Resorts and global warming

Jan 2, 2007 | No Responses

I am on my way home from attending the Rocky Mountain Resort Alliance meeting in Sun Valley, Idaho. The focus of the group is on trends and concerns that affect the real estate markets in our resort areas. With the exception of Sun Valley, the resorts all reported that sales are strong, inventory is hard to come by, and prices are headed up. Sun Valley is coming out of a market correction that several people felt was overdue.

Prices in new, premium properties at the base areas of some resorts are approaching $3000 per square foot! Summit County’s $1000 a square foot for condos at the new base area in Breckenridge seems tame by comparison.

Auden Schendler of Aspen Ski Co spoke at our meeting about the affects of global warming on the ski business and our recreation opportunities. He brought home the very real concerns that we should have, and made me much more aware of my “carbon footprint” that I leave behind. I will write more about what we can do to alleviate it in the coming days. According to Auden, in 100 years we will not have snow except at the very highest elevations, and even 30 years from now, we will see dramatic differences.

It is certainly scary, and is not limited to ski areas. It will affect everything in our lives, no matter where we live. Unless we make drastic changes within the next ten years, the balance within the environment will be so affected that it will not recuperate.