Cherry Peak: Sweet Name For A Serious Mountain
Cherry Peak Resort Chairlift
Photo Harriet Wallis Jun 18 2015 / Cherry Peak Resort
John Chadwick Driving
Photo Harriet Wallis Athlete John Chadwick Jun 18 2015 / Cherry Peak Resort
John Chadwick Posed In Front of Construction
Photo Harriet Wallis Athlete John Chadwick Jun 18 2015 / Cherry Peak Resort
Cherry Peak Resort Chairlift 2
Photo Harriet Wallis Jun 18 2015 / Cherry Peak Resort
Cherry Peak Resort Lodge
Jun 18 2015 / Cherry Peak Resort
Inside Cherry Peak Resort Lodge
Photo Harriet Wallis Athlete John Chadwick Jun 18 2015 / Cherry Peak Resort
By Harriet Wallis, the geezer gal:
My knees shook as I looked down from the summit. "This is one awesome mountain," I gasped. The ski trail dropped straight down. I didn't want to get too close to the edge.
It was June and Cherry Peak CEO John Chadwick was giving me a tour of Utah's newest resort that's still under construction.
The spacious 3-story lodge is near completion. Chadwick actually holds a patent on the construction technique that transforms ordinary lumber into seemingly massive rough hewn logs. "We want the buildings to look like they've been here for 100 years," he said.
Two lifts and the Magic Carpet are in. A third lift is ready for installation at mid mountain. The recycled lifts and a motorhouse came from other resorts: Brian Head, Squaw Valley, Sun Valley and Whistler. "We could call it a Frankenstein project," Chadwick quipped.
Backhoes are working overtime to smooth the trails. Boulders that are dug out are built into retaining walls. The nice thing about being privately owned is that we can do what we need to do to make it great, he said.
Chadwick's sons built the tote road to the summit with amazing views across the valley and formidable drop offs. I hung on tightly as we bounced up the road in a work vehicle. I thought it was fun. But Chadwick said that concrete truck drivers who must negotiate the steep road to pour the tower platforms have two opinions of the road: They love it or they're scared of it.
Chadwick's family bought the land in the late 1960s from a dairy farmer who found the land useless because he couldn't grow alfalfa on it. But the vision to create a ski resort has been simmering since Chadwick was a child. When given a dish of ice cream, he'd sculpt it into a mountain with ski runs before he'd eat it.
As his own children grew up, he'd tow them to the summit by snowmobile so they could ski the steep face that made my knees knock. Cherry Peak is a man's long time vision and his love story with snow. Ski it this winter.
Like the resort, the website is still under construction, but check www.skicpr.com and watch Cherry Peak develop.
Harriet Wallis has been a ski writer, editor and photographer forever. She learned to ski on a dare when she was in her mid 30s and has been blabbing about it ever since. Read more from Harriet at Senior Skiing http://www.seniorsskiing.com/
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5 Comments
Dana Simonson \ 5.4 years ago
I guess we wont know what it's going to be like until it opens. I think we should be supportive of any new resort or ski area that opens in Utah. If CPR isn't your idea of a good ski resort then don't go there. Let the tourists and beginners have it and people in the know can go someplace else. Plenty of real estate for everyone. No need to get upset. Thanks for the story Harriet!
David \ 6.0 years ago
This resort has some nice terrain and snowmaking. Temperatures are cold enough to put down a great base. I don't work there but I helped them make snow on part of a run last year and skied it March 7th after we groomed it. It has lots of green, blue and some really wicked black runs. This place will be great for Cache Valley and beyond. Part of the Argentinian ski team is going to train here as well as some other teams. It's an amazingly beautiful place that seems like your way up in the mountains but does not take long to get there. The lights in the valley were a great night view as we rode the cat to the top on new years eve last year.
bill the cornlicker \ 6.1 years ago
Woooowww…… Some negative comments. I think that CPR can show some good promise. there is nothing wrong with a small local hill? they exist nearly everywhere, just more sparsely in utah. Whats wrong with a small hill for beginners, and families? Not everyone is looking for the extreme? not everyone that skiis is ingrid backstrom or danny davis….most aren't. As long as the price is low, this place will be great for what it is, and where it is, and who it is for, families, and beginners. Thanks for the coverage Skiutah!!!
Logan Backcountry Skier \ 6.1 years ago
The title of this puff piece is spot-on... by complete accident. The REAL Cherry Peak (el. 9765) is indeed a serious mountain with a sweet name, and is a worthy objective for ski mountaineers, hikers, trail runners, and other mountain enthusiasts.
By contrast, the tiny unfinished 'resort' lying a few miles to the west consists of 200 acres of low-elevation scrubby foothill terrain that receives inconsistent snowfall at best (and more rain than snow last year). The top elevation of this glorified sledding hill dubbed Cherry Peak Resort ('CPR') is only 7000', with the base sitting at 5800'. I prefer skiing on snow rather than mud and rocks, but to each his own.
Shameless propaganda aside, the resort developers have demonstrated gross incompetence throughout the construction phase, and have continually failed to deliver on their opening date promises (by, oh, a year or two). Hey Ski Utah - maybe chill out a bit with the marketing hype until these guys show ANY ability whatsoever to actually open and maintain a ski hill. Until then, perhaps CPR is the most appropriate name of all... this place is on life support.
Doug \ 6.1 years ago
We'll see what becomes of CPR. Low elevation, large southern exposure, a 2 lift ride for expert skiing make this a huge gamble. They keep promising openings but it never happened last year.
On the flip side, the scenery is magnificent. I can see CPR as a great summer resort.