Eden, Utah – A lot has changed over the past 14 months at Powder Mountain.
Since Netflix Co-founder Reed Hastings became the owner of the Utah ski resort in September 2023, change has been afoot across the mountain. New lifts are being built, art pieces have been installed, and infrastructure improvements have helped modernize the ski resort. However, this has come at a cost for consumers.
Last season, Powder Mountain announced that a few of its lifts would be only available to private homeowners. In turn, they’ve added a lift to Lightning Ridge, a peak that was previously only accessible by Snowcat. So, what does it now cost to ski one day at Powder Mountain with many new investments?
Recently, Powder Mountain announced its lift ticket pricing for the 2024-25 season. As previously announced, lift tickets are not being offered on February weekends to make it a quieter experience for season passholders than what has become commonplace in the North American ski industry.
In comparison, On The Snow reports that Powder Mountain’s lift ticket prices for the 2023-24 season were $157 on weekdays and $183 on weekends/holidays.
To be honest with you, I was expecting it to be worse. Frankly, I was kind of expected it to be near the top spots for the most expensive tickets in the U.S. ski industry, held by the likes of Deer Valley and Vail. I looked around at various lift tickets around the Utah ski industry. Some are pricier, but the others are around the same price point. Factoring in that they added three new public chairlifts this winter, it’s an appropriate price point (by ski industry standards). Like other ski resorts, they’re trying to incentivize buying a season pass.
However, I wish that Powder Mountain (among many other ski resorts) would incentivize people to show up in the later season, which is when visitation goes down and most people shift their activities like golf and mountain biking. Having lift ticket price points of $177-202 in April isn’t a great incentive for non-season passholders to visit.
I’m curious to see how they implement dynamic pricing. In their social media post, Powder Mountain mentioned that they plan to increase pricing as the scheduled date approaches. Ski resorts have begun experimenting with this, perhaps most notably the Arizona Snowbowl, which charged $299 back in early 2023. The question will be how high those lift ticket prices go.
I do have to give credit for the fact that, like last winter, night lift tickets at Sundown are still only $19. This is a very affordable rate for night skiing in the ski industry. They could’ve hiked the prices this winter, especially considering that demand for this will rise from Nordic Valley’s decision not to have night skiing this winter. Keeping it at that rate is one thing I can confidently say they’re doing right.
Ultimately, this season will be a fascinating trial run to determine whether Powder Mountain’s unique tactics for running a ski resort and making extensive changes under a skeptical client base are sustainable.
Image Credits: Powder Mountain
