US ski resort-owning families join for Utah mountain deal

The co-founder of a Utah ski resort who is unable to live and work at high altitude any longer due to his advancing age has struck a partnership with another resort-owning family.

Dick Bass, 84, helped establish the Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort in the 1970s and has retained control of it since, along with his family.

However, last week the company issued a statement confirming the Bass family had entered a partnership with the Cumming family for the future operation and development of the resort.

Details of the deal have not been released, but Snowbird said it would provide funds to improve facilities at the resort, including a new restaurant, skier services centre, and renovation of one of the ski field’s four lodges.

Snowbird is located on the Rocky Mountains, in Little Cottonwood Canyon, and has a skiable area of 2,500 acres, accessible by 10 chairlifts.

The Cumming family already own Park City Mountain Resort and several other ski resorts through their parent company Powdr Corp, which was founded by Ian Cumming. It is one of the biggest ski resort businesses in North America.

His son John is chief executive, chairman and president.

In a statement, Snowbird stated the deal was with the Cumming family and not Powdr Corporation, which Cumming founded when he bought Park City Mountain Resort in 1994.

Cumming said his family owned a home at Snowbird and had a long history of skiing there. “We are very happy to be involved at a place that has so many fond memories for our family.”