Can Powder Mountain Go Luxury Without Sacrificing the Rugged Vibes?
Powder Mountain, which was named the #1 ski area by SKI magazine this year, has somehow kept the "good old days" of skiing alive. Unlike hot ski spots like Colorado’s Vail or Breckenridge where long lift lines and crowded slopes color a weekend trip, Powder Mountain (located just outside of Eden, Utah) is known as a skier’s paradise, "a true throwback to how skiing used to be, with uncrowded slopes, great snow, and prices that let everyone in on the fun," reads the SKI write-up. Passes and day tickets are capped, so visitors feel, as many have written, like they own the whole mountain.
Still, Powder hasn’t been immune to hard times, changing many hands over the past decades. In September of last year, Reed Hastings, former Netflix CEO, became a majority owner and he recently released his vision for the resort’s future. Most notably, Hastings plans to transform the winter attraction to a year-round tourist destination for both skiing, hiking, and contemporary art, while also providing new luxury housing. It could present an opportunity to stabilize the country’s largest ski resort, creating a new economic model—an attempt to balance Powder’s retro vibe with the economic stability that only luxury can buy.
Powder Mountain in Utah is known as one of the top ski destinations in the country, but it hasn't been immune to industry-wide challenges, changing many hands over the past decade.
