To be honest, we wondered what kind of ski day we were going to have at Powder Mountain. With a 42-inch base and no snow for days, we weren’t hopeful. So to enjoy dozens of pristine, buttery corduroy, no lift lines, untracked carvable runs off Lightning Ridge, soft piles in the trees AND great new mountain menus, all under blue skies? Powder Mountain, you won my heart.
When Summit Group bought Powder Mountain in 2013, I expected changes. Everything they’re doing with the food that I was able to consume in one day is fantastic.
There are three small lodges at PowMow, all accessible by car. At the bottom of the curvy ascent is the Sundown Lodge, which serves a “Family Value” menu all day. Next up the hill is the Timberline Lodge, considered the main base. Here you’ll find the Food Court Cafeteria upstairs (7:45 a.m. – 4 p.m.) and downstairs, the Powder Keg (10 a.m. 5 p.m., 6 on weekends). Up the road is Hidden Lake Lodge (10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.)
We grabbed breakfast on the drive up scenic Ogden Canyon at The Oaks, a locals’ joint. The Oaks is rustic, the service is friendly and fast, and the food is good, reliable and hearty. The Jake’s omelet is a fave, loaded with cheese, spinach, avocado, sprouts and feta. The bacon is yummy. Hash browns are the bomb: baked potatoes scooped out and fried in butter. The canyon cakes are delicious: crisp on the outside, fluffy inside, stuffed with different fillings each day, like fresh blackberries.
After playing in areas off the Timberline and Hidden Lake Express lifts, take the latter to the Hidden Lake Lodge for lunch. In this casual perch at 8900 feet they serve hot, homemade Mexican fare. The street tacos ($2.50 each!), especially the crispy fish and the carnitas, are delicious. Empanadas, while not originally a Mexican dish, are on the board and I couldn’t be happier. I LOVE empanadas and these are juicy, beefy, perfectly crispy and served with a smoky, house-made roasted salsa. They also serve burritos, quesadillas and nachos. On a clear day, you can enjoy your lunch with a view of four surrounding states!
There’s so much to explore at Powder (7 K acres!) that you’ll work up an appetite by the time you hit the Powder Keg, one of the best après-ski experiences in Utah, in my opinion. It’s cozy, with a fireplace (mandatory), live music and great food and beer. I’ve always loved the sweet and spicy wings at the Powder Keg and they’re still killer. The new menu highlights a selection of salads (kale Caesar, $7.50) so you can get your veggies. The best new addition is piping hot ramen. You can opt for miso-tofu or Tokutso pork belly with green onion and egg. I chose #2. It’s rich and flavorful and does the trick. The only thing is that I think the “pork belly” looked more like pork loin. It was still good. From what I was able to try, you can’t go wrong at Powder Mountain.
