Eldora, CO 2025-26

[EMSC]

Sorry no skiing yet. But thought I'd start a thread for this year as I had reason to be up at the mountain today anyway.

I think they have enough snow made to open, though it would be just barely. Not to mention super warm temps Sun-today (supposed to cool off finally sometime tomorrow). It was 55F this afternoon and they are keeping the piles as whales to keep the thermal mass. Though the Mtn biking has been good when I can sneak it in.

Otherwise hot and dry...

The other not exactly ski related news is the big fire that destroyed literally ~half the businesses in the town of Nederland a few weeks ago (population ~1500). All I know is that knowing some folks that live right behind the grocery who woke up and took pics before even the fire dept was there is that the fire started somewhere on the 2nd story of the only big plaza in town. The only good news was that there was no wind that night so the next door grocery store for example was saved. No idea if the story made it beyond Denver area though.

Sample news stories:
CBS
Colorado Sun Article

Pics of it almost a month later:

 

[EMSC]

I doubt I'll have too many updates this year, but thought I'd add a few just to keep track.

This update is about the huge winds in Colo last week. For the first time ever Xcel Enery pulled the same stuff as the california utilities - pre-emptive power shut offs. Mostly in the foothills and immediate plains at the base. That said winds were pretty huge (over 100mph gusts) on wed and fri of last week with fairly slow power restoration due to various damage.

At my house 12 miles from the base of the foothills we lost power 4 times. Twice for an hour on Wed and Thurs, for 5 hours on Fri and a short 15 minute outage on Sat. By far the longest outages ever in 14 years at this house.

Eldora itself was in the preemptive shut off area and was closed Wed-Fri. While they re-opened on Sat 21st they still did not have power and ran the 6pack on back-up diesel power with no other lifts operable, and no services or food and beverage. They finally got power back on Sat at approx 6pm, making Sunday at least normal-ish, though with very limited food options.

So we can add this story to the very unusual start to the western ski season.

 

[ChrisC]

I forgot to ask about this, but what do you think will happen with Eldora when Nederland, CO completes its acquisition?

I assume they will need the same management team and will need to pay everyone to stay in place. And I do not think Nederland can abolish many of its taxes, and rely upon profits from Eldora. How long (years) until this purchase goes south?

Town of Nederland, Colorado to Buy Eldora

The Colorado town located closest to unincorporated Eldora Mountain Resort plans to purchase the mountain from Powdr Corporation by October. A signed term sheet comes after months of negotiation an…

liftblog.com

Nederland eyes Eldora Mountain Resort purchase with final stages of approval expected soon

Nederland could purchase Eldora Mountain Resort for up to $120 million before year-end, with town trustees reviewing final documents Tuesday.

www.denver7.com

 

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I give it this season and next before it starts to fall apart. Nothing the town can change for this season and next they try to replicate a normal season as they have no idea what they are doing yet. After that they will want to start pulling $$ out of the resort to fund the town and I think top employees will want to move on and avoid the town BS cycle.

This is a town that cant even agree on sidewalks and lost its only big festival (frozen dead guy days) to nearby Estes Park due to incompetence and infighting. While there are some very competent people that live in Ned and work in Boulder, they are far from a majority and none are in the town government. For the most part the townsfolk are pretty "off" from normal IMO.

 

[ChrisC]

After that they will want to start pulling $$ out of the resort to fund the town

Who sold them on this idea?

I don't think Powdr would really promote this as a logical outcome of ski ownership? Possibly bankers? Or someone who might act as an advisor, knowing that with Nederland ownership, it will be a forever job until further notice?

Or did Powdr Corp think - Nederland can issue municipal bonds and pay whatever price we claim? No need to negotiate much, like with Vail or Alterra. I am not sure how much of an appetite either of those has for acquisitions now - they seem more focused on partnerships.

 

[EMSC]

Hah, this is extreme liberal politician country in Boulder County. They view all businesses as something that should be heavily taxed and sucked dry. Powdr Corp doesn't much care about Neds plan; they just want max price to walk away with.

You did nail it though. Once they had the idea and knew they could issue muni bonds to buy it, price was very secondary. They didn't care if it was going to be 75M or 125M. Obviously private biz operators certainly care what the price is. I heard Boyne was one of the most interested private players but backed out late in the process. That would have been a much preferable outcome.

And oh boy are there plenty of "advisors" in Boulder to 'help'.

 

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Here is the latest update from today. Just remember the town is already months behind plan for closing the deal. Hints of future competence level for thier ownership.

https://archive.is/zreer

 

[jamesdeluxe]

And oh boy are there plenty of "advisors" in Boulder to 'help'.

During my tour of duty there 40 years ago, Boulder had already developed into a satire-ready enclave of (as someone at a party described it) "capitalism with a performative conscience and a detailed spreadsheet." I may have mentioned how French grad students at CU used to refer to the town as Bol d'Air (bowl of air).

