Brighton Ski Area
By Kallin Glauser
Brighton's Founders
Zane Doyle
Zane Doyle was born in 1916, in Ogden, Utah. He married Thelma Jensen, and the adventurous couple began skiing with friends up Lambs Canyon two years after their marriage. Doyle fell in love with the beautiful Brighton area after visiting once for a ski trip, and was launched into a lifelong pursuit of skiing and developing the area. Doyle purchased his first T-bar in 1943 from K. Smith, and through decades of hard work and passion, developed Brighton into the resort that it is today. He was the owner and operator of the Brighton Ski Area until his retirement in 1984 when Brighton was purchased by Boyle USA Resorts. Doyle was the recipient of the S.J. Quinney Award in 2003. Zane Dole passed away in 2005 at age 88.
Jessie Kimbal Smith (K. Smith)
K. Smith played an instrumental role in the early development of the Brighton ski area during its formative years. In 1943, Smith sold his interest in the T-Bar lift to Zane Doyle after enlisting as an aviation cadet with the United States Air Force. Following World War II, Smith started his own ski school at Brighton, and ran it from 1947 until his retirement in 1972. K. Smith was inducted into the Professional Ski Instructors – Intermountain Division Hall of Fame in 1989. K. Smith died in July, 2001 at age 84.
Brighton Finding Aids
Selected finding aids and digital collections
Brighton Ski Resort records, 1915-2000 (finding aid) - The Brighton Ski Resort records (1915-2000) contain a master plan, brochures, season pass forms, trial maps, posters, articles, news clippings, ski passes, and typescript histories detailing the development of both Brighton, Utah and Brighton Ski Resort. Additional items of interest in this collection include a history of Brighton's Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association Girls Camp, a history of Butlerville, Utah, a history of the Alpine Rose Lodge, and a report on the construction of both the Twin Lakes and Phoebe-Mary dams in 1915.
Brighton Ski Resort photograph collection, 1920-1985 (finding aid) (digital collection)- This collection reflects Brighton as it was in the mid-1900s. Photographs were donated by the National Forest Service. K. Smith operated the first ski tow in Brighton beginning in 1939. K. sold the tow to Zane Doyle in 1943 while K. was serving in the armed forces. Zane Doyle's family owned and operated Brighton until it was sold to Boyne Corporation in 1987.
Wasatch Mountain Club photograph collection, 1929-1960 (finding aid) (digital collection) - The Wasatch Mountain Club was organized in 1920 to provide an active and educational group for those who enjoyed hiking, ski touring, river running, and mountain climbing. Four albums contain photographs from the early years of the organization and include images of group members involved in winter and summer activities in the Wasatch Mountains. Locations include Brighton, Timpanogos area, Ensign Peak, Alta, Ogden Canyon, Mt. Olympus, Mt. Logan, and other locations along the Wasatch range. Most images are group photos in scenic areas in the Wasatch.
