The Telluride Ski Patrol strike has officially entered its 5th day, leaving Telluride Ski Resort closed during one of the busiest weeks of the year. While there’s currently no indication of the ski patrol ending their strike anytime soon, officials at the resort are looking to reopen to the public in the near future.
To do so, according to Fox 31, Telluride Ski Resort has formed a recruitment team tasked with hiring temporary workers to fill in the gaps.
“The ski resort is actively working on a plan to safely reopen Lifts 1 and 4 as quickly as possible. A defined number of medical providers are needed in order to do that, so the resort has formed a recruitment team, led by industry professionals. The goal is to hire qualified and experienced personnel to temporarily fill the gaps, allowing the resort to open as soon as possible.” – Telluride Ski Resort
A post made to the resort’s social media on Monday explains that snowmaking is underway at the resort as cold temperatures allow. A plan to support a safe reopening as soon as possible is reportedly being developed, though it’s not clear what the specifics of that plan will look like.
Some ski patrol employees, including union member Bennett Hrabovsky, believe that Telluride Ski Resort may have trouble finding temporary employees. Telluride’s high cost of living is one of the reasons the union is seeking higher wages, and Hrabovsky thinks it will be hard to find people willing to move to the town for what he considers isn’t a livable wage.
There’s currently no clear timeline for when the resort plans to open again, though it’s evident they hope to do so as soon as possible.
