Cherry Peak is a ski area in northern Utah that opened in 2014[3][4] and first used for skiing in the 2015–2016 season. It is located in Cherry Canyon, east of Richmond, Utah in the Bear River Mountains. While smaller and less developed than a number of Utah ski resorts, Cherry Peak is close and convenient to residents of nearby Logan, Utah State University,[5] and Cache Valley. It also hosts students from more distant universities.[6][7]
| Cherry Peak | |
|---|---|
  Cherry Peak Location in Utah  Cherry Peak Cherry Peak (the United States) | |
| Location | Cherry Canyon Cache County, Utah United States |
| Nearest major city | Richmond, Utah Logan, Utah Salt Lake City |
| Coordinates | 41°55′35″N 111°45′24″W / 41.92639°N 111.75667°W |
| Vertical | 1265 ft - (386 m) |
| Top elevation | 7050 ft - (2149 m) |
| Base elevation | 5775 ft - (1760 m) |
| Skiable area | 200 acres (0.81 km2) |
| Trails | 29 30% easiest 45% more difficult 25% most difficult |
| Lift system | 3 chairlifts |
| Terrain parks | 1 |
| Snowfall | 322 in. - (818 cm)[1] |
| Snowmaking | yes |
| Night skiing | yes[2] |
| Website | Ski Cherry Peak |
The resort has snowmaking equipment which it uses to augment the natural snowfall as needed.
The resort is accessed by driving 3.5 miles (5.5 km)[8] east from Richmond, Utah (on 500 North Street) into Cherry Canyon. Due to its smaller size and relative distance from the Wasatch Front,[9] it is presently mostly considered a locally-oriented facility.
Origin
editProperty owner John Chadwick began securing licenses and agreements for the proposed resort in 2009. His concept for an Olympic-themed ski area was met with resistance[10][11] by local residents, and skiers who already used the property as part of their cross-country skiing paths and alpine descents.[12]
By 2013, all was in order and construction began.[13] The facility was opened in late 2014 with hopes to operate during the winter season,[14] but a combination of final details[15] and sparse snowfall that year caused the opening date to be moved to December 21, 2015.[16][17][18]
The initial operation used two lifts, servicing five runs. For the 2016–17 season, a third lift had been completed[19] and 29 runs had been groomed and marked.[20] The combined length of the runs available is 20 kilometers.[21]
Cherry Peak facilities
editFacilities include a day lodge[a] with grill restaurant, a full-service ski rental operation, ski instructors, and a ski shop. The lodge is also open during the summer,[22] and several summertime events have been held, including alpine hiking,[23][24] and evening concerts.[25][26] Consideration was given to hosting mountain biking events there, but due to the limited terrain this has not been pursued to date.[27]
When first opened, the resort was unusual among the state's resorts in that it did not operate on Sundays, even though that is usually the busiest or second-busiest day for most ski resorts.[28][29] However, as of February 19, 2017, it is now open on Sundays.[30]
Cherry Peak lifts
edit- Gateway Lift - runs from the lodge to the top of the canyon ridge. It opens onto several runs ranging from easier to most difficult. It also provides access to the remaining two lifts.
- Vista Lift - runs from the base of the Vista Lift to an intermediate opening, from which four easier and four more difficult runs are available.
- Summit Lift - runs on the south side of the mountain ridge, terminating at the crest of the resort (7050' MSL). All runs from the summit are classed as more difficult or most difficult.[20]
Notes
edit- ^ The listed coordinates are for the lodge building.
References
edit- ^ Ski Utah - statistics for Cherry Peak Resort
- ^ Utah ski resorts upgrade amenities and offerings. First Tracks ! Online Ski Magazine (18 September 2016)
- ^ "Adler, Jill. Meet Utah's Newest Ski Area - Cherry Peak. Park City Television (Park City, Utah) (12 September 2014)". Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- ^ McEvoy, Beth. New Ski Resort will be Utah's 15th. UTAH PUBLIC RADIO (5 March 2014)
- ^ Swenson, Kayla. Cherry Peak prepares to open for 2015-16 season. Utah State University/Student Media (10 November 2015)
- ^ Gull, Blakely. Big Changes Made for Utah's Ski Season. BYU - The Daily Universe (Provo, Utah) (12 January 2017)
- ^ Lowry, McKaylee. Cherry Peak Ski Resort. Snow College News (Ephraim, Utah) (24 October 2014)
- ^ Cherry Hill Ski Resort. google maps
- ^ Utah Resorts - Cherry Peak. (see map) SUMMIT/Sotheby's International Realty
- ^ "Cronheim, David. Local citizens sue to block Utah's proposed Cherry Peak Ski Resort. SKI.ESQ (26 July 2012)". Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- ^ Bear River Watershed Council. STOP Cherry Hill Ski Resort (petition). With a goal of 2,000 signatures, 168 persons had approved of this petition when it was closed in late 2011. (care2petitions)
- ^ Descent from Cherry Peak (amateur video, posted 9 May 2010)
- ^ escape2ski, " . . Cherry Peak Ski Resort, Richmond, Utah, possibly the first new ski resort built in the United States in over 25 years . ."
- ^ Larsen, Leia. Cache Valley to get Utah's newest ski resort despite hurdles. Standard-Examiner (Ogden, Utah) (21 August 2014)
- ^ Feelright, Will. Cherry Peak postpones opening until next season. Cache Valley Daily (Logan, Utah) (6 February 2015)
- ^ Keiter, Kelly. Utah's Newest Ski Resort Preps for Opening Season. FOX13 (Salt Lake City, Utah) (25 October 2015)
- ^ Anderson, Michael. Staff at new Cherry Peak resort prepping for Monday opening, Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah) (18 December 2015)
- ^ Barber, Megan. Utah's Newest Ski Area, Cherry Peak Resort, Opens Today. CURBED (21 December 2015)
- ^ Landsman, Peter. Cherry Peak will complete Summit Lift for 2016-17 season. LiftBlog (19 July 2016)
- ^ a b Ski Cherry Peak Trail Map
- ^ Ski Resort Cherry Peak. SKIRESORT.info
- ^ "Cherry Peak Ski Resort | Weather, Trail Maps, Lodging". www.visitutah.com. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
- ^ Bradley, Tyson. Cherry Canyon and Cherry Peak. Trails.com (2016)
- ^ Buckley, Emily. A new place for families to play in Cache Valley - Cherry Peak Resort. Cache Valley Family Magazine (May 2016)
- ^ Country Star Kellie Pickler to perform at Cherry Peak Resort. GOOD4UTAH TV (Salt Lake City, Utah) (5 July 2016)
- ^ Gefre, Clayton. Cherry Peak Ski Resort focuses on safety for upcoming Summer Concert series. Herald Journal (Logan, Utah) (2 June 2016)
- ^ Mountain Biking at Cherry Peak. Mountain Biking Review (last entry 21 February 2016)
- ^ Cherry Peak. Utah-Life Elevated (2016)
- ^ Robinson, Brian. Skiing with Mormons: New Utah pistes give a proper taste of local life. (with a photograph of resort founder John Chadwick) The Independent (United Kingdom) (14 December 2016)
- ^ Cherry Hill Resort - hours and rates (accessed 25 February 2017)
External links
edit- Ski Cherry Peak - official site
- Ski Utah.com - Cherry Peak