HONEST Resort Reviews From a Local: POWDER MOUNTAIN Utah 

Customer service and vibe is like a 2 right now. $19 night skiing isn't a proper way to say sorry for routinely lying to the locals. Reed Hastings came in and said "I'm not here to change anything," and then has systematically changed everything that has mattered. The place is done for for anyone not uber wealthy. In addition to Mary's and Village going private, they have announced adding lifts at Raintree and Lighting Ridge. Sounds great right? Here's the thing - Raintree will also be private alongside Mary's and Village. While Mary's and Village is just so-so terrain that is mostly just used to access other parts of the mountain, Raintree has some excellent powder stashes, if you know where to look. The bigger issue to all of this, is that with losing all of this terrain - regardless of how good it is or not - is that having it closed will inevitably funnel more people to a smaller area. Longer lines, everything trekked out sooner. The new lift at Lightning Ridge might sound great. When there was just hiking/cat skiing here, it would stay good for 3-4 days after a storm. Trekked out instantly now. My biggest concern is that a lift here will encourage considerably more people to hike James Peak. This area should be reserved for advanced riders with (at least some) avalanche training and a beacon/probe and shovel. This area has multiple zones that routinely slide and are susceptible to natural avalanche cycles. With everyone funneling up towards Lightning Ridge, hunting for powder, there's going to be people there that probably shouldn't be. Finally, the lift ticket prices: last year, you could visit PowMow for somewhere around $120 on a weekday. A local with a day off from work could go. An Adult Day ticket for this Thursday (2/15/24) is $213. With taxes and fees, thats nearly a 100% increase over last year. I paid $1300 for a season pass for this year. While they haven't released the pricing structure for next year, the historically knowledgable whispers are that they are going to be $3-4k for 24/25. Even a good portion of the jobs there are now being outsourced. I have friends in their 30s that grew up riding the place for $15 a day. This Sunday, the price for 2 adults and one child would be $613.77 (plus taxes and fees). Reed Hastings got himself a #1 Mountain in the West rating and is systematically pricing all of the locals out. You have a very influential channel and do an excellent job with it. People look to it when they are shopping around to take a Utah ski vacation. I love that you are 99% good vibes and positivity with your content, and I really apologize for the long-winded response, but all I ask is that when you review PowMow you give the truth - it's terrain is not worth $250 a day, and with Reed Hastings at the helm, the vibe is on serious life support. The people that made PowMow what it is are pissed.

Another excellent review, thank you! You are a very clear and compelling communicator which makes them very easy to watch

As a visitor from out of state, I loved POW MOW. It is the only mountain in Utah that has large amounts of fresh snow for days after a storm. I only have 4 days on the mountain total but 2 of them were back to back days this year and it couldn't have been much better. Day 1 was a storm day. Zero lift lines and fresh snow all day. Day 2 was a spectacular bluebird day with views and all the fresh snow remaining. Any other resort is completely tracked out within hours of the snow stopping. The way I like to think of it: I think Snowbird offers the best individual runs but Powder Mountain offers the best overall days. If you catch a rope drop on Mineral Basin at Snowbird that is very hard to beat, but the snow will be gone after 2-3 runs. Each individual run at Powder Mountain might not be as spectacular, but the conditions WILL persist all day. I am nervous about the upcoming changes to the resort. It would be a real shame if they ruin what they have going.

I like the history aspect of the review.

I skied there two days this past January and loved it. The staff was amazing. We did the free ski tour the first day to learn our way around and the hosts pointed out all sorts of great trees skiing, powder spots, best lines after getting the cat, etc. The next day they remembered us gave us some more places to try. The vibe was great on the slopes and the Powder Keg was hopping.

I've skied there a number of times visiting from Colorado, the review is spot on. Big smiles every time we ski there!

When I first ride at PowMow was age 55 for senior now 75... I been chasing that number since 2005

This here is a great Utah resort review of Powder Mountain.

Way back before they had the cats you could get towed behind a snowmobile to access deep powder above hidden lake. Another potential throwback: WSU had snowboarding classes that met at Pow Mow. Day passes for the class were $10 a piece. Easy college credit.

Great informative review; my POWder MT experience last year was the BEST yet!

awesome review bro been there many times love this place always will go back

Your resort reviews are really helpful

I was just there on Monday. Had a great time ❤🤙🏼

Part 1) Thanks for another great review Dan, its taken me a couple of days to put my thoughts into a coherent message regarding that most special place, where I may one day have my ashes scattered, though by then my children will probably have to buy a permit and stand in line to do it. What people have to understand about Powder Mountain is that it was never going to make it as a destination ski resort - there is just nowhere to put the village. Given its size, and the economic realities of running a ski resort today, day tickets and season passes won’t be enough to float the boat either. It has always been my fear that PowMow would become a private, members-only ski resort akin to the Yellowstone Club in Montana. I am at least encouraged that Mr Hastings is only taking part of the resort private, but I do hope we will continue to have access to Cobabe Canyon.

