When he checked out the mountain’s funds, he said, “it became clear that we had to do something significant.”
After all, this thing was making the most of available real estate within the mountains. “We decided we needed to attract people here by offering them private experiences they couldn’t get anywhere else,” he said.
If his plan succeeds, Harris Sondak, former mayor of Alta, Utah and professor on the University David Eccles School of Business on the University of Utah, said more ski resorts could adopt a public-private model to extend revenue. “Running a ski area is expensive, and any new way to make money is often exploited,” he said.
In addition to using a personal mountain pass, Hastings is raising the value of a season pass from $1,259 to $1,399. A season pass for seniors 75 and older, which was previously free, will now cost $1,049. The previously limited variety of season tickets sold will now not be limited, however the variety of one-day tickets will change.
Much of the ski community, especially local residents, was concerned in regards to the changes. “I’m very concerned,” said Aaron Vexler, 48, who has owned a Powder Mountain apartment constructing since 2012. “They are severely limiting the area, raising prices and selling more passes. How to sell more passes and keep the ski area uncrowded?” Others, feeling that Mr. Hastings was only keen on earning money, nicknamed the brand new owner “Greed” Hastings.
