Cherry Peak: New ski resort is convenient and cheap

I’ll go back to Cherry Peak. Not necessarily because it’s the best ski resort I’ve ever been to, but because it fills a nice niche for skiers here at Utah State, and it’s only going to get better. Cherry Peak gives you a great bang for your buck and is the perfect resort for skiers on a budget, beginners or skiers of any level trying to do some night skiing.

For those of you who don’t already know, Cherry is the newest resort in the area, having opened just this year. Once complete, Cherry Peak will boast 29 runs, 3 lifts, and one terrain park (rails, jumps, etc). The mountain is big enough to occupy any skier for a half day, and the terrain park and variety of trails kept me entertained all night.

It’s also close; its roughly 25-minute drive time is about half that of Beaver’s, Logan’s next closest ski resort. The short distance makes Cherry perfect for a spontaneous extended study break or evening date. I had no problem going Tuesday night, getting 4 hours of snowboarding in and also having time to do some homework.

Unlike many ski resorts, Cherry Peak fully embraces its night ski. Of the routes that are currently open, I couldn’t find a single one that isn’t open for night skiing, which is something most resorts can’t say. That includes all of its black level trails and the easier blue and green, providing a balanced experience that’s great for skiers of all levels. The price for night skiing is incredible. For just $17 Monday through Thursday and $18 Friday through Saturday, students can spend hours tearing up the mountain. You can also look forward to an absolutely beautiful sunset view of Cache Valley, making what could be the perfect evening date all the more romantic. If it’s a choice between anywhere else and Cherry Peak for night skiing, I’ll choose Cherry every time.

Unfortunately, according to a phone survey I unwittingly conducted trying to find a group of people to take with me, a lot of students at Utah State haven’t ever been skiing before. If you’re one of those people, Cherry Peak was practically built for you. For under $40 any USU student could get to Cherry, rent gear and buy a night pass. It’s a great price to try something new.

With so much that Cherry Peak does right, there are a few drawbacks. Most noticeably, Cherry’s main lift, “Summit,” isn’t yet running. It’s still worth paying a visit to this year, but next year when the lift is running the resort won’t feel quite so half- baked. Admittedly, it will still be a smaller resort. That’s not an inherently bad thing; I don’t always want to spend the time or money to go to bigger ski resorts. But any serious skiers who want to spend an entire day on the mountain would probably put both their time and money to better use at a larger ski resort like Beaver where a full day pass is only $12 more expensive than Cherry’s $36 day pass, even if Cherry does stay open five hours longer.

Frankly, Cherry Peak isn’t ever going to be on the same level as some of the larger ski resorts like Beaver and Snowbird. I know that, and I think the people at Cherry know that, too. That’s why they focus on providing a fun and convenient experience for a great price.

“Because Why Not”

—Cole Hammond is a sophomore majoring in marketing and economics. If you want to find him snowboarding, just look for the guy face planting on every rail he tries.

colehammond95@gmail.com

@colehammondUSU