What’s New in Utah for the 2024/25 Ski & Snowboard Season
What were you doing all summer? Resorts in Utah were working full-time adding new lifts and snowmaking, smoothing out terrain, even adding major expansions. Those improvements will come in handy in 2034, when the Winter Olympic Games return to Salt Lake City and the resorts around it.
Here’s what’s new in Utah for the 2024/25 season. In alphabetical order, since that’s the only fair way.
Alta
Improvements have been made to the approaches at the top of the Collins lift on Mambo and on the Ballroom traverse and the High traverse. Also, there are new covered Sunkid conveyors at the Albion Base Area for beginners.
Brian Head Resort
There are three new trails – two for beginners and one for intermediates – part of a $1.4 Million budget for capital improvements. Brian Head celebrates its 60th Anniversary in January 2025, with a series of on-mountain activities and events, the week of January 7.
Brighton Resort
There’s new night skiing and snowboarding at the Millicent Chairlift, and increased snowmaking off the Great Western and Snake Creek chairlifts. Brighton also has added eco-friendly hybrid electric snowcats and an electric snowmobile for operations.
Deer Valley
Where to start? 300 new acres of terrain with three new chairlifts and a new base area with expanded parking.
The new terrain is being called Deer Valley East Village, and is being opened in bits and pieces as it is developed. That’s where the new lifts and 500 new parking spots are located.
Keetley Express will be Deer Valley’s first six-person chairlift with a protective bubble, scheduled to open in December. It will connect the new Deer Valley East Village to the main area, dropping skiers near the bottom of the Sultan lift on Bald Mountain. The other new lifts are Hoodoo Express and Aurora, both servicing beginner-level terrain.
Park City Mountain
There’s new snowmaking at Canyons Village, to allow terrain accessed via the popular Tombstone Express to open earlier in the season.
Powder Mountain
Under new private ownership this season, Powder is now a hybrid of terrain open only to members and public access. The public portion gets a new lift in Wolf Canyon to Lightning Ridge, which will add 900 acres of lift-served and 147-acres of hike-to access.
The new owners also are upgrading the Paradise and Timberline lifts, adding new guided adventure experiences, and creating an on-mountain art gallery with outdoor sculptures dotting the slopes.
In February 2025, all Saturdays and Sundays are accessible to only Powder Mountain Season Pass holders.
Snowbasin Resort
Bear Hollow, Snowshoe and Slow Road are being widened to improve flow and safety in the Family Zone, accessed by the Wildcat Lift. Snowbasin also is making other adjustments to prepare for the new Becker Chairlift, set to debut before the 2025/26 season. The new lift will be a detachable quad, replacing the fixed-grip triple that dates from 1986. The new lift will be a six-minute ride, getting you to the top in half the time.
Snowbird
The original Wilbere Chair has been shifted from a slow double to a speedy quad with a conveyor for more efficient loading, and also moved to provide easier access from the Creekside base area. The beloved original red Tram cabin has been refurbished and transformed into a new outdoor extension of the Tram Club for dining and drinks, along with new lunch and apres ski offerings at The Atrium in the Cliff Lodge.
Solitude
The news here is about parking. Midweek parking costs have been reduced by 50% and vehicles with three or more occupants will continue to park for free. Also, advance parking reservations – which the resort says reduced congestion in Big Cottonwood Canyon – are now required on just 46 days, down from more than 60 last season.
Sundance Mountain Resort
The new Mountain Camp Day Lodge is opening, with lockers, a ticket office, rentals and more. It is adjacent to recently-expanded parking with 110 new spaces. Also, under construction now and due to open in 2025/26, is a new 63-room ADA-accessible luxury inn at the base village.
What’s your favorite Utah resort? www.skiutah.com
Mine is all of them.
See you on the slopes.
Indy Pass Adds 30 New Resorts Around the World for 2024/25 Season
Kiroro Japan Skiing Credit: IndyPass
The Indy Pass gets better every year. It just added 30 new resorts in the USA and around the world for the 2024/25 season, on top of the 52 it added last season.
As its name implies, the Indy Pass focuses on independent areas without another affiliation such as biggies Ikon, Epic or even Mountain Collective. It gives you two days of skiing at each member mountain, plus discounts for additional days.
With 230 members now, the good news is that means 430 potential downhill days for a buy-in price of $419, with add-on options that include black-out dates.
The bad news is that Indy strictly limits pass sales, so smaller members don’t get overwhelmed.
Limited Sale Dates
With the new areas, Indy is resuming pass sales for those already on the waitlist, only from Oct. 24-27. The general public has just one day only – Oct. 28 – to buy in.
