Snowbasin moving snow to prepare for summer recreation
Jun 2, 2023, 6:12 PM | Updated: 6:45 pm
SNOWBASIN, Utah — Some Utah ski resorts, like Snowbasin are moving snow to make way for their summer season, thanks to our record-breaking snowpack.
Workers at Snowbasin are dealing with the unusual challenge. They’re not complaining even after coming off the longest and best ski season there ever.
When we’re ready for summer, Mother Nature isn’t always quick to cooperate.
Mountainbiker Abraham Reeder learned that Friday.
“There’s a few patches on the trail. We had to walk our bike a few times, but it’s melting quicker than I thought it was going to,” Reeder said.
That’s not at all unusual for Utah. We’re used to the moody weather patterns and the lingering snow, but it’s rare to have this much.
“No. I will say it’s not very often,” Kayla McFarland said.
She said workers are using snowcats up the mountain to move the white stuff aside and spread it out to move the melting along.
It’s a big piece of what’s keeping the upper trails closed for now.
“It’s not uncommon for us to have upper-mountain access be delayed compared to lower-mountain access. But to the extent of the snow that we have, that’s – that’s rare,” McFarland said.
With the ski season over, Snowbasin has a summer to prepare for, including an extended concert series.
Events get going in just a couple of weeks.
McFarland said they are prepared to handle that extra workload on the mountain.
“We have a lot of snowmakers that stay on. A lot of our snowcat drivers from the winter stay on for the summer and help and kind of transition to some other mountain soils,” she said.
Many people like Reeder are ready too, with a whole new recreation season in the weeks ahead.
“When the season was coming to an end, I was ready for this summer. I was ready to start mountain biking because I missed it and I already had enough skiing for the season,” he said.
Aside from the snow, Snowbasin is looking for help with the annual mountain cleanup Saturday starting at 8 A-M.
That’s where a lot of people find the items lost in the slopes over the season.
They’ll have coffee, pastries, and T-shirts for volunteers.
It goes on all day.
