Bluebird Backcountry, the trailblazing, lift-less ski area that was the first to offer backcountry skiing, but with ski patrol and avalanche management, has closed.
Bluebird announced Monday that it won’t reopen its 1,200-acre facility approximately 30 minutes from Steamboat Springs, Colo., next season
The company cited startup funding and financing as the primary reasons.
“While Bluebird’s financial model is more lightweight than a traditional resort that invests in chairlifts, permanent buildings and real estate, any venture in the ski industry is cash-intensive,” Bluebird said. CEO Jeff Woodward said Bluebird would need a multiyear capital partner to keep the business going.
Bluebird opened on an experimental basis at its current location on Bear Mountain between Steamboat and Kremmling, Colo., during the 2019-20 ski season, then began full operations the following year. The ski area sought to take advantage of the boom in backcountry skiing while also making entry to the sport more accessible.
Backcountry skiing and snowboarding -- in which skiers use specially designed bindings, boots and skis or boards to ascend mountains, then seek out untouched snow for their downhill runs -- is typically undertaken on unmanaged public lands. By providing a similar experience, but in a patrolled and avalanche-managed environment, Bluebird was offering what it called “backcountry lite.”
The ski area also offered rental equipment, avalanche training and lessons as part of its effort to make backcountry skiing more accessible to beginners.
In Monday’s announcement, Woodward said that the company’s vision had been to open a network of backcountry ski areas across the U.S. He expressed confidence that the model can work, though finding affordable and appropriate locations is the biggest difficulty.
“Land has been a challenge here in Colorado as well as every major market we’ve explored,” he said.