It’s called Don’t Mention It. Yet by next ski season, Powder Mountain expects the previously difficult-to-reach, steep slopes to be the talk of the state.

“The terrain in DMI is some of the best in Northern Utah,” Brandi Hammon, president of Powder Mountain, said in a statement. “As a skier, it’s what you dream of: open glades, chutes, steep lines, it’s the perfect expansion for us and it is all expert skiing.

“We can’t wait to hear the hooting and hollering as people drop in.”

The public should have easier access to DMI as soon as next ski season thanks to $40 million in renovations planned over the next two years for the western end of the Eden resort. In addition to the installation of the DMI lift, the planned changes announced Tuesday include a complete overhaul of the Sundown base — the hub of the resort’s popular night-skiing operations.

A new 15,000-square-foot lodge will be at the center of the Sundown base transformation. Scheduled to open for the 2027-28 season, it is slated to house the ski school, a rental shop, annual lockers and food and drink options. Meanwhile, the Sundown chairlift, for which the area is named, will be upgraded to a high-speed quad. The bones of that lift will then be repurposed to create the Doodle Lift — a new beginner lift on the looker’s right side of the base.

A spokesperson for the resort was unsure about the fate of Lucky Slice Pizza shop that has become a popular hangout at the Sundown base. The website and Instagram pages of the small Utah chain did not list Powder Mountain nor Eden among its locations.

Since its takeover by Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings in 2023, Powder Mountain has embarked on a unique public-private business model. All of its skiable terrain is open to the public, according to operators, but several lifts into and out of those areas can only be accessed by residents of the exclusive Powder Haven development and their guests.

The entire $40 million in renovations to the western end of the resort will be available for public use. On the private side, a map on the Powder Haven website shows plans to build a commuter lift called Half Pint that will take skiers from the top of the Village lift — which was converted from public to private in 2024-25 — up into the 39-residence Shelter Hill neighborhood.

Half Pint will likely also serve as a conduit to the member clubhouse that, according to the Powder Haven website, the resort is expected to unveil in time for the 2027-28 season. Dubbed the Arclodge, the 73,000-square-foot compound will house ski lockers, a climbing wall, thermal pools, an outdoor heated pool, fine dining, a makerspace and art studios.

A Powder Mountain spokesperson said an official announcement about developments on the private side for 2026-27 is forthcoming.

This season, Powder Mountain unveiled Primetime, a private lift with a 1,878-foot vertical rise out of the recently acquired Davenport area on the east side of the resort. Like DMI, it was open only to guided tours last season.

Historically, DMI has been out-of-bounds terrain that could be reached only by a tour or a hike through backcountry gates from the top of the Sundown lift — albeit with a bus at the bottom to bring skiers back. The new chair will add 900 acres of lift-served terrain with 2,200 feet of vertical. According to the press statement, it is among the steepest chairlifts Skytrac has ever constructed.

With the expansion, Powder Mountain will offer more than 6,000 public-lift-accessed acres, plus another 2,700 acres accessible by private lift. The 8,700 combined lift-accessed acres would give Powder Mountain the most skiable terrain in North America, surpassing the 8,171 lift-served acres at Canada’s Whistler Blackcomb.

“This development plan is a demonstration of our commitment to keeping Powder a thriving public ski resort for generations to come,” Hammon said.

“This,” she added, “is an exciting adventure to share with those that love Powder.”

In addition to its infrastructure upgrades, Powder Mountain announced several season pass initiatives Tuesday. Both veterans and active military members will be allowed to purchase a discounted pass. Youth (ages 5-12) season passes will start at $249, the cost of a renewed mid-week pass. A new, unlimited youth pass is $499.

Powder Mountain operators released the pricing of its other season passes as well. An unlimited adult pass currently costs $1,499 and a midweek is $999. Operators have not announced what they will charge for daily tickets, including night skiing tickets, in light of the changes to the Sundown base. This season, the cost of an all-ages night (4 p.m. to 9 p.m.) ticket is $24.