Night Skiing at Hogadon Basin Ski Area in Casper

Organization of the Month

Hogadon Basin Night Skiing, Casper

The Hogadon Night Skiing Project is a non-profit organization created for the purpose of bringing light to Hogadon Basin Ski Area. With phase I of the Project completed, lighting infrastructure has been installed on 3 ski runs- Boomerang, Park Avenue and Morning Dew, as well as to several chairlift towers, and the area surrounding the main Lodge. Their primary goal is for individuals and families to participate in alpine skiing & snowboarding on Friday and Saturday evenings, and have a lot of fun doing it!

In the beginning, John Lutz, the president of the Hogadon Night Skiing Project, met with City of Casper officials to introduce them to the idea of night skiing at Hogadon Ski Area. John was given the go-ahead to develop a business plan for the overall cost and operational expenses of night skiing at Hogadon ~ the door was opened, and John was so excited!

John was able to set up his first grant request presentation with the Board of the Natrona County Joint Powers Board. John recruited his wife, Sandra Lutz, to stand beside him for moral support. John and Sandra showed the board the benefits that night skiing would bring to Casper. The Board became very interested in supporting the Project. John went on to share how the Project would also work to increase the annual City revenues, generated from Hogadon lift ticket and season pass sales. After a short discussion, the Board approved a matching grant of $200,000 to the Hogadon Night Skiing Project.

The Hogadon Night Skiing Project started in 2017. After a long road of fundraising, light pole flaws, and weather delays, John Lutz and his team had arrived at the opening-evening of night skiing at Hogadon Basin Ski Area - New Years Eve 2021! The evening was truly majestic, with many people from the community of Casper and the surrounding regions in attendance to show their support for the long-awaited night skiing experience. It was a spectacular evening!

Watch for promotions this season, such as "Ladies Night", "Men's Night", and "Dinner On Us", where night skiing passes and free dinner vouchers will be given out.

If you would like to get involved with the future phases of this project, please visit the Hogadon Night Skiing Website.

Hogadon Night Skiing Project Website

Featured Business

Albany Lodge, Laramie

David Wright is the owner of Albany Lodge and a member of the Southeast Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Collaborative. Albany Lodge is a resort and rental facility located 32 miles west of Laramie Wyoming. There are 14 cabins and 9 hotel rooms for rent year around. A full bar and restaurant are within walking distance from all lodging. During the summer, new Polaris side by sides are available for rent and in the winter months, new Polaris snowmobiles are available through the Polaris Adventure Program. This facility has something to offer for all ages year round! Summer customers are mostly families looking for an experience they will remember for a lifetime. In the winter they see individuals looking for an adrenaline rush they can't find anywhere else. The lodge sits right on the edge of the Medicine Bow National Forest with access to over two million acres of land to ride, fish, hike or enjoy pretty much any outdoor activity you can think of. Access to the blue-ribbon fishery of the North Platte river, as well as multiple high mountain streams, makes Albany Lodge a very desirable fishing destination. With over 1000 miles of trails to ride in the summer, over 300 miles of groomed snowmobile trails and 2 million acres of back country riding you will always find an unforgettable adventure at the Albany Lodge.

Visit our Website

Meet the Advisors

Sandra Sanderson, WYDOT

Who is your employer, and what is your official job title? WYDOT, Special Projects Manager
Which Outdoor Recreation Collaborative(s) do you advise? I advise all 7 Collaboratives
Why do you love your job? I love that I get to work in a space that is somewhat unchartered, on projects and issues where Outdoor Recreation and Transportation overlap. It brings with it new challenges, thinking, and people that keeps me excited about my job.
What are 3 ways you support outdoor recreation through your work? Helping with motorized and non-motorized trails, from legislation to fund pathways and trails to ironing out the safety requirements for allowing ORVs on Wyoming roadways. Working with federal entities, user groups, and other agencies to remedy parking issues at high recreation areas. Keeping WYDOT leadership and district staff informed about Outdoor Recreation projects and potential issues coming up in their respective districts, for which the Outdoor Recreation Collaboratives have been incredibly helpful.
What are some projects are you currently working on? I'm currently working on legislation to facilitate safe ORV usage on Wyoming roadways and within WYDOT rights of way, as well as legislation for non-motorized pathways and trails.
How and with whom do you like to spend your free time? I like to spend my free time getting outside - exploring new areas, hiking, kayaking, and playing with my two Golden Retrievers.
What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know? I love to play chess (and am not bad at it).
What are your 3 favorite places in Wyoming to visit, and why? Lander, because of how quaint the town is and close it is to outdoor recreation activities. Thermopolis, because of the hot springs, brewery, and outdoor recreation activities/hiking. Sheridan, because it's close to the Big Horns and my home state of Montana.

Collaborative Member Spotlight

Michael Kusiek, WRORC

Who is your employer, and what is your official job title? I am the Executive Director of Wyoming Pathways
What organizations and clubs do you participate in? Lander Cycling Club, Common Outdoor Ground, Central Wyoming Climbers Assn, Lander Community Foundation, Lander Nordic Ski Assn., Speedgoat Rugby
Why is outdoor recreation important to you? Outdoor recreation is an aspect of my life that provides great joy and fulfillment. To be in such close proximity to all that is natural with all of my being, and throughout most of my years, has lead to a clear understanding of the best way to be as we go through life; in harmony with our surroundings and in touch with our place in the world.
How do you spend your time outdoors? Cycling, Fishing, Running, Camping, Motorcycling, Skiing, Climbing, Exploring
What are your 3 favorite outdoor recreation areas/trails in Wyoming? Wind River Range / Happy Jack / Red Desert
Why did you choose to join the Outdoor Recreation Collaborative? In Wyoming, the best solutions from collaboration. When more of us win, more of us win!
Do you have any project advice for other Collaborative members in the state? Look for common ground and don't let perfect prevent good from happening.

