{"id":2174,"date":"2020-02-03T07:48:47","date_gmt":"2020-02-03T12:48:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/si-mba\/?p=2174"},"modified":"2020-02-05T08:50:41","modified_gmt":"2020-02-05T13:50:41","slug":"in-the-twilight-of-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/si-mba\/2020\/02\/03\/in-the-twilight-of-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"In the Twilight of Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This post was written by Lauren Bass ’20. Connect with her on LinkedIn.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During my lunch hour recently, I skied Goat, one of Mt. Mansfield\u2019s famed Front Four trails.  For a few precious moments before making my descent, I gazed across Stowe Mountain Resort (where I am very proudly employed) to admire stunning Spruce Peak.  In the distance, she glistened a triumphant, sparkling white thanks to a fresh coat of snow.  Sadly, there is strong evidence that this vista will become increasingly rare in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Photo by Lauren Bass ’20<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The snow\nsports industry in New England may have just hit middle age.  That\u2019s according to reports that predict only\nfour out of 14 major ski destinations in New England will be viable by 2100 due\nto warmer, shorter winters.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stowe\nMountain Resort, the historically rich and iconic \u201cSki Capital of the East,\u201d\nwill need to rely heavily on snowmaking if it\u2019s going to survive.  Stowe (as the resort is colloquially known\nand not to be confused with the town where it\u2019s located) is comprised of Vermont\u2019s\ntallest summit, Mt. Mansfield, and it\u2019s neighboring little sister, Spruce\nPeak.  Having just celebrated its 87th\nyear in operation, Stowe may have about as many years left before climate\nchange profoundly impacts one of America\u2019s most storied ski destinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stowe has\nnurtured and inspired some of the greatest achievements and economic\ndevelopments in the ski and snowboard industry. \nIts first trails were cut on Mt. Mansfield by the Civilian Conservation\nCorps in 1933.  A year later, the Mt.\nMansfield Ski Patrol was founded, the precursor of what we now know as the\nNational Ski Patrol.  And by 1940, Sepp\nRuschp, the legendary Austrian ski instructor who also coached UVM\u2019s and\nNorwich University\u2019s ski teams, established the Mt. Mansfield Ski School at\nStowe, which is still one of the most highly regarded training programs in the\ncountry.  For those who enjoy\nsnowboarding, the late Jake Burton Carpenter took turns on Mansfield and will\nbe remembered as one of the Town of Stowe\u2019s most notable and beloved residents\nwith his wife and business partner, Donna. \nToday, Burton Snowboards is one of Vermont\u2019s most celebrated brands with\na global presence spanning across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile,\nStowe Mountain Resort, which was recently acquired by Vail Resorts, attracts\nski and snowboard enthusiasts from around the world and supports the\nlivelihoods of thousands of Vermonters both on and off the property.  The town\u2019s picturesque village of\nindependently owned boutiques, restaurants, inns, and myriad sports shops owe\nmuch of their success to the mountain. \nBuilders, architects, lawyers, and property managers are sustained by\nStowe\u2019s robust real estate market that is largely driven by out-of-towners\nseeking vacation homes.   To put it in\nperspective, a whopping 17% of Vermont properties are second homes, which are\noften owned by outdoor enthusiasts, skiers, and snowboarders.  Stowe School District is one of the best in\nthe state, thanks to high home values bringing in substantial property taxes\nthat have enriched the town and its public education system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the\nbusiness world, Mt. Mansfield is also home to some of Vermont\u2019s last remaining\nacres of Arctic-Alpine Tundra.  This\nfragile ecosystem supports countless flora and fauna that are unique to the\narea.  As the length of winters recede,\nso will the delicate balance of life existing high above the rest of Vermont.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of this could melt away right before our eyes, drastically changing the future of Vermont, both economically and ecologically.  