Snowy Range (Cheyenne: for sale, insurance, maintenance)

[cjski21]

Anyone heard any news as to whether Snowy Range Ski Area will open this year? I would not enjoy driving all the way to Colorado to go snowboarding.

[sunsprit]

The last I read about this in the Cheyenne paper biz section a few months ago, is that the ski area wasn't going to be opened this year.

It's been for sale (again) for quite some time, and it's been a losing proposition for the last several owners despite investing a lot of money to upgrade the place to bring in more skiers.

[cjski21]

damn, I was hoping for good news. Oh well.

[sunsprit]

Reported today in the Cheyenne paper sports section ...

Apparently, the most recent owners defaulted on the ski area and 1st National Bank now has ownership of Snowy Range. They announced that they are seeking a "non-profit" ski area operator with hopes that they can be open by Christmas this season.

However, the Forest service requires a 30 day certification process for an area operator, although the regional forest ranger has stated that he'd work with a qualified applicant to get a temporary operating permit so they could open the operations while obtaining the certification. That's very close timing from today, and without a real certificate of operations, they're risking a lot to organize and open up the place only to possibly later on be denied the certificate.

All in all, I think it's pretty flimsy premise to attempt to open up the ski operations at this late date. There's so very few people who are qualified to operate a ski area, let alone ... a Non-Profit organization. They'd have to be pretty well capitalized to staff the place, get the logistics in place ... and obtain commercial business insurance for the operation. These are all substantial up front costs which I think are beyond the scope of a casual group, such as a ski booster club or some other fraternal organization with an interest in winter sports. Even without the capital expense of a mortgage, it's still a lot of money and they need a qualified management in place to satisfy the feds. Don't forget you need qualifed ski patrollers/slope e-services, etc ... And it's getting awfully late in the season to find folks to hire.

Unless they've got somebody with the skills in mind already that's aggressively working on the details and has the funds, I just don't see it happening this year. But I'll keep tabs on any developments .....

[lovetoboard]

Not making any promises here, but i have heard from someone that worked there last year that it is most definitely opening. Keep your fingers crossed, none of us want to drive to colorado

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by lovetoboard

Not making any promises here, but i have heard from someone that worked there last year that it is most definitely opening. Keep your fingers crossed, none of us want to drive to colorado

What does "someone that worked there last year" know that the bank that owns the place and the forest service don't know?

To date, nobody has come forward with an application to operate the ski area to the forest service. Time is running out.

Does your contact have information from a qualified "not-for-profit" business operator ready to submit an application?

[Heit]

Originally Posted by cjski21

Anyone heard any news as to whether Snowy Range Ski Area will open this year? I would not enjoy driving all the way to Colorado to go snowboarding.

Snowy Range WILL be open as of 20 Dec. Just read an article on it in the Sunday paper here in Cheyenne.

[sunsprit]

I saw that "news" also in the T-E this AM.

It's interesting because it appears that the bank is going to open the area "due to local pressure", and to minimize their losses on the area.

It will be interesting to see how this develops as the bank has no experience running a resort, so won't qualify as the "operator" with the forest service. They will have to hire qualified management as well as the labor force, ski patrol, site techs, etc. Apparently, they have given up on the idea of a "non-profit" operator to take over the place ... kinda' what I thought was going to happen, there aren't any qualified non-profits in the ski industry.

[lovetoboard]

omg, ok i said i wasnt promising anything but obviously my source was a good one since they are opening. who cares whose running the place all i care is that they are open and i get to snowboard. lighten up people. its going to open.

[sunsprit]

Note that they have announced that they have a lot of work to do to get the place opened up since they deferred all of the routine maintenance and slope work so far this season.

They're holding a "volunteer" work party day, tomorrow, Saturday. So all you folks that are pulling for skiing/boarding there this winter had best show up to help out ... or there still won't be a ski season. There's a lot of work to running one of these places and they don't have the management or the manpower at this time.

Who's running the place is of vital concern to you as a user. There's expectations of slope grooming/management, proper/safe lift operation, and slope side support ... ski patrol, e-services, etc. A lot of stuff you take for granted that will be there, especially if there's an emergency/accident on the hill. I know that many of us ski for years without needing those services ... but I've seen experienced skiiers get stranded "out of bounds" or down a gulley, or crash into a tree (with serious, if not fatal, results).