Learn more about Wyoming Pathways

Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Collaboratives

The Northeast Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Collaborative includes representatives from Crook, Campbell and Weston Counties. NEWORC has been working on a project in partnership with the Bent Sprockets mountain bike club at the Flying V Trail system outside of Newcastle. They have widened a section of the existing trail system to accommodate adaptive bikes with up to a 40 inch wheelbase. There are currently 7 miles of soft-surface trails suitable for adaptive bicycles, along with an expanded parking lot with picnic tables, an informational kiosk, and a trail counter. Volunteers have put in over 200 hours working on this project. There will be a grand opening of the trail system in the spring.

More about the Flying V Trails

The Park County Outdoor Recreation Collaborative has been focused on a wide variety of projects on public land, with assistance from both the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Reclamation. The Collaborative is working to understand the needs of the various user groups at the Outlaw Trails near Cody, with the goal of supporting an official multi-use trail system in the area. By working with the Park County Pedalers, the Cody Shooter's Complex, and members of the local motorized community, PCORC hopes to find common ground on the future of the Outlaw Trails. Recently, Bert Miller, Chairman of the Trails Advisory Council, gave a presentation about the snowmobiling opportunities in Park County.

Outlaw Trails in the News

The Bighorn Basin Outdoor Recreation Collaborative was the very first group of it's kind in Wyoming. Established in 2019, BBORC has been primarily focused on the Bighorn Blueway project. The Blueway will be a river trail that spans all 3 counties represented in the Collaborative- Hot Springs, Washakie, and Big Horn. The Blueway will begin at the Wedding of the Waters in Thermopolis and continue to the Big Horn National Recreation Area in Lovell, which will ultimately include over 100 miles of the Bighorn River. This effort is lead by members of the Collaborative with guidance from the National Park Service. Additionally, the group is working to grow their membership in all 3 counties, and to create a list of projects to tackle in the future.

What is a Blueway?

Outdoor Recreation Collaborative members in Sweetwater County have been hard at work researching funding opportunities for a wide variety of projects. The Collaborative is tuning up the SCORC Charter to better accommodate the group’s goals, structure and function. The group is considering motorized and non-motorized recreation infrastructure at areas such as Flaming Gorge NRA and scenic byway, the Red Desert, and other sites around the county, including projects in Rock Springs and Green River. Collaborative members continue to find new ways to educate local users and visitors on existing recreational assets throughout Southwest Wyoming.

Check out the Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway

Focused on Fremont County, the Wind River Outdoor Recreation Collaborative has been providing assistance on several projects and will continue doing so in 2023. The steering committee is working to better engage the smaller communities such as Dubois, Riverton, and Shoshoni in the Collaborative. Collaborative members are developing an advisory committee for the Continental Divide Trail Coalition as Lander and South Pass City were officially designated as CDT Gateway Communities last year. Future discussion topics include Collaborative involvement in local events, new project ideas, and partnerships with the area's State Parks.

More about the Continental Divide Trail Coalition

Happy one-year anniversary to the Natrona County Outdoor Recreation Collaborative! NCORC is the newest Collaborative, having formed last January. This group has voted to support 6 applications for the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Grant (WORG). These projects include applications for boat ramps, campground improvements, and river restoration from the City of Casper; additional lighting from the Hogadon Night Skiing Project; and a pathway bridge and trail extension connecting Casper to Edness Kimball Wilkins State Park from the Platte River Trails. All applications for WORG are currently pending. NCORC is also looking into potentially supporting the creation of a bike park in Casper, in partnership with the Central Wyoming Trail Alliance and the City of Casper.

Learn more about the WORG

The Southeast Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Collaborative consists of Albany and Carbon Counties, which are home to the beautiful and wild Snowy Mountain Range. SWORC has put a lot of time and effort into crafting their group's charter, which is ready to be signed. Meanwhile, the Collaborative has led an initiative for developing a strategic Outdoor Recreation Survey. This survey aims to collect data from community stakeholders and interested parties to help the group develop long and short-term goals. SWORC includes a wide range of advisors, including key representatives from the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, and has members representing the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources- Ruckelshaus Institute at the University of Wyoming.

What is the Ruckelshaus Institute?

In the News

WYOREC News

Fifteen Wyoming State Parks and Historic Sites participated in First Day Hike events this year. First Day Hikes are part of a nationwide initiative led by America’s State Parks to encourage people to get outdoors. On New Year’s Day, hundreds of free, guided hikes were held in all 50 states. The low temperatures and fresh snowfall didn’t seem to discourage many Wyoming hikers. There were 370 hikers ranging in age from 1-78 years young and over 40 dogs that participated. There were even hikers from as far away as Florida and Australia. A few people completed their hikes on snowshoes and dozens of snow angels were completed next to the trails in the fresh snow. We estimate that nearly 575 miles were hiked collectively by everyone across the state.