Ever since I first heard of Powder Mountain, I’ve wanted to go. With a cap on season pass holders and over 8,000 acres of in-bounds terrain—most of it not accessible by lift but only by hiking, snowcat, or shuttle—it sounded like an adventure. Sure, it didn’t have the steep terrain of Snowbird or the snowboarding history of Brighton, but it was less about maximizing vertical and more about maximizing the experience. With this being the last season on the Indy Pass, we made it a point to visit, and the day we were there, they announced they were lifting the cap on season passes.
The Powder Keg was Just That
Enjoying a frosty pint and a delicious bowl of pho at Powder Mountain’s ski bar, the Powder Keg, I struck up a conversation with the people around me. Nearly everyone sitting near us wasn’t from Utah—there was a couple from Michigan, an entire family from California, and others from places like Idaho, Texas, and New York. None of them were happy about the removal of the season pass cap. The reason they had chosen Powder Mountain in the first place was that it wasn’t as crowded as the other Salt Lake City resorts. They would rather pay for a day lift ticket and have a more relaxed experience than visit an Ikon or Epic resort. Oblivious to Powder Mountain’s current strategy, I began to dig into it.
How it Started
In 2023, Netflix co-founder and former CEO Reed Hastings acquired a controlling interest in Powder Mountain through a $100 million investment. A few months later, he stated, “Powder has been struggling financially, so I stepped in to invest and help find a sustainable path for staying uncrowded and independent.”
Plan A: Go Semi-Private
As part of his strategy to improve Powder Mountain’s bottom line, the resort would need to sell more real estate. To help spark more sales, it would go semi-private, designating the Village and Mary’s lifts—serving beginner and intermediate terrain—plus a new lift on Raintree to be accessible only to homeowners.
Throw Skiers A Bone – $20 Million In New Lifts
As part of the announcement to go semi-private, he also stated that the resort would invest $20 million in three new public lifts (and one private), to be installed in summer 2024. The efforts would replace the fixed-grip Paradise quad, which is one of the only ways to ski its full vertical, with a high-speed detachable quad. They’re also replacing the 50-year-old Timberline double with a new fixed-grip quad and installing another fixed-grip quad to provide lift-served access to Lightning Ridge.
People were “OK” with What Went Private
The vibe I got from local skiers and snowboarders on the lift and in the Powder Keg was that they were ‘OK’ with the private access, even though everyone felt it wasn’t handled well. It wasn’t ideal, but at least it wasn’t on some of the more fun terrain on the mountain. Personally, riding in the Village and Mary lift-accessed zones, I felt the same way. It could provide some fun, hippy pow turns on a 6-inch day, but it was low-angle, to say the least. Additionally, the promise of the new Lightning Ridge lift would finally add some steeper lift-accessed terrain, something the mountain had been lacking.
Removal of Season Cap
To reiterate, what REALLY bothered everyone I spoke to at the Powder Keg was the removal of the season pass cap. In fact, the waiting list for Powder Mountain’s season passes ‘measured at least twice as long as the 3,000 passes it allotted to sell.’ Everyone around me felt it seemed counterintuitive to CEO Reed Hastings’ pledge of continuing the ‘decades of exceptional, uncrowded skiing for all.’ One of the reasons Powder Mountain has remained so uncrowded was because of the season pass limit.
How Will They Keep It Uncrowded?
According to one of CEO Reed Hastings’ letters, he stated that they will do this by ‘limiting day ticket sales, expanding terrain, and increasing parking.’ In addition to the cap on day tickets, there are a few other plans in his strategy. For starters, the season pass will increase from $1,259 to $1,499 (minus a $100 discount for current passholders). They’re also removing most of the discounts they previously offered, such as:
- Seniors 75 and older will no longer ski free; their pass will now be $1,049.
- Children ages 7-17 enrolled in the Weber or Cache County school program, which was $109, will now be $199 for those aged 7-12, and $1,049 for ages 13-17.”
It Continues to Evolve
The latest chapter in Powder Mountain’s strategic evolution was revealed in October. Along with unlimited season pass sales, the mountain will reserve all Saturdays and Sundays in February 2025 for passholders only—no exceptions. They’re serious about it too: even those who have booked non-refundable accommodations ahead of the press release during those days MUST buy a season pass to access the mountain.
Keeping Their Promises
Even through all the changes Reed Hastings has implemented, one thing that may come as a shock is that the four lifts he promised in February to be installed this summer actually happened. While the changes they’re implementing are painful, there is a glimmer of hope that if they can follow through on the lifts, they will also stay true to their motto:
“Uncrowded by Design”
