It was a contentious winter in the effort to return lift-served skiing to a southern Colorado mountain. But proponents are moving forward with their plans to put passengers on a chairlift at the base of what was decades ago Panadero Ski Area, now publicly owned Cuchara Mountain Park.

Rides could happen this summer, some say.

“We intend to have a huge party, a band and everything, on the Fourth of July,” said Mike Moore, a longtime Cuchara bed-and-breakfast owner and ski industry veteran involved with the project. “We don’t think we’ll have a problem raising money at this point.”

It hasn’t seemed to be much of a problem for Panadero Ski Corp., which has partnered with fellow nonprofit Cuchara Foundation to raise funds for the 47-acre park.

In 2017, the foundation bought the former ski-area grounds for $150,000 and conveyed it to Huerfano County. Since attaining 501c(3) status, the ski corporation has worked to get the base lift running again, relying on more than $300,000 for parts and labor. That’s been mostly donated by part-time, big-money residents of the valley, Moore said.

Panadero requested additional funds in a recent post on its website. While the organization’s board considers the lift in “excellent working condition,” the post outlines final contractor work and Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board inspections that are expected to total more than $27,000. Also listed is an estimated bill of insurance to operate the lift: $24,000 per year.

That annual sum has been a concern ever since Cuchara Mountain Park was established and a master plan envisioned the lift ferrying skiers again. The idea has been to recruit a concessionaire, some outfit that saw profit potential and in return covered the cost of staff, maintenance and insurance.

“The county has been very clear from the very beginning they will never run the lift, they will not be in charge of the lift,” said Lois Adams, Cuchara Foundation president.

A prospect emerged last year: Moss Adventures, a startup that proposed year-round activities at the park, closely in line with concepts from the master plan. Moss Adventures was the lone respondent to Huerfano County’s request for proposals.

After months of simmering tension — some locals seeing Moss as the best bet for the park’s sustainability, others seeing the commercialization of public land — county commissioners unanimously voted to end negotiations in a January meeting that represented a boiling point. Anger was expressed that had previously flared on social media.

“It got very nasty,” Adams said. “That was very sad.”

Locals remain divided on the park’s future. Some wish for an all-natural oasis; others seek another attempt at skiing with two more lifts waiting higher on U.S. Forest Service land; and others fear a repeat of the past — one failed attempt after another by outsider investors at the ski area from 1982 to 2000. Some see a destination to fuel a year-round economy, while others see the socioeconomic threats plaguing other mountain towns.

“There’s a few property owners that would like to see it just be a dog park,” Moore said. “Then there’s the gung-ho skiers that are mad at us for doing the lift because they want it to be the private, hike-up ski area that it’s pretty much been.”

But Panadero Ski Corp. marches on.

“Fundraising is our No. 1 goal, and getting (the lift) running is our No. 1 priority,” said Cale Dancho, a member of the board.

He’s tasked with exploring the mountain-biking potential around the park. He said a modest “bike playground” could be added this summer, complete with a small pump track, trails and rollers built for beginners. The idea, Dancho said, is to eventually add an intermediate zone along the progression to more difficult, high-elevation trails in the surrounding national forest.

Maybe the lift could be a way of accessing those, Dancho said. But he’s careful in choosing his words.

“If I tell you we can build out a ton of things, then that’s gonna be objected by a lot of people,” he said. “If I say we can’t build out a lot because we have a small area, that, too, is gonna potentially disappoint a lot of people.”

It was a contentious winter in the effort to return lift-served skiing to a southern Colorado mountain. But proponents are moving forward with their plans to put passengers on a chairlift at the base of what was decades ago Panadero Ski Area, now publicly owned Cuchara Mountain Park.

Rides could happen this summer, some say.

“We intend to have a huge party, a band and everything, on the Fourth of July,” said Mike Moore, a longtime Cuchara bed-and-breakfast owner and ski industry veteran involved with the project. “We don’t think we’ll have a problem raising money at this point.”

It hasn’t seemed to be much of a problem for Panadero Ski Corp., which has partnered with fellow nonprofit Cuchara Foundation to raise funds for the 47-acre park.

In 2017, the foundation bought the former ski-area grounds for $150,000 and conveyed it to Huerfano County. Since attaining 501c(3) status, the ski corporation has worked to get the base lift running again, relying on more than $300,000 for parts and labor. That’s been mostly donated by part-time, big-money residents of the valley, Moore said.

Panadero requested additional funds in a recent post on its website. While the organization’s board considers the lift in “excellent working condition,” the post outlines final contractor work and Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board inspections that are expected to total more than $27,000. Also listed is an estimated bill of insurance to operate the lift: $24,000 per year.

That annual sum has been a concern ever since Cuchara Mountain Park was established and a master plan envisioned the lift ferrying skiers again. The idea has been to recruit a concessionaire, some outfit that saw profit potential and in return covered the cost of staff, maintenance and insurance.

“The county has been very clear from the very beginning they will never run the lift, they will not be in charge of the lift,” said Lois Adams, Cuchara Foundation president.

A prospect emerged last year: Moss Adventures, a startup that proposed year-round activities at the park, closely in line with concepts from the master plan. Moss Adventures was the lone respondent to Huerfano County’s request for proposals.

After months of simmering tension — some locals seeing Moss as the best bet for the park’s sustainability, others seeing the commercialization of public land — county commissioners unanimously voted to end negotiations in a January meeting that represented a boiling point. Anger was expressed that had previously flared on social media.

“It got very nasty,” Adams said. “That was very sad.”

Locals remain divided on the park’s future. Some wish for an all-natural oasis; others seek another attempt at skiing with two more lifts waiting higher on U.S. Forest Service land; and others fear a repeat of the past — one failed attempt after another by outsider investors at the ski area from 1982 to 2000. Some see a destination to fuel a year-round economy, while others see the socioeconomic threats plaguing other mountain towns.

“There’s a few property owners that would like to see it just be a dog park,” Moore said. “Then there’s the gung-ho skiers that are mad at us for doing the lift because they want it to be the private, hike-up ski area that it’s pretty much been.”

But Panadero Ski Corp. marches on.

“Fundraising is our No. 1 goal, and getting (the lift) running is our No. 1 priority,” said Cale Dancho, a member of the board.

He’s tasked with exploring the mountain-biking potential around the park. He said a modest “bike playground” could be added this summer, complete with a small pump track, trails and rollers built for beginners. The idea, Dancho said, is to eventually add an intermediate zone along the progression to more difficult, high-elevation trails in the surrounding national forest.

Maybe the lift could be a way of accessing those, Dancho said. But he’s careful in choosing his words.

“If I tell you we can build out a ton of things, then that’s gonna be objected by a lot of people,” he said. “If I say we can’t build out a lot because we have a small area, that, too, is gonna potentially disappoint a lot of people.”