Earlier this month, the resort sent out a press release noting that this ski season marks Snowbasin’s 85th anniversary season.

Snowbasin Resort Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Davy Ratchford told the Standard-Examiner on Thursday that this anniversary puts the resort in a unique position.

“There’s only a handful of resorts that have been in existence longer than we have,” he said.

He said this year the resort has penciled in an anticipated opening date of Nov. 28, but that could change if conditions allow.

Photo supplied, Snowbasin Resort

“Like I have said over the last several years, if we can open earlier than that, we always will,” he said. “We never hold back. If we can get it open before then, we will.”

Among the biggest changes guests will see is the new Becker Lift, which was rebuilt from a fixed-grip triple chairlift to a high-speed quad chairlift, halving the amount of time it takes to transit.

“That’s a really big move because that chair accesses the Strawberry Terrain, which is beloved, and also accesses some great learning terrain,” he said. “The ride will be exceptionally quick for people to get out there.”

He said that the refitting and rebuilding of the Becker Lift also allowed the resort to do some other important infrastructure work.

“Because we replaced the lift and we moved it ever so slightly, we were able to do some much needed dirt work at a place called Bear Hollow, which is kind of a convergence area on the mountain. It’s right on the central core of the mountain. The primary run that we have open has lots of mixed skiing abilities — people who have been skiing their whole lives to never ever. In that area, one of the things we were able to do was almost double the width of it and move a lot of dirt around to fix some areas that needed dirt and move that dirt out of there. That opens up that terrain dramatically.”

Photo supplied, Snowbasin Resort

Ratchford said he expects that the Becker Lift will be operational for opening day.

“It gets load tested on Monday and will be commissioned soon after that,” he said.

This coming ski season will also see the implementation of new tech infrastructure that would’ve been unimaginable when the resort first opened — radio frequency identification, or RFID, technology meant to make the ticket-scanning experience easier.

“When you come to a ski lift and you have a ticket — from the old days, you might remember where you have a ticket hanging off of your jacket, they scan it and let you up on the lift,” Ratchford told the Standard-Examiner in March. “The RFID is a pass that can go in your jacket and you don’t ever have to take it out…. It’s a gate that you stand next to, it senses your RFID in your jacket and it opens up the gate and then you can access the lift.”

As of Thursday, he said the system is nearly fully implemented.

“It’s almost complete,” he said. “We have one more gate to put in at the new Becker Lift, so that process is in place. About 25% of our season pass holders have already come and picked up the new RFID media. We strongly encourage all of our other pass-holders to come up on the weekends, pick up their media and take the time to do it now versus opening weekend where you’ll have to go in and wait in line to do that.”

Even with the ski season just about upon the resort, Ratchford said they are also looking forward to the end of the season when a couple of new amenities will debut to the public.

“We’re actually adding a new building to the base area,” he said. “A new support building that will be able to seat 200 people and support events and ski school operations. We actually broke ground for it and it will be complete in the spring.”

Last week, another Snowbasin Resort press release announced a partnership between the resort and SCOTT Sports.

“SCOTT USA is proud to announce a new multi-year partnership with Snowbasin Resort, the No. 1 ranked ski resort in North America, naming the brand its official helmet and eyewear partner,” the release said. “The collaboration brings SCOTT’s industry-leading goggles, sunglasses, and helmets to Snowbasin’s winter and summer operations, reinforcing a commitment to elevating safety, performance, and guest experience across all seasons.

“Through the partnership, SCOTT will offer exclusive helmet and eyewear benefits to the Snowbasin community, including special pricing for employees and season pass holders. This collaboration gives Snowbasin’s most dedicated skiers, riders, and staff access to SCOTT’s industry-leading products year-round.”

Ratchford said he’s proud of the partnership.

“They’re a great company,” he said. “We’re really proud to work with them. They’ve been wonderful to us. They are able to give all of our season pass holders 20% off products from their website, which is awesome.”

However, the partnership goes beyond accessories and discounts — the release also announced that the partnership is helping build a new bike park at the resort.

“In addition to elevating the guest experience on snow, the partnership marks an exciting milestone for Snowbasin’s summer recreation,” the release said. “Beginning summer 2026, the resort will begin construction of a new, lift-serve bike park ‘Powered by SCOTT.’ Located off the Littlecat Express, the park will feature beginner-friendly trails that weave through mellow terrain with dirt berms and wooden skill features, alongside intermediate and advanced flow trails offering multiple berms, tabletops, and wooden features scattered throughout. The bike park will open with four to five trails and room to expand in future seasons. Exclusive SCOTT bike rentals will be available starting in 2027 at the Grizzly Center.”

In the meantime, Ratchford said that resort officials are excited to kick off a ski season that includes so many upgrades to the skiing experience.

“I’m incredibly proud of the team and the effort they’ve put in to these enhancements this summer,” he said. “We’ve been doing this for the last couple of summers and investing in the resort. What I’m really excited about is for people to see and experience this from opening day on.”

He said this anniversary and these upgrades come during an exciting time for Snowbasin Resort.

“We’re coming off an amazing year where we were ranked the No. 1 resort in America and there’s a lot of pride in that,” he said. “We’re excited to continue that high level of service coming into this winter season.”