Lots of summer change brings a more inclusive Snow King Mountain

JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI) - Just six blocks away from the town square of Jackson, Snow King Mountain has been a historic staple of the town for ages. Now in 2021, the general manager of Snow King claims that they are ready to unveil what he says is "the biggest changes in the history of Snow King."

The mountain has spent over $18 million on projects that have been completed during the summer offseason.

Here is a list of everything they have been working on that will be opened up soon:

1. The Gondola is brand new and will take passengers from the base lodge straight up to the top. This ride will replace the previous Summit lift that had been a part of the mountain for the past 40 years. The Summit would take people from the bottom to the top in 17 minutes while the Gondola can now do that same trip in only 4 minutes. The gondola also offers a chance for people to get warmer within the box on the way up since they will not be exposed to the elements.
2. Multiple efforts were made for Snow King to be more inclusive to beginner skiers. They put in a much easier trail that will go from the top to the bottom for beginners to still enjoy the sights at the top. Training courses were put in as well on the top of the mountain to help the beginners train with the sights. These courses are even equipped with brand new magic carpets so they can continually practice on those courses.
3. More acres of skiable land were opened up on the back side of the mountain. This comes with a brand new lift called the Sunnyside lift on the south side of the mountain. The trails on this side mainly favor more intermediate skiers.
4. A new zip line will be in place to use starting in the spring. The general manager claims it is the steepest zip line in all of North America. The zip line will go from the top to the middle and then the middle to the bottom of the steep Snow King. Riders can experience going down this zip line with speeds up to 60 mph.
5. A new restaurant will open up at the top of Snow King starting for next winter. It will have lots of different foods and drinks to choose from while enjoying the sights of Jackson Hole.

"It's a huge investment for the ski hill to keep it going for generations to come into the future, to revitalize Snow King so it can last and go on for hopefully another 80 years into the future," Ryan Stanley, the Snow King General Manager said.

Snow King Mountain plans to have it's ribbon cutting ceremony for the gondola when the ski season opens up. They are planning for this to happen some time in the early half of December.