Schweitzer Big On Sizzle, Short On Specifics Fireworks, Free Food Don’T Quench Appetite For Solid Information
Fireworks lit up the slopes at Schweitzer Mountain Resort on Thursday as Harbor Properties executives prepared to greet the public at an open house.
“Well, they certainly got our attention,” remarked one skier as the multi-colored sparks fizzled in the snow outside the Daylodge.
But those who listened to the remarks from the company brass didn’t hear too much.
Harbor Properties CEO Robert Holmes said the company plans to own Schweitzer a long time and increase employment opportunities at the mountain.
When the questions came, they were similar: What changes will they make in the near future?
“The way we work is we study the issues,” explained Ron Cook, executive vice president of Harbor Resorts, the resort side of the corporation. Harbor Properties now owns four resorts - Stevens Pass, Mission Ridge, the Freestone Inn and Schweitzer.
Cook said that the company would like to add another high-speed quad chairlift to the mountain as soon as possible, but exactly where it will go and when it will be installed hasn’t been decided.
“Hopefully, we’ll have a whole bunch of announcements in the next two months,” Cook said.
Some skiers and condominium owners wanted answers now, even though Harbor Properties took control of Schweitzer Mountain Resort just 35 days ago, when it purchased the financially ailing ski area from U.S. Bank.
“Are you going to plow better? Are you going to plow in front of our condos? Are you going to groom the slopes,” asked Mark Bekken of Spokane.
Another condominium owner told Cook, “Most of us want one thing; to get to the top of the mountain and slide down.”
But poor grooming, lift closures and road conditions have frustrated skiers, he said.
The corporate executives may have picked a poor week to visit Schweitzer. High winds closed lifts earlier in the week, and a groomer ran into a power pole Wednesday, blowing a transformer and shutting down several lifts.
Unrelenting snowfall - adding up to a record year for Schweitzer - created plowing and grooming challenges for a relatively green staff.
“The mountain has been in bankruptcy and receivership the last 36 months,” Cook said. “It’s hard to run a mountain on a shoestring budget.”
After taking a handful of questions, Cook, Holmes and other members of Harbor’s management team filtered through the crowd for one-on-one conversations.
Bekken was not satisfied; “I drove a long ways up here for a snowjob. … We want some action.”
Bekken and other property owners were planning a meeting this morning with Holmes to air their grievances.
Others at the open house not only enjoyed the free beer and food, but gave the new owners the benefit of the doubt.
Steve Van Horn, of Coldwell Banker Resort Realty, said he likes the fact that the new management isn’t going to announce plans until they’ve thoroughly researched them and know they can pull it off.