Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Myth Busting

A reader asked today if we would stay open into April, snow permitting. I apologize for not addressing this sooner. First off, I want to play mythbuster. For years there has been the rumor that the Forest Service dictates when ski areas close for their season. I've heard this given as the reason in at least 3 different states.

The truth is, we have a year-round permit with the Forest Service. They do not force us to close at a given time. We do however give them both winter and summer operating plans so they know exactly what we will be doing. We communicate with them regularly.

So, the reason we close on March 30? It's purely a business decision. We've found that even if the snow is amazing, people are just ready for summer and have moved on to other activities. By that time it's perfect weather in the Grand Valley so people are hiking, biking, etc. Granted there are many of us who would ski/snowboard year-round if we could, it's just not enough people to make it worth-while to stay open much past April 1st.

The only way for this to change is to convince our friends that mountain biking, hiking, heck..spring cleaning and yard work can all WAIT! Fight the urge to sunbathe! Get a goggle tan instead! Let's face it...summer is longer than winter...so let's all ski as long as we can!

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