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RICHMOND, Cache County — No one knows what the record is.
But Nash Ervin would love to set it.
"This is my third day in a row," said Ervin, as he strapped his ski boots into his skis.
Of course, now that a brand new ski hill is just up the road from his Richmond house, well, you can't blame him for being here since Day One.
"It's awesome. It's pretty much in my backyard. I mean, throw the skis in the back of my truck and it's a five-minute drive up here," said Ervin with a laugh.
Cherry Peak Ski Resort, in the mountains east of Richmond in Cache County, opened for the first time Monday after years of planning.
The resort was supposed to open last year, but a mild winter, lodge construction, and some other setbacks kept it all on hold.
Until now.
"Last year was pretty strange and I'm glad it's behind us," said Cherry Peak CEO John Chadwick. "We were still building a ski resort, so if your bad year is the year you're building a ski resort, you're probably having a pretty good life."
Last year at this time, Cherry Peak was green, brown, slushy and muddy.
Wednesday, there was fresh snow everywhere.
"I think in the last 10 days we've got about 42 inches," said Chadwick.
The highlight of the new resort is a rustic looking lodge.
Cherry Peak is happy to announce our opening of December 21st! pic.twitter.com/NtCP29iPcC
— Cherry Peak Resort (@skicpr) December 5, 2015You can't miss it … it's at the end of the only road leading to the resort.
"One of my goals was to make a lodge that looked like it was a hundred years old but brand new," said Chadwick. "A week ago, a lady came up and says, 'I've lived in the valley my entire life. I had no idea this old lodge was up here.' So I thought, we did it."
They did it all right.
Cherry Peak is now Utah's 14th and newest ski resort, and after Beaver Mountain, the second ski resort in Cache County.
"There's a lot of powder down this back side over here and it's super nice. It's just kind of casual and it has its perks for people who are avid skiers, but it's also pretty friendly to beginners, it seems. I like it," said Kolin Knowles, who lives in nearby Smithfield.
Contributing: Marc Weaver
