Photo: @tellurideski//Instagram
Telluride Ski Resort says it’s resumed snowmaking operations as the Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association’s (TPSPA) strike inches toward the one-week mark. The statement from the resort came on social media Tuesday, day four of the work stoppage that prompted an indefinite closure of the Colorado resort.
“Following an unusually warm early season, consistently cold temperatures have allowed us to resume production. We will continue snowmaking efforts as conditions permit to prepare and open as much terrain as possible,” the resort said about resuming snowmaking, adding that, “We are actively developing and refining our safety plan to support a safe reopening as soon as possible. Please stay tuned for further updates.”
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On Monday, Telluride Ski Resort shared a press release concerning its plan to safely reopen amid the strike. A timeline for executing that plan hasn’t been made available, so while snowmaking on the mountain might appear to signal a reopening is on the way, it’s just as likely the resort is being prudent with the favorable weather conditions this week.
“The ski resort is actively working on a plan to safely reopen Lifts 1 and 4 as quickly as possible. A defined number of medical providers are needed in order to do that, so the resort has formed a recruitment team, led by industry professionals. The goal is to hire qualified and experienced personnel to temporarily fill the gaps, allowing the resort to open as soon as possible,” the press release reads.
Job postings for temporary ski patrollers have been live since before the strike. But a ski patrol union member told Denver’s local KDVR that the resort’s search for temporary replacements hadn’t been easy.
“From my understanding, it’s been rather difficult to do so, I would imagine for the same reasons why we’re trying to negotiate a fair wage for ourselves,” Bennett Hrabovsky said.
