Induction Year: 2018

Gary L. DeSeelhorst

In 1977, with an extraordinary amount of foresight and passion for winter sports, business executive Gary DeSeelhorst, born in 1938, decided to seek a quieter career path. He answered a Wall Street Journal ad to purchase a troubled ski area in Utah’s Big Cottonwood Canyon. For the next 38 years he nurtured the Solitude Ski Resort into a world-class destination.

DeSeelhorst and his family had a vision for the resort that was not to be denied. They overcame a multitude of obstacles, ranging from drought to sewage disposal to environmental protections and public safety. Ultimately, they built something that would stand the test of time.

Their tireless efforts were validated when readers of SKI magazine selected Solitude as one of the top-rated resorts in the country. In 2015 the family sold its interests in the European-style family friendly Solitude Village to Deer Valley Resort.

In other contributions to the benefit of winter sports, DeSeelhorst led the effort to create a 17-mile long sewer line that serves most of Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Gary L. DeSeelhorst: a visionary who brought Solitude to solitude-seekers worldwide.