Mesa, Colorado — A ski resort near Grand Junction, Colorado, is under new ownership. However, it’s a familiar name for the skiers and riders that shred there.
This month, Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PGRI) became the majority owner of Powderhorn Mountain Resort. According to the Daily Sentinel, PGRI acquired this share from Gart Properties, who acquired the ski resort at an auction in 2011. Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. has been managing the ski resort since 2018, but didn’t have any ownership stake until this announcement. They also own Jay Peak, Mt. Washington Alpine Resort, Wintergreen Resort, and Wisp Resort, and operate Ragged Mountain Resort.
Grand Junction is rapidly growing, which has resulted in a rise in skier visits. Because of this, major improvements are planned. According to Jason Blevins of the Colorado Sun, Powderhorn is planning to grow its snowmaking network (on the race slope and over towards the West End terrain pod) and replace the West End double chairlift with a detachable high-speed quad.
“[We’re looking at] everything from, parking, to facilities. Those things can become really key as we grow our skier visits every year,” said Ryan Schramm, the General Manager of Powderhorn, to KJCT. “Grand Junction and the Grand Valley is growing exponentially, in the last couple of years. We want to try and keep pace with that and be the go-to place for our locals.”
Another interesting concept they’ve been working on is the Tiny Home village. These buildings provide convenient access for those who want to stay next to the slopes. Currently, they’re used as overnight lodging options for guests, but the plan is to keep constructing them and sell them for approximately $150k to skiers looking for a start-up home. The Gart family, which just sold its majority stake to PGRI, is handling this portion of the plan.
Currently, Powderhorn has nearly every trail open and all of its lifts operating. So far this season, they’ve received 140″ of snowfall.
Image Credits: Powderhorn Mountain Resort
