Fifty some years ago, Bob Fisher and I first skied Purgatory. Purgatory’s presence was contingent upon community financing, so historically, Purgatory and the community went hand-in-hand.
For the first seven years, Purgatory provided winter recreation and employment. It had 73,412 winter visits in 1971-72. In 1972-73, it became viable with the addition of Lift 3. In 1979-80, it posted net earnings of twice its equity capital and had 271,550 winter visits. Twentieth Century Fox thought it was worth $11 million. It had little depth and survived even without snowmaking.
In 1981, after the Realtors arrived, I prepared and outlined a “destination” mountain plan. This plan was based on 20 years of experience, 10 years of empirical evidence and four years of detailed data. There were excellent water rights, a cultural study and a geological survey. The plan was physically feasible. Its components were expanded acreage, improved circulation and safety, a new beginner complex and updating existing facilities
At a minimum, the expanded acreage could provide 1,800 vertical feet of advanced/expert trails and a beautiful on-the-mountain novice area that would complement the base beginner area.
Improved circulation included a people-mover connecting the two frontside base areas and a gondola connecting those to a new backside base. This would mitigate the Demon rush hour and its high accident rate.
Excellent beginner terrain would lie adjacent to the new backside base. This area would become an activity center requiring additional support facilities.
Updating the existing facilities required expanded snowmaking. Lift 6 was to be replaced with a modern lift to better serve Styx, Hades and Paradise. Lift 2 would be extended, and rope speed increased. This would widen the Demon constriction. Lift 3 would be modernized and its base located near the backside base. The Wapiti/Deadspike trail system would be completed to the Lift 5 base and shortened with a 500 fpm rope speed. Both the topography and the customer configuration would be better served by two lifts in the Legends area.
Purgatory’s full potential departed with Ray Duncan in 1986. Purgatory needed a new persona, not a new owner.
Chet Anderson
Durango
