More PC perspective in CB

When leaving our somewhat regular visit to the Park City area, I always find something to put my perspective in perspective. This time it was the light bulb coming on over why Vail Resorts probably doesn’t remember Crested Butte is on its books.

Having been in Utah last weekend, it was off-season there as well. But the number of cranes and the amount of activity going on was still impressive for a country ski bumpkin from CB. The amount of terrain you could see on the front of the mountains dwarfed our little area in terms of skiability. Looking at just the facade of Park City and The Canyons reminded me that Vail Resorts could probably build one more big restaurant or hotel there and make as much money as revamping our entire base area and on-mountain amenities at a fraction of the cost. In my tiny business brain, it would be a stretch to spend the millions here to perhaps expand lift-served skiing into Teo Bowl while at the same time upgrading base area buildings and amenities when I could build a restaurant or two for less money and make more cash that would be viewed by a lot more people.

That is of course not to say that CBMR couldn’t be molded into a valuable little diamond in the VR jewelry box. Our mountain is small but unique among other ski resorts. Our extreme terrain is the draw along with the charm of the small town and a human scale that doesn’t really exist in PC or The Canyons. Throw in Deer Valley that is next door to Park City and you have about 13,000 acres of skiing (mostly intermediate runs) compared to CBMR’s 1,547 acres (mostly extreme and advanced runs).

And therein lies our realistic potential of a bright future — focusing on our uniqueness instead of trying to compete with the bigger dawgs. Let me say first that I appreciated CBMR being part of the VR portfolio, especially when it came to COVID times. They were able to weather that storm when perhaps a small individual ownership group would have been stretched to the brink. I also like the affordable Epic Pass price point. Some recent CBMR polish funded by VR is the remote-controlled avalanche mitigation system that will help protect the steeps and is very cool and even cooler with a name like the Boom Whoosh.

Perhaps in the current big picture, a corporation like Vail Resorts has no interest in investing the big money probably needed to totally shine the CBMR diamond. So maybe it is time for the corporation to either figure out what it would take to keep CBMR unique and market it as a skier’s ski area that everyone should put on the bucket list, or sell it to someone passionate about this place. I believe VR can use it as a gem that comes out on special occasions and take care of it. The Boom Whoosh is one step that addresses that. So would a classic ski lodge at the base. But frankly, looking at the Utah resorts, there is no way we could be like them in scale or glitz, nor do I think we would want to.

To me, future success in the upper valley, both on the business and the lifestyle level, is to be true to the foundation of what we are and make the best of that. Lean into the small-town community. Embrace the weird. Tout the steeps. Focus on the fun qualities of skiing, not the quantity. Stay at the end of the road. Don’t try to be a glitzy mountain resort. Sure, polish the base area and put in modern lifts that are safe and reliable. Expand the terrain where appropriate and feel blessed that while to the outsider the intermediate terrain here is perhaps good for two or three days, the steeps can be challenging for decades. Protect the scale and charm of Crested Butte.

There is no reason, and in fact there could be great harm, to follow the standard resort development template to grow, grow, grow. There are already big, high-end resorts out there. While the $12 million houses here seem impressive, they could be accessory dwellings on some of the $50+ million mansions in The Colony at White Pine Canyon. If you want the glitz, the conveniences, the glam, why not go there? It’s there. But if you want to live in or visit an authentic small-town community with fantastic amenities — both athletic like trails and nearby wilderness, and more ethereal, like great live music and a wide range of artistic talent — be here, now.

I have no idea what the C-Suite in Broomfield really thinks of this place or have any clue what they want to do here, if anything. So, while we can try working with VR, we as a community should make decisions based on our core values. Keep working people part of the valley. Stay small. We can deliberately choose paths that bring in people who appreciate what we have and are not afraid to be where we are. Incorporate tourists and second homeowners into the deeper community. Really think if more is better for here. More is better in Park City, and I can appreciate that. It works and I enjoy being there. The groomers are endless, there is a smattering of steeps and Costco is a short drive away, so what’s not to like? My grandkids are thriving there, hence the regular trips.

For the CB brain trust, making conscious, out-of-the-box decisions doesn’t preclude growth or better amenities — heck, we are bringing them in as we speak. But grow based on the rawer attributes that keep us different and might, in the long run, keep this a deep, rich and uniquely successful community and resort on a human scale. Growth and change are an inevitable part of the future but guide the growth from the foundation of CB values. Be here now and definitely don’t try to be like every place else.

—Mark Reaman