Local ski resorts give students opportunities for winter sports
Logan is a central location for students to participate in snow sports and stay active during the winter months.
USU has two ski resorts close to home: Cherry Peak and Beaver Mountain. Both of these retreats are within an hour’s drive from campus, providing students with a relatively short commute to a mountain of activity.
Beaver Mountain is located in the heart of Logan Canyon and since 1939 has offered families and students the chance to ski or snowboard.
Travis Seeholzer, the general manager for the resort, has been pivotal in the opening process of Beaver.
Utah received record-breaking snowfall last season, and Seeholzer has been proud of how this season has started compared to the previous.
“We actually have pretty good snow right now,” Seeholzer said. “I think we are similar to when we opened last year. Other than last year, this is the best coverage we’ve had on an opener for a few years.”
Beaver runs solely on natural snow: there’s no “snow-making,” as Seeholzer put it. This makes the opening time difficult to predict. This year, the resort opened to season pass holders on Dec. 15, slightly later than last winter.
The resort is a 45-minute drive from campus, and students can buy a discounted season pass for $525. Being a part of the USU snow club can also bring a discounted price to the pass.
Seeholzer has worked with Beaver for years, and said the resort is special to not only Logan residents, but skiers all over the state.
“We are pretty blessed with the way the terrain works there, and I think the overall culture and vibe,” Seeholzer said. “We’re a great ski hill.”
The 2022-23 ski season was one for the books, with 13 of the 15 resorts in Utah breaking their own records for amount of snowfall in a season. In addition, 10 of those enjoyed the longest season they’ve ever had, according to Ski Utah. These businesses hope to have a repeat of last year, but with the later snowfall, it may be unlikely.
North of Logan lies Cherry Peak, a family-oriented resort near the border of Utah and Idaho that has been operating since 2014. Alicia Lesser, the office manager for Cherry Peak, is in her fifth year working for the resort.
“Last year’s opening date was Dec. 8, and our closing date was April 15,” Lesser said. “With the amount of snow we got last year, it was a phenomenal season. Great reviews from everyone.”
Cherry Peak has a fluctuating opening day from year to year based on snowfall.
“It’s all up to Mother Nature,” Lesser said on Dec. 16. “We do have quite a bit of snow up here, but we’re hoping to get a few more inches before we open up.”
Cherry Peak opened for the season on Dec. 27.
Just 15 miles from Logan, Cherry Peak prides itself on being family-oriented and more central than Beaver and other surrounding ski resorts.
“What I think sets us apart is location,” Lesser said. “It’s not far from anywhere. You don’t have to drive through a canyon to get there.”