Cool air is finally finding its way up the canyon and across the mountaintops here in Little Cottonwood. September is nearly here and fall is on our doorstep and with that your correspondent has his last summer ski run locked on the last patch of snow below Twin Peaks.
With skis already on his back, the temperatures led Canyon Blog to Snowbird mountain operations director Jake Treadwell’s door one sunny morning to get the latest on the resort’s big projects for the summer. A very busy man, he graciously agreed to run this skier around the mountain for a closer look.
First stop was the new Wilbere lift. With a quad capacity and moving carpet loading system it will more than double the skiers it moves upslope. Loading will now take place within sight of Mid Gad and Gadzoom, making your choice of lifts easier.
“The new Wilbere provides a better way to spread skiers and we’re really happy about that. With the new location you can get from the ballpark (the area near the other lifts) to Snowbird center in one chair and six minutes,” he said, adding that construction is running on time. The other major project at the bottom of the resort was to run additional high voltage power lines along the Wilbere stretch to replace 50 year old infrastructure and add redundancy to their power distribution.
Next stop was the Mid Gad restaurant replacement. Jake is proud of the new design even though the old one with its venerated “Snowbird logo” timber designs was a landmark loved by many.
“The new facility is much better for guests and employees to work and enjoy. The space is more open and cleaner, meaning it’s not cluttered,” he said.
The entrance will be on the westside still but there will be a rollup door on the east for easier delivery of supplies. That side will also house the serving area. All mechanical space will be downstairs underneath dining and serving.
“What’s really going to be enjoyable is the heated concrete patio near the indoor dining area for guests,” he adds.
Before you plan your sunscreen needs for that outdoor Mid Gad beer or cocoa you need to know that the restaurant won’t open this season even though it will look complete.
“It will be fully weather proof before the ski and ride season but inside we’ll still be working on it throughout the year so expect the new experience for the 25/26 season.”
That’s the news from the top and bottom of the resort. If you’ll pardon the departure, your blogger has a ski run to make to keep his monthly run count going…
