Bogus Basin Ski Area Cuts Pay, Hours and Jobs

Chad Case

Bogus Basin ski hill, when it had snow

The lack of snow is hurting Boise’s local ski hill.  The Idaho Business Review reports Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area cut all year-round workers’ pay by 10 percent as it heads for the latest opening in the resort’s history.  IBR.com reports the ski area will also eliminate hours and positions.

Bogus is usually covered in snow and in full operation at this time of year. But with almost no snowfall, and very limited snowmaking, the resort is closed and has lost an estimated $2 million so far in ticket sales.

In a board meeting with all of the resort’s year-round employees Jan. 2, General Manager Mike Shirley and Chief Financial Officer Alan Moore announced they’ll both work without pay “for an extended period.”

About a half-dozen other positions among the 35 year-round jobs at Bogus will also be eliminated, Shirley said Jan. 4. Cutting back on pay and staffing and deferring other payments will save the resort $600,000 or $700,000 this year, Shirley said.

The latest opening in Bogus history is Jan. 6. That happened in 1989. It appears likely Bogus will open later than that this year, as the National Weather Service 10-day forecast on Jan. 4 called for mostly cloudy skies but a low chance of precipitation. – Idaho Business Review

Other states that rely on the ski season to boost winter tourism are finding ways to lure skiers from snow-less states.  Big Sky Resort near Bozeman, Montana posted this on its website, offering Epic Season Pass holders in Colorado the chance to ski free at Big Sky (which boasts 3,050 acres of snow covered ski hill) during the month of January.