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EDEN, Weber County — Powder Mountain majority owner Reed Hastings announced Friday the resort is adding over 3,000 acres of public and private terrain through a new ski lift and a land acquisition. It's the latest investment announced since the Netflix co-founder took over majority control of the resort last year.
About 900 acres of public terrain, including new access to expert and advanced terrain, are expected to become available through a lift expansion on land the resort already owns in Wolf Canyon, also referred to as DMI. The measure is also expected to add close to 150 acres of additional terrain that will be available for hiking.
Resort officials said they plan to add more "wide-open" bowls, prime glades and expert shoots in this area, but it's not quite clear yet when the new terrain will be available. Surveying and planning are expected to begin this summer and construction of the new lift could start in the summer of 2025.
The rest of the new land announced Friday will be available for private owners in the area. Powder Mountain reached a deal to acquire 2,390 acres from a neighboring property, to expand the resort's private homeowner stock and terrain that's only accessible for private land owners within the resort.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but resort officials say the land features 1,766 feet of "consistently pitched vertical drop" and more than 980 acres through glades and several cut runs.
"We're fortunate in Utah to have enough land to expand our skiable terrain and keep the ski experience uncrowded," Hastings said in a statement. "These acquisitions, alongside our decisions to not accept megapasses and limit day ticket sales, help to fulfill our promise of keeping Powder Mountain uncrowded, independent and a truly special place for generations to come."
Friday's announcement comes after Hasting pledged in September to add $100 million in new investments into the northern Utah resort. Then, in December, he penned a public letter expressing his desire to keep Powder Mountain "uncrowded and unspoiled," which he planned to do through a mix of public and private offerings.
That included three new public lifts expected to open during the upcoming 2024-2025 season. The new public lift announced Friday will tack onto the growing number of lifts that will be made available to the general public.
The new private land will expand by the Village and Mary's lifts, which will switch from public to private access beginning next season.
Resort officials also unveiled new season pass renewal options last month. The price for a regular adult season pass will jump from $1,259 this year to a model starting at $1,499 for next winter. Passes for kids ages 5 to 12 will cost $199, with the purchase of a season pass.
They also implemented a new tiered pricing system as a part of the efforts to keep the resort "uncrowded."
