We got a juicy story here today for you folks, and it takes place in one of North America’s most buzz-worthy ski towns- Aspen/Snowmass, CO.
Krabloonik is a dog sled tour company that has been operating in Aspen for over 40 years. The company has drawn scrutiny in recent months, as stated in this great article by Scott Condon of the Snowmass Sun.
I highly encourage you read the entirety of that article for the full scope of the background information.
Here’s an excerpt from Scott Condon of the Snowmass Sun’s article explaining why Krabloonik is under fire:
“Snowmass resident Scott Gilbert and his wife, Jeanette, were skiing on the Slot trail at Snowmass Resort on Feb. 22, 2020, when they decided while on the chairlift to pull over on their next run and watch a dogsled travel by. It was a decision that would soon lead to one of the worst days of their lives.”
“Gilbert was “clotheslined” by the rope that connects the dogs and the team to the sled, according to a lawsuit filed in Pitkin County District Court on April 13. The sled’s runners ran over Gilbert’s green ski helmet and the sled, carrying two passengers, stopped on his chest.
Gilbert, then 66, was knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion, fractured sternum, cardiac contusion and cervical spine strain from the whiplash, the lawsuit said.”
Krabloonik was sued by Gilbert for the incident, but reportedly settled before the case went to trial.
The dog sled company was also being investigated as recently as February 2022 for animal abuse, expired medication, failing numerous state regulations, and other complaints according to an article by Kaya Williams of the Snowmass Sun.
The Town of Snowmass Village held a Best Practices Review Committee hearing for Krabloonik on April 11th, 2022. The meeting was attended by The Town of Snowmass Village mayor Bill Madsen.
A video has now emerged of that meeting. Madsen questions Krabloonik owner Danny Phillips about the skier incident, and dog feces left on a trail.
You can watch the video embedded below:
Phillips tries to brush off any wrong-doing or fault throughout the entirety of the video. It’s a little slow, but there’s some really tense back-and-forth between Phillips and Madsen towards the middle of the video.
Good on the Mayor for calling out Phillips. I hope Krabloonik and the Town of Snowmass Village can work together for safer and more beneficial partnership moving forward.
