﻿The 
  potential 
  of 
  the 
  midwestern 
  ski 
  market 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  biggest 
  "sleepers" 
  in 
  any 
  

   prediction 
  of 
  the 
  pattern 
  of 
  ski 
  area 
  growth 
  in 
  the 
  Western 
  States. 
  The 
  midwestern 
  ski 
  

   population 
  is 
  growing 
  and 
  the 
  conveniences 
  of 
  jet 
  age 
  air 
  travel 
  are 
  bringing 
  western 
  

   ski 
  vacations 
  within 
  the 
  reach 
  of 
  these 
  skiers. 
  Colorado 
  played 
  host 
  to 
  approximately 
  

   20,000 
  nonwestern 
  skiers- 
  -many 
  from 
  the 
  Midwest- 
  -during 
  the 
  1963-64 
  season. 
  

  

  If 
  attendance 
  increases 
  threefold 
  by 
  1976, 
  lift 
  capacity 
  will 
  

   only 
  have 
  to 
  expand 
  2.5 
  times 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  trend 
  towards 
  

   increased 
  midweek 
  use. 
  Such 
  an 
  increase 
  is 
  roughly 
  

   equivalent 
  to 
  250 
  modern 
  high-speed 
  cable 
  lifts. 
  

  

  Most 
  ski 
  areas 
  reported 
  proportionately 
  more 
  midweek 
  attendance 
  during 
  the 
  

   1963-64 
  ski 
  season 
  than 
  during 
  the 
  1955-56 
  season. 
  During 
  the 
  1955-56 
  season, 
  ap- 
  

   proximately 
  20 
  percent 
  of 
  the 
  annual 
  attendance 
  was 
  recorded 
  on 
  weekdays 
  . 
  During 
  the 
  

   1963-64 
  season, 
  30 
  percent 
  of 
  total 
  attendance 
  was 
  recorded 
  on 
  weekdays. 
  We 
  may 
  

   assume 
  that 
  by 
  1976 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  40 
  percent 
  of 
  the 
  total 
  attendance 
  will 
  occur 
  during 
  the 
  

   weekdays. 
  If 
  40 
  percent 
  of 
  the 
  12.1 
  million 
  skier 
  visits 
  projected 
  for 
  1976 
  do 
  occur 
  

   during 
  the 
  midweek 
  period, 
  future 
  ski 
  areas 
  will 
  need 
  to 
  provide 
  for 
  approximately 
  7.29 
  

   million 
  visits 
  during 
  the 
  weekends 
  and 
  holidays. 
  Assuming 
  that 
  the 
  lift 
  and 
  tow 
  require- 
  

   ments 
  per 
  skier 
  visit 
  will 
  remain 
  approximately 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  during 
  the 
  1963-64 
  season, 
  

   capacity 
  will 
  need 
  to 
  increase 
  proportionately 
  as 
  shown 
  below: 
  

  

  3 
  million 
  weekend 
  visits 
  in 
  1963-64 
  _ 
  7.29 
  million 
  weekend 
  visits 
  in 
  1976-77 
  

   193.3 
  million 
  VTF/hr. 
  in 
  1963-64 
  " 
  469.7 
  million 
  VTF/hr. 
  in 
  1976-77 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  two 
  factors 
  which 
  may 
  reduce 
  at 
  least 
  slightly 
  the 
  needed 
  increase 
  in 
  

   ski 
  lift 
  facilities. 
  They 
  are: 
  (1) 
  the 
  increasing 
  number 
  of 
  areas 
  that 
  are 
  offering 
  "night 
  

   skiing." 
  (During 
  the 
  1964-65 
  season, 
  37 
  areas 
  had 
  electrically 
  lighted 
  runs); 
  and 
  (2) 
  

   the 
  availability 
  of 
  snowmobiles 
  and 
  helicopters 
  at 
  a 
  few 
  areas 
  for 
  those 
  who 
  want 
  to 
  

   "pioneer" 
  beyond 
  the 
  slopes 
  served 
  by 
  cable 
  facilities. 
  

  

  Lift 
  and 
  tow 
  capacity 
  

   probably 
  will 
  not 
  need 
  

   to 
  increase 
  as 
  rapidly 
  

   as 
  attendance 
  

  

  Use 
  of 
  helicopters 
  as 
  an 
  

   "extra" 
  lift 
  facility, 
  es- 
  

   pecially 
  to 
  transport 
  

   skiers 
  beyond 
  developed 
  

   trails, 
  may 
  increase 
  

   and 
  could 
  influence 
  the 
  

   amount 
  of 
  lift 
  construc- 
  

   tion 
  needed 
  in 
  the 
  future. 
  

   (Sun 
  Valley 
  Photo.) 
  

  

  