Places left to ski that aren't owned by shitheads

[paulster2626]

Panorama is owned by 30or so local individuals, many from Calgary, but I believe most if now all have second homes here. Purchased from Intrawest about 8 or 9 years ago.

These guys are passionate about skiing. Example:One owner liked a particular run that ran along a ridge, but it was exceedingly narrow. He paid a few hundred grand out of his own pocket to have it widened and now it is one of the best cruising runs on the hill.

One of the primary shareholders is an old coworker/friend and the plans are pretty good. Each year for the past 6 years, teams are sent up every summer to glade a new section of mountain. They put in a quad chair to a new ridge four or five years ago to all beginner terrain. On the busiest days of the year, it makes a significant difference in traffic on the main lifts. They enhanced it by having a Discovery Chair only ticket, $20 for an all day ticket for that chair only. Perfect for beginners and little kids before they are ready for anything bigger.

New management is pretty damn good, and the hill is one of the few that is cash flow positive and throws an operating profit. The owners committed to a period of time where they would take no cash out it of the mountain and most profit is reinvested back in the hill. Debt is being kept to an absolute minimum.

The hill has always had a rep for good grooming, so they have doubled down on that, a few years ago they installed ~140 winch cat anchors all over the hill and now they are grooming runs never before reachable. Some exceedingly steep ones. Snowmaking starts in November to get runs ready for a number of race teams that train here pre-WC season. That puts down a really strong early season base and they can make snow on most regions of the hill. It makes a huge difference, especially this time of year, where (I have been here last 4 days) those runs that had snowmaking are still in really good shape. Those runs without, getting really patchy and sketchy.

While it caters to the family, what makes it special to me is that there is enough terrain to keep any skier happy for any ability.

The other big plus from a revenue perspective is the resort is now truly summer and winter. World class golf (GreyWolf golf course, top 10 in Canada) and a dozen more top rated courses within an hour and change drive. Downhill Mountain Biking, hiking, this place is very active almost year round.

I can see where smaller operations serving a local market need to survive on winter only, but without cash flow, maintenance suffers, and ski resorts are capital intensive at the best of times. Which is why Mom and Pop operations are soo hard to maintain without significant local support.




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Bumped chairs at Pano back in 1999/2000. What a fun few months that was.

Would love to go back, and this just makes me want to even more! How's that new "Monster" zone they opened up?

[ill-advised strategy]

Taos?

Seems like a hard one to sort out. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who lives in the valley or works at TSV. I did hear a bunch of patrollers quit at once. That's really not a good sign.

[whipski]

Just because a ski area is small and the owner has different political views doesn't mean it isn't a great place to ski

[phishstx]

Seems like a hard one to sort out. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who lives in the valley or works at TSV. I did hear a bunch of patrollers quit at once. That's really not a good sign.

Didn't the patrollers try to unionize and get stonewalled? Not sure where anti-union falls on the shithead ski area owner spectrum. ETA not interested in finding out.

+1 Plattekill and Hickory Ski Center (still holding out hope the lifts will spin in 2020)

[Name Redacted]

Monarch ski area. Cool little local vibe, owned by an investor group of mostly locals. Maybe not the gnarliest ski area in CO but I've had some really fun days playing around there.

Mt Baker, don't know how the locals feel about the Howats but I feel like they were well liked when I was there a long time ago. Still one of my favorite ski areas that I've ever been to. The place is just on another level from the rest of NA resorts. Super low key(but I hear attendance has grown since I spent a few seasons there), no frills, crazy deep snow, amazing terrain. I could ski 100 days a season there for the rest of my life, rain days and all.

Grand Targhee, owned by Gillett family. Don't know how the locals feel about that, but the ski area seemed to be run pretty well, and we had a blast on our only day skiing there.

[ill-advised strategy]

Didn't the patrollers try to unionize and get stonewalled? Not sure where anti-union falls on the shithead ski area owner spectrum.

Organized labor stuff goes asshattery almost immediately, so we should probably try to preserve the productive nature of this thread by letting each other have our own opinions about it.

IMHO, asshattery aside, a group of patrollers unhappy enough for that scenario to arise and play itself out is a notable data point in the shithead-or-not matrix. Shitheadery isn't the only plausible explanation, but a mass exodus of patrollers is exactly the kind of thing that happens with a shithead in charge.

[m29a1c]

Seems like a hard one to sort out. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who lives in the valley or works at TSV. I did hear a bunch of patrollers quit at once. That's really not a good sign.

+1 Taos and Wolf Creek

[jackstraw]

Cannon is state owned. Live free or die

[snojones]

I've got to say that HOODOO in Oregon is a great small area. Over the years the now, not so new, owners have proved again and again that they are into improving the public ski experience. Hell they even rolled season passes forward to the next year when the snow pack didn't show. Millions into new lifts and lodges. The good sense to listen to what is working and not, before they start reinventing the wheel. Big plans and good sense are rare qualities in any buisness.