 

[EMSC]

Now for the town to figure out how to market and issue bonds, get a special use permit from the USFS, beg Ikon to keep the current deal going, figure out how to transition employees en-mass to being town EE's (total town population is only ~1,500 so current number of town EE's is TINY), etc..., etc...

Interestingly, given how bad the season is going they might want to hold off as long as possible to close the deal and let Powdr take the financial hits for a few more months.

Nederland's governing body votes to approve $120M purchase of Eldora Mountain Resort

The Board of Trustees in Nederland, a Boulder County mountain community of about 1,500 people, on Tuesday voted to approve the purchase of the neighboring Eldora ski area for roughly $120 million.

www.denver7.com

 

[ChrisC]

Now for the town to figure out how to market and issue bonds

......

beg Ikon to keep the current deal going, figure out how to transition employees en-mass to being town EE's (total town population is only ~1,500 so current number of town EE's is TINY), etc..., etc...

There will be a permanent management/consultant layer on the Eldora payroll that was not present under Powdr ownership.

Will all benefits increase well above current levels, transitioning everyone to municipal employee status?

Interestingly, given how bad the season is going they might want to hold off as long as possible to close the deal and let Powdr take the financial hits for a few more months.

Perhaps a beneficial unintended outcome. Is this an Unknown-Unknown?

 

[EMSC]

Will all benefits increase well above current levels, transitioning everyone to municipal employee status?

I currently have no idea on this, but I know I will hear from many up there about the change when it gets close to happening and they spell out the official town benefits for them (which has not happened yet).

There will be a permanent management/consultant layer on the Eldora payroll that was not present under Powdr ownership.

Most likely.

 

[EMSC]

Just to point out just how bad it is this season, below is a map showing the open terrain at Eldora as of today Jan 9th. This is usually about where the map is for open terrain by about Thanksgiving to early December-ish in a more typical year.

I'm sue they've been blowing snow the past couple of days with another short cold snap but as I've not been up I'm not sure where they are focusing (more beginner terrain? Terrain Park? Over and back from Corona lift to pretend the backside is open?). I'm also very curious just how long into the season they will keep making snow. The latest I can recall in most years is roughly Mid-Jan as they finish up a final trail or two in a more 'typical' warm early season.

 

[EMSC]

Well, some snow plus mostly consistently cold temps have certainly improved things somewhat. However, it is already Jan 31st and I still count 14 trail names that have snowmaking infrastructure that are still not open. I'll find out from my son later today if the snow guns are still running or not.

I would think they want to get just a couple more trails open this coming week if they can before pulling the plug, but that's just my personal guess. If it were me I'd want Wolf Tongue on backside and sidewinder/lower diamondback on IP lift open before pulling the plug for example. but part of that is my knowing which other trails can get opened easier than others if natural snow actually shows up in 2nd half of Feb.

Current status of things: green is open; with an orange circle means snowmaking infrastructure exists on that trail.

 

[EMSC]

More town of Ned news on acquisition. Some humorous quotes by the "303" group that was supposed to be helping guide the town.

Resort industry insiders who organized to help Nederland buy Eldora are no longer part of the plan

The Nederland Board of Trustees have approved a $120 million purchase of Eldora ski area and issuing as much as $225 million in revenue bonds.

coloradosun.com

And in other news, 3 more snowmaking trails have opened (Wolf Tongue, Aplenhorn, Powderhorn). I know they made snow through the 4th at least. Easily the latest I've seen them still making snow on new terrain in my time here in Colo. One season around ~2000 they went back and put soft layers on a couple of already open trails in early Feb. Otherwise never seen them make snow beyond about mid‐Jan. Still 11 trails with snowmaking infrastructure that are not open.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

I know I will hear from many up there about the change when it gets close to happening and they spell out the official town benefits for them (which has not happened yet).

Is there anything noteworthy in this article?

Colorado Ski Resort Takes A Few Steps Closer To Community Ownership

Recent weeks have provided a few updates on the Town of Nederland's pursuit to acquire Eldora Mountain Resort.

unofficialnetworks.com

 

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Is there anything noteworthy in this article?

Nope. Just a rehash of info from other sources that has been published earlier (in the past ~2-3 weeks).

 

[EMSC]

Well, Eldora finally got a double digit snowfall this season. Pic below from just now before they clear it for the day. So the 3" on todays report is part of what is on the stake. Top of the gray curve you can barely see is roughly 18" tall.

Not that everyone and their brother won't be hitting plenty of rocks on the non-snowmaking trails that are open, but still nice to see both some real snow and some badly needed water/snowpack for this summer (lots of half melted snow in the flatlands down here too).

 

[EMSC]

Well, I am not much of a contributor this year for TR's. I did go to altitude and hang in the base area for the first time since my MI in early December. Have to be very conscious of my heart rate while making the ~40 vert climb from the parking lot (eg go slower than I used to for now).

