_{Top photo: Kelly Canyon welcome sign. Photo by Paige Grover}

A Look at Rexburg’s Closest Mountain

By Paige Grover

REXBURG — On this side of the Rockies, skiing runs in the blood of many. It’s how we survive the seven months of the year that are too freezing to do anything else. These mountains are the reason many of us settle down and raise families here in east Idaho.

Kelly Canyon looks to preserve that locality. Only a short 30-minute drive from Rexburg and Idaho Falls, it’s the perfect little mountain that makes skiing an accessible sport for families, skiers and boarders of all abilities.

_{Bulldozers clearing runs for Kelly Canyon, 1954. Image courtesy J. Willard Marriot Digital Library, The University of Utah}

The first lift at Kelly Canyon opened in 1957. Located in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, the resort runs under permit on federal land. The resort was founded by a local Ririe farmer, E. Bud Jackson. During the 1950s, Jackson and a group of locals cleared timber for the ski runs and built the lifts and lodge.

Today, the local charm of the place still runs deep.

_{Kelly Canyon’s newest chairlift: Gold Rush. Photo by Paige Grover.}

The resort features four lifts, 51 runs, a tow rope and 740 skiable acres. The majority of the resort’s runs fall under the easier green and blue categories, making it the perfect resort for those learning the sport.

Kelly’s black diamond runs also offer a sense of diversity to the terrain, providing fun and challenging routes for skiers and riders through tree and powder runs. The resort also features skiable acres accessible via uphill climb, allowing riders to explore the Targhee National Forest Kelly’s is nestled in.

In 2021, the resort opened its first quad high-speed chairlift. This new lift, named Gold Rush, provides access to new terrain, which means more fresh tracks. The remaining lifts are still the original, double seat, slower-moving chairs. A reminder of the resort’s history, they also make the perfect place for conversation while you head up the hill.

At Kelly Canyon, day pass tickets have stayed under $100, a feat in the industry. A night skiing adult ticket sells for $65. Kelly’s offers some of the only night skiing in the area, running lights from 4 to 8 p.m., allowing locals to get some runs in after work or school.

An adult ski or snowboard rental package can be purchased for $50 at the resort. This package includes skis/board, boots and a helmet. A junior package starts at $40. The rental shop workers recommend sizing and brands, making sure you get the best experience out there on the slopes.

Kelly Canyon also offers private and group lessons for skiers of all abilities. The Kelly Canyon Snowsports School is a member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors, giving the program nationally-recognized certification to teach ski and snowboard skills.

The resort has continued to offer discounted prices to local students who participate in a volunteer-run ski club. Several local school districts participate in this program, providing opportunities for east Idaho kids to participate in snow sports.

Shane Williams, a ski patrolman at the resort, has been volunteering at Kelly’s for 15 years. He started coming up to Kelly Canyon 45 years ago and even worked as a lift operator when he was in college at BYU-I.

Williams eventually began bringing his children up to the mountain, teaching them how to ski when they were ready. He fondly views the resort as the place where he spent time with his children, passing down love and knowledge about the sport he’s passionate about.

“They have always tried to keep it a family resort,” said Williams. “Their bread and butter is the local community.”

Williams has valued his time on ski patrol because it has gotten him out on the slopes and provided him with a community of friends who simply love to ski and want to keep other skiers safe.

“Because the program is volunteer, I really value the camaraderie,” Williams said. “It’s a lot of friends.”

The simplicity of the ski patrol program is a testament to the resort’s roots: community, locality and family. However, in the last couple decades, the ski industry has changed immensely.

Resorts have become places of luxury, making them expensive to run and keep open. By the 1970s, the US had more than 700 ski areas, with over 100 in federal forests. But the growth ended there. Many independent ski areas didn’t survive, merging or closing. By 2000, the number of U.S. ski areas declined to 489 (it’s now at 480). Big ski corporations are buying out smaller resorts every year.

_{Kelly Canyon Ski Lodge, 1960. Image courtesy of J. Willard Marriot Digital Library, The University of Utah.}

With fewer independent competitors, larger ski corporations like Vail and Alterra have been able to increase prices. Prices of lodging, food, day passes and season passes become more expensive every year with day passes sometimes reaching prices around $200. Independent resorts struggle to match these prices and expectations, forcing resorts all over the country to shift their priorities, resulting in a change in ski culture.

Witnessing this change in the industry begs a reminder of what is at the root of ski culture. Resorts owned by the ski moguls offer incredible amenities that embody comfort and luxury. However, a trip up to Kelly’s reminds us that this sport is one of simplicity and adrenaline, loved by those who push boundaries while remembering who came before them.

So, it is through independently owned and operated ski resorts that American ski culture is preserved and the sport remains accessible. It is at resorts like Kelly Canyon that you can still get a burger for less than $15 and catch a couple laps after work. As Kelly’s continues to grow and operate, it’s still a place that feels like home.