Industry News
The long-forgotten Cuchara Ski Resort located in Huerfano County, Colorado, is set to make a comeback by the fall of 2021. The resort is located 78-miles south of Pueblo along the 82-mile stretch of Highway 12, close to the New Mexico line and Spanish Peak mountains. It was established in 1984 by a group from Texas receiving funding from Summit Savings and Loan. The resort grew quickly, building new lifts and runs but was plagued by the lack of snow, overall remoteness, and lack of skier turnout.
This led to a rejection of additional funds by Summit Savings, and eventually, the resort closed in 1986, leaving season pass holders angry. An additional lender tried to step in and save the resort the following season, but poor conditions forced it to close. The land would be purchased a couple of times over the next decade before it officially closed its doors in 2000.
The nonprofit Cuchura Foundation has raised $250,000 and is working to raise an additional $50,000 to secure land permits before they are ready to open. The Forest Service owns the land a third of the way up the mountain, prohibiting normal lift operations. They plan to operate on a nonprofit basis to keep expenses and ticket prices low while expanding recreational opportunities in the area.
People in the area want more year-round recreation options, and bicycle tourism, night sky viewing, backcountry skiing, and even disc golf are some things the resort plans to offer. They plan to mitigate the lack of snowfall that plagued the resort by blowing their own snow and using cat groomers to make sure the snow doesn’t blow away in strong winds.
