With great powder comes great responsibility: Beaver Mountain
As the air starts to become crisp and the wind chills, many students at Utah State University and Logan residents are preparing for a ski season up at Beaver Mountain in Logan Canyon.
Thirty miles northeast of Logan, the family-owned and -operated ski resort lies on almost 850 acres of land. With over 40 different runs to hit, there’s plenty of slopes for the new and experienced skier and snowboarder.
Each year, “the Beav” averages about 400 inches of snowfall — about a foot per week during ski season — which is about half of what the mountain’s big brother in the south, Park City Mountain, averages in the same time. This coupled with the fact that the resort doesn’t produce snow on their own means the mountain typically opens a few weeks later than many other mountains.
There isn’t a set date on when the resort will open, but Aggies can expect the mountain to open for business sometime in early to mid-December, just in time for an escape from upcoming finals.
While the resort may not be open yet this year, the Beav has a storied history when it comes to skiing, according to the resort’s website. Originally opened in 1939, Beaver Mountain is the oldest, continually-owned ski resort not just in Utah, but the whole U.S.
Just 20 years after buying his first pair of skis, Harold Seeholzer joined the Mt. Logan Ski Club, which was already actively trying to push skiing areas farther and farther up Logan Canyon. By 1939, the canyon was open year-round and the Mt. Logan Ski Club put Beaver Mountain’s first ski tow, built from a car motor and cable, in place.
As the operation began to grow and the ski club tried to add more tow lines to the mountain area, the organization wanted to hand off the business to a sole operator, and Seeholzer won the bid in 1945.
Over the next few years, Seeholzer added more tows, including a 1,000-foot rope tow and a 2,700-foot T-bar, as well as a lodge, which is now used as today’s ticket office.
But all of this work needed more hands to be completed. So, Seeholzer and his wife, Luella, put their family to work, including their sons, Loyal and Ted, and daughters, Dixie and Nancy.
As the business grew and skiing at Beaver Mountain became more popular in the early 1960s, the Seeholzer family began working on building the mountain’s first lift, the Little Beaver, and a new lodge. Just a few years later, the bigger and better Poma Lift would also be added to the mountain.
After accomplishing his biggest dream of opening a family ski resort and growing Beaver Mountain into an impressive business, Seeholzer died during a battle with cancer in April of 1968. Almost two years later, a new lift — Harry’s Dream — was built in his honor, adding 50 acres of skiing areas and his son, Ted, took over the business with help from his siblings and their families.
Over the next several decades, the mountain moves from generator power to running electricity, Ted’s children and grandchildren are added to the business, and new lifts are built and old ones redone.
After nearly 50 years of hard work up at Beaver Mountain, Ted Seeholzer died in 2013, passing on the family business to his son, Travis, and son-in-law, Jeff, while their mother and Ted’s wife, Marge, continued to work in the ticket office full-time.
Now, Jeff manages the mountain and Travis is in charge of operations. The two take care of the mountain on their own, doing whatever jobs it takes to keep The Beav running.
Marge still works in the ticket office with both Travis’ and Ted’s wife, finding “renewed joy every season when they see new families arrive and watch new generations make their first tracks on the mountain home they worked so hard to make.”
Avid skier and Beaver frequent Braya Robbins said she is beyond excited to get back on the slopes.
“They have a wide variety of great runs for all levels of skiers, making it perfect for me and my friends to go enjoy the fresh powder or groomed trails all season long,” she said. “Being close to campus, having reasonable rates and providing night skiing as an option makes Beaver unbeatable. Hopefully it will start snowing soon so I can go enjoy the Utah slopes.”
For Aggies wanting to hit the slopes this season, Beaver Mountain offers a discount for students, dropping the price from $675 to $450.
For those who want to just take a day trip up the canyon and can’t ski often, day passes are offered for $60. Beaver also offers gear and equipment packages for skiers and snowboarders without their own.
More information about Beaver Mountain, including updates on snowfall, more rates and pricing information and gear rental can be found on their website: skithebeav.com.
-Michael.Popa@usu.edu