This year’s Cottonwood Fire ravaged Utah. It took 71 days, from June 22 until September 1, for firefighters to achieve 100 percent containment of the 97,000-acre blaze. Beaver County’s Eagle Point Ski Resort was torched within the first 24 hours, though, losing four of its five lifts, a lodge, more than 300 of its 600 acres of skiable terrain, and more infrastructure. The resort’s owner, Shane Gadbaw, has been a vocal member of the community, launching BeaverTUF as a resource for people impacted, and he’s been steadfast in his commitment to reopen the resort. Until now, however, Gadbaw hadn’t revealed a target date for that reopening, as there’s a lot of rebuilding to do.
On Tuesday, Gadbaw was interviewed on Ski Utah’s Last Chair podcast, where he gave some insight about his experience during the fire and finally shared new details about the rebuilding plans.
The fire started on Monday afternoon and Eagle Point had been burned by the same time Tuesday afternoon. Gadbaw says he barely had any time to worry about it, it just happened. The resort was evacuated via a backroad on Tuesday morning, with Gadbaw recalling a moment of staring at flames flying 50 feet into the air. Power had been cut off in the area shortly after the fire began, so Eagle Point couldn’t fire up snow guns in hopes that they could salvage some of the resort. When Tuesday night finally came, he received news from local fire officials that the blaze had taken his Canyonside Lodge.
Damage to the resort wasn’t the only challenge, though. The lodge, condos, lifts, and terrain were only part of the damage once the fire had passed. A flood following the fire washed out Highway 153, the road used to access the resort.
“The road washed out, and we realized it’s gonna add time, it’s gonna add cost, it’s gonna add frustration,” Gadbaw remembers. He says Eagle Point has a weekly call with representatives from the state of Utah concerning road damage, and when access to the resort via Highway 153 will be reestablished. “They were candid and transparent about the process. We asked them flatly, ‘Are we gonna have no winter access this year?’ They said plan for it (not having access), because they can’t maintain the backroad up (to the resort).”
And that segued to the reveal many people hoped for and likely assumed – although Eagle Point had yet to confirm.
“They have assured us they’re fast tracking it and doing everything they can. We told them how important it was to get this road done next year so that we can be ready for the 2027-2028 ski season. And they’re up for the challenge.”
Gadbaw says they’re “all speed ahead” for a November 2027 opening.
