On heels of the news that the Town of Nederland approved the purchase of Eldora Mountain Resort at a price tag likely to be in the ballpark of $120 million (final sale still pending), let’s take a look back at a time when a Colorado mountain town did the opposite, selling off a public ski hill to a private purchaser for just $100.

As those familiar with Colorado history know, ski culture in Colorado was already brewing well before the start of World War II. When European miners joined the gold rush mix, they introduced locals to an easier way to get around snow-covered mountains and a few decades later, skiing as recreation started to find a home in the Centennial State. Colorado’s oldest continuously operated ski area got its start in 1915 – Steamboat Spring’s Howelsen Hill – and in decades to come, many other established ski areas would start spinning lifts, too. One of those spots was Monarch Mountain, and much like Howelsen Hill is owned and operated by the City of Steamboat Springs today, that was once the case in Salida.

According to Monarch Mountain, the ‘local’s favorite’ ski area got its start in 1939 – and this was long-awaited, as people had been skiing around the mountains that surround Salida since about 1914. Originally constructed by Works Project Administration workers during President FDR’s New Deal era, the keys to the mountain were handed over to the City of Salida and a 500-foot rope tow was used to transport guests from what is now the parking lot area to the top of Gunbarrel – the run was about half as long as it is today. In 1940, the population of Salida was about 4,969, with the population of the greater Chaffee County being calculated at 8,109, per historic Colorado census data. While the Chaffee County population has more than doubled since then to about 20,000, Salida’s population is roughly the same – about 5,666 residents in 2020.

As years went on and new additions were built at the ski area, the demand for recreational skiing climbed at a rapid pace. With that growth came more intricate operations – after all, managing a fully-functional ski hill is no simple task.

By 1955, the City of Salida decided that it wanted out of the winter slopesports business, with the mayor and city council ultimately offering to sell the ski area to Ray Berry, the area manager for six years prior. Their proposed price – $100, roughly $1,213.94 in today’s money per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator. Quite the deal – to help put that in perspective, the $120 million that’s been floating around related to the Eldora deal would still be about $10 million in 1955.

During the first five years of Berry’s ownership, the ski area operated only on weekends and holidays, also adding a T-bar from Victor during that period. Then, a chairlift was added in 1960, more runs were cut, and the ski area opened full time.

In 1968, the ski area changed hands once again – sold to Elmo Bevington for around $132,000. Bevington put quite a bit of work into expanding the ski area’s amenities, parking, and terrain, installing its first and second double-chair lifts.

In 1979, Westlake Mortgage and Investment Corporation, Inc. purchased the ski area while being represented by Gerald Rogers, doubling both the size of the day lodge and skiable acreage (I tried to find a sale price here, but couldn’t – if you think you’ve tracked it down, shoot me an e-mail). Improvements and growth at the ski area continued until 1987 when legal issues forced Monarch into bankruptcy and one of Roger’s creditors acquired the ski area through subsequent proceedings.

Three years later, however, the ski area emerged from bankruptcy to be sold to a Japanese businessman by the name of Hidiuki Nakamura. In 1996, Nakamura sold Monarch to Chinese-American businessman Goodwin Gaw, and in 2002, a group of individuals joined together to form PowderMonarch, LLC, purchasing the ski area from Gaw for about $5 million. A man by the name of Bob Nicolls was a champion of this effort.

Today, Monarch Mountain is owned by the same group – the longest-standing owners in the ski area’s history at about 24 years and counting. Major improvements to the ski area keep coming, too, with the current season marking the opening of No Name Basin, adding 377 acres of terrain and meaning that guests can now ski or snowboard on both sides of the Continental Divide.

There’s no doubt about it – Monarch Mountain holds a special place in the hearts of many Coloradans, capturing a small town feel while still delivering big on the winter slopesports experience. Plus, the City of Salida is a pretty great place to visit, too.

Plan a trip to Monarch Mountain here.

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