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- Beaver Mountain Ski Resort awaits this weekend's storm to determine its opening date.
- In the meantime, the resort is finishing expansion of its now 26,000-square-foot lodge, Marge's Cabin, for rentals.
LOGAN — Beaver Mountain Ski Resort is keeping a close eye on this week's storm as crews race to finish the largest expansion in the resort's history.
The family-owned ski area, depends entirely on natural snowfall to open each season. As of Friday afternoon, the mountain had just 6-7 inches on the ground, and mountain operations manager Travis Seeholzer said the resort needs at least one more solid storm before welcoming skiers. Opening day typically falls sometime during the Christmas break.
While waiting on Mother Nature, crews are putting the finishing touches on a new 26,000-square foot lodge called Marge's Cabin. The building adds much-needed space for rentals, ticketing, retail and events.
"Our team's been frantically getting the space in order," Seeholzer said. "We were hoping this was going to be done a month ago, and we're still wrapping up a few things and moving in and kind of doing it on the fly."
The expansion required more than two and a half years of construction, hauling 27,000 tons of material up the mountain, including 12 million pounds of concrete and 300,000 pounds of rebar. Seeholzer said the project was possible thanks to Beaver Mountain Ski Resort's loyal following, which it considers family.
"Everything we do with the company is to try to give back to the ski area and improve the experience for them, so it's definitely a give and take," he said.
The old ticket building is gone, but pieces of its siding now decorate the new ticket area and company president Marge Seeholzer's office. The original lodge will remain in use for dining and concessions, among other purposes.
As for snow, Seeholzer said forecasts predict up to 20 inches from the current storm. If totals reach 2 feet, he said Beaver Mountain Ski Resort will start assessing an opening date. Until then, he said, it is on track for its typical opening window.
