Unlike multi-mountain mega-pass companies like Ikon, under which Snowbird and Alta operate, Hastings introduced a public-private model where approximately 2,700 acres would be served by private lifts and 5,500 acres by public lifts. The former would be the ultimate perk for those who bought property at Powder Haven, the developing 650-family community atop the mountain, where luxurious amenities will include a sprawling clubhouse, opening for the 2027-28 ski season (membership fees are expected to range between $30,000 and $100,000 per year). Property sales will also benefit the infrastructure, overhead, and expansion of the public resort, whose quirky, historic charms (such as the beloved Powder Keg pub, more or less unchanged since 1972) will be preserved.
“One of my goals in stewarding Powder Mountain into the future is to build a place of lasting beauty,” Hastings, who splits his time between Santa Cruz, California, and Powder Mountain, tells Vogue. In thinking about how to further distinguish Powder Mountain from other resorts, as well as how to leave a meaningful legacy, Hastings sought to make the resort a mecca for skiing and art. “Nature is stunning on its own, but after visiting destinations like Storm King and Naoshima, [my wife and I] were inspired to integrate large-scale art into the mountain landscape with the intent to enhance the experience of being in wild terrain, provoking moments of contemplation, pause, and discovery within it.”
It takes a (ski) village
To bring his vision of a skiable outdoor art museum to life, Hastings tapped architecture partners, including Reed Hilderbrand (Storm King) and Johnston Marklee (MCA Chicago), and established Powder Art Foundation (PAF), a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating historical land art, engaging contemporary artists, and making work on Powder Mountain as accessible to the public as possible (PAF solely operates on the public side of the mountain). While Powder Mountain is free to hike in the summer and the fall, in order to access 10 of the 11 current artworks, a ski lift pass is required in the winter (adult day tickets currently cost upwards of $100, while season passes cost upwards of $1,000). The goal, however, is to eventually have a concentrated area of artworks for the public to access year-round, no ski lift pass required.
PAF’s creative team includes Powder Mountain’s chief creative officer, Alex Zhang, as PAF’s president of the board of directors (his hospitality, tech, and cultural background includes roles at Summit and Soho House); PAF executive director Alexandra Magnuson, who spent a decade at Gagosian working with large-scale sculptures and installations by land art giants such as Michael Heizer; and PAF artistic director Matthew Thompson, whose vast curatorial and art advisory experience includes roles at the Aspen Art Museum and LACMA.
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