Powder Mountain marking 50 years: “It’s our golden birthday”
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- An undated photo from Powder Mountain’s early days. The ski resort marks 50 years of operation on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022.
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- An undated photo from Powder Mountain’s early days. The ski resort marks 50 years of operation on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022.
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- An undated photo from Powder Mountain’s early days. The ski resort marks 50 years of operation on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022.
Photo supplied, Powder Mountain
An undated photo from Powder Mountain's early days. The ski resort marks 50 years of operation on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022.
EDEN — After a half century of twists, turns and growth, Powder Mountain will be marking its 50th birthday.
“It’s our golden birthday. We’re very excited,” said J.P. Goulet, spokesperson for the Eden-area ski resort.
The resort hits the half-century mark on Saturday — it formally opened on Feb. 19, 1972 — and a range of activities are planned, though some are already sold out. A limited number of day tickets, which must be pre-booked, are available for the long President’s Day weekend, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Powder Mountain bills itself as the largest ski resort in North America, with more than 8,464 skiable acres, and though it’s morphed over the years, some things haven’t changed.
“It’s always been about family and being able to ski good snow,” Goulet said.
Photo supplied, Powder Mountain
An undated photo from Powder Mountain's early days. The ski resort marks 50 years of operation on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022.
Live music, “tasty food” and other activities are on tap for the birthday celebration. The resort caps day tickets and season passes to put a check on out-of-control crowds.
Alvin Cobabe, a doctor, founded Powder Mountain on land his dad Frederick James Cobabe had used as a winter range for sheep. When it launched it had just one lift, Sundown lift.
“The area was lit for night skiing and a ski school was established. Food was prepared on an outdoor barbecue,” according to the resort’s online history. The Main Lodge and Sundown Lodge came during the 1972-1973 season, along with the Timberline lift.
The skiable acreage grew over the years as new lifts were developed. In the 1990s, snowboarding options were added to the mix. “The 90s were a time of expansion for Powder Mountain with one idea leading the way — ‘We want more powder!'” reads the company’s website.
Snowcat skiing options expanded in 2000, making the resort North America’s largest. Cobabe and his family sold Powder Mountain in 2006.
Photo supplied, Powder Mountain
An undated photo from Powder Mountain's early days. The ski resort marks 50 years of operation on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022.
Since 2007, the resort has changed ownership three times, ultimately purchased in 2013 by the co-founders of the Summit Series and two venture capitalists. Powder Mountain now features nine lifts, “and a real estate development sprawling the southwest corner of the property,” its website reads. It’s one of three ski resorts in Weber County, along with Nordic Valley and Snowbasin.
Details on the 50th anniversary activities are available at powdermountain.com/50th.