Ski areas and how they relate to their ski communities.

[ski diva]

I saw this question posed on the internet, and I thought it'd be a good one for discussion here, especially given the thread "I am not excited about ski season":

Which ski areas do you think have the strongest connections to their communities of skiers and riders, and what do they do that makes them exceptional in this regard?

Who's doing a good job, and what are they doing?

 

[Skier31]

AspenSnowmass has built housing for employees and is committed to building more. They also pay decent wages. They offered free meals for employees once a week.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

While I moved to Jackson WY to ski the big one, it is Snow King that has our hearts as the community's ski resort. It is referred to as the town hill. It is where kids have spent countless evenings learning to race. Even the locals downhill race, which has since been moved to Jackson Hole, is officially called the town downhill as it was hosted at Snow King for so many years. The prices are fair. They sell an uphill only pass for those looking to get a workout during lunch or after work. It has kept it's small town vibe better than many areas in spite of attempts to grow and challenges with remaining viable and relevant next to a well known resort.

In the eyes of most visitors to ski resorts the destination areas garner all the attention, but oftentimes, it is the smaller and seldom heard of resorts that have the strongest connections to their communities.

 

[bsskier]

While I moved to Jackson WY to ski the big one, it is Snow King that has our hearts as the community's ski resort. It is referred to as the town hill. It is where kids have spent countless evenings learning to race. Even the locals downhill race, which has since been moved to Jackson Hole, is officially called the town downhill as it was hosted at Snow King for so many years. The prices are fair. They sell an uphill only pass for those looking to get a workout during lunch or after work. It has kept it's small town vibe better than many areas in spite of attempts to grow and challenges with remaining viable and relevant next to a well known resort.

In the eyes of most visitors to ski resorts the destination areas garner all the attention, but oftentimes, it is the smaller and seldom heard of resorts that have the strongest connections to their communities.

Spot on! We adore Snow King (aka Town HIll) because of its community focus, plus the added oldest ski hill in Wyoming claim. My DH learned to ski there before going to JH. I always feel lucky spending a day there.