Powder Mountain is becoming a public/private hybrid, reserving thousands of its 12,000+ skiable acreage for private homeowners who can afford to pay $2 million+ for a vacant lot, and $30,000 to $100,000 in annual membership fees.

Reed Hastings (along with his $5.98 billion) is carving the dangerous slopes of public demands and private expectations. Hastings has two seats on the six-person board of directors, and has pledged $100 million of his own money to make improvements. Weber County is receiving regular payments on the $18 billion bond it issued to support the project. General manager Kevin Mitchell admires Hastings’ abiliity to make decisions “almost unilaterally.” (Salt Lake Tribune, 9/6/23).

Hastings wants a profit on both public and private sectors, so despite earlier promises, has made public lifts private, and removed the previous cap of 1,500 season passes. Prices have already increased up to 862% (Salt Lake Tribune, 3/29/24). The day pass limit of 1,500 is still in place, with “dynamic pricing” to be decided later.

Powder Mountain may remain “public forever,” as promised by Hastings, but with steadily increasing costs, and a crowded public space, while private owners can delight in more fresh powder while visiting. Summer mountain biking is on hold for now, and the El Doce race has been cancelled.