They have many return employees, which in my book adds up to being good employers. This translates into good employees which leads directly to better public experiences at the ski area. There is good terrain and week days there are still occasional real POWDER DAYS, that last more than 3 runs.

Over the years I have watched as they continually worked to make this little gem into a regional asset. We are lucky to have such a great ski area so close by.

[goldengatestinx]

Holiday Valley.

[mcski]

Kodiac Valley

[Ted Striker]

Red Mountain used to be owned by three (old) local guys and the estate of a fourth. They definitely weren't shitheads.

Is the new lawyer/RE developer's crowd source actually shady, or is that an inside joke?

[Hood26]

I've got to say that HOODOO in Oregon is a great small area. Over the years the now, not so new, owners have proved again and again that they are into improving the public ski experience. Hell they even rolled season passes forward to the next year when the snow pack didn't show. Millions into new lifts and lodges. The good sense to listen to what is working and not, before they start reinventing the wheel. Big plans and good sense are rare qualities in any buisness.

They have many return employees, which in my book adds up to being good employers. This translates into good employees which leads directly to better public experiences at the ski area. There is good terrain and week days there are still occasional real POWDER DAYS, that last more than 3 runs.

Over the years I have watched as they continually worked to make this little gem into a regional asset. We are lucky to have such a great ski area so close by.

Agreed. Looking at it all around we are damn lucky in Oregon. Hopefully nobody of consequence reads this thread.

[PNWbrit]

Red Mountain used to be owned by three (old) local guys and the estate of a fourth. They definitely weren't shitheads.

Is the new lawyer/RE developer's crowd source actually shady, or is that an inside joke?

It's owned by a Californian property developer and cosmetics tycoon now.

His crowdfunding stakeholder deal was actually shady IMHO.

Linky to old thread https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...n-Crowdfunding

[Jacques Strap]

Wolf Creek

+3 for Wolf Creek. I absolutely love that mountain. Until that shithead McCombs (a fellow Texan, to my abject shame) comes and fucks it up.

[SKIP IN7RO]

+3 for Wolf Creek. I absolutely love that mountain. Until that shithead McCombs (a fellow Texan, to my abject shame) comes and fucks it up.

McCombs's been trying for 30+ years to get the village going. Here's to hoping it takes another 30.

[Ted Striker]

Mt Baker, don't know how the locals feel about the Howats but I feel like they were well liked when I was there a long time ago. Still one of my favorite ski areas that I've ever been to. The place is just on another level from the rest of NA resorts. Super low key(but I hear attendance has grown since I spent a few seasons there), no frills, crazy deep snow, amazing terrain. I could ski 100 days a season there for the rest of my life, rain days and all.

No frills? They knocked down the Raven Hot, and replaced it with a two story lodge! (but I miss Kelly Jo's food)

As for the Howats, I like them, but for some it's love/hate just like it's always been. Duncan is well respected. Amy and Gwyn have gotten some flak over the years for things like overly-optimistic reports, and other operational frustrations, but I think most people get that the positives outweigh the negatives.

You should move back

[PNWbrit]

The place is just on another level from the rest of NA resorts.

Bit sweeping isn't it?

Super low key

The WWU snowboarder vibe always bugs me.

If you want low key you want Shames.

crazy deep snow, amazing terrain.

^ also Shames.

[Ted Striker]

His crowdfunding stakeholder deal was actually shady IMHO.

I remembered the existence of a thread, but not the content other than it was an American lawyer/developer.

And cosmetics tycoon as well? Can't say I'm surprised.

[XXX-er]

If you want low key you want Shames.

Shames is ^^ the next level below low

for any locals who don't like the owner

just look in the mirror ... its you

[PNWbrit]

Shames is ^^ the next level below low

I have never skied anywhere before where locals were actually arguing with each other about which one of them would get to show a visitor the goods.

The exact opposite of Baker IMHO.

[Ted Striker]

The low key ship sailed from baker right after a certain mag/photog blew the place up

There was a day in Feb that set the new record for skier/rider visits. By about 11 am they were "inventing" new parking spots.

The exact opposite of Baker IMHO.

You are not even allowed to know the names of the secret stashes, let alone the secrets themselves!

[raisingarizona13]

Shames is ^^ the next level below low

for any locals who don't like the owner

just look in the mirror ... its you

Mount Cain I imagine is very similar. Both of these BC areas intrigue me. I just love simplicity matched with awesome lift accessed touring options.

[PNWbrit]

Mount Cain I imagine is very similar.

From what I hear.

Is it on this list yet?

[XXX-er]

Mount Cain I imagine is very similar. Both of these BC areas intrigue me. I just love simplicity matched with awesome lift accessed touring options.

Its a Coop eh, I skied Shames with Garyfromterrace, Norseman and Mike Dorse, Gary is like the Major of Shames so we had to stop and talk to some local every 5 minutes

a guy in the p-lot was giving out beers he had salvaged from a wrecked semi on the highway that was definatley day drinking