New Resorts for 2024/25 Season
In alphabetical order, since that’s the only fair way –
- Baqueria Beret, Spain
- Bear Creek, Pennsylvania
- Bear Valley, California
- Bousquet, Massachusettes
- Bruce Mound, Wisconsin
- Camp Fortune, Quebec
- Cascade Welcome Center XC, New York
- Cazenovia Ski Club, New York
- Cupid Valley Ski Resort, Japan
- Dynaland Ski Resort, Japan
- Hirugano Kogen Ski Resort, Japan
- Hoedown Hill, Colorado
- Hunt Hollow Ski Club, New York
- Innsbruck Resorts, Austria (12 resorts)
- Lost Valley, Maine
- Loveland Ski Area, Colorado
- Massif du Sud Quebec
- Mont Rigaud, Quebec
- Christie Mountain, Wisconsin
- Mt. Holiday, Michigan
- Ninox Snow Park, Japan
- Norway Mountain, Michigan
- Takasu Snow Park, Japan
- The Snow Center, England
- Trafford City Snow Centre, England
- Washigatake Ski Resort, Japan
- Whitehorse Nordic Ski Society, Yukon
- WhitePIA Takasu Ski Resort, Japan
- Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort, Japan
- Mala Upa, Czech Republ
Indy Pass Pricing – Final Sale for 2024/25 (No Senior Pricing)
- Indy Base Pass $419 Adult / $239 Kids (12-and-under)
- Indy+ Pass $539 Adult / $299 Kids (no blackouts)
- Indy AddOn Base $319 Adult / $179 Kids
- Indy AddOn+ Pass $409 Adult / $229 Kids (no blackouts)
- XC Pass $99 Adult / $49 Kids
- Personalized Photo Pass $10
FREE ADMISSION Boston Snowbound Expo
You’ve been to the summer tent sale. You’ve been to the local ski swap. Now make tracks to the ski show!
Each November our friends at the SnowBound Expo produce what I believe is the finest ski & snowboard show in the Northeast, perhaps the country. People sometimes ask me why I go? For a lot of reasons. Some psychological, some economic.
Psychologically, it’s good to be among like minds. Everyone at the show is excited and anticipating the coming season. It stirs the carve junky in me. I know I’ll be on snow somewhere in just weeks. That motivates me to increase my workouts (you never really know just how much gas is in the tank until the first run!) and prep the gear.
The show is a celebration of winter sports as demonstrated by the stellar line-up of guest speakers. This year New Hampshire born and raised Big Mountain Skier, Caite Zeliff, Vermonter Moguls legend, Hannah Kearney, Maine’s finest athlete, Donny Pelletier, and Alice Merryweather, top-ranked American downhill skier, World Cup contender and Olympian will share their experience and knowledge with fans.
Economically, there’s gold at the show. There are more promotions than you can count. Resorts will update you about their latest improvements to their lodges, lifts, snowmaking and terrain. They’ll be selling gift-cards, ticket packages and season passes at the lowest prices of the year. If you’re lucky, you may win free tickets or passes in a raffle or by spinning a prize wheel. Chachka is everywhere. Stickers, bottle openers, keychains, goggle wipers, lift ticket clips, ski straps, hats, trail maps, water bottles, bandanas and more await you collectors of ski memorabilia.
On the gear side you’ll find close-out deals on last year’s brand-new skis, boots and bindings. It’s an excellent time to add a specialty pair to the quiver. Get that soft snow or ice ski you’ve had your eye on. You’ll also find manufacturer’s promoting their newest equipment. Get up to speed on the latest ski and boot technology designed to make your day on the hill a little easier and a little more fun. You’ll also find great deals on every kind of clothing. It’s the perfect time to update your look or add to your layers. Perhaps most importantly, there’s no better time to outfit the kids!
You’re invited to Snowbound Expo 2024, November 15-17 at the BCEC! Get FREE tickets with code SENIORSKI. Enjoy 180+ brands with up to 60% off gear, plus experiences like an indoor slope, Learn to Ski, cross-country skiing, and more. Hear from Olympians and top athletes like Hannah Kearney, Caite Zeliff, Alice Merryweather, and more. Don’t miss out on great deals, après-ski, and community fun!
Click the link for FREE tickets: https://snowboundexpo.seetickets.com/event/snowbound-expo-2024/boston-convention-exhibition-center/2926543?OfferCode=SENIORSKI
For a full description of the show and everything happening there please visit https://snowboundexpo.com.
See you there!
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