California — If you’ve ever wanted to revive a ski resort that a district ranger with the US Forest Service once described as a “bottomless [money] pit,” here’s your chance.
Last week, we shared the news that the former Iron Mountain ski resort is back on the market for $5.8 million. Since that article was published, the price has dropped by $1.8 million to $4 million.
This year, the abandoned Iron Mountain near Kirkwood was put back on the market. Priced at $4 million, the approximately 65-acre property has seen better days. Lift towers and terminals from the past are likely too battered to be reused for new lifts, and some trees on the property were impacted by the Caldor Fire.
First opened in 1971, Iron Mountain offered a diverse range of terrain. The peaks were serviced by multiple chairlifts and surface lifts. Over the years, it went through various name changes: Silver Basin, Ski Sundown, Iron Mountain, and Carson Ski Area.
In its early years, the most interesting strategy to attract guests was an ad in the Sacramento Bee. Back then, you couldn’t advertise to people through email or viral TikTok dances. In the November 1972 ad shared by SFGate, owner John Allen pleaded with people to visit the mountain, then criticized his wife and staff for the ski resort’s early operational strategies.
“SKIERS WANTED FOR MY LIFT LINES. I have a problem, and I need your help…My problem is that as not too many people know where to find Hiway 88 … I don’t have long crowded lift lines…Last year the management of the restaurant was a great a disappointment [sic]…My wife, Janet, is a ‘perennial beginner’ so she was the expert I consulted [for the trails].”
The ski resort saw its first closure around two years later. Factors such as its proximity to the mighty Kirkwood Mountain, a lack of effective marketing throughout most of its history, and various financial issues led to multiple closures and ownership changes.
In 1991, Iron Mountain’s owner decided to cut trees for an expansion without the U.S. Forest Service’s approval, resulting in his arrest. The mountain was closed from 1991 to 1994, before reopening for one more season as Carson Ski Area. The mountain closed permanently in 1995, and the special-use permit from the U.S. Forest Service was revoked in 1998. One final attempt to reopen was made in 2000, but the U.S. Forest Service rejected it.
“We don’t have the people, the time or the money to sink into this bottomless pit that Iron Mountain is,” said Judy Yandoh, a U.S. Forest Service district ranger.
To Iron Mountain’s defense, which ski area isn’t a bottomless money pit?
It was removed from the list of winter sports sites by the U.S. Forest Service in 2000, and Iron Mountain hasn’t reopened since. Iron Mountain remains a popular destination for hikers, along with backcountry skiers and riders.
A success plan here would be to purchase the property, build the [pre-approved] 22-46 condos, and gradually expand the skiable network. Maybe even a backcountry touring ski resort could work. While the land is zoned for ski resort use, one potential challenge could be reacquiring the U.S. Forest Service permit for the full skiable network that was previously in place. While the odds of a revived ski resort seem minimal, one thing I’ve learned about the ski industry is that you can never say never.
You can view the listing here.
Image/Video Credits: Collier, Skier72, Skimap.org
