Hockey players, skaters break in the ice at new Woods Ranch outdoor rink

Written by Jeff Richards
December 12, 2020

CEDAR CITY — The new natural-freeze ice rink at Woods Ranch is now up and running, with the first youth hockey teams hitting the ice for practice earlier this week.

As previously reported in Cedar City News, the project is a collaborative effort by the Southern Utah Youth & Enthusiasts Together for Ice nonprofit group, commonly known as Southern Utah YETI, and the Iron County Commission.

YETI president Kerry Fain said on Monday night the kids were just glad to be on the ice again.

“They’ve been ecstatic, just grinning from ear to ear,” she said. “Everybody’s early. And they’re just happy.”

That elation was in contrast to the sadness and disappointment that area hockey players and ice skating enthusiasts felt several months ago when faced with the possibility of not having a place to skate or play at all. 

The newly relocated ice rink at Woods Ranch in Cedar Canyon, Iron County, Utah, Dec. 6, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Earlier this year, Cedar City had pulled the plug on The Glacier ice rink that had operated for several years adjacent to the city’s aquatic center. The move was made to make room for a planned expansion of the city’s recreation center in the form of basketball gyms and other indoor facilities.

“A lot of them were facing that they might not have ice this year, and that was pretty devastating,” Fain said. “A lot of them were in tears, and I was in tears for many nights. So, we knew we had to do something.”

Fain and other YETI supporters approached the county commission in August with a proposal to have the ice rink move to a new home at the county-owned Woods Ranch Recreation Area.

One difference from the previous rink is while The Glacier did have skate rentals available, the Woods Ranch facility does not, so all participants will need to bring their own ice skates and other equipment, Fain noted.

For those that cannot afford skates or uniforms, some assistance is available, Fain said, adding that several thousands of dollars worth of gently used equipment was recently donated to the YETI program, which was used to help outfit as many as 30 players in need.

“We try to make sure that the kids are taken care of and there’s not one left out,” she said. “If they want to play, we want to make sure that they can play.”

Located up Cedar Canyon approximately 12 miles east of town on state Route 14, the site features naturally colder temperatures that keep the ice frozen throughout the winter, with the water coming from a nearby spring.

With the approval, assistance and support of the county commission, the project was greenlit and fast-tracked, with county workers using heavy equipment to level out a flat spot for the rink in the meadow just north of the main parking lot. 

Fain said that very spot was once used for ice skating back in the day.

“They used to just freeze this whole meadow pretty much right where we are,” she said. “Everybody was really happy to see something like this coming back.”

Although the site is admittedly “not perfect,” Fain said the YETI players and coaches are determined to make things work. Although there are no locker rooms available, she said players can adapt by coming to the site already fully dressed out, or otherwise use their vehicles as changing rooms.

Southern Utah YETI youth hockey players practice on the newly relocated ice rink at Woods Ranch in Cedar Canyon, Iron County, Utah, Dec. 7, 2020 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

When the first skaters went out onto the frozen rink Monday, the ice was still about 4 inches thick but was expected to soon reach its target thickness of 6 inches, Fain said. Additionally, a couple more overhead LED lights still need to be added on either side of the rink, but that installation is expected to happen before this coming Monday’s grand opening, she added.

No permanent fixtures or new infrastructure is being installed, she said, noting that the entire rink facility will be dismantled in the spring and put into storage before being put up again next winter.

The facility does have the county’s permission to use the site’s existing pavilions, restrooms and parking areas. YETI will be responsible for such tasks as restroom cleaning and garbage removal, in addition to paying the electricity bill for the lights. To see a copy of the full lease agreement, click here.

Fain said there are about 100 youth athletes — boys and girls ranging from 4-16 years old — currently enrolled in YETI’s various hockey programs, and another 70 or so people signed up for learn-to-skate classes. 

Additionally, there’s a group of 16 high school players from Southern Utah that have formed a club team to compete with other high school teams. Although they won’t host any home games this year, they do at least have a place to practice, Fain said.

The rink will also be free and open for the public to enjoy, she said, adding, “All the funding is coming from fundraising that we do, from sponsors and in-kind donations.”

The rink’s official public grand opening is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Monday. 

From that point forward, the facility’s public operating hours will be Mondays through Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. It will be closed on Sundays. Additionally, open skating access won’t be available during scheduled program times, such as hockey practices or lessons. To refer to the latest schedule, visit the YETI website or Facebook page.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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