Utah is one of my favorite places in North America. It has everything an outdoor adventurer could want, from the 5 National Parks in the south to mountains, like Powder Mountain, AKA Pow Mow, in the north. You can hike the slot canyons one day and shred some powder the next.
But if you are looking for a place where you don’t have to stay within the lines, a place with an abundance of powder and the most skiable terrain in the nation, you need to check out Powder Mountain. It really is Utah’s best kept secret.
Location
Powder Mountain (6965 E. HWY 158 Eden, Utah 84310) is one of those lesser known mountains, mostly because of location. It isn’t nestled into the mountains of Snowbird, Alta or Park City. Though it is still recommended to fly into Salt Lake City International Airport, you will need to rent a car and head north to Ogden.
Known as a “locals mountain,” Powder Mountain can be found 20 miles east of the city of Ogden or 55 miles north of Salt Lake City. But it’s worth it, trust me.
The drive from Ogden to the main lodge along Powder Mountain Road can be treacherous, especially after a recent snow. It is strongly recommended to take a 4-wheel drive vehicle with chains handy. Or you can take the bus ($4 one-way), which is the simplest way to go.
History of Powder Mountain
Powder Mountain, before it became the ski mountain it is today, started as a winter range for a sheep herd owned by Frederick James Cobabe.
In 1948, his son, Alvin bought the livestock and the 8,000 acres of land from his father. After toiling with livestock and heavy machinery for a period he realized that life wasn’t for him. Then he went to medical school. But he kept the land.
In the 1950’s he was horseback riding with some friends when someone made the off-hand remark that the land would make a great ski resort. Alvin loved this idea and began to purchase adjacent property amassing 14,000 acres of land.
The resort officially opened in 1972. During it’s first season only the Sundown lift was open. In 2006, at age 88, Alvin sold Powder Mountain, Inc and since then it has been sold multiple times.
The Mountain
Powder Mountain has 9 lifts (with some pretty slow lifts, though they recently spent the money updating several of their lifts), 3 of which are tows (hate those, impossible things) with 8,464 skiable acres of some of the greatest snow, making it the largest ski resort in the United States.
It’s the most freeing feeling to be able to ride or ski anywhere. There are very few limits, making the ski area pretty open. When you are on the mountain you don’t feel as though you are at a ski mountain. It’s remote, it’s not built up and they only allow 1,500 tickets per day. You feel as if you are riding in the backcountry everywhere you go and there is nothing better on a powder day.
There are groomers, for those days when the powder isn’t great but they get over 500 annual inches of snow and they do not make their own snow. If this is your first time visiting the mountain it can be a bit overwhelming trying to figure out how to get to the various areas around the mountain. I got turned around on more than one occasion trying to figure out how to get back to the Powder Keg Pub and base lodge area.
The vertical drop, depending on where you are, is around 2,500 vertical feet, with James Peak having a maximum elevation of 9,422 ft.
Of the named runs there are 154, 25% are beginner, 40% are intermediate, and 35% are for the more advanced riders out there.
Services and Lift tickets
When I went to this mountain it felt like a community. Everyone having a beer at the lodge knew each other. And they were welcoming to everyone. The lodge is very basic, there is absolutely nothing upscale about the place but the food is good and the beer is cold.
It gave me the same feeling of comradery that I had when I stayed at the Lake of the Clouds hut in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. There was just a comfortable feel, like a favorite sweater.
Like I said they only sell 1,500 tickets a day and with over 8,000 acres of skiable terrain you never feel like the place is crowded and the lift lines are never overwhelming. More recently they have changed the structure of their ticket sales. In order to keep this mountain running they have had to close some of the terrain from the public and provide private only terrain for people who purchase property around the mountain.
A single day lift ticket will cost you $95 per adult. There is also night skiing available in one spot on the mountain, which is $33/adult. You can also purchase a season pass if you decide to spend the winter season in Utah.
If you are into cat skiing and riding you can take a cat to Lightning Ridge and Raintree, though they run on a limited schedule so make sure to check the website before you head out. You will need a lift ticket or season pass to access the cat skiing and riding.
Powder Mountain has two terrain parks, Sundown Terrain park which has some beginner and intermediate features and the Hidden Lake Terrain park which is for more intermediate to advanced skiers and riders.
Concluding Thoughts
Powder Mountain to me is not your traditional, rich ski family resort. It doesn’t have the big log cabin style lodges, cute resort village, or overpriced food. There is a reason the locals love it. It’s not overrun with people and it hasn’t changed since opening.
Maintaining that comfortable, laid back feel, it is the perfect mountain to check out on a snowboard trip to Utah.
Did I mention that Utah is one of my favorite places in the world? I know that may sound crazy, but with incredible snow terrain and the Mighty 5 National Parks there really is no place like it.
