Snowbasin Resort USA
Ecosign has a longstanding relationship with Snowbasin Resort in Utah. While it is one of the oldest continually operating ski resorts in North America, our initial project with the ski area was in 1991, when we prepared a Resort Area Master Plan in advance of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games. Snowbasin used this report to assist their application to become the Official Alpine Venue of the 2002 OWG and to help facilitate a land swap with USFS to obtain private lands in and around the base area.
Ecosign was again retained by Snowbasin Resort in 2019 to prepare Master Plan Concepts for the base area lands in and around the ski area including the base of the Strawberry Gondola and the Main Base (comprising Earl’s, Maples, Canyon). The plans identified potential development zone for a commercial village with overnight accommodation, ski-in ski-out real estate, potential location for Club Med Resort, expanded day use parking and learning zones for beginner skiers and snowboarders. As a result of the master plan, Snowbasin moved forward with the construction of expanded day use parking in Maples and Canyon Base in 2022 and 2023 which has helped to improve the guest experience and encourage and accommodate the increase in business levels, making Snowbasin one the most successful day use ski areas in North America.
In 2021, Ecosign was tasked with preparing an update to the Snowbasin Resort Master Plan both for internal future visioning and, ultimately, for submission to the USFS. After presentation and deep discussion of many different ideas for the future, a preferred configuration of the mountain layout was selected, the Master Plan Amendment was prepared and the Snowbasin MDPA Update was submitted to the USFS in May 2024.
Concurrent with and supplemental to the Master Plan, Ecosign prepared detailed lift alignment and lift terminal design and grading plans for several trails and new or replacement chairlifts to be constructed in subsequent years. The Middle Bowl Express was replaced with a detachable 6 passenger chairlift on a new alignment and opened for the 2021 – 2022 ski season. Shortly after, Ecosign created detailed site and grading plans for the new DeMoisy Express Lift which was constructed and open for the 2023-2024 ski season. Our most recent work has been on the new Becker Lift upgrade from a fixed triple chair to a new high speed detachable quad chair which will be constructed in 2025. Our planning work included the alignment of the lift and detailed lift terminal site and grading plans as well as extensive grading plans of some of its trails to alleviate bottlenecks and crowding. Ecosign also prepared detailed grading plans for proposed lifts and trails surrounding the base area for evaluation of feasibility and cost for future construction.
We are very proud of our collaboration with the Snowbasin team and look forward to continuing to help them achieve their consistent ranking as one of the top ski resorts in North America.
