Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History, a committee of the Park City Historical Society, cordially invites those ages 21 and older to enjoy Cocktails with Friends.
The event is a fundraiser that will run from 5-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Lookout Cabin deck at Park City Mountain, said Donald Roll, Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History co-chair.
“Park City Mountain will open the Orange Bubble Express lift to get our guests to the midstation, which is adjacent to the Lookout Cabin,” he said, “since the weather is looking good, and hopefully we’ll be out on the deck enjoying cocktails and a variety of appetizers.”
During the event, Roll will give updates on the historical mining structure renovations that the Friends oversee.
“I promise not to bore everyone,” he said with a laugh.
The nonprofit is currently focusing on two projects — the Silver King headframe complex renovation and Thaynes headframe complex renovation, according to Roll.
“The big focus is the Silver King headframe complex, which is at the bottom of the Bonanza lift at Park City Mountain,” he said. “This summer we are completely replacing the roof. It got compromised in both the past two big winters, and thankfully it did not collapse.”
The project involves replacing the at-risk steel-supports of the structure’s tin roof.
“Then we are going to put on what is called the steel decking, which is used in car parks and major industrial buildings,” Roll said. “This will provide another substantial and greater level of support than we previously had that could bend from the snow load.”
Once the decking is in place, crews will replace the roof.
“When that’s done, it will look like it did 100 years ago, but it will be 10-times stronger,” Roll said.
The roof replacement is a $500,000 project, funds which Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History has already raised.
The project also includes repairing windows, many of which are boarded up, and installing a security system, Roll said.
“Park City Mountain unfortunately suffers persistent vandalism at the Silver King mine site,” he said. “All of that will take another $650,000. So we would like to raise $16,000 to $20,000, which will all go to the project.”
Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History’s ultimate goal for the Silver King headframe complex is to make it safe for guided tours, Roll said.
“Clark Martinez (the project’s principal contractor) has already spent some time cleaning up the inside of the structure, and that’s great because we want to give people a chance to see all the mining-era equipment that is still in there,” he said.
The other high-priority project is the Thaynes hoist house that hasn’t fared as well as the Silver King headframe complex, Roll said.
“The heavy 12-feet of snow two years ago collapsed the entire roof structure,” he said. “The structure, particularly in the hoist house part of the complex, is very dangerous.”
Park City Municipal and Park City Mountain recently provided some funding to Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History to start the deconstruction of the Thaynes roof, Roll said.
“The funding was able to mobilize Clark to remove the roof while he awaits the decking for the Silver King,” he said. “Removing the roof from the Thaynes building will allow us to do the environmental cleanup that we started last year but was precluded due to the dangerous conditions.”
Once the roof is removed, Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History will contact a structural engineer to do some inspections.
“We want to see how we can save the hoist house, which is now looking like a 2026 project,” Roll said. “In fact, if all goes well and we raise enough money, our goal is to complete both projects by then.”
The Silver King headframe complex and Thaynes hoist house are the last two high-priority projects on the list.
“The reasons why they are high-priority is because skiers can ski past them,” he said. “Park City is the only place in North America where you can ski by historic mining structures.”
Once the fundraiser is over, guests will ride the Orange Bubble express back to Canyons Village, Roll said.
The event is made possible by Park City Mountain and Vail Resorts’ EpicPromise, a grant program that supports local nonprofits, and Roll looks forward to participating.
“I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been to the Lookout Cabin in the late afternoon and early evening,” he said.
Cocktails with Friends hosted by the Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History
- When: 5-7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 10
- Where: Lookout Cabin at Park City Mountain
- Registration: parkcityhistory.org/event/cocktails-with-friends
