Interlodged skiers hope for first shot at fresh powder

LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON, Utah — Dozens of people are going on three days of interlodge in Little Cottonwood Canyon as the Utah Department of Transportation worked to clear some of the biggest slides it has ever faced up there.

Interlodge can be a ski or snowboarder’s dream, and Steve Conney is still waiting to see if it turns out that way.

“I’ve been here since Sunday night. Cannot leave the building,” Conney said on a video call.

He came here expecting the interlodge, hoping for it to cut out the crowds and give people like him the so-called “country club access,” but it also carries a risk.

“It’s really a game because you never know what’s going to open and when things are going to open,” Conney said.

He did get in some runs, like this Monday, but otherwise, he’s mostly been inside the Cliff Lodge at Snowbird.

“It can be painful up here, watching everybody ski everywhere else, but you know if a mountain opens, and you get first dibs on 60 inches of snow, it makes everything worth it,” Conney expressed.

Conney runs Powderchasers.com, so they live for these experiences. He otherwise works remotely, which makes this all possible.

On Wednesday morning, guests were finally let outside to dig their cars out. Still, whether this interlodge will be worth it remains to be seen, but that’s okay.

“There’s different activity going on that they’ve never seen before, and with so much snow-load, if something does come down, it’s going to be big,” Conney said.

He’s had to hunker down at the lodge much longer than expected, but after experiencing some of the best snow in decades all this season, he said the risk of losing time in return for safety is one he can afford.

“It’s for a reason, and I respect it,” Conney said.

While the canyon has limited staff, Conney said Snowbird is working to ensure everyone has what they need, like keeping restaurants open as best they can. But just in case, he brought three days worth of his own food.