Snowbasin, Undiscovered Gem on Slopes of Utah

At Snowbasin, a well-kept secret of Utah’s Wasatch Mountains, you can still wind your way lazily up the two-lane road that leads to the base of the mountain without the pressure of backed-up cars.

You can ski, lift-line free, through some of the lightest powder in the world. Then you can bed down in a remodeled dairy barn where delicious home cooking, your own Jacuzzi and undisturbed sleep will ready you for another day on the slopes.

Snowbasin is not one of the ski areas your friends talk about, like Park City, Deer Valley or Snowbird. It is, to the wide world, the undiscovered gem that Ogden powder hounds have been enjoying for years. But by late 1987, if the Trapper Loop Road is completed as planned and the distance from Salt Lake City nearly equals that of the more popular places, Snowbasin may become the new rage.

Snowbasin is in the unpretentious Ogden-family ski area, set into the lower slopes at 6,400 feet. It has 1,800 acres within its boundaries and 38 groomed and powder runs. Five chairlifts (four are triple chairs) can carry 7,500 skiers an hour. It has the third highest vertical drop in Utah, surpassed only by Park City and Snowbird.

No Condominiums

Unlike most large ski resorts, Snowbasin has no packed parking lots, no condominiums, no lift lines, no crowds, no fancy buffets. Just you and the wide-open slopes and glorious mountain vistas, for a ticket price about $10 less than most ski areas of its size.

There are trails for skiers of every level, beginner through expert, but for the group in the middle, it’s utopia. Even the low intermediate can ski above tree line among the rock outcroppings.

Snowbasin is open daily from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., and has a ski school, ski shop and rentals, two small restaurants and a friendly staff. With 400 annual inches of snow, there’s usually good skiing from late November through April.

The present route to Snowbasin is from Ogden, 19 miles east, along Utah 39 that leads through narrow canyons and along Pine View Reservoir, peppered with ice-fishermen. One mile past the Snowbasin turnoff, on the way to the farming town of Huntsville, you’ll find the Trappers Inn, a cozy and convenient place to stay after a day of skiing.

Country Charm

People who like down-home country charm will love the Trappers Inn. Remodeled from an old dairy barn with its Jackson Fork Lift hanging from the roof, the rooms were only opened in 1985.

It has eight rooms, each specially designed and decorated. Five have heart-shaped Jacuzzi tubs. Accommodating to the sloping roofs of the barn, most of the rooms are mini-suites with step-down living areas and spiral staircases leading to loft bedrooms.

Both one-bed and two-bed rooms are available, and the price for two people ($45 to $65) includes a country breakfast. Ski packages of lodging, two meals and lift tickets are also available.

The specialty at the Trappers Inn is the personable service of owners Mikie and Bill Wangsgard and the comfortable atmosphere they have created. Whether it’s dinner around the circular fireplace or breakfast in the cafe, the home-cooked meals are delicious.

The tables have been built up to the old barn windows, now framed with lace-edged curtains. A rocking chair sits beside a pot-bellied stove in the parlor; school calendars are for sale at the bar, along with homemade fruitcake and ice cream. Paintings of local artists hang on the walls.

100-Year-Old Bar

While you are in the Snowbasin area, stop at the Shooting Star Saloon, a 100-year-old bar known as Utah’s oldest. It’s a friendly place with a rustic atmosphere, frequented by Huntsville locals and a few after-ski visitors.

Powder Mountain ski area, a 20-minute drive from the inn, is also worth a visit. Although it has only a little more than half the vertical of Snowbasin, it has 26 connecting trails on three mountains, along with shops, rentals, lessons, restaurants and night skiing.

Powder Country, a run for experts similar to helicopter skiing, has a vertical rise of 1,980 feet. A day’s ticket at Powder Mountain is slightly less than the price at Snowbasin.

Nordic Valley, the third ski site in the area, is a novelty for skiers who want to try everything. It has two chairlifts, with a midway point for beginners, lessons, rentals, restaurants, night skiing every night and day skiing on weekends and holidays. It’s a much smaller ski area, as is the price. Under age 6 and over 65 ski free.

The Trapper Loop road, when completed, will shorten the distance from Salt Lake City to the Snowbasin area by about a third. The road will climb no summits, so it will not present any unusual winter hazards. Snowbasin, the Trappers Inn and other Wasatch secrets will open to many more discoverers.

For further information, contact Trappers Inn, 7458 East 900 South, Huntsville, Utah 84317, (801) 745-2482.

Powder Mountain Ski Resort, P.O. Box 68, Eden, Utah 84310, (801) 745-3771.

Snowbasin Ski Resort, P.O. Box 348, Huntsville, Utah 84317, (801) 399-1135. Ski Hotline: (801) 399-0198.

Nordic Valley Ski Resort, Box 178, Eden, Utah 84310, (801) 745-3511.