Another wildland fire reached a western ski area last night, this time Maverick Mountain. The community ski area near Dillon, Montana posted this morning that “with heavy hearts, we are sad to say the Sand Creek Fire is actively inside the ski area boundary.” The main lodge remained standing, but the area’s lone chairlift sustained unknown damage. “We won’t know the extent of the damages until we regain access to the property,” said the ski area. Maverick’s chairlift dates back to 1969 and was already eyed for eventual replacement. In 2024, Maverick acquired Poma quads from both Aspen Mountain and Jackson Hole with hopes of combining them into one lift.
The Sand Creek Fire started on August 1st and has burned nearly 20,000 acres. Today’s news follows a similar story out of Utah, where the Cottonwood Fire damaged a majority of Eagle Point’s five lifts. Last week the Southern Utah resort announced it wouldn’t open this season due to extensive damage. Across the west, other fires threaten Mt. Hood Meadows in Oregon and Showdown, Montana.
“A big thank you to all the people on the front line and everyone who has helped us this far,” Maverick posted. “Please keep our community in your thoughts.”
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An urban gondola in Africa closes after just a few weeks due to low ridership, high ticket prices, vandalism and resident fears.
A new lawsuit alleges Alterra, Vail, Boyne, Powdr, NSAA and RRC Associates illegally colluded on destination resort pricing (full text here.)
Oregon OSHA fines Mt. Hood Skibowl $43,000 over a fatal maintenance incident, alleging staff operated a work carrier beyond limitations after receiving no formal training on it (the area has appealed.)
An investigation finds parts improperly installed decades ago combined with a misload and unevenly loaded chair caused a deropement at Vail last winter.
Red Lodge Mountain settles with the family of a man killed on a lift last year, clarifying in a joint statement his death was caused by a mechanical failure, derailment and collapse rather than a fall. As a result of the incident Red Lodge reinforced towers on the Triple Chair and added anemometers.
Mountain Capital Partners’ purchase of El Colorado, Chile is called off over antitrust concerns.
Teton County, Idaho and the State of Wyoming join others objecting to Grand Targhee’s nearly-approved expansion.
The President imposes new tariffs of 10 to 12.5 percent on the European Union, Switzerland, Canada and numerous other nations and says more EU tariffs are coming.
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