View source for Snowbasin

{{Short description|Ski resort in Utah, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox ski area
| name           = Snowbasin
| logo           = 
| picture        = [[File:Basin 1x blue sky.jpg|230px]]
| caption        = Sunny day at Snowbasin in February 2019
| location       = [[Mount Ogden]]<br>[[Weber County, Utah|Weber County]], [[Utah]], U.S.
| nearest_city   = [[Huntsville, Utah|Huntsville]]
| pushpin_map    = USA#Utah
| pushpin_relief = 1
| coordinates    = {{coord|41.216|N|111.857|W|type:landmark_scale:50000|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_label_position = 
| map_caption    = Location in the [[United States]]##Location in [[Utah]]
| vertical       = {{convert|2959|ft|abbr=on}}
| top_elevation  = {{convert|9350|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| base_elevation = {{convert|6391|ft|abbr=on}}
| skiable_area   = {{convert|3000|acre|km2|1}}
| number_trails  = 104<br>[[Image:Ski trail rating symbol-green circle.svg|13px]] 20% easiest <br>[[Image:Ski trail rating symbol-blue square.svg|13px]] 50% more difficult <br>[[Image:Ski trail rating symbol-black diamond.svg|13px]] 30% most difficult
| longest_run    = ''Elk Ridge'' {{convert|2.9|mi|abbr=on}}
| liftsystem     = 13<br>[[Chairlift|Chairs]]: 10<br>- 1 [[Aerial tramway|tram]]<br>- 2 [[Gondola lift|gondolas]]<br>- 5 [[Detachable chairlift|high speed quads/six packs]]<br>- 2 fixed-grip<br>[[Surface lift|Surface]]: 2<br>- 2 [[Magic carpet (ski lift)|Magic carpet]] <br>- 1 Wildcat Handle Tow
| lift_capacity  = 14,650 skiers/hr
| terrainparks   = 3
| snowfall       = {{convert|350|in|ft m|1}}
| snowmaking     = {{convert|600|acre|km2}}
| nightskiing    = No
| external_link  = {{URL|www.snowbasin.com}}
}}
'''Snowbasin Resort''' is a [[ski resort]] in the [[Western United States|western]] [[United States]], located in [[Weber County, Utah]], {{convert|33|mi}} northeast of [[Salt Lake City]], on the back (east) side of the [[Wasatch Range]].<ref name=dnslc>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Df0yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WoMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5203%2C3243971 |work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |last=Grass |first=Ray |title=SnowBasin |date=March 11, 1982 |page=D3}}</ref>

Opened {{Years or months ago|1939}} in 1939,<ref name=dnslc/> as part of an effort by the city of [[Ogden, Utah|Ogden]] to restore the Wheeler Creek watershed, it&nbsp;is one of the oldest continually operating ski resorts in the United States. One of the owners in the early days was Aaron Ross. Over the next fifty years Snowbasin grew, and after a large investment in lifts and snowmaking by owner [[Earl Holding]], Snowbasin hosted the [[2002 Winter Olympics|2002 Winter Olympic]] [[Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics|alpine skiing]] races for downhill, combined, and super-G, and is expected to reprise these roles for the [[2034 Winter Olympics]]. The movie [[Frozen (2010 American film)|''Frozen'']] was filmed there in 2009.

Snowbasin is located on [[Mount Ogden]] at the west end of [[Utah State Route 226|State Route 226]], which is connected to [[Interstate 84 in Utah|I-84]] and [[Utah State Route 39|SR-39]] via [[Utah State Route 167|SR-167]] (New Trappers Loop Road).

