A group of investors plan to begin construction soon on a new 3,000 acre, 3,000′ vertical ski resort just 30 minutes from Salt Lake City. Unlike at Utah’s 15 existing resorts, skiing at Wasatch Peaks Ranch will be reserved exclusively for investors and homeowners. The site lies 10 miles south of Snowbasin Resort near the community of Peterson. Wasatch Peaks recently tapped Bob Wheaton, former head of Deer Valley Resort to be President and CEO of the new venture. Past Deer Valley owner Lessing Stern is one of 10 investors with more being sought. Their plan includes building seven lifts, up to 750 housing units and two golf courses.
Private mountain resorts have a checkered history in the United States. The Yellowstone Club in Montana has grown to include 20 ski lifts and sold more than $1 billion worth of real estate. But others in the east such as the Hermitage Club, Plymouth Notch and Otsego Club are now either shut down or open as public areas.
Utah is unique in the West with large swaths of the Wasatch Mountains privately owned. Even public ski resorts like Deer Valley, Park City and Powder Mountain are located on private land, giving them more freedom to add lifts quickly and develop slopeside real estate. Wasatch Peaks plans to build in phases based on market demand and fundraising. Infrastructure construction is planned to begin next summer with the first phase of lifts following in 2021.
Lift Blog 
I grew up on the west side of these mountains for a time – in the areas of Layton, Fruit Heights, and Farmington. They had better have lots of snow making water rights.
LikeLike
Man that sucks, I was hoping it would get bought by someone who wanted to make a ski resort open to the public. It’s a huge area that seems to have consistent snow, albeit a little bit lower elevation than snowbasin and the park city resorts, but still respectable.
LikeLike
Based on the map it looks like all the terrain is south facing. Good luck with snow retention. Are the potential homeowners and investors too good to ski at a public ski resort? That’s exactly what the sport needs is more elitism
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s all east facing. There isn’t a lot of south facing terrain on their entire property.
LikeLike
Correct. Most of those mountains are east/west, with not much south/north facing.
LikeLike
Average exposure is 070 degrees, so slightly north of due east with many exposures 020… nearly perfect. Very similar elevation, snow, and exposure as Snowbasin
LikeLiked by 1 person
Faces North East
LikeLike
No snow there. Blah terrain. Let the fancy people ski groomers there all by themselves
LikeLike
Let them ski their private slopes, leaves more room at Deer Valley.
LikeLike
Terrain is tremendous.
LikeLiked by 1 person
” Let the fancy people ski groomers”. The whole idea seems to be about powder, not groomers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think the land is pretty good for skiing. Very similar terrain to Snowbasin. Was once owned by the Holdings (Snowbasin & Sun Valley) and The Bass Family (Snowbird.)
Will be interesting to see what becomes of the place.
LikeLike
Interesting. I didn’t know the Holdings at owned the land at one point. I hope i can ski it someday. It’s very close to home! But my heart will always be at Snowbasin and the Ogden Valley. (I hope to retire and perhaps die there someday, where my relatives established Eden, Liberty, and parts of Huntsville)
LikeLike
Anytime a new ski area is constructed, especially a 3000 acre one!, it’s a huge win for skiing!
LikeLike
What kind of lifts? HSQ? HSS? Gondola?
LikeLike
Most likely HSQ and a few fixed grips. Wind gets nasty in that area too.
LikeLike
2 Bubble HSQs for first lifts
LikeLike
Every time I go to snowbasin to ski I always think of the possibility of a ski resort on the other side of I-84. Now someone is actually building one.
LikeLike
And you and I are not invited. Skiing does not need more elitism. A public, community-oriented resort with adjacent backcountry access would have been a great use of this property and would have taken some pressure off the cottonwood canyons, which are just bursting with people these days.
LikeLike
With that attitude, you never will be invited.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Really wondering what the actual viability of this venture is? Yellowstone club has done well but it is also connected to a much larger public resort. I don’t see how you generate enough YOY revenue to continue a 3000 acre operation. All of your guests are property owners so they don’t have a great need for on mountain food or dining. Your ability to grow pass sales is limited by how many units you’ve constructed.
LikeLike
I get the feeling they’ll have to go to a public operation after only a couple years.
LikeLike
Land that was previously owned by the Holdings all the sudden going to be a private ski resort near Snowbasin seems like a little more than a coincidence. I have the feeling that they can’t go public.
LikeLike
Good point. Yellowstone club would’ve completely tanked if their members couldn’t ski over to big sky and actually see other skiers. I’m a billionaire but I like skiing with regular people :)
LikeLike
You’re a billionaire and have time to sit around and make comments on a little ski resort in utah? i don’t think so.
LikeLike
But Billionaires provide a lot more revenue than the average skier. YC charges membership dues on the order of $38,000 per year. At 800 members, that’s $30 million per year, which on its own makes up a substantial part of a ski area’s revenue.
LikeLike
A couple things, 1 The yellowstone club was founded after Big Sky had been well established as a big time resort. No need to sell people on the terrain or snow quality. One could argue that “the wasatch” is as well known but if they know anything about the area they will know snow quality VASTLY varies over small distances. 2. The person who founded the yellowstone club declared bankruptcy not 7 years ago and the entire operation had to go through chapter 11. It’s emerged cash flow positive thanks to a management company that has heavily invested in the Big Sky side of things.
LikeLike
30 million for a ski resort is not that much. The land lease alone for the canyons back in 2014 was 30 million.
LikeLike
Are they modeling after a YC or Deer Valley style?
LikeLiked by 1 person
From what they have released so far, it seems as if YC is a good comparison.
LikeLike
I grew up there. I hiked and hunted right there. I snowmobiled and ranched there I built and fixed many fences. I am sad to see this beautiful place I call my second home turn into a place for the elites. Heads up Snowbasin has deeper drier snow and always will. I know both mtn’s well!
LikeLike