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Non-profit ski areas, have you skied at one?

marzNC

Angel Diva
Updated list. Added Black Mountain, deleted Lookout Pass. Keep the new info coming.

NON-PROFIT SKI AREAS - as of 2015

Black Mountain, Rumford, Maine
Squaw Mountain, Greenville, Maine
Whaleback, Enfield, New Hampshire
Mt. Eustis, Littleton, New Hampshire
Beartown, Beekmantown, New York
Tussey Mountain, Boalsburg, Pennsylvania
Ascutney Mountain, Brownsville, Vermont - may not open for 2015-16
Cochran Ski Area, Richmond, Vermont

Mount Holiday, Traverse City, Michigan

Pajarito, Los Alamos, New Mexico

Bogus Basin, Boise, Idaho
Soldier Mountain, Fairfield, Idaho
Bridger Bowl, Bozeman, Montana
Turner Mountain, Libby, Montana
Sleeping Giant, Cody, Wyoming
Antelope Butte, Sheridan Wyoming

Mt. Ashland, Ashland, Oregon
Loup Loup, Okanogan, Washington
Mt. Spokane, Spokane, Washington
 
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marzNC

Angel Diva
The list provided above isn't quite complete.
Quoting myself here:
"Black Mountain Ski Resort is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and as such all donations are tax deductible."
https://www.facebook.com/skiblackmountain/notes
Really nice place.
Neat! Pretty close to Bethel and Sunday River, as well as Mt. Abrams. Sounds like a good alternative for families on a budget with kids just getting started who can only ski on weekends. Black Mountain has a nice website. Looks like there is a fundraiser in early Nov.
 

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
Of this list, the only one I've skied is Bridger, which I really, really liked. Nice skiing and a good vibe.

Ascutney is very close to home, and it's heartbreaking to drive by it, since it's been closed for a few years. You can see the trails, but the lifts are gone. The community bought it a couple years ago and has turned it into a mountain bike destination, which is a good thing. Now they're talking about installing a rope tow that may be in operation by this winter. You can read about it here.
 
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marzNC

Angel Diva
Of this list, the only one I've skied is Bridger, which I really, really liked. Nice skiing and a good vibe.
I won't plan a trip to Big Sky without at least a couple days at Bridger. Besides having a nice vibe, non-profits almost always have very reasonable prices for lift tickets and lessons. Bridger clearly has a great ski school since they serve mostly locals. Well worth taking advantage of the low price for travelers. Especially for those from the flatlands who don't get to ski big mountains that many days. Spending a day at Bridger with, or without, a private lesson is a great way to warm up for a ski week at Big Sky.
 

CarverJill

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I've skied at Bogus Basin in Boise, Idaho and actually got married there in the summer. Its a relatively big place and you would never know its a non-profit unless you looked it up. Its relatively small but nothing like a one rope tow place. I think there are 6 lifts and the place is spread out 306 degrees around the mountain. I don't think they make snow and if they do its just on a few on the main trails. Its definitely a local place. I think there are a few cabins on the mountain you can stay but mostly people are driving up the windy mountain road from Boise. Amenity-wise they ahev two lodges with food, rentals, lessons and all you'd expect at a regular ski area. Tickets aren't especially cheap but you can get a blackout season pass for around $200.
https://bogusbasin.org/

Here's a shot from our rehearsal dinner where you can see the trails a little.
6294_1192881745635_1336167438_30531164_1656722_n.jpg
 
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marzNC

Angel Diva
Updated list. Soldier Mountain was sold. Will stay open but no longer non-profit. Keep the new info coming.

NON-PROFIT SKI AREAS - as of Nov 2015

Black Mountain, Rumford, Maine
Squaw Mountain, Greenville, Maine
Whaleback, Enfield, New Hampshire
Mt. Eustis, Littleton, New Hampshire
Beartown, Beekmantown, New York
Tussey Mountain, Boalsburg, Pennsylvania
Ascutney Mountain, Brownsville, Vermont - may be open for 2015-16
Cochran Ski Area, Richmond, Vermont

Mount Holiday, Traverse City, Michigan

Pajarito, Los Alamos, New Mexico

Bogus Basin, Boise, Idaho
Bridger Bowl, Bozeman, Montana
Turner Mountain, Libby, Montana
Sleeping Giant, Cody, Wyoming
Antelope Butte, Sheridan Wyoming

Mt. Ashland, Ashland, Oregon
Loup Loup, Okanogan, Washington
Mt. Spokane, Spokane, Washington
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
The couple who bought Soldier Mountain are starting a great adventure. Although they grew up skiing, including back country, they have never been to Soldier. Having been chosen by the Board of the Soldier non-profit that decide to sell for $149,000 out of 2000 bidders, they are moving to ID to chase their dream. Wish them luck!

A story by the local TV station on Nov. 5 said that season passes already sold will be honored.
 

Robyn

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I grew racing for Bogus but haven't been back for years. Although I recognize it in Jill's picture. I need to get back there some day.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Bogus Basin in Idaho is the largest non-profit in the U.S. They got a new GM in 2015. He came from Diamond Peak. Will be interesting to see what changes happen before the 2016-17 season. He was mainly observing during the past season. More snowmaking is definitely a priority.