==History==
Snowbasin is one of the oldest continuously operating ski areas in the United States.<ref name="snowbasin_history">{{cite web |url=http://www.snowbasin.com/footer/history/ |title=Our History |author=Snowbasin Resort Company |year=2010 |work=Snowbasin Resort website |access-date=30 November 2010}}</ref> Following the end of [[World War I]] and the [[Great Depression]] numerous, small ski resorts were developed in Utah's snow-packed mountains, and Weber County wanted one of their own. They decided to redevelop the area in and around Wheeler Basin, a deteriorated watershed area that had been overgrazed and subjected to aggressive timber-harvesting.<ref name="snowbasin_historytogo">{{cite web |url=http://historytogo.utah.gov/places/olympic_locations/historyofsnowbasin.html |title=History of Snowbasin |author=State of Utah |work=Utah History to Go |access-date=30 November 2010}}</ref>

Lands were restored and turned over to the [[United States Forest Service|U.S. Forest Service]], and by 1938 the USFS and [[Alf Engen]] had committed to turning the area into a recreational site. The first ski tow was built in 1939 and in service at the new ''Snow Basin ski park''.<ref name="snowbasin_historytogo"/> In 1940, the [[Civilian Conservation Corps]] (CCC) crew built the first access road to the new resort, allowing easy access for the general public.<ref name="snowbasin_history"/>

In the 1950s, Sam Huntington of [[Berthoud Pass]], [[Colorado]], purchased Snow Basin from the City of Ogden and proceeded to expand the uphill capacity beyond the Wildcat single-seat wooden tower lift and the old rope tow. Overall, he installed a twin chair in place of the rope tow, and a platter-pull tow, later replaced by a twin chair, was installed at Porcupine, to the left of the steep rocky face of Mount Ogden.<ref name=natlos>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oJcJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eEkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7060%2C1110944 |work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |last=Kadleck |first=Dave |title=Snow Basin "natural" for Olympic ski site |date=March 5, 1966 |page=A5}}</ref>

The fourth [[NCAA Skiing Championships]], the first in Utah, were held at Snow Basin in [[1957 NCAA Skiing Championships|1957]].<ref name=dnatps>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1G8NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aUgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7274%2C155662 |work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |last=Aldous |first=Kay |title=Same pattern: Denver atop NCAA ski standings |date=April 1, 1957 |page=B3}}</ref><ref name=dnnskcr>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6mIzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1eYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2179%2C63664 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Denver nabs crown in NCAA ski meet |date=April 1, 1957 |page=10}}</ref> The [[Downhill (ski competition)|downhill]] race course was set on the right side of the steep face of Mt. Ogden, on the slope named "John Paul Jones", after an early Snow Basin skier. The John Paul Jones' run was only accessible with a 45-minute hike from the top of the Porcupine lift.<ref name=natlos/>
[[File:Photograph of Gerald R. Ford Skiing in Snow Basin, Utah - NARA - 187002.tif|thumb|120px|upright|left|[[Michigan's 5th congressional district|Rep.]] [[Gerald Ford]] at Snow Basin <!-- spelling in 1967-->in 1967]]
Anderl Molterer, of the [[Austria]]n national ski team competing there that weekend, approached Huntington and told him if a lift was built directly to the top of the John Paul Jones run, he would bring his world famous Austrian team to Snow Basin to train on it. Molterer said John Paul was the best downhill run in the world. Huntington ignored this proposal, and a lift to the top of John Paul would not be built until Snowbasin received the rights to hold the alpine speed events for the [[Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics|2002 Winter Olympics]].

Huntington was killed five years later in 1962<!--April 23-->, as he was performing post-season maintenance, replacing an electrical fuse at the Porcupine lift.<ref name=natlos/><ref name=elctd>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bXsvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WUgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6781%2C4802564 |work=Deseret News |location=(Salt Lake City, Utah) |title=Ski lift owner electrocuted at Snow Basin |date=April 24, 1962 |page=B2}}</ref> Several Ogden businessmen purchased Snow Basin from the Huntington family.

Another major personality to come out of Snow Basin was M. Earl Miller, who ran the ski school from the mid-1950s until 1987. Miller played a key role in drafting the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) American Ski Technique in 1961.

