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Show Volume III, Issue V THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 13 January 1, 2001 History of Snowbasin By Shanna Francis Ogden Valley News Staff A U.S. Forest Service publication details a brief history and overview of the development of Snowbasin, which is located approximately 30 miles north of Salt Lake City. Through the mid-1930s, the Snowbasin area was privately owned by various ranching families and a utility company. The area had been severely over-grazed, which had caused extensive erosion and contamination to the Ogden City watershed. Conditions deteriorated to the extent that the state of Utah eventually condemned Ogden’s water supply. A grassroots campaign was initiated by Ogden City, Weber County, the Ogden Chamber of Commerce and Ogden Rotary Club to purchase critical private land in the Snowbasin area at an estimated total cost of $20,000 to $40,000. Then, between the years of 1940 to 1945, the acquired parcels, totaling about 4,983 acres, were deeded to the Forest Service to become part of the Cache National Forest for management and protection of the watershed, and to restore the property from previous mismanagement (The USDA Forest Service and the 2002 Winter Olympic Games). During this time, a number of Utah’s ski pioneers also recognized the sports potential of the area and sought to develop a year-round recreational facility on the mountain property. Approximately $200,000 was spent by the Civilian Conservation Corps to build an access road to open up the area for recreational purposes. The first ski tow was installed in 1939, and in the early 1940s construction on the first single chairlift began, but was abandoned with the outbreak of World War II. Finally, in January of 1946, the Wildcat single chairlift was completed and dedicated. Snowbasin operated under a Special Use Permit from the Forest Service granted to the City of Ogden. From 1955 through 1984, Snowbasin was owned and operated by three different parties who all eventually sold because of financial difficulties. In 1984 Snowbasin was purchased by Earl and Carol Holding, owners of Idaho’s Sun Valley Resort, who have continued to own and operate the Ogden Valley ski area since that time. Olympic Sized Plans In 1985 talks began between the Sun Valley Company owned by Mr. Holding and the Forest Service for the express purpose of negotiating an acquisition by the Company of approximately 5,000 acres of the original land that the Forest Service obtained in the 1940’s. The land would be used to develop a four-season resort. In 1986 Sun Valley Company invested over 3 million dollars for several improvement projects at Snowbasin. In 1987, Sun Valley submitted to the Forest Service a master plan outlining the proposed four-season resort development. The plan also included a proposed land exchange so the desired base area development could be located on private land, rather than on National Forest System lands. In 1987, construction began on the Trappers Loop Road, or State Road 167. This project cost the state of Utah over 14 million dollars (Congressional Record Vol. 142, No. 62). The road was seen as a critical development for the future economic success of the resort, and politically necessary for the success of future Salt Lake City Winter Olympic bids. Plans for the bid included Snowbasin resort acting as host for the Downhill venues. Other Salt Lake Area ski resort areas had been eliminated for consideration as an option for development of these Downhill venues because of the web and entanglement of environmental issues that surrounded the Snowbird and Alta developments in the canyons east of Salt Lake Ogden Valley Baptist Church We invite you to join us each week in learning God’s Word, Praise, Worship and Fellowship, Sunday afternoons at St. Florence Church 6461 E. Highway 39, Huntsville (Bottom of Snowbasin Rd.) Sunday School 1:30 p.m. Worship Service 2:45 p.m. Youth Group Weds. 7:00 p.m. Vaughn Park Pastor For more information, call 745-4133. Real Estate Done Right! Gary Bingham, , GRI It takes more than traditional methods to sell a home in today’s market. My Seller’s Edge Home Marketing System and “Talking House” can make the critical difference. Planning to buy a home in our wonderful Valley? I’m an “Accredited Buyer’s Representative.” Gary Bingham 745-4663 Mobile: 388-0607 E-mail: lottahomes@aol.com www.garybinghamproperties.com 2595 North Hwy. 162 Eden, UT 84310 City. “When environmental impacts of all possible ski areas in northern Utah were considered, Snowbasin represented the best alternative” (Congressional Record Vol. 142, No. 114). Access to the Snowbasin ski area from Salt Lake was a considerable obstacle to be faced. At this time, the only major access route to the resort began at the narrow mouth of Ogden Canyon located toward the northward eastern section of Ogden City. The nar- a base facility. The decision was appealed and a negotiated decision was later reached in July of 1990, calling for a 695-acre land exchange. The decision to overturn Bosworth’s decision was made by then Intermountain Region Forester Stan Tixier. The 695acre decision and the 220-acre decision were both appealed through higher Forest Service channels, but Tixier’s decision was upheld. Under this new decision, Sun Valley Company was View of the women's downhill run at Snowbasin. Photo by David Crim. row canyon finally opens up into, what is known as, the upper Ogden Valley. The road continues east on the south side of the Valley before turning sharply south towards the base of the mountains. Here, the current narrow access road winds upward again before reaching the Snowbasin resort. The Trappers Loop road connecting Huntsville to Weber Canyon, significantly improved access to Snowbasin from Salt Lake City. Along with the construction of Trappers Loop, plans for a new connector or access road that would stem off of Trappers Loop and lead to the resort was also evolving, seen as another necessary step in the development of the four-season resort site. In 1989, the Forest Service began an analysis of the proposed development for the resort. In 1990 WasatchCache Forest Supervisor Dale Bosworth issued a decision approving the concept of a four-season resort and a land exchange of up to 220 acres for required to complete a revised master plan outlining the proposed development of acquired properties, and what land would be involved in the exchange. The deal died when Mr. Holding and the agency could not agree on acceptable boundaries. “From 1991 to 1993, numerous resource studies were completed, section comers and boundaries were established and road surveys conducted. Additional meetings and discussions were also held during this time concerning appraisals and the NEPA [National Environmental Protection Agency] process. In late 1993, Snowbasin informed the Forest Service they were considering construction of a major new lift that would be required to host the 1995 U.S. National Championships. An Environmental Assessment was initiated in 1993 for the Mt. Ogden Bowl Chairlift and in 1994, the forest superSNOWBASIN cont. on Page 15 |