Meet the new Bogus Basin GM - Nov 2015
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Antelope Butte isn't quite ready to re-open yet, but the non-profit that started working on the idea has a federal permit in hand that means construction plans can more forward. They are hoping to get lifts installed the summer of 2017. That's about a year behind the proposed schedule from 2015. Hopefully the work begun in 2010 will be successful. Hasn't been any skiing there since 2004, when a profitable family business closed due to family issues not lack of skiers. The Antelope Butte Foundation completed the purchase necessary land purchase in April 2015, which cost close to $300K. The Exec. Dir. and "Ski-EO" of the Foundation grew up skiing in the NC mountains before skiing at Whitefish for a few years. He's got two young sons who will be just the right age to start skiing by 2017.

Antelope Butte Mountain Recreation Area Quick Facts:
  • Location: Intersection of US Hwy 14 & Granite Creek Cabin Road; 59 miles west of Sheridan, Wyoming and 35 miles east of Greybull, Wyoming
  • Summit: 9,400 feet; Base: 8,400 feet; 1,000 feet vertical
  • Skiable area: 250 acres
  • Permitted area for recreation: 500 acres
  • Lifts: 3
  • Trails: 23
  • Lodge: ~10,100 square feet (to be remodeled)
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Sounds like it was touch and go whether or not there would be enough money for the Ascuteney purchase. Bottom line is that things worked out in Dec. 2015 according to a Backcountry Magazine interview with Kate Wanner, Project Manager for the Trust for Public Land in Vermont. Ascutney Outdoors is the non-profit that is working to make skiing happen again on the mountain. Turns out the top third of the mountain will never be lift-served because of how the conservation easement is written. Hope next season there will be better snowfall so that the rope tow can be open regularly. The idea is for the tow to be open Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun, conditions permitting.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
It turns out that a few of the non-profit ski areas are not community-based like Bridger and the others I've listed in the thread so far.

Winter Park is run by a non-profit created by the city of Denver.

https://www.coloradoskihistory.com/areahistory/winterpark.html

"By 1950, skier numbers reached over 26,000 with ticket price at two
dollars. The City and County of Denver created a non-profit agency within
the city government to operate and manage the Winter Park Ski Area.
Under this agency, the Winter Park Recreational Association was
established. This board consisted of 15 volunteer members that oversaw the
operations and development of the ski area. Steven Bradley was hired as
the first director."


The Dartmouth Skiway is owned by Dartmouth College, so technically a non-profit. Lassen Community College in CA took over tiny Coppervale in the 1960s.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Bogus Basin in Idaho is the largest non-profit in the U.S. They got a new GM in 2015. He came from Diamond Peak. Will be interesting to see what changes happen before the 2016-17 season. He was mainly observing during the past season. More snowmaking is definitely a priority.

Meet the new Bogus Basin GM - Nov 2015
Bogus Basin is about to start a new approach now that they have the results of a detailed study done by a consulting firm with a lot of experience working with ski areas. The new GM has worked with SE Group when he was at Diamond Peak. Reading through the report is a good introduction into the hard decisions that must be made by management of a ski area.

https://bogusbasin.org/beyond-75/
https://bogusbasin.org/content/uploads/2015/09/Beyond75_FStudy.pdf

Back in the late 1990s, Bogus turned things around by drastically reducing the cost of season passes. Went from $500 to $199 with the end result that season pass sales had to be cut off at 25,000. The year before there were only about 3000 pass holders. More importantly, total revenue almost doubled that season. However, in recent years Bogus was operating at a loss. A few the recommendations are clear: 1) season pass prices need to rise, 2) more revenue can be made during non-ski season, especially during the summer, 3) more snowmaking is needed. Part of the study compared Bogus with 29 other comparable ski areas, both for-profit and non-profit, in several different regions of the U.S.

Knowing that pass pricing had to increase, the process started early. The first announcement came with a President's Day sale in Feb 2016. The first early bird price went from $229 to $299. Pretty good deal for a ski area with over 2000 skiable acres and night skiing.

https://www.ktvb.com/news/local/bogus-basin-raises-prices-offers-new-passes/32553670

"Though prices are going up, the ski area is offering an extra incentive for people who jump on the early sale. For the first time, it includes summer lift tickets, a nordic pass and limited lift tickets to Tamarack Resort and select ski resorts in Lake Tahoe.

They are also offering two new options for skiers and snowboarders - a mid-week, non-holiday pass for $239 and a night-only pass for $99."
 

sibhusky

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Oops, I was reading about places in several states at the time. Would fix it but way too late to edit the post.

Have you been to Turner?


No, daughter has. It's a long day to get there, she camped out. She says it's good skiing, but not for the faint of heart. They don't groom much. The access is for the hardy. She punctured a tire. She was lucky a passerby came along to help her in the dark on a lonely forest road. I'm sure I should try it once. https://flatheadbeacon.com/2016/02/24/steep-cheap/
 

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