More people than ever are going to ski areas in Montana. But even as the business grows, the price of getting on the slopes has steadily risen. Full access season passes since the pandemic have increased by at least 100 dollars on some hills and upwards of $1,300 a year at Big Sky.
Megan Lawson is an economist specializing in the outdoor recreation industry at Headwaters Economics in Bozeman.
“There are two different buckets of pressures that the ski industry is feeling.” Lawson says. “I think one is more directed toward those higher end resorts that are increasingly competing on sort of guest experience.”
Lawson says that race to provide more luxury can drive up operating costs.Chad Sokol is the spokesperson for Whitefish Mountain Resort. He says the rising cost of maintaining the mountain and their fleet of restaurants, bars, hotels and other accommodations means a higher ticket price:
“Running a ski resort is like running a small city in a lot of ways. We get hit by inflation and supply chain challenges the same way any other business does.” Sokol says.
Lawson, the Headwaters economist, says smaller, community ski areas around Montana have been more affected by Montana’s unpredictable snowfalls.
That uncertainty means they need to charge more to make money while they can.
Katie Boedecker owns Showdown ski area in central Montana. She says they’ve had to navigate both record-high and record-low snowpack in recent years.
“It kind of puts us in a pickle. And we are 100% all natural snow. It's something we kind of pride ourselves on. But you know, frankly, we just can't afford snowmaking.” Boedecker says.
One issue raising costs at all ski areas is housing. Lawson says Montana’s increased cost of living is especially acute in resort areas, and makes it harder to hire seasonal staff.
