SNOWBASIN — Jayden Massey made the trek from his Canadian home in Calgary to spend Christmas with his sister in Ogden, and figured he might as well take advantage of bluebird conditions and get a few turns in.
“The snow today is just beautiful,” said Massey, who brought his 3-year-old daughter, Cayla, along for some fun in the snow. “It’s a good day to be out.”
Massey was one of hundreds who turned out on Christmas Day to take advantage of the snowstorm that dropped nearly a foot of fresh powder on the slopes of Snowbasin. Mother Nature gave them a Christmas present of her own, offering blue skies and ideal snow conditions for the multitude of skiers and snowboarders.
Hitting the slopes has become a Christmas tradition for some, including Dale Konz, who also came from out of town to spend the holidays with family members.
“We usually go even if the weather is bad,” Konz said, “but we really lucked out today.”
While local resorts are still hoping for more snow to fall so they can open all of their lifts and runs, the most recent storm was a welcome sight, Snowbasin spokesman Jason Dyer said.
“We got a healthy crowd today, and everybody’s in a real good mood,” Dyer said. “Snow in the valley brings people up here.”
The resort was able to open an additional lift on Monday, and has been taking advantage of cold temperatures by making its own snow at a furious pace. Another storm expected to hit this week could bring enough of the natural stuff to allow Snowbasin to open more lifts and provide access to more advanced terrain, Dyer said.
Another big storm could allow for a full opening at Powder Mountain, which is reporting 20 inches of new snow since Sunday. While all but two of its lifts are open, Powder Mountain is itching for more snow so it can open its popular backcountry options.
All in all, those looking for a white Christmas on the slopes weren’t disappointed.
“We couldn’t have asked for better weather,” Massey said.
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