Ski resorts in Utah prepare reopening plans amid pandemic
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Ski resorts in Utah have started to prepare reopening plans with additional safety precautions intended to keep guests safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
Recreational planning company Ski Utah listed six resorts in northern Utah with undetermined opening dates, FOX13Â reported.
Solitude Mountain Resort announced Monday in a statement that it is not scheduled to open on Nov. 20 as originally planned, citing lack of early season snowfall as one of the reasons.
The decision was made in consideration for space to allow visitors to practice social distancing and avoid the potential for large crowds, officials said.
"I think it was a great call," Ski Utah spokesperson Anelise Bergin said. "When opening day comes, you'll actually see more terrain open than we typically would on an opening day."
Brighton Resort told FOX13 that its resort hopes to open three or four chair lifts by the Thanksgiving holiday if it can do so while preventing long waiting lines.
Some resorts have planned for other safety precautions including serving prepackaged meals and encouraging online ticket sales.
"I don't think it will be a surprise to anyone that this season will look different," Bergin said. "If anything, they (ski resorts) have probably over-prepared for any sort of limitations."
