Following a failed crowd funding effort earlier in 2018, the Road West Traveled Crew was doubtful if there project ‘Abandoned’ would ever see the light of day. Luckily the documentary has been revived and is now set to make its debut October 22nd, after building much anticipation.
Within the last 50 years Colorado was dotted with an additional 100 hundred plus ski areas and many of these hills fell into disrepair or succumbed to financial ruin. In the film Abandoned; “A crew of backcountry skiers set out to explore Colorado’s lost ski areas in hopes to find adventure amongst the ruins.”
The film does a good job of connecting the dots of why these areas did not thrive and we learn of the transformation in ski area ownership over the years. The crew explores abandoned ski areas across the Centennial State and learns “the truth behind what made these areas close their doors for good and illustrates what skiing used to be like before mega resorts and climate change wreaked havoc on independently owned ski areas.”
Although we no longer have the privilege of having so many independent ski areas in Colorado, any skier or snowboarder will appreciate the beautiful solitude captured of chasing powder in the abandoned ski areas. Abandoned is an equally sad and optimistic film that will entertain any lover of snow sports history, the premier is October 22nd at the Oriental Theater in Denver, CO.