OGDEN, Utah-- This little corner of Northern Utah is not nearly as well known as its more celebrated cousins a little further soustth, but there are indications the Ogden Valley area may well be on its way to becoming the nation's newest snow skiing hot spot.

With three very nice ski resorts, an acclaimed golf course, fabulous railroad and historical museum, beautiful lake and reservoir and several quaint small towns, people are starting to sit up and take notice of this region.

Indeed, real estate development is starting to mushroom as well,

Located less than an hour's drive north of the Salt Lake City airport, Ogden and the Cache Valley is something of a sleeping giant in the snow ski industry. The resorts surround and are considered a part of the Ogden Valley.

Its three ski areas -- Powder Mountain, Snowbasin and Wolf Mountain -- are only a few minutes apart and offer some of the best skiing to be found anywhere.

Powder Mountain (at Eden) is America's largest ski resort in terms of skiable acres, with 5,500 acres of snow (2,800 acres served by lifts).

Powder Mountain is geared more toward intermediate and expert skiers, with 50 percent of its trails for intermediates, 40 percent for experts and 10 percent for beginners. In addition Powder Mountain has 700 acres of powder and tree skiing served by snow cats and 800 acres of powder skiing on guided tours.

Powder Mountain has seven lifts, including one quad and one triple chair.

Powder Mountain is located in a very good spot for getting a lot of natural snow (more than 500 inches per year) and is considered an excellent locale for powder skiing (the resort is the only ski area in Utah never to resort to snowmaking).

The vertical drop is 2,005 feet (2,100 feet in cat skiing area).

The runs include several of more than one mile in length.

A terrain park is offered for skiers of all ages and abilities (includes box-top rails, handrails and table top). A terrain park for more advanced boarders and skiers was added at Sundown Lift for 2005-06, including a spine hit and quarterpipe. The halfpipe is 400 feet long, 40 feet wide and 8-12 feet high.

Night skiing (4-10 p.m.) is available daily.

The resort also offers a variety of learn-to-ski programs for children and adults.

Powder Mountain has four restaurants and a resort center lodge and condo complex.


The resort is one of the few in the nation that has been continuously owned and operated by the same family. Four generations of the Cobabe family in Cobabe) still ski the mountain regularly. The resort was founded in 1972 by Frederick Cobabe, Alvin's father. Four generations can regularly be found on the mountain. Dr. Alvin Cobabe, 87, has now stopped skiing but is actively involved in the business. The resort was founded in 1972 by Frederick Cobabe, Alvin's father.

A terrain park at the Sundown Lift is offered for skiers of all ages and abilities (includes box-top rails, handrails and table top). A terrain park for more advanced boarders and skiers was added at Hidden Lake Lift for 2005-06, including a spine hit and quarterpipe
Snowbasin offers 2,959 feet of vertical ski trails, powder bowls, tree skiing , two terrain parks , and superpipe. Snowbasin's trails include 20 percent beginner, 50 percent intermediate and 30 percent expert. Various learn-to-ski programs area available for kids and adults.

Snowbasin's superpipe is 340 feet long, with 17-foot walls and 34-degree slope.

Snowbasin has been around since 1939, making it one of the nation's oldest ski resorts. But the resort is modern in many respects, with three lodges and two gondola s and several restaurants. Two restaurants at the top of lifts offer diners some spectacular mountain views.

Snowbasin, which gets about 400 inches of natural snow per year, also offers over 24 kilometers of groomed cross country skiing and snowshoeing. Snowbasin also has lift-access tubing.

Wolf Mountain (formerly called Nordic Valley) is the smaller of the three Ogden Valley ski resorts, but it is also the most economical, offering discounted rates (a third to one-half of other resort rates) in all areas.

Wolf Mountain has about 100 acres of skiable terrain, with 1,000 feet of vertical drop. Only two double-chair lifts serve the mountain's 8-10 runs. But the runs are superbly groomed and offer cruiser skiing pleasure. This is a mountain where you can find a lot of uncrowded fun. Wolf Mountain also offers night skiing.

Wolf Mountain relatively recently underwent an ownership change and various improvements and ski terrain expansions are planned.

Skiers in the Ogden Valley area also have an opportunity to visit one of the nation's most interesting and fun museums in Ogden, the Union Station Museums complex.

                  This relatively huge museum is actually several museums in one locale, with four huge old train engines at the Eccles Rail Center, a dozen or so turn-of-the-century antique cars in the Browning-Kimball Car Museum,  an extensive model railway, Natural History Museum, art gallery, John M. Browning Firearms Museum, huge photo collection and a 56-foot ceiling grand lobby (featuring two huge murals). All this and one of the state's most highly-acclaimed restaurants as well. The artifacts include some of the timbers used to construct the historic Lucin Trestle across the nearby Great Salt Lake and pictorials and artifacts from the construction of the transcontinental railway (which was completed with the joining of two railroads at nearby Promontory Summit, featuring the famed Golden Spike celebration).


For more information on these ski areas and the Union Station museums contact:

Powder Mountain (www.powdermountain.com). Snowbasin (www.snowbasin.com, Wolf Mountain (www.wolfmountain.com), Union Station (www.theunionstation.org)

This story was published on 11 Mar 2006.