Ride of the Valkyries hummed through my frosted lips as my partner and I descended into more than a foot of fresh powder with a couple of other powderhounds chasing behind us. At many resorts, it would have been a one-and-done: make a single squiggle down the mountain and then enjoy sloppy seconds the rest of the day, but we were at Eagle Point, where we skied fresh tracks all day long.
“Eagle Point? Never heard of it. Never skied there,” said just about everyone I know. But, honestly, I’m not sure if I want to tell them more.
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Tucked away in the Tushar Mountains, south of Utah’s famed Wasatch and north of the San Juan Mountains, Eagle Point is perched beneath Mt. Holly, a 12k-foot treeless peak. This high-altitude resort is about a three-hour drive from Salt Lake City and three and a half hours from Las Vegas and benefits from the same cool, arid climate (read: The Greatest Snow on Earth®) that has made Utah a world-class and Olympic skiing and snowboarding destination.
But Eagle Point isn’t like every other resort. It isn’t like any other resort in Utah!
Foremost, Eagle Point is only open Friday through Monday (Friday through Sunday in March until Closing Day). A half-second after checking the calendar and weather report, guests realize that this means, because snow accumulates throughout the week, #PowderFriday is a regular feature. With Utah experiencing the stormiest season in a decade, Eagle Point can boast one of Utah's highest percentages of skiable powder days. Important note, during the holiday period in December, Eagle Point is open seven days a week. Check their website for the most updated operations info.
And we were there for one of them!
Winding up the 17-mile scenic Beaver Canyon, we arrived at our base camp. The newly constructed Studio Cabins (rates start at $130 per night) were situated just down the road from Skyline Lodge, one of two lodges at the resort, with direct access to runs heading to Skyline Double Chair or Lookout Quad and the Canyonside Lodge area. With a queen-size bed, a kitchenette and a larger three-piece bath, this modern cabin was the perfect respite for our two-night stay. For families or larger groups, Eagle Mountain has a wide selection of condominiums and luxury homes, many ski-in/ski-out.
Although there is on-mountain dining at the resort, there are no other commercial businesses near the resort, which is located within Fishlake National Forest. So, guests are encouraged to bring and prepare food at their lodgings.
The next morning, we consumed multiple glasses of water to acclimate to the altitude (my partner’s altimeter indicated our cabin sat at 10k feet above sea level) and mugs of coffee to prepare us for a fun morning on the slopes.
We had no idea.
With just over 600 skiable acres, I assumed that, unless there were long lift lines, we would ski most of the mountain before noon.
There were no lift lines.
It was arguably a #PowderFriday and it was minutes before the lifts opened, but there were less than 20 people ahead of us waiting for the Lookout Quad Lift to take us to the resort’s steeper terrain. They were all relaxed and chatting with one another, “Where are you from? Have you been here before? Is that run open?”
They were pointing to Delano Drop, the face staring down at those waiting for the lift with untouched powder that looked like a long, flowing beard made of meringue. No ski tracks were visible on it…or any other run visible as we loaded our chair towards The Lookout.
No one lingered at the top, and we, like everyone else, tucked and shot down Paiute Crossing, the ridgeline that opened every 50-to-100 yards exposing uncut powder for the taking. Then, with a hard right, we dove into the aptly named Anasazi Freefall, with the Valkyries in pursuit and experienced one of the best powder runs of our lives.
And then, we did it again and again. Shortly after our first go, ski patrol opened the Tushar Peaks Surface Lift, a poma lift that takes guests up to Delano Drop, Satisfaction and other expert runs. After five laps there (I learned to love pomas), we had exhausted the powder, our legs and our lungs. It was time for a lunch break at Canyonside Lodge.
Counterintuitively, Eagle Point’s gentler, easier terrain is located at a higher altitude near Skyline Lodge. (From Canyonside, guests take a free shuttle that runs continuously every ten minutes to Skyline.) After our big morning, we expected to take a few green groomers and call it a day. I even joked about hanging out in the cabin and playing cards all afternoon.
We never dealt a hand. Instead, we skied fresh powder like greedy gluttons until 3 pm, when we declared, “Enough!”
The trees are tight at Eagle Point, but from the low-angle runs near Skyline Lodge, we darted between the pines off Quakies on pillows of snow like rabbits on the run. On another pass, we broke trail on Lion’s Den along the boundary line until it opened up into a small bowl. Then, double-checking we were still in bounds, we whispered, “Go! Go!” before anyone stole our line.
But no one did…for two more laps.
As we rode the Monarch Triple Chair on what we promised would be our final run of a long, epic powder day, we gazed below at some of the most scenic and well-laid-out beginner runs we’d seen.
“The kids would love these runs,” mused my partner.
“Your 81-year-old dad would love them, too,” I replied. “Your mom would love staying in one of those stunning new homes we saw.”
“Yeah, we should tell them about this place or just come up with friends next time,” he said.
“Or not,” we giggled in unison.
