Spanish Peaks couldn't make it as a private ski area, so it's now run by Big Sky and anyone with a Big Sky Pass can ski there. Or at least that's how it was a couple of years ago when I was there last.
So are you still doing the trip this time? If so, I hope for that price you get endless powder! Because it's definitely not the best place without fresh snow. I do wonder if they'll start trying to financially benefit from the mountain biking there beyond charging for bike park lift tickets.
Are you sure? How many riding up the new Paradise quad will be going straight to the new Timberline/Lightning Ridge base to lap Lightning vs skiing Paradise terrain? Will the new Paradise chair even deliver more butts per hour to the top?
www.skitalk.com
How will the new Lightning Ridge chair affect Powder Country? More people will ride Sundowner without the cat riders? Makes no sense to me. If anything, I forsee less traffic on Powder Country and also the other side of the road in Woody’s World. I’ll normally lap those two areas on my way to the Lightning cat to make a big loop. Without the cat, the loop would likely exclude Sundowner and you’d just get off at the bus at Timberline to get to the new Lightning chair. Easy to forget Powder County if you aren’t riding up the chair that accesses it.
Typically, if it hasn’t snowed in weeks, and/or the off piste is unskiable for some reason, lonely skiing down long groomers. Mostly you can expect a slow paced and quiet day exploring a huge place.
Much of Powder Mountain Is surrounded by private land owners. Beware of criminal trespassing and the huge fines that it brings. The surrounding land owners are starting to be fed up and are seeking legal council.This was another rumored concern when the Summit kids bought it. Something about access being a county road creates some huge hurdles but we all know that money talks.
It has been interesting living in the Ogden Valley for the past 23 years & watching the saga of Powder Mountain. From the time the Cobabes (original owners) sold it till now there have been 4ish different owners all with grandiose plans. The first had plans for an airstrip at 8000’ & even had a golf course laid out where Brim trail is now.
The next wanted to incorporate & call it Powder Town, l think it was a scheme to steal water rights or something. This idea met hostile opposition from the surrounding community & was shut down.
Then Summit who actually followed through & did some of what they set out to do & now Reed Hastings has taken the reigns with his $3.5 billion backing him.
As for Catskiing, there is already Monument Ranch which encompasses a ton of surrounding terrain.
2 years ago the deal makers where looking for investors to put a private lift off James Peak into the DMI area which is terrain only accessible with hired guided skiing now. Skied that terrain frequently back in the day & it is really some of the best up there.
View attachment 218251
There is also scrapey’s which is past the north boundary of James Pk. but can put you back to the base of Paradise without much effort.
What people need to realize is that PowMow ain’t all that without frequent snow.
I’d better stop before I say too much
Most of Scrapey's is on private land...but most people don't give a hoot about trespassing as long as it gets them what they want.This was another rumored concern when the Summit kids bought it. Something about access being a county road creates some huge hurdles but we all know that money talks.
It has been interesting living in the Ogden Valley for the past 23 years & watching the saga of Powder Mountain. From the time the Cobabes (original owners) sold it till now there have been 4ish different owners all with grandiose plans. The first had plans for an airstrip at 8000’ & even had a golf course laid out where Brim trail is now.
The next wanted to incorporate & call it Powder Town, l think it was a scheme to steal water rights or something. This idea met hostile opposition from the surrounding community & was shut down.
Then Summit who actually followed through & did some of what they set out to do & now Reed Hastings has taken the reigns with his $3.5 billion backing him.
As for Catskiing, there is already Monument Ranch which encompasses a ton of surrounding terrain.
2 years ago the deal makers where looking for investors to put a private lift off James Peak into the DMI area which is terrain only accessible with hired guided skiing now. Skied that terrain frequently back in the day & it is really some of the best up there.
View attachment 218251
There is also scrapey’s which is past the north boundary of James Pk. but can put you back to the base of Paradise without much effort.
What people need to realize is that PowMow ain’t all that without frequent snow.
I’d better stop before I say too much
Yeah, l spoke with a patroller yesterday & he confirmed that Scrapey’s was on private land. He seemed to think that Powder Mountain owned land adjacent & lower down but not the top. I haven’t seen tracks in there for years except once last season.
I know there was some dispute that one of the MTB trails infringed on private land & as a result was closed for awhile. I haven’t crossed a boundary in years, wouldn’t want to jeopardize my pass.
Back from UT w/ couple days at Powder Mountain. Basically untracked all day pow for both days. Skiing down to the road to catch a bus back up was a first for me. Super chill place.
powdermountain.com
