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SALT LAKE CITY -- This July 4, adventurous Utahns may be able to celebrate not only with fire, but also some ice.
Snowbird, a ski resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon, has announced its intentions to stay open until Independence Day this year, and if the weather cooperates with those ambitions plans, it would make 2010-11 the longest season in Snowbird history, with 202 days of skiing.
We are asking ‘Is it possible to get too much of a good thing'? Because that might have been the case this year.
–- Jessica Kunzer
Though it may sound outrageous, Snowbird has made it to this date twice before, in 1995 and 2005, and a trio of July 4 closings isn't out of the question.
"Considering the snow pack we have right now, we have a really good chance of making it that far," said Emily Moench, communications manager for Snowbird. "I would be surprised if we didn't."
A combination of factors has made this season a boon for many resorts in Utah including good weather and a relative upswing economically in the last year.
Also affecting matters is who owns the land. Some resorts, like Snowbasin in Weber County, are on U.S. Forest Service lands, and may have restrictions in place on how long they stay open. Others base the date on demand and a "willingness to cater to the enthusiastic skiers and riders who want to continue into the summer," according to Moench.
Alta Ski Area stayed open through May 2, a record for the resort, and though Eagle Point's lifts are no longer running, it is still possible for back country skiers willing to take a hike to get in a run or two.
"I skinned up to 12,000 feet yesterday," said Ty Sonner, who used special coverings called skins to ski uphill, without the need for lifts.
Almost all resorts have had "abundant" snowfall according to Jessica Kunzer, director of communications for Ski Utah. Snowbird alone had 760 inches as of May 26, beating out its 1984 record of 688 inches. In fact, Kunzer thinks there might have been too much snow.
"We ran into a number of issues with maybe too much snow and weather issues around the holidays that adversely affected resort operations and transport," she said
Ski Utah estimates that there were 4.2 million skier day visits this season, making it the second largest ever, behind 2007-08. Without the intermittent closures of resorts, and bad weather keeping people away even when open, this could have been the biggest season so far.
"We are asking ‘Is it possible to get too much of a good thing'? Because that might have been the case this year," Kunzer said.
