A new ski resort is scheduled to open in Northern Utah this winter.
Whisper Ridge doesn’t have any lifts but instead will offer 26km2 of backcountry terrain, accessed by eight snowcats and a helicopter.
The ski area, which gets around 8m of powder snow actually and can provide up to 1,000m vertical runs, had a “soft opening” with limited guests last season, but this winter it plans to be fully operational.
“Last year, we slipped under a lot of people’s radar. It was a light opening,” Marshall McGonegal, Marketing and Public Relations Manager at the area, told local media. “We only ran two snowcats – we wanted to test the waters and get everyone excited.”
The ski area is huge, around six times larger than the biggest conventional (i.e. with ski lifts and groomed runs) ski area in the US. It’s also the third new area to open in Utah in three years.
Prices start from $450 (£370) for a day of cat skiing with the option to add a stay in a custom yurt with hot tub, sauna and meals cooked by a 5« chef for $775 (£635). whisperridgeutah.com