Growing the Stoke

In the mountains, summer is a time to play hard and work hard. There are adventures to be had on bikes, on trails, on Via Ferratas, and more than a million special sun-drenched moments to discover. Alongside all this fun, there’s also a ton of work going on behind the scenes. Work that is building a bigger and better future for every winter season to come. For the 21/22 season, with more than $207 million total in mountain improvements, these are some of the highlights to get stoked about this year.

Deer Valley Resort, Utah

Deer Valley’s Snow Park Lodge and base area will see a complete revision, creating a premier base area experience for every guest that arrives at Deer Valley. This new base area will provide additional accommodations and skier services, new contemporary food and beverage and après options, and an additional ski beach and upgraded mountain transportation network. Snow Park will feature architecture and design inspired by the mountains, allowing the natural setting to flow through the new plaza, offering an array of activities and mountain views. A new expansive ski beach will offer a place for more guests to watch skiers and take in the sunset as they enjoy a quintessential Deer Valley après scene. A new integrated transportation and mobility hub with multiple access points from new parking facilities will dramatically improve the current guest arrival and mountain access experience. Pending local government review and approval. Snow Park is projected to break ground in 2022. With these base lodge improvements, Deer Valley Resort is bringing more options, new experiences, and more stoke to next winter season.

Winter Park, Colorado

With a steady eye toward the future, Winter Park continues a year five-year project to enhance snowmaking. New systems, infrastructure, and snowmaking guns will improve water capacity and efficiency, setting the destination up for even more snowmaking capabilities throughout the mountain. This long-term investment will maximize early-season terrain and boost snow quality to elevate turns throughout the entire season.

Mammoth Mountain, California

The new vision for Mammoth Mountain Main Lodge area builds upon the Mammoth legacy, rooted in the history and setting of the mountain, the town, and surrounding Eastern Sierra. The result, a curated and lively year-round gateway for those who are passionate about mountain adventure. The Main Lodge redevelopment multi-year plan will create the “Base Camp to the Eastern Sierra,” providing the world’s best ski beach, state-of-the-art services, Adventure Concierge Center, an array of boutique dining and retail experiences, luxury lodging, and a variety of residential ownership options. Looking ahead, this ambitious plan is in the permitting phase and is scheduled to begin construction in spring 2023.

Palisades Tahoe (formerly Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows), California

Connecting two icons, the state-of-the-art and highly anticipated Base-to-Base Gondola will begin construction this summer. This base-to-base connection will take skiers and riders between the two bases in approximately 16 minutes, currently a seven-mile drive. Locals and industry legends believe that this will be one of the most impactful lifts in North America, featuring 8-passenger cabins and the capacity to move 1,400 people per hour between resort base areas. Arriving in tandem with the new Palisades name, this base-to-base gondola will offer access to 6,000 acres of skiing and riding for all skill levels, all laced with 360-degree iconic views while in transit.

Steamboat, Colorado

Steamboat will embark on a three-year, $135MM base area redevelopment and on-mountain terrain expansion to reinvent a premier guest experience that lives up to the destination’s long-recognized industry excellence.

Steamboat’s Gondola Square will be transformed into a multi-use plaza, stacked in various amenities, creating an easy-to-navigate destination core, complete with additional dining and après, retail, entertainment, and welcoming gathering places for guests to enjoy year-round. A reimagined arrival experience will eliminate cumbersome stairs and provide direct and easy access to the mountain.

Throughout the 21/22 season, on-mountain improvements include 650 new acres of advanced/expert skiable terrain in Pioneer Ridge. Additionally, this new area will include a world-class teaching area and the first leg of the new Big Blue gondola, providing gondola access to the newly re-developed Bashor teaching area. An update of this size will increase Steamboat’s trail map by nearly 20 percent for a total of 3,620 acres, making Steamboat the second largest ski area in Colorado. That means that there’s more terrain, more access, and more stoke at Steamboat this winter.

Deer Valley Resort, Utah

This summer, Deer Valley embarks on an ambitious plan to modernize the destination’s dining experience. This effort begins with a complete renovation of the 100,000+ square foot Snow Park base lodge. This winter, discover new retail offerings and extensive updates to food and beverage options, including a new indoor/outdoor après bar, slope-side coffee shop, and bistro. With these base lodge improvements, Deer Valley Resort is bringing more options, new experiences, and more to explore next winter season.

Crystal Mountain, Washington

One of the PNW’s best mountain experiences will be adding more options for lunch this winter. Crystal will be including four new outdoor food stalls featuring waffles, veggies bowls, gourmet dogs, and grilled panini’s, all located in the base area. Get your food faster when you order ahead with the new mobile ordering app. More ways to refuel means more energy to tackle the vast terrain and increase your stoke.

Cozy up with a warm meal and hot beverage after a long day on the slopes at Crystal Mountain.

From Deer Valley to Steamboat to Mammoth Mountain, winter projects are already underway. Destination teams across the country are working hard to add experiences, improve systems, and grow the stoke for 21/22.