As more greenhouse gases are released into the environment, we will likely be confronted with the loss of one of Vermont\u2019s greatest assets: its long, cold, snowy winters…including the $900 million in direct winter spending generated by the state\u2019s ski and snowboard destinations and related businesses.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nresponse to looming profit losses, business closures, and dwindling resort\nlocations, industry advocates, such as Protect Our Winters (POW) and the\nNational Ski Areas Association, are lobbying federal, state, and local\ngovernments to enact environmental policies to slow or reverse the progression\nof average rising temperatures. \nMeanwhile, the International Ski Federation has also signed on to the UN\nClimate Change Initiative.  Vail, which\nis by far the largest ski resort operator worldwide, has initiated its\n\u201cCommitment to Zero\u201d via its Epic Promise Foundation.  By 2030, it has pledged that all of its\nproperties will operate using zero-waste and carbon-neutral technologies.  Burton Snowboards, which was recently\ndesignated as a B-Corporation and is actively accounting for its sustainability\ngoals, has partnered with the Epic Promise Foundation when it hosts the annual\nU.S. Open Snowboard Championships at Vail. \nSince 2017 it has operated the event carbon-neutral with limited waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fact\nremains, however, that we\u2019re facing an uphill battle.  2019 witnessed the highest level of carbon\nemissions to date.  The past decade has\nalso been our warmest in recorded history, with the most elevated global\ntemperatures occurring over the past five years.  Furthermore, enacting pro-environmental\npolicies continues to be a battle.  The\nwithdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Accord and the rise of\nclimate change skeptics in leadership positions across governments and\ncorporations have hindered or even eliminated environmental and climate\nprotections worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile,\nright here in Vermont, our ski and snowboard industry is at a precipice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After\ntaking in the glory of Spruce Peak, I edged my tips over Goat and made the\nfirst of many turns down the fall line to the base of Mt. Mansfield.  Along the way, I thought of the pioneers,\nentrepreneurs, and the incredible businesses and value they created.  Could they have even imagined what our\nwinters are facing?  And are we truly\nequipped to conquer the fragile, uncertain, and ungroomed trail that lays\nahead?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allen,\nAnne Wallace. \u201cStudy: Vermont Is No. 2 Nationwide for Second Home Ownership.\u201d VTDigger<\/em>, 6 Aug. 2019, vtdigger.org\/2019\/08\/05\/study-vermont-is-no-2-nationwide-for-second-home-ownership\/.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brandon,\nHeather. \u201cMost Ski Resorts in Warmer New England May Disappear By 2100.\u201d Connecticut Public Radio<\/em>, 7\nFeb. 2014, www.wnpr.org\/post\/most-ski-resorts-warmer-new-england-may-disappear-2100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freedman,\nAndrew. \u201cThe 2010s Will Go down in History as Earth’s Warmest.\u201d The Washington Post<\/em>, WP\nCompany, 5 Dec. 2019,\nwww.washingtonpost.com\/weather\/2019\/12\/05\/current-decade-will-go-down-history-earths-warmest\/.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imster,\nEleanor, and Deborah Byrd. \u201cAtmospheric CO2 Hits Record High in May 2019.\u201d EarthSky<\/em>, EarthSky.org, 17 June\n2019, earthsky.org\/earth\/atmospheric-co2-record-high-may-2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVermont Ski Industry Rebounds to Nearly 4 Million Visits.\u201d\u00a0Vermont Business Magazine<\/em>, Vermont Business Magazine, 15 June 2017, vermontbiz.com\/news\/june\/vermont-ski-industry-rebounds-nearly-4-million-visits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wobus, Cameron, et al. \u201cProjected Climate Change Impacts on Skiing and Snowmobiling: A Case Study of the United States.\u201d\u00a0Global Environmental Change<\/em>, Pergamon, 3 May 2017, www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0959378016305556. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This post was written by Lauren Bass ’20. Connect with her on LinkedIn. During my lunch hour recently, I skied Goat, one of Mt. Mansfield\u2019s famed Front Four trails.  For a few precious moments before making my descent, I gazed across Stowe Mountain Resort (where I am very proudly employed) to admire stunning Spruce Peak.  … <\/p>\n

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