BRYCE, Utah — Friday was the grand opening of Bryce Canyon City’s new “ice ribbon” at the Winter Adventure Center. This ice rink has been a long time in the making, and Ruby’s Inn and the Bryce Canyon Recreation Association have been excited to share it with the community.
Like the old rink, the new ice ribbon features outdoor skating, but with some improvements. One improvement is a chiller for making ice. “We are very excited about being able to help mother nature and make our own ice and have an ice skating rink available sooner and longer,” said Kat Morrow, the Operations Manager at the old rink.
The ice ribbon also includes a more conventional square rink on the one end, with a figure-8 ribbon on the other, which is where it gets its name.
‘A Labor of Love’
Ice skating has been a popular destination for both tourists and locals since the original rink opened in 2008.
Unfortunately this new project took longer than anticipated. Back in 2019 Ruby’s Inn hired a consultant to figure out what to do with their old ice rink.
In 2020 the nonprofit BCRA was formed to help keep the ice rink a viable option for Bryce, and in 2021 the grant money started coming in. “We would have loved to have this thing open for the winter of 2021-2022,” Lance said. “But … in a post-COVID world, we couldn’t get the materials and stuff in time.” Supply-chain issues, rising prices and bad luck kept both the original ice rink and the ribbon from opening that winter.
Lance joked that he got dirty looks while the rink was closed, referencing the “smile index” as one of the reasons he wanted to continue sponsoring the rink. But in all seriousness, “It’s just been a labor of love by the community,” he emphasized. “It’s been a ton of volunteer effort … a lot of philanthropy” to get a facility like this in Rural Bryce Canyon, Utah.
On Friday, January 13, 2023, this labor of love finally bore fruit. Two hours after the opening, skaters were already testing out the ice ribbon.
Since ice skating is so centered around the locals in the community, the association was careful to consider the needs of those in Piute, Wayne, Garfield and Kane counties. “We’re trying to take care of our locals: church groups, scout groups, school groups.” Lance said. “We’ve got special group pricing and special local discounts for those in the area.”
Weather Restrictions on the New Ice Ribbon
Hopefully the ice ribbon will be less tied to the weather than the last one was.
Unfortunately free air skating will always come with some downsides. For example, the weekend snow storms covered the rink with 5-10 inches of snow, making it impossible to skate until the snow was removed.
Warmer winters, however, will not be as much of a problem since the outdoor chiller will be able to create ice and keep it cold.
Both Lance Syrett and Jade Roundy, BCRA members, were excited that the rink could now open earlier. In following years it should be open from around November 10 until March 1 or later.
Check for regular updates at the Ruby’s Inn Winter Activities site or on their Facebook page.
– The Byway
Feature image caption: The Ice Ribbon with a few ice skaters on January 17. Courtesy Ruby’s Inn Winter Activities website.
FAQs About the Ice Ribbon
Warmer winters won’t be as much of a problem for the new ice ribbon. The rink should be open most days between November 10 and March 1. Snow or temperatures higher than 50 degrees, however, could still cause closures.
People from Piute, Wayne, Garfield and Kane counties are all considered locals. Bring a driver’s license to prove residency.
The Bryce Canyon Recreation Association (BCRA) owns the ice chiller and equipment. Ruby’s Inn still rents the land to the BCRA and operates the ice rink out of their Winter Adventure Center. It’s a public-private partnership that keeps the ribbon possible for Rural Utah.