Lost Utah resorts & some that didn't happen.

[Colster]

An interesting little article. Mentioning Heritage Mountain in Provo, Blue Mountain near Monticello, Crystal Mountain east of Cedar City, Engen Mountain Ski Resort near Cedar City, Grizzly Ridge near Vernal, “No Name" Resort in Park City, Oquirrh Mountain resort east of Tooele, Little Mountain in Emigration Canyon, Gorgoza Ski Resort in Parleys Canyon, Snowland in Fairview Canyon & Snowland in Fairview Canyon.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,600124184,00.html
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[801javy]

Nice post . There has still been some recent talk and some plans of a resort in the Oquirrhs. Although I'm betting that all ammenities and lodging would be slopeside and on the hill. I can't see Tooele as a popular international destination! But hey, that's just my opinion. Next stop on the tour... the casinos of Wendover!

[q]

I did a little research a few years back on this and was interested to read about Utah.

I always think its funny on my travels that the only state that seems to have kept the smaller community tows appears to be Colorado. I've always found that strange as most of the community areas lie fairly close to bigger, some would say better, resorts.

Idaho has a couple that I'd class as community hills and a couple in Washington yet nothing in Montana, Utah, Wyoming.....

Lost Resorts

[Colster]

Hey Q I see you've already posted a link to this article now, apologies. I was browsing the net & came across it.

So no ideas why these smaller places still exist in some states but not in others?

[porter]

Nice post . There has still been some recent talk and some plans of a resort in the Oquirrhs. Although I'm betting that all ammenities and lodging would be slopeside and on the hill. I can't see Tooele as a popular international destination! But hey, that's just my opinion. Next stop on the tour... the casinos of Wendover!

There have been two proposals for the Oquirrhs, IIRC. One was in the 1980s and featured a long gondola that would have connected Tooele to the ski area, which was to be in Middle Canyon. That was nixed when the majority landowner, Kennecott, decided they did not want it.

The new proposal is on the West Valley side of the Oquirrhs. Much better access for SLC but, IMO, less secure snow.

I've skied the east faces of the Oquirrhs and the treeless slopes don't hold snow well. It's great in the spring but iffy for powder; the canyons where the ski area would be are more complex and interesting than what is readily visible from the valley.

The Middle Canyon option had a lot of open bowl skiing, but it was all north facing and seemed to catch and hold a lot more snow. It was spectacular skiing but highly avalanche prone.

A third proposal for Tooele County was a ski area on nation forest land in the Stansburys. Never got off the ground, and the land is now in the Deseret Peak Wilderness. Spectacular location.

Settlement Canyon, in Tooele, had a community tow in the 60s but it's long gone. You could a few years ago see the short open slope where it was. It was in a cold sink area and held snow well but was just 50 or so vertical.

[q]

Add this one to the list of resorts that did not happen.

There is still talk of a resort in the Oquirrh mountains west of SLC I believe.