Sustainability

Ogden, Utah sits in a place where a sizable desert meets an inland sea and collides with a massive mountain range. Its unique geography makes it simultaneously rugged and delicate.

It’s a place where Pacific storms travel after they’ve dumped most of their moisture on the Sierra-Nevadas. A chunk of the remaining moisture content evaporates as storms cross the Great Basin. Some storms will re-energize with water from the Great Salt Lake just before colliding with the Wasatch Mountains and dropping what has been trademarked as “The Greatest Snow on Earth,” a light, fluffy powder snow that skiers and snowboarders best describe as “cloudlike.”

It typically falls in the hundreds of inches on the mountains that surround Ogden, Utah on Snowbasin, Nordic Valley, and Powder Mountain resorts….and locals and visitors have a great time sliding, skiing, riding, and grinding on its bounty. However, far more important than providing recreation, the snowpack is the primary source of water for the area.

Varying weather patterns determine the frequency and intensity of Wasatch Mountain storms, and recent trends from climate change have placed much of the intermountain west in severe drought and extreme wildfire danger.

It is imperative that residents and visitors have a grasp of best practices to ensure the sustainability of this incredibly beautiful area.

As you plan your travels, please consider ways you can visit more thoughtfully. There are lots of ways to minimize your impact, while maximizing your experience. Everyone has a responsibility to visit with respect, and take care of one another and our lands.