After
a mild and nearly snowless ski season, town officials in Killington are considering
alternative models around the country, and
they’re consulting with a private company to boost economic development.
It’s been a tough winter for snow sports – the type
of season that can be devastating for a small family run business like
Cochran’s Ski Area in Richmond. But Cochran skiers have come up with a way to
support their favorite ski hill.
Vermont’s largest ski resorts are trying to get the message out that,
despite the wrath of Tropical Storm Irene, they will be ready for the ski season.
A drawn-out legal battle over
the Mount Ascutney ski area meant the southern Vermont resort didn’t open this year. That’s made a tough economy
tougher in West Windsor, where the mountain is located. And reports that the
resort’s former creditors are selling off equipment has residents worried about the mountain’s
long-term fate.
Here’s another example of
the state’s winter resorts branching out into four-season recreation:
Burke Mountain Ski Area in northeastern Vermont soon will be offering
lift rides up the mountain to mountain bikers, and opening a new
downhill bike park.
The
owner of the Mount Snow Resort wants to take the company public. Peak
Resorts of St. Louis has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
for a $40 million initial public offering of its common stock.
Tucked away in the shadow of the much larger resorts, Londonderry’s Magic
Mountain has seen its share of
struggle. But the mountain also has its diehard fans who are determined to keep the resort going.
Financial troubles have led to foreclosures and a
change in ownership at Ascutney Mountain Resort. But the ski area’s future
is still unclear – and so is that of a couple hundred homeowners who depend on
the mountain for sewer and water service.
This
weekend’s snowstorm has been great for downhill and cross-country skiers and ski resorts across Vermont say they’ve had better than expected turnouts over the holidays.