That the owners of Durango Mountain Resort have agreed to sell the resort to a Durango resident is great news for Durango – not because there is any reason to rejoice at the departure of Chuck Cobb or the other owners selling out, but because of the way the sale has been handled and the sentiments expressed. All have made Durango and skiing central to the discussion.
That is as it should be. Real estate development may be an economic necessity, but for most locals – and most visitors – the point to Purgatory is the experience of skiing such a pleasant and beautiful place. It is heartening to hear both buyer and sellers acknowledge that.
In announcing the sale, CEO Gary Derck said DMR’s owners “very much want to make sure the new owner, the new principal investor in the resort, would be a good fit for Durango and a good fit for Purgatory.”
The buyer, James Coleman, expressed much the same thinking. In a news release, he said, “My top priorities will be to find ways to extend the ski season as much as possible, increase terrain, expedite improvements in the approved mountain master plan, increase summer activities and generally create an exceptional experience for skiers, snowboarders and mountain lovers.”
About all that is missing from that is an explicit promise to replace Chair 8.
And the name.
Durango Mountain Resort is too long and confusing. There is no such place as Durango Mountain, and DMR has a bureaucratic sound. The name Purgatory has historic and geographical roots and almost 50 years of association with good skiing. Coleman would do well to go back to it.
The Purgatory name was backpedaled presumably based on risible objections from some who thought it connotes evil. But the idea that the combination of blue skies, clean air and spectacular views is somehow satanic is just nuts.
That quibble aside, this is all good.
Purgatory was started in the mid-1960s by Ray Duncan – with the help of Chet Anderson, Paul Folwell and a host of others. (See the late Charlie Langdon’s book Durango Ski for the full story.)
It has gone through several hands since, but always with a sense of continuity. Ray’s brother Vincent Duncan became the principal owner in 1986. Chuck Cobb bought a majority share in 2000.
Durango and Southwest Colorado owe a debt of thanks to them all – for the good skiing, the great management of the mountain and for simply keeping the place afloat. Purgatory has weathered some rough times in the ski business, in real estate and in the local economy. And while there are few who remember it, the fact is that before Purgatory’s existence, Durango’s visitor-related trade pretty well shut down for the winter.
That all of that was typically accompanied by grousing just comes with the territory. The William Allen White quotation at the top of this page applies to running ski areas as well.
But things happen and people move on. Ray Duncan is retired, his brother Vincent died, Chuck Cobb is 78. That Purgatory should undergo a change of ownership is hardly a surprise.
What is notable is that all involved seem to have acted with the best interests of the community in mind. There were reportedly a number of interested buyers, but in the end, the ski area will be owned by a resident of Durango who by all accounts cares about skiing.
In the real world, that is about as good as it gets. May Coleman and Purgatory prosper. As for the rest of us: Pray for snow.
