SAM Magazine—New York City, Oct. 11, 2023—Ski Utah held its annual media event in Soho on Oct. 5, taking the opportunity to share in-person details of last year’s record winter in Utah and the latest news, including Powder Mountain’s announcement on Oct. 2 that it pulled all available lots as it moves forward on its rebranding process. 

“This last year—with the help of Mother Nature—we had 7.1 million skier visits, a 22 percent increase and 903 inches of snow,” said Nathan Rafferty, president of Ski Utah. The increase was on top of the previous all-time record of 5.8 million skier visits.

“The crazy stat was that after receiving their first snowfall on Oct. 22, 2022, Alta averaged 5 inches of snow per day through their closing in late April,” said Rafferty, who added that snow was so abundant that “it wasn’t worth getting out of bed unless it was in double digits!” 

Powder Mountain’s director of marketing Katie Van Riper shared the recent news of a 10-year agreement with Meriwether, the development firm that owns Aspen Club. The area, known for its daily lift ticket caps and uncrowded slopes, was recently bought by Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, who invested $100 million. This winter, Powder gets its first snowmaking system to be used at Sundown Lodge area’s beginner terrain, which will be regraded and upgraded with a new Sunkid carpet. In addition, the area will open for night skiing with a $19 lift ticket and adds a guided backcountry tour.

Deer Valley's new senior communications manager Christine Spinkston outlined details about the area's planned expansion to more than double its terrain with 3,700 additional acres to become one of the largest ski areas in North America. In the works over next three years: 16 new lifts with a 10-passenger gondola; a village with ski school, lodging and dining; and eastside terrain development including bowls and glades. Despite the growth with an estimated 135 additional ski runs, Spinkston said Deer Valley’s goal is to remain true to its brand promise of providing exceptional guest service, while also remaining a ski-only resort.

“Utah’s ski industry is definitely on a roll,” said Rafferty. “Deer Valley’s expansion will provide exciting growth for years to come, but we’re also seeing new amenities from Brian Head to Beaver and everywhere in between, not to mention the Olympic Winter Games likely to land here either in 2030 or 2034.”

Report by Iseult Devlin