[[Pete Seibert]], founder of [[Vail Ski Resort|Vail]], led a partnership which bought Snow Basin in 1978,<ref name=vfbr>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rVZOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FfkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4647,1910610 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington)|title=Vail founder buys resort|agency=Associated Press|date=October 21, 1978 |page=13}}</ref><ref name=sbhtl>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wkpTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XYMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7074,5561371 |newspaper=Deseret News|location=(Salt Lake City, Utah)|title=Snow Basin hopes Trapper's Loop will let cat out of bag|last=Knudson|first=Max B. |date=March 20, 1981|page=D11}}</ref> but ran into financial difficulty in 1984. The area was sold that October to [[Robert Holding|Earl Holding]], owner of [[Sun Valley, Idaho|Sun Valley]] in [[Idaho]], and it became "Snowbasin".<ref name=bgmtn>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mFgwW2Mt3UwC&pg=PA26 |magazine=SKI |last=Sevack |first=Maxine |title=Big Mountains: Snowbasin |date=April 1985 |page=26}}</ref><ref name=svcbsb>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HTxTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5oIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5178,4233637 |newspaper=Deseret News|location=(Salt Lake City, Utah)|title=Sun Valley Co. buys Snow Basin resort|date=October 11, 1984 |page=2B }}</ref><ref name=snbshrd>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=87tNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WIMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6553,3622496|newspaper=Deseret News|location=(Salt Lake City, Utah)|last=Grass|first=Dan|title=Snowbasin is finally headed in right direction|date=January 24, 1985|page=D3}}</ref><ref name=snb911>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6C4jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FIQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5084,4245105|newspaper=Deseret News|location=(Salt Lake City, Utah)|last=Grass|first=Dan|title=Snowbasin|date=September 11, 1986|page=D3}}</ref>

===2002 Winter Olympics & Paralympics===
Because it was to serve as an Olympic venue site, the [[104th United States Congress|U.S. Congress]] passed the Snowbasin Land Exchange Act in 1996 as part of the Omnibus Lands Bill.<ref name=ssgglt>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gO5LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mewDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3042%2C7541542 |work=Deseret News|location=(Salt Lake City, Utah)|agency=Associated Press|title=Snowbasin swap gets green light |date=November 12, 1996 |page=A1}}</ref> The act transferred {{convert|1377|acre|km2}} of [[United States National Forest|National Forest System]] lands near the resort to the private ownership of Snowbasin, and identified a set of projects that were necessary for the resort to host the Olympic events.<ref name="snowbasin_history"/> Six years earlier in 1990, a similar swap had been denied by the U.S. Forest Service.<ref name=swpden>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oEFTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=w4QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4080%2C3233333 |work=Deseret News|location=(Salt Lake City, Utah)|last=Grass |first=Ray |title=Forest Service turns down swap, so Snowbasin halts resort plans |date=February 8, 1990 |page=D2}}</ref> These projects allowed Snowbasin to double in size in 1998 with new terrain expansions onto Allen Peak to the north and Strawberry and DeMoisy Peaks to the south.

During the [[Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics|2002 Olympics]], Snowbasin hosted the downhill, combined (downhill and slalom), and super-G events. The spectator viewing areas consisted of a stadium at the foot of the run, with two sections of snow terraces for standing along both sides of the run.<ref>{{cite book |title=Official Spectator Guide |last=Salt Lake Organizing Committee |year=2001 |page=64}}</ref> The spectator capacity was 22,500 per event; 99.1 percent of tickets were sold, and 124,373 spectators were able to view events at the Snowbasin Olympic venue.<ref>{{cite book |title=Official Report of the XIX Olympic Winter Games |last=Salt Lake Organizing Committee |year=2002 |isbn=0-9717961-0-6 |page=75 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2002/2002v1.pdf |access-date=30 November 2010}}</ref> During the [[2002 Winter Paralympics]], Snowbasin hosted the Alpine Skiing events, including downhill, super-G, slalom, and giant slalom.<ref>{{cite book |title=Official Spectator Guide |last=Salt Lake Organizing Committee |year=2001 |page=186}}</ref>

