“We intend to have a huge party, a band, and everything, on the Fourth of July. We don’t think we’ll have a problem raising money at this point.”– Mike Moore, Ski Industry Veteran that’s involved in Cuchara’s comeback attempt.
It’s been an interesting past couple of years for Cuchara Mountain. The Cuchara Foundation bought the lost Colorado ski area in 2017 for $150,000 and has slowly worked on getting Lift 4 operating again. Lift 4 is now able to spin after $300,000 of parts and labor but will need to be inspected in order for people to ride it again. More fees are likely to come through, as the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board inspections and final contractor work will cost $27,000, and the lift insurance will be $24,000. If they can raise the funds, which they believe they can do, the lift could run this summer. The Gazette reports that their goal would be a July 4th reopening with a party. This summer, they plan on adding a mountain biking section with a “small pump track, trails, and rollers built for beginners.” Other future plans could include adding intermediate and advanced mountain biking trails.
Last fall, it looked like Moss Adventures was going to be the one that partnered with Cuchara Foundation to officially reopen the mountain. Their plans were to make it an outdoor adventure hub for various sports. But in January, negotiations ended between the county and Moss Adventures. The issue Moss ran into was that many locals want to keep it a quiet spot for backcountry adventures. Since then, Pandero Ski Corp. has partnered with the Cuchara Foundation to finish off the years-long comeback attempt. Its growth from what it is right now will depend on what the locals want out of this long-lost Colorado ski area.
Image Credits: Pandero Ski Corporation, Colorado Sun, Skimap.org
This article was originally published by Unofficialnetworks.com. Read the original article here.
