Colorado Paper Remembers the Dark Days Before Snowmaking

The nightmare before this Colorado Christmas was front-page New York Times news.

On Sunday Dec. 18, 1976, The New York Times ran a front-page story about the scarcity of snow at West Coast ski resorts. Forty years later, Colorado newspaper Steamboat Pilot & Today has revisited those times in a Sunday front-page story of its own, to remind downhill skiers and snowboarders just how tenuous things were before the industry properly invested in snowmaking machinery.

SteamboatPilot_12_27

The first few paragraphs of Scott Franz’s story are as pleasurable as a sun-splashed spring season ski run:

Things looked dire for Colorado’s ski resorts in December 1976, a priest in Aspen held daily prayer services and vowed to fast until it snowed.

AW+

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Spring Special

Save 30% Off an ADWEEK Subscription Today!

View Your Options

Already a member? Sign in