Science Fiction or Skiing? Utah Is Building an “Artificial Glacier” to Hack the Offseason
While most of us are burning through bike tires, thrashing rivers, and waiting on the first autumn dusting, winter operations crew at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center in Midway, Utah are…
While most of us are burning through bike tires, thrashing rivers, and waiting on the first autumn dusting, winter operations crew atSoldier Hollow Nordic Centerin Midway, Utah are playing a totally different game. Hidden beneath a thick grove of trees in the Heber Valley sits a giant white mound roughly the size of an ice skating rink. It looks like a sci-fi installation, but underneath that massive white tarp is a 50,000-cubic-foot block of pure frozen snow left over from last winter. Even when July temperatures in Utah spike past 95°F, this artificial glacier stays locked in at 35°F underneath. It is a $300,000 proof-of-concept project spearheaded by the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation to pioneer large-scale snow farming in North America. The Science Behind the BlanketSnow preservation is not a brand-new concept across the globe. Nordic venues across Scandinavia have relied on snow farming for years. However, those European operations typically cover snow piles with thick layers of wood chips or sawdust in dark forested zones. Utah presents a much harsher climate challenge. Lower latitudes, intense high-altitude sunlight, and blazing summer temps mean wood chips simply will not cut it. To solve this, the operations team engineered a custom, multi-layer insulation sandwich. First comes a thick foam base to insulate from thermal ground heat. Next is a waterproof barrier. Finally, the entire heap is sealed beneath a geotech fabric that acts like a heavy wool blanket. The goal goes beyond just holding onto snow; it creates artificial permafrost in the dirt underneath. By freezing the ground during year one, ground-up thermal melt is eliminated for future seasons. Sign Up for the TGR Gravity Check Newsletter NowReinvent your morning scroll with the TGR Gravity Check Newsletter — your source for exclusive stories, breaking news, and first looks at the content you actually care about. Everything action sports and outdoor culture, all in one place. Welcome to Gravity Check. 100% Free. No Spam. Unsubscribe any time. What This Means for Freeriders and AthletesWhy go through all this effort and heavy lifting? Simple: early access and guaranteed lines. As winter weather patterns shift, waiting on late November storms can stretch the patience of any mountain fanatic. With this preserved snowbank, Soldier Hollow plans to lay down a guaranteed 2-kilometer ski loop the moment ambient air temps drop in early autumn, weeks before natural snowfall or standard snowmaking can take over. For elite cross-country athletes gearing up for the 2034 Winter Olympics, early-season training volume on home turf is priceless. For the rest of us, it represents a bold glimpse into how technology can help protect our winter playground. Related TopicsTeton Gravity ResearchEditorIt all began with a dream and a little cash scraped together from fishing in Alaska. . . Since 1995, we've been an action sports media company committed to fueling progression through our ground-breaking films (37 and counting) and online content.