both sides of the resort, the public in particular, I am genuinely excited about the future of Powder Mountain. I am hopeful I will get the opportunity to return and ski the new DMI lift, as well as see how the community develops around the blossoming resort.
Powder Mountain is doing their best to balance the essence of die-hard ski culture with the reality of the financial strain skiing causes.