==Statistics==
<!--{{Cleanup|section|date=July 2008}}-->

===Mountain information===
[[Image:Super G at 2002 Winter Olympics.jpg|thumb|200px|alt=Super-G at Snowbasin during the 2002 Winter Olympics|[[Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics – Men's super-G|Men's super-G]]<br>at the [[Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics|2002 Winter Olympics]]]]
*Top elevation: {{convert|9350|ft|0}}<ref name="ski_utah_info">{{cite web |url=http://www.skiutah.com/winter/members/snowbasin/resort |title=Snowbasin, A Sun Valley Resort |author=Ski Utah |year=2010 |work=Ski Utah website |access-date=17 December 2010}}</ref>
*Base elevation: {{convert|6391|ft}}<ref name="ski_utah_info"/>
*Vertical rise: {{convert|2959|ft}}<ref name="ski_utah_info"/>
*Average yearly snowfall: {{convert|350|in|cm}}<ref name="ski_utah_info"/>
*Skiable area: {{convert|3000|acre|km2|1}}<ref name="official_facts">{{cite web |url=http://www.snowbasin.com/media/press/ |title=Press Kit: Facts |author=Snowbasin Resort Company |year=2010 |work=Snowbasin Resort website |access-date=17 December 2010}}</ref>
*Snowmaking area: {{convert|600|acre}}<ref name="official_facts"/>

===Trails===
[[Image:Snowbasin olympic stadium.jpg|thumb|200px|alt=Snowbasin 2002 games seating|[[Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics|2002 Winter Olympics]]]]
*Total runs: 104
**Run ratings: 7 easier, 30 more difficult, 35 most difficult, 32 expert only
*Total Nordic trails: 5, approximately  {{convert|16|mi}}
**Nordic trail ratings: 3 easier, 1 more difficult, 1 most difficult
*Terrain parks: 3
**Terrain park ratings: The Crazy Kat (easier), Coyote (Intermediate), and Apex (Advanced) parks.
*Superpipe: none

===Lifts===
*Total lifts: 11<ref name="ski_utah_info"/>
**[[Chairlifts]]: 9
***1 15-Person Tram
****Allen Peak Tram (Doppelmayr, 1998)
***2 Gondolas
****Strawberry Express (Doppelmayr, 1998)
****Needles Express (Doppelmayr, 1998)
***3 high speed six packs
****Wildcat Express  (Doppelmayr, 2017)
****Middle Bowl Express (Leitner-Poma, 2021)
****DeMoisy Express (Leitner-Poma, 2023)
***2 high speed quads
****John Paul Express (Doppelmayr, 1998)
****Little Cat Express (Doppelmayr-CTEC, 2008)
***2 triple chairlifts
**** Becker (Albertsson-Stadeli, 1985)
**** Porcupine (Albertsson-Stadeli, 1985)
**[[Surface lifts]]: 3
***2 [[Magic carpet (ski lift)|Magic carpet]]
***1 Hand rope surface tow ''(tubing hill)''

===Death===
*1 male skier collided with a weather station on February 11, 2022. 
*Paramedics intended live saving measures on the unresponsive victim.  
*Skier was pronounced dead on the scene.

===Winter season===
*Ski season dates: late-November to mid-April (conditions permitting)
*Operating hours: Gondola: 9:00&nbsp;a.m. to 4:00&nbsp;p.m. daily (some lifts close at 3:30&nbsp;p.m. daily)<br>Grizzly Center retail and rentals: 8:00&nbsp;a.m. to 5:00&nbsp;p.m.

===Summer season===
*Summer season dates: Father's Day Weekend in June to First Weekend in October (conditions permitting)
*Operating hours: 9:00&nbsp;a.m. to 5:00&nbsp;p.m. Saturday, Sunday and holidays
*Total trails: 17, approximately {{convert|25|mi}}
*Trail ratings: 4.5 easy, 6.5 moderate, 3 difficult, 3 hike only

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Snowbasin}}
* {{official website|http://www.snowbasin.com}}
* [http://www.skiutah.com/snowbasin Ski Utah] - Resort Profile
* [http://www.firsttracksonline.com/News/2002/10/2/Snowbasin:-Utah%27s-%22Newest%22-Ski-Resort/ First Tracks online magazine] - Article on Snowbasin's 2002 improvements
* [http://www.ksl.com/?nid=1288&sid=32776631 Future Plans as of 2014] - 2014 Article about expansion and upgrades to Snowbasin

{{2002 Winter Olympic venues}}
{{Olympic venues alpine skiing}}
{{Ski areas and resorts in Utah}}

[[Category:Venues of the 2002 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic alpine skiing venues]]
[[Category:Ski areas and resorts in Utah]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Weber County, Utah]]
[[Category:Event venues established in 1939]]
[[Category:1939 establishments in Utah]]