Skiing’s future seen from both sides of the Atlantic

The views depend on which side of pond on is located. In the Alps, most people are thinking that skiing is on its way out and will soon be a thing of the past, as global warming progresses and there’s a groundswell of interest for developing alternative forms of recreation outside of skiing or snowboarding. In the US, there seems to be little, openly expressed concern about global warming and its dire consequences. 

Next to my home, Mayflower, a new ski resort, adjacent to Deer Valley is in the process of being built, its ski runs have just been cut and it calls for 4,300 skiable acres served by 15 lifts at a fairly low altitude that will require, according to its preliminary projections, some 320 million gallons of water per season for snow-making, which is not what you’d call sustainable! 

Then there’s Wasatch Peaks Ranch, a private ski club and ski area, located 35 minutes north from Salt Lake City, 45 from Park City and 15from Snowbasin Resort. This project is built on 12,740 acres, of which 3,000 will be skiable with 3,500 feet of vertical. 

A private community of up to 750 housing units will begin a multi-phase, 10-15 year build-out, according to reports. Access to the mountain will be restricted to investors and homeowners, who are expected to be among the "one percent of the richest one percent." 

The base of that exclusive resort will also be located at less than 6,000 feet of altitude, which will require much snow-making.

 

So you have it, the Europeans are having “cold feet” about skiing while their North American counterparts are moving full-steam ahead. 

Should there be a middle way? You bet there should, and also a clear and present concern for temperatures to keep on rising, unless Putin is planning a nuclear winter for the northern hemisphere. So just tighten your seat belts and watch!