﻿Lack 
  of 
  skiing 
  terrain 
  is 
  not 
  likely 
  to 
  inhibit 
  growth 
  of 
  skiing 
  in 
  the 
  

   Western 
  States. 
  A 
  survey 
  of 
  State 
  and 
  Federal 
  land 
  management 
  agen- 
  

   cies 
  identified 
  166 
  sites 
  as 
  having 
  potential 
  for 
  future 
  development 
  

   as 
  ski 
  areas. 
  

  

  These 
  sites 
  certainly 
  do 
  not 
  represent 
  the 
  entire 
  available 
  supply; 
  rather 
  they 
  are 
  

   those 
  located 
  in 
  vicinities 
  where 
  demand 
  is 
  most 
  likely 
  to 
  develop 
  in 
  the 
  near 
  future. 
  

   We 
  can 
  reasonably 
  assume 
  that 
  Wyoming 
  and 
  Alaska, 
  for 
  example, 
  have 
  many 
  more 
  

   potential 
  sites 
  than 
  are 
  shown 
  on 
  the 
  map 
  (opposite 
  page). 
  The 
  present 
  demand 
  for 
  ski- 
  

   ing 
  in 
  both 
  States 
  is 
  not 
  sufficient 
  to 
  stimulate 
  very 
  much 
  "prospecting" 
  for 
  potential 
  

   sites. 
  Nevertheless, 
  the 
  map 
  does 
  give 
  some 
  idea 
  regarding 
  the 
  relative 
  abundance 
  of 
  

   potential 
  new 
  ski 
  sites. 
  There 
  are 
  more 
  undeveloped 
  potential 
  sites 
  than 
  developed 
  

   sites 
  in 
  every 
  State 
  in 
  the 
  West, 
  except 
  for 
  California 
  and 
  Colorado. 
  We 
  might 
  con- 
  

   clude 
  that 
  new 
  ski 
  sites 
  are 
  somewhat 
  more 
  difficult 
  to 
  locate 
  in 
  both 
  California 
  and 
  

   Colorado. 
  This 
  is 
  understandable, 
  for 
  together 
  these 
  States 
  already 
  account 
  for 
  nearly 
  

   50 
  percent 
  of 
  the 
  existing 
  ski 
  area 
  lift 
  and 
  tow 
  capacity 
  in 
  the 
  Western 
  States. 
  

  

  The 
  survey 
  of 
  potential 
  sites 
  was 
  conducted 
  merely 
  to 
  locate 
  areas, 
  not 
  to 
  ap- 
  

   praise 
  their 
  individual 
  economic 
  feasibility. 
  They 
  are, 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  part, 
  areas 
  that 
  

   appear 
  to 
  offer 
  adequate 
  snow 
  conditions 
  and 
  terrain 
  for 
  skiing. 
  More 
  critical 
  exami- 
  

   nation 
  could 
  reveal 
  physical 
  drawbacks 
  or 
  economic 
  conditions 
  that 
  would 
  limit 
  or 
  even 
  

   preclude 
  successful 
  operation 
  of 
  some 
  sites. 
  Nevertheless, 
  the 
  total 
  number 
  of 
  sites 
  

   that 
  apparently 
  could 
  be 
  developed 
  is 
  large. 
  The 
  capacity 
  of 
  the 
  166 
  potential 
  sites 
  that 
  

   have 
  been 
  identified 
  probably 
  amounts 
  to 
  about 
  236 
  million 
  VTF/hr. 
  - 
  -about 
  equal 
  to 
  

   the 
  capacity 
  already 
  developed 
  in 
  the 
  12 
  Western 
  States. 
  

  

  Some 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  relative 
  importance 
  of 
  problems 
  that 
  must 
  be 
  considered 
  in 
  de- 
  

   veloping 
  new 
  ski 
  areas 
  is 
  provided 
  by 
  the 
  following 
  tabulation, 
  which 
  is 
  based 
  on 
  prob- 
  

  

  lems 
  noted 
  by 
  operators 
  in 
  answer 
  to 
  question 
  15: 
  -"-^ 
  

  

  Problems 
  Percent 
  

  

  Inadequate 
  base 
  service 
  facilities 
  42 
  

  

  Climate, 
  lack 
  of 
  snow 
  27 
  

  

  Poor 
  roads, 
  maintenance 
  18 
  

  

  Inadequate 
  lift 
  capacity 
  18 
  

  

  Inadequate 
  skiing 
  terrain 
  or 
  area 
  17 
  

  

  Distance 
  from 
  skier 
  residence 
  14 
  

  

  Competition 
  from 
  other 
  ski 
  areas 
  11 
  

  

  Lack 
  of 
  capital 
  for 
  expansion 
  or 
  improvement 
  6 
  

  

  Inadequate 
  advertising 
  budget 
  2 
  

  

  Miscellaneous 
  14 
  

  

  -^-^ 
  See 
  po 
  60 
  for 
  detailed 
  data 
  collection 
  procedures, 
  and 
  pp. 
  85-90 
  for 
  site 
  listing. 
  

   ■"■^ 
  The 
  operators 
  were 
  asked 
  to 
  give 
  a 
  general 
  appraisal 
  of 
  problems; 
  they 
  were 
  

   not 
  given 
  a 
  list 
  of 
  suggested 
  problems 
  to 
  check. 
  

  

  Sites 
  for 
  new 
  

   ski 
  areas 
  

   are 
  plentiful 
  

  

  24 
  

  

  