Environmentally Friendly Ski Resorts

(Guest Post - Andrew Fosbrook)

A few days ago, I laid down some knowledge about which ski companies are reducing their impact on the environment. Check a few entries back on the blog page if you need to catch up. 

Ok, now that you're up to date, you may be wondering; "I have my new Atomic Snoops, where can I shred with people who care as much about saving winter as me?" Well, my friend, you are in luck.

Lets talk about wind power. Regardless of whether you're on the east coast, west coast or somewhere in between, you can find a ski resort that relies entirely on the cool winds of winter for energy. Currently, Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire, Okemo Mountain in Vermont, Crested Butte in Colorado and Sugar Bowl Ski Resort in Truckee, California have completely switched to wind power and haven't looked back.

When asked why they emphasize renewable energy, Mount Sunapee put it bluntly; "Every company has core values, and one of our core values is the environment. It affects our business. I mean, we're outside." Good point. 

One of the great paradoxes that comes with renewable energy; however, is the additional cost associated with its use over traditional sources. This could cause ski resorts to raise ticket prices, or make up for lost profits in other areas. Instead, other companies have stepped up to the plate to support these green-willed ski areas like Patagonia and Clif Bar who are just as dedicated to keeping the winter cool for their own success. The folks at Sugar Bowl say these sponsorships have helped to offset that additional cost of using wind power and even improved their profitability. 

According to National Geographic, in 2007, 22 resorts across the U.S. had begun using at least some wind power to juice their lifts, lodges and snow guns. Here are some unbelievable numbers on that: combined, these resorts use 305,074,498 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean electricity and keep about 372,383,234 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. That is the equivalent to planting 15 million trees or eliminating almost 150,000 round trip flights between New York and San Francisco. Staggering.

Next time you plan a trip, do your homework. If you're headed across the country to ride, the environmental strain of your plane ride might be covered by your destination and your new Ride Slackcountry board from The Ski Monster could be worth a few new trees. Maybe the air will seem a little fresher at the top after all.