Michael W. Childers - Colorado Powder Keg: Ski Resorts and the Environmental Movement

2012 by the University Press of Kansas
All rights reserved

Published by the University Press of Kansas (Lawrence, Kansas 66045), which was organized by the Kansas Board of Regents and is operated and funded by Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University, the University of Kansas, and Wichita State University

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Childers, Michael W.

Colorado powder keg : ski resorts and the environmental movement / Michael W. Childers.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-7006-1869-9 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-7006-2359-4 (ebook)

1. Ski resortsEnvironmental aspectsColorado. 2. Skis and skiingEnvironmental aspectsColorado. 3. Skis and skiingEconomic aspectsColorado. I. Title.

GV854.5.C6C55 2012

796.9309788dc23

2012016527

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data is available.

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The paper used in this publication is recycled and contains 30 percent postconsumer waste. It is acid free and meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z39.481992.

acknowledgments

This book began on a hike along the Continental Divide. Reaching the middle of a saddle between two peaks, I decided to take a break and sit down alongside the trail for a drink of water and a handful of trail mix. Looking westward, I began to ponder Winter Park Ski Resort lying directly across the Fraser Valley from my vantage point along the Divide. A mere hours drive from Denver and the Front Range, Winter Park is among the most popular ski resorts within Colorado, pumping millions of tourist dollars into the local economy every year. Taking a few sips of water from my canteen, I came to the sudden realization that while the ski resort was the areas primary economic motor, it constituted a rather small portion of the thousands of acres of surrounding national forest, making skiing a much more valuable commodity than either timber or grazing. It was with this insight that I began exploring what broader environmental, political, and social obligations both the U.S. Forest Service and resort operators have in developing ski resorts on national forests throughout the state, and what the changing visions of these obligations can tell us about our public lands.

So many have helped me in my explorations. Yet, like most authors, I will most undoubtedly fail to remember everyone. To those not mentioned here, I apologize and deeply thank you for your time and contributions. Saying that, I wish to give a special word of thanks to my two mentors. Andy Kirk guided me through my dissertation at UNLV and pushed me to look beyond the simple explanation of history and be innovative in both my scholarship and my methodology. As I enter the profession, I aspire to emulate his original approach to history as well as his overwhelming generosity, sense of adventure, and love of the American West. I also wish to give special thanks to Hal Rothman. Hal hired me as his graduate assistant the first day I set foot on UNLVs campus, a position that I held for the next four years, working on projects as diverse as the history of the National Park Services fire policy to the downfall of the mob in Las Vegas. During that time, Hal taught me a tremendous amount about history and writing, but more importantly he taught me about being generous with your time, true to your friends, solid in your convictions, and that history is a contact sport so you better buckle your chinstrap.

I am particularly thankful to my editor Ranjit Arab, whose patience in shepherding the book through the publication process often went well beyond the call of duty. His vision and insightful comments helped steer me through the often treacherous waters of being a first-time author. My sincere thanks to my reviewers, John Wright and Annie Gilbert Coleman, whose close readings and insightful criticisms better focused and tightened the book. David Wrobel, David Tanenhaus, David Hassenzahl, Elizabeth Fraterrigo, Tim Farnham, and Elizabeth White Nelson all read several versions of this manuscript at various stages. Lincoln Bramwell offered sage counsel throughout the process, providing invaluable advice at pivotal moments. Bill Philpott and Duke Ritchie each helped enormously in the early stages of writing. Seth Masia, Ben Doone, John Fry, and Edward Brannon all graciously answered my questions over the phone and via e-mail. Sara Dant and Mark Harvey assisted with a particularly thorny question over the role of Interstate 70 and the Wilderness Act of 1964. Erik Martin, Ted Farwell, Richard Lamm, and Mark Mobley all gave their time to answer questions on their roles in a wide range of events. A Summer Award from BYUs Charles Redd Center helped fund some of the early research for the book, while a USDA Forest Service Scholar-in-Residence Fellowship provided invaluable writing time at Grey Towers National Historic Site in Milford, Pennsylvania. Bob, Anna, Hanna, and Tucker Bond let me crash in their basement while I spent a summer digging through the Denver Public Librarys archives. And Justin Henderson and Ann Eggers graciously provided me a place to stay in Vail for a summer during the beginning of this project.

No book is written without the help of archivists and I have been blessed to work with some of the best. In particular, I wish to thank Ann Brown, Claudia Jensen, Coi Drummond-Gehrig, and Ellen Zazzarino of Denver Public Librarys Western History and Genealogy Archive. Enough cannot be said of the DPLs staff, all of whom often went well beyond boundaries of their jobs to find materials and even offered suggestions that later proved instrumental in the book. Cheryl Oakes at the Forest History Society Archives answered my many questions, both over the phone and via e-mail, and provided vital documents on the Forest Services management of Colorado ski resorts at the last minute. Patricia Pfeiffer often opened the door of the Colorado Ski Museum and Hall of Fame Resource Center as well as answered numerous questions. And Keith Schrum helped tremendously by giving me access to the Richard Lamm papers in the Colorado Historical Societys library.

Finally I wish to thank my family, without whose support I could not have completed this book. My wife, Leisl, who suffered me getting up at five every morning to write, yet always had an encouraging word at the right moment. And my parents, who raised my brother, sister, and me to always work hard and to follow our dreams, even when others think them folly, thanks for raising us in such an amazing place. To each of you, and the countless others I failed to mention here, thank you.

Colorado Ski Resorts. Map by Gerry Krieg.