Bluebird Backcountry closes

[Drahtguy Kevin]

I enjoyed being a pass holder the few seasons that Bluebird was open. It was a fun and friendly place.

Bluebird goes belly up

 

[fatbob]

Although they claim they've proven a business model their closure seems to indicate that they haven't. What's the real story? Insufficient paying customers? Land lease getting out of control?

 

[jmeb]

Although they claim they've proven a business model their closure seems to indicate that they haven't. What's the real story? Insufficient paying customers? Land lease getting out of control?

They didn't claim they've proven a business model -- they claimed they proved there is demand for backcountry lite-type offerings. And I think they're right about that. There certainly is demand, but their business model/setup (leasing private land far away from the demand center, killing-your-own-core-customer [by enabling them to move onto uncontrolled bc]) did not work out.

The gossip I've heard from a few sources is basically -- they can't continue to operate in the red as they don't have significant investors.

 

[Jim Kenney]

You'd think there would be a market for that sort of area near Denver and SLC, but I suspect it has to be as close or closer to the metropolis than any number of free places to go. And I'm sure the clientele are a tough group of cats to herd.

 

[Snowflake2420]

Bluebird Backcountry will shut down its operations after pioneering an uphill-skiing resort model in Colorado

After 4 seasons at 2 remote locations, Bluebird Backcountry unable to find investment to keep meeting demand from people earning their turns

coloradosun.com

 

[dbostedo]

Please see the thread here:

Bluebird Backcountry closes

I enjoyed being a pass holder the few seasons that Bluebird was open. It was a fun and friendly place. Bluebird goes belly up

www.skitalk.com

 

[fatbob]

They didn't claim they've proven a business model -- they claimed they proved there is demand for backcountry lite-type offerings.

Fair point and I accept your nuance. Not a diss intended as at least they tried something. But as you identify it's probably a very niche niche to find the sweetspot where it can be economically viable. Essentially big drive up market providing the bunny hill of backcountry on a constantly renewing userbase.

 

[dbostedo]

Sorry to see it go, as I thought maybe that's the kind of place that would get me to try/learn about BC skiing. I suppose resorts that allow uphill are another "lite" way to try it too. Though in that case you get the "earn" part of "earn your turns", but you don't get any of the actual BC turns part of it.

 

[jmeb]

Though in that case you get the "earn" part of "earn your turns", but you don't get any of the actual BC turns part of it.

FWIW, as someone who skied at Bluebird a few times -- 2/3rds of the time I would've rather skied groomers or packed powder of an inbounds hill than what I skied there. It was a relatively low-snow (for CO) and sun-impacted area. Not the BC turns of unconsolidated pow you see glorified in media.

And that highlights two big problems to solve in such a biz: securing a location with good terrain and consistent quality snow, and managing new users' expectations.

 

[Snowflake2420]

Part of what was so great about Bluebird was they had the whole package for a never ever. Good equipment, instruction (gear and avalanche training), marked trails. I wish this had existed before I tried backcountry skiing. Figuring out how to rent and use equipment, where to go safely, legally etc is not a slam dunk on your own, despite being much easier today than ten years ago.

I skied there a few times with less experienced bc skiers and it was a wonderful experience, particularly when they moved to Bear Mountain with better aspects for snow conditions; better not perfect. As jmeb says it was not powder paradise.

It would be great if they had been closer to Denver, but I'm guessing they tried that and couldn't find any takers on private or public property with good snow coverage.

 

[mikel]

Sorry to see it go, as I thought maybe that's the kind of place that would get me to try/learn about BC skiing. I suppose resorts that allow uphill are another "lite" way to try it too. Though in that case you get the "earn" part of "earn your turns", but you don't get any of the actual BC turns part of it.

Definitely sucks they didn't make it. There are still good places to go for learning BC skiing. And you get to check out RMNP in the winter.

 

[Ken_R]

Sad to see it go. Like mentioned, location is critical. Had it been 90 minutes from Denver and with more consistent snow it would have been a success. I just never found the want or need to drive all the way out there when there is much better snow and terrain much closer to Denver.

 

[dbostedo]

And you get to check out RMNP in the winter.

Well I was there mid-October last year... that was close enough to winter for me... though I was hiking, not skiing.

 

[Tricia]

It never feels to to hear that someone in the ski industry goes belly up

 

[fatbob]

It never feels to to hear that someone in the ski industry goes belly up

While I can sympathise with this view on a human level isn't it the essence of having a market economy? The successes make money and thrive/ grow while the weaker models are winnowed out? Hardware companies, resorts, shops etc.

Unfortunately Vail and Alterra probably take in more in pass sales in a single day than Bluebird would in a season.

 

[jmeb]

There's no such thing as a free market economy in the ski area operations in Colorado. Vail and Alterra are fundamentally built on special use permits from the USFS which allows them to make gobs of money off of public lands. Their product simply doesn't exist without those permits.

The difficulty Bluebird faced in trying to secure a permit on FS land is in a completely different league than early ski areas faced when getting much larger and more invasive permits that have been grandfathered in.

 

[tball]

Great to see them make a go of it. I hope what they learned is not lost.

I'd love to see Copper Mountain hire these guys to implement a similar model on the large expansion area within Copper's existing permit boundary.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5333383.pdf

 

[jmeb]

I'd love to see Copper Mountain hire these guys to implement a similar model on the large expansion area within Copper's existing permit boundary.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5333383.pdf

There's precedent if I remember correctly -- Bluebird worked with WP to host a day in the Cirque in the last year or two.

I think operationally it makes a bunch of sense to run this type of setup as an expansion option for existing ski areas. Colorado has plenty of options: Copper, Loveland, Monarch, Keystone just off the top of my head all have areas within their SUP boundary that could work as human-powered only zones. There are probably more.

 

[4aprice]

Maybe they should try to run a bc operation like this off Berthoud Pass. As long as they could keep people from setting off slides onto US 40. Concept at Bluebird seemed good especially training people how to go bc safely. Berthoud is obviously much closer to civilization

 

[dbostedo]

Maybe they should try to run a bc operation like this off Berthoud Pass. As long as they could keep people from setting off slides onto US 40. Concept at Bluebird seemed good especially training people how to go bc safely. Berthoud is obviously much closer to civilization

Some useful discussion/background here:

Avalanche Fatality - Berthoud Pass should become a ski area again

CAIC Report https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/snowboarder-killed-in-avalanche-on-berthoud-pass-on-monday Sadly this death was entirely foreseeable and preventable. This victim would still be alive If the Forest Service bureaucrats were not determined there shouldn't be a ski area on...

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