Eldora somewhat bizarrely only reported 15" new today. Given the camera snow stake It seems clear they actually got closer to 20' or so from the storm. My guess is settling overnight - it stopped snowing ~8 or 9p and had the whole night to settle on the official stake... Reports from the hill were pretty obvious. Fantastically soft and fun snow all over. 2nd parking lot park-out of the season I'm told.

Anyway in addition to talking to some people I know, it was also Subaru Winterfest weekend. A couple of bands and a bunch of giveaways by various vendors in front of the West Wing lodge... While nice to get out of the house, I would guess I probably won't go back up just to hang near the lodge, but who knows.

Interestingly Eldora/Powd'r corp hired the Mt Ashland, Oregon GM who started about a month ago. Long history with community owned places I guess. So should have the experience necessary to deal with town of Ned.

Andrew Gast Tapped as Eldora President and GM

SAM Magazine—Nederland, Colo., Jan. 16, 2026—Powdr Corp. has hired Andrew Gast to serve as president and general manager of Eldora Mountain Resort, effecti

www.saminfo.com

Finally, Town of Ned should be selling Bonds shortly. Apparently had a 30 day 'time out' period from the time the town signed the purchase agreement in Feb. No idea where in the process Ikon or USFS situations are that are also required to get the deal done.

One whole day of winter mixed in with perma-spring

Winterfest

Would you ever do such a thing with your dog? Why does it look straight out of the Jurassic Park movies?

Plenty of $$ made today for sure. Been a much slower season overall of course.

 

[MarzNC]

Interestingly Eldora/Powd'r corp hired the Mt Ashland, Oregon GM who started about a month ago. Long history with community owned places I guess. So should have the experience necessary to deal with town of Ned.

Reasonably qualified but not that much experience running a community non-profit. The problem for Mt. Ashland has been lack of snow more than any other issue during his tenure. An old friend who is a business owner calls Ashland his home mountain. Gave me and my daughter a tour when we visited during the fall several years ago. There is a drivable public road to the peak during green seasons.

Bio when Gast was hired by Mt. Ashland:
"Mt. Ashland has a new general manager!

Andrew Gast will be joining our mountain team and we could not be more excited.

Gast learned to ski in the mountains of the southeast as a child. He has nearly two decades of ski and outdoor recreation experience, including work at Sky Valley Ski Area in Georgia, Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana, and another nonprofit ski area- Antelope Butte Mountain Recreation Area in Wyoming. He is a graduate of the Ski Area Management program at Colorado State University and has an MBA in tourism and an undergraduate degree in outdoor recreation. Gast is an avid mountain ultramarathon runner and recently started competing in skimo events.

Already a resident of Ashland, Gast is active in a variety of organizations focused on outdoor education, recreation, and youth programming. “I’m a lifelong skier and lover of the mountains”, he said. “I’m excited to join the team at the mountain that I already consider home and am truly honored to be chosen as a steward for this amazing ski area and outdoor community.”

Curt Burrill, President of the Mt. Ashland Association said, “The board is thrilled to find a talented person like Andrew in our own backyard. Andrew understands how special Mt. Ashland is and he is ready to work to further enhance the experience on the mountain.”

Gast will start in his new role on December 21 [2021] and be responsible for the long-term goals of Mt. Ashland, as well as management of its day-to-day operations. “My immediate goal is to listen and learn from our amazing team and this community of skiers and snowboarders. Then we can focus on continuing the evolution of Mt. Ashland to elevate our experience and sustainability.”

From article about Gast's recent resignation from Ashland, January 5, 2026:
"
Andrew Gast, the Mt. Ashland Ski Area’s general manager, is resigning his post, the nonprofit announced Monday. His last day will be Saturday, Jan. 24.

Gast apparently is leaving to take an unspecified position elsewhere. “The Mt. Ashland Ski Area team and its board of directors extends its sincere appreciation to Andrew Gast for his leadership and wishes him continued success in his newly accepted position,” according to the ski area’s news release.

“I’ll share more soon about what’s next for me,” Gast posted Monday on his LinkedIn profile. Before taking the Mt. Ashland position, Gast was director of finance and administration at Southern Oregon University.

Gast began at Mt. Ashland in 2021. During his tenure, the Mt. Ashland Association Board of Directors said in a news release, Gast has “led several significant projects and initiatives that have strengthened the organization and enhanced the guest experience.”

They cited achievements including overseeing the installation of the Lithia Chairlift, which expanded beginner and novice terrain; upgrading mountain night lighting to expand twilight terrain; the widening of run Aisle 2; and growing summer and fall operations to “support the long-term sustainability of the Ski Area.”

In addition, “Gast also connected regularly with the community through his ‘Andrew in the Alpine’ updates on social media, helping guests make informed decisions about mountain conditions while keeping the public engaged.“
. . ."