﻿FOREWORD 
  

  

  This 
  report 
  is 
  concerned 
  witJi 
  describing 
  t±ie 
  ski 
  industry 
  

   and 
  skiers 
  in 
  the 
  Western 
  States. 
  It 
  traces 
  the 
  growth 
  pattern 
  of 
  

   skier 
  attendance 
  at 
  ski 
  areas 
  in 
  the 
  West 
  since 
  1955, 
  estimates 
  the 
  

   probable 
  attendance 
  for 
  1976, 
  and 
  presents 
  an 
  analysis 
  of 
  factors 
  

   that 
  affect 
  present 
  and 
  could 
  influence 
  future 
  attendance. 
  

  

  A 
  survey 
  was 
  made 
  at 
  all 
  western 
  ski 
  areas 
  that 
  operated 
  

   during 
  the 
  1964-65 
  season. 
  It 
  was 
  conducted 
  by 
  the 
  Intermountain 
  

   Forest 
  and 
  Range 
  Experiment 
  Station 
  at 
  the 
  request 
  of 
  the 
  Economic 
  

   Development 
  Administration. 
  All 
  ski 
  area 
  operators 
  and 
  a 
  sample 
  

   of 
  nearly 
  6,000 
  skiers 
  were 
  questioned. 
  This 
  represents 
  the 
  most 
  

   comprehensive 
  study 
  of 
  western 
  skiing 
  made 
  to 
  date. 
  

  

  Virtually 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  operators 
  took 
  the 
  time 
  necessary 
  to 
  

   complete 
  rather 
  lengthy 
  questionnaires 
  . 
  Over 
  80 
  percent 
  of 
  the 
  

   skiers 
  who 
  were 
  contacted 
  completed 
  and 
  returned 
  questionnaires. 
  

  

  The 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  combined 
  contributions 
  in 
  time 
  and 
  money 
  

   by 
  the 
  western 
  Regions 
  of 
  the 
  U.S. 
  Forest 
  Service 
  is 
  roughly 
  equiv- 
  

   alent 
  to 
  the 
  funds 
  provided 
  by 
  the 
  Economic 
  Development 
  Adminis- 
  

   tration 
  for 
  this 
  study. 
  These 
  six 
  Regions 
  have 
  a 
  vital 
  interest 
  in 
  

   this 
  study 
  because 
  nearly 
  80 
  percent 
  of 
  the 
  ski 
  areas 
  in 
  the 
  West 
  

   are 
  on 
  National 
  Forest 
  land. 
  

  

  No 
  attempt 
  was 
  made 
  to 
  explore 
  the 
  financial 
  profitability 
  of 
  

   successful 
  ski 
  area 
  operation. 
  However, 
  such 
  investigation 
  would 
  

   be 
  valuable 
  . 
  

  

  Includes 
  Arizona, 
  Alaska, 
  California, 
  Colorado, 
  Idaho, 
  

   Montana, 
  New 
  Mexico, 
  Nevada, 
  Oregon, 
  Utah, 
  Washington, 
  and 
  

   Wyoming 
  . 
  

  

  ii 
  

  

  