Mountain High Owners Purchase Dodge Ridge

Peter Landsman11 Comments

Invision Capital and Karl Kapuscinski of Southern California’s Mountain High Resort today announced their acquisition of Dodge Ridge, a mid-sized area located between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park. Longtime Dodge Ridge owners Frank and Sally Helm are retiring after 45 years at the helm. Kapuscinski, who brings more than 30 years of resort management experience at Mountain High, Stevens Pass, Spirit Mountain and others, will become President and CEO of both resorts. Dodge Ridge General Manager Jenni Smith will remain in her role reporting to Kapuscinski.

Dodge Ridge operates a fleet of eight chairlifts four surface lifts on 862 acres of the Stanislaus National Forest. The new ownership group may be better equipped to upgrade aging lifts, some of which date back to the 1960s and ’70s. Dodge Ridge remains among the 15 largest US resorts without a detachable.

“Dodge Ridge is one of those extraordinary skiing and riding experiences that comes with a lot of passion and a lot of history coupled with a great mountain vibe that’s really warm and friendly,” said Karl and Audrey Kapuscinski in a statement. “We think it’s critical to maintain the very core of the resort and its personality and identity, and that’s going to be our goal from day one. We are extremely proud that Sally and Frank chose us as the new owners of Dodge Ridge and please stay tuned as we look forward to future announcements and developments.”

Dodge Ridge will join the Powder Alliance, a global reciprocal program of which Mountain High is a founding member. Other partners in the alliance include Oregon’s Timberline Lodge and Loveland Ski Area in Colorado.

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Toggenburg Closes After 68 Years

Peter Landsman14 Comments

I am sad to report the lifts at New York’s Toggenburg Mountain have carried their final skiers. The owner of nearby Song Mountain and Labrador Mountain, Peter Harris, announced his purchase of the property today and said he will consolidate operations at his other mountains. The sellers are John and Christine Meier, who own and operate the largest resort in the region, Greek Peak. The Meiers plan to focus on Greek Peak, which they have grown into a four season destination in recent years.

Harris, the owner of Song and Labrador, cited a number of reasons for his decision including business levels and a labor shortage. He will continue to operate and invest in Song Mountain and Labrador Mountain, which feature eight lifts between them. “As new strains of COVID emerge, there is still great uncertainty about future capacity restrictions and concerns about finding and keeping seasonal staff as many local companies continue to struggle to hire workers. This purchase follows a decades long trend of ski resort consolidation,” said Harris, who did not disclose the purchase price. “The decision to close Toggenburg isn’t one we took lightly or made easily, but when you take a hard look at the numbers, three ski resorts drawing from the same pool of skiers and snow boarders every year is a challenge. I am confident that we are going to offer Central New Yorkers an excellent ski experience at Song and Labrador.”

The future of Toggenburg’s two Hall doubles and Borvig triple remains uncertain. The Skitog.com website is already gone.

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