Spent maybe 12-15 days there over the last 3 years and whole hardly agree w this entire review, thanks for sharing

Sounds amazing, Dan. It must be a dream to ride there. I hope they hook you up with/ a season pass for such a well constructed review. Hopefully they stay on the Indy Pass, but I think you’ve convinced me that I have to try it. Counting the days until I turn 75. 😅

Everyone knows there's free beer at Powder Keg on Powder days😋

Yesss best one

Great review Dan. You wonder how the lift upgrades will impact prices next season?! They seem a tad pricey for the amenities but man, that’s a lot of terrain to shred on. Still on my list of places to hit next season.

You need to do a video about Eagle Point!

I did hear that they were making it a semi-private mountain going forward with resident only areas. Not sure how this will change PM, but it is a worrying development as a local (not resident). Hopefully my worries are unfounded.

Dude, I never realized Powder is larger than Whistler! 🤯

lodging info would be nice from an expert like you. enjoy your videos. great skiers (in your case Boarders.)😀

A lot of the pricing data is now out of date, next year passes are going way up, $1500 for adults and $1050 for teens with no caps on passes and no discounts for mil, seniors, or locals. Also I was told that next year parking will not be free. There’s been a lot of locals voicing frustration with all the changes and I don’t see how all the changes hasn’t affected the good vibe at Pow Mow.

The fact that terrain and snow quality is an 8, while Brighton is also an 8 blows my mind. Pow mow should at least be an 8.5 if Brighton is an 8

I loved this resort in my first ever season when they used to do a locals deal for $59 from 12 to 8 Two years in, lots of insane changes and “elitist” path forward with insane season pass ques, ridiculous day ticket prices, even if it’s one of the best resorts in Utah, it’s not a practical experience for locals. Additionally, all chairlifts are Slow, like really slow except for one lift. It’s slowly becoming a “only ski in ski out luxury” resort eventually.

How do you think the lift expansions next season will affect the rating

I’m gonna disagree on vibe. 1) there is no good local community because pass holders and all grandfathered in and mostly old dudes 2) the billionaire owner vibe is off and the changes he’s making are whack which you touched on 3) No more park should be way more of a serious vibe killer and goes along with it not having a core culture there 4) prices and no cheap way of riding the mountain anymore is changing its clientele (purposefully)

Part 2) 6 things Powder Mountain can do to remain that most special of North American ski resorts: 1). Ban music-blasting “boom-box” backpacks immediately. During last year’s incredible season, I was looking out over the horizon and reflecting on Ansel Adams’ one time comment that nature is the only self-portrait of God we have, when suddenly, an otherwise fully-adult male skied by with a kind of music blaring out of his backpack which sounded like two cars crashing into a mineshaft. I don’t know why he thought it was important to play his music loud enough for surrounding people, chipmunks, and Chinese Spy Balloons to hear, but he most certainly did. 2). Post signage, “We’re Different Here”, “We’re Family Here”, “Your Here” or something to that aspect of it. The thing about us Human Beings, is that at our core we are sociable animals and most of us want to belong to a collective good. Pack animals will follow the leader, and we humans will follow the signs. Both scientific studies and swarmy personal injury attorneys can confirm that people will alter their behavior based upon signage. 3). Increase the Cat-Ski options at Powder Mountain. I know Mr Hastings has announced this is in the plans already, but I am hoping “access” means “affordable” and not the Davenport model of $700 per day. 4). Increase the pay to staff members at Powder Mountain by at least 20%. Whatever cultural changes at Powder Mountain I have bemoaned, one thing that has not changed is the people who work there are among the best in the industry. I would gladly pay more to experience Pow Mow if I knew the people who work there were going to get a piece of it. Nobody works at a ski hill to get ahead in life, you do it out of love for the sport and the mountain. 5). Promote Steve Thompson to the front of the season pass wait-list. 6). Promote night classes in Cantonese. China runs the world today, and anyone in disagreement with that need only study in-depth the actions of our government and our news media during the Covid 19 saga before coming to the same conclusion as I. The Cantonese are the most cosmopolitan of the Chinese people, and would today seem to be the most active in making investments abroad ever since the Covid 19 crisis and the Free-Hong Kong movement ‘somehow’ petered-out at the exact same time. In Vancouver, these investments have become so numerous that the local government has passed an ordinance against “ghost properties”, wherein Chinese nationals purchase homes but never occupy them. This would indicate that there are wealthy people in China desperate to get their money out of a country where the government is unaccountable to the basic rule of law and liberty. California millionaires will be supplanted by Chinese billionaires, but if I am Mr Hastings I get out in front of it and get the real estate investment money I need to keep Powder Mountain that most special of the North American ski resorts without making it off-limits to the rest of us.

wasnt it $34 in 2002

Snow boarding saved the ski industry and eventually doomed it... with the mountain sports population boom, vail and guys like reed recognizing big money could finally be made the writing has became appearant.... you want to play your goin to really pay. Snow basin took the tack that you sell sell sell, now the mountain is over sold and almost always to crowded to ski and ride fast... and pow is gone in less than an hour.... making a track to the diamond?... jeeze cumon! Americas best days are behind her.... please jesus hurry up!