Better communication and more snowmaking at Ski Apache urged by ski shop owners

• Quality snow for maximum skiing experience is the goal

Officials at Ski Apache, operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe, and owners of ski shops in Ruidoso want to see the ski resort succeed, even during periods when weather is not cooperating with heavy snowfall.

But several of those shop owners said they were surprised to see an announcement on the Ski Apache website that the ski area closed for six days the first week in December and for four days the second week. The website also pointed out that the current seven-day a week open schedule only would run through Jan. 6.  A caveat was added that management reserved the right to close operations because of weather, extreme cold, wind or visibility, or insufficient customers.

Frizzell Frizzell Jr., chief operating officer of the ski resort and the Inn of the Mountain Gods, said Friday the tribe is trying to set up a better line of communication with the business community in Ruidoso and is trying to balance the ability to make quality snow for skiers, handle maintenance of equipment and keep the ski area open the maximum days possible.

The shop owners interviewed said some advance communication about the situation at the ski resort should have been circulated and they hope for better communication in the future.

 “One of the things that’s very important is communication,” former village councilor Ron Anderson and owner of the Wild West Ski Shop for the past 40 years, said. “Communication between the mountain and the Inn and us in town has been fragmented. We all work very hard down here and we’re all in the same business pool. They rely on us, and we on them. We try real hard to get ready to go and then all of a sudden, bam, they are closing, and we don’t know if after Jan. 6, it is for good or just for a few days a week.

The numbers in town for most shops he’s talked to have been going down, down down, he said, and the only way to bring those back up is with extremely good business practices.

He contended the area has experienced other years where snowfall and snow-making conditions were worse, “and they have made more snow by a long shot. When we get phone calls from our clients, we have to sound like idiots and say we really don’t know what’s going on up there. That’s not a comfortable place for a business to be in when you are trying as hard as you can.

“We really don’t want to see the slopes closed during the season. That’s one of the most damaging things a skier can hear. Customers in Texas and Mexico don’t know whether to come here, whether to make reservations, they’re really in the dark.”

If Ski Apache loses ground in the ski world that won’t just affect ski shops, it will affect hotels, restaurants and the attitude of the village for six months of the year, Anderson said.

“I’m having my team get all that communication together so we can get information out as quickly as possible,” Frizzell said. “The biggest thing we have faced up there recently are the inversion temperatures. It’s freezing or below in town, 20 degrees, but it is warmer at Ski Apache at 40 degrees. That’s stuff we faced somewhat last year and the year before, but it is significantly more this year.”

He released a full calendar for the rest of the year showing dates of closures in January and February, Mondays and Tuesdays, three times each month.

“If we get a significant amount of snow, we definitely can open every single day,” he said. “We’re trying to spend the majority of time on those dead days, Monday and Tuesday, to make as much snow as possible, so people aren’t tearing up stuff and it will be good for the rest of the week, and mitigate some of our costs at same time.

“I understand their frustration. It is our frustration too. We definitely want to be open and have a ton of people here all the time.”

He also is mindful of maintaining a good reputation for Ski Apache, Frizzell said.

“I think being able to have quality snow to ski on is most important,” he said.

He directed his staff to secure contact information from the people who want to received communications and be involved, possibly for mass emailing, if something changes.

“We pretty much know when are the busiest days of the year. If we get a ton of snow, this all pretty much goes away,” Frizzell said. “But if not, we have to make sure they have full days to maintain that snow up there.”

The closures after Jan. 6 are based on current conditions, he said.

“But if we get a ton of snow, that would be great. We would be busy every single day,” he said. “It costs lot of money to run the ski area. We want to maintain snow for when the majority of people are here. The village is pretty dead those two days too. Of course, holiday Mondays will be open and all of spring break.”

The ski area took a financial hit last year, he said, adding that, “We want to keep the mountain open for years to come. We are blessed with financial backing from the Inn of the Mountain Gods and travel center (casino), so even when we have years like the last that just killed us, we can use that backing to keep the mountain going.”

According to a press release issued last week, Ski Apache currently is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a 28” base, offering access to three chairlifts and five trails. The resort will remain open seven days a week through Jan. 6. Ski Apache will be closed Jan. 7–8, and will be open Wednesday through Sunday starting Jan. 9 through Feb. 28, with the exceptions of being open the week of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 21and Jan. 22, and the week of President’s Day, Feb. 18 and Feb. 19. If conditions permit, the resort will remain open through March.

“Operational hour modifications in the near year are for the purpose of focusing on improving the customer experience. Closed days will be used for lift and mechanical maintenance, which require daylight hours for safety, as well as for snowmaking to enhance snow coverage.” Ken Marlatt, director of operations at Ski Apache, stated in the release. “We appreciate the understanding and patience of our community and guests as we continue working on offering the best skier experience possible.”

The zip line days and hours will be the same as ski operations.

Stan Cape of the A-Frame Ski Shop, says he checks the temperature nightly and contends it has been cold enough to make snow working overnight as was done in the past. Posting on the website that the seven-day a week schedule will end Jan. 6, and talking about “closures” is death to a ski area, he said.

“All the ski shops are about at their wit’s end. I had four people call me today and ask about it,” he said Friday. “They were disturbed in particular about the caveat that management could close the ski area, because of poor weather or insufficient customers.  How do you determine that? Someone rents their skis at 7 a.m. and heads to the ski area. when they decide they are going to shut down. Does that mean I have to give people their money back? It’s crazy.”

When people book to stay in Ruidoso for five days, they want to ski most of those days and naturally will think the resort is open, Cape said.

“Then they will get disappointed,” he said. “Those people will go away and most likely never will come back up here. They are setting a precedent now and that’s what I am worried about. They bled money last year because there was little natural snow and they didn’t make snow. They had two runs opened last year and everyone with ski shops lost money last year.”

The holidays use to be the only times the shops were guaranteed to make money to get through the season, but that didn’t happen last year or the year before.

“I was optimistic going into this season with new management and the signs were right for some snow and they had been making snow here and there, and they opened earlier than they had in last three years,” Cape said. “Then all of a sudden, they decided to close down last week and now they are telling us they will close Mondays and Tuesdays. It’s unbelievable this is going to happen. I have completely changed my tune as far as optimism. It’s a shame for the entire town of Ruidoso.”

Business owners need to be aware of the effect of the decisions at the resort, he said.

Ron Taylor, who owns the Mountain Ski Shop and has been in the ski business for 57 years, echoed the statements of Anderson and Cape. During most of his nearly six decades, the resort would open for Thanksgiving and stay open until the end of the season. Having worked at the ski area, he said maintenance can be accomplished by rotation, never closing down the entire ski area. People still can frequent the restaurant and try out different slopes. Families aren’t going to plan for a week’s vacation when days of opening are uncertain. They’ll just head to another resort, he said.