While it\u2019s still unknown whether Colorado\u2019s ski areas will reopen, if only for a few days or weeks left in the season, Purgatory is bracing itself for losing as much as 25% of its revenue for the year.<\/p>\n
It has been a rough couple of years for Durango\u2019s local resort. The winter of 2017-18 brought one of the worst droughts in recorded history. The next summer, in June 2018, the 416 Fire broke out, forcing the resort to close yet again.<\/p>\n
But despite it all, Purgatory will make it through, Rathbun said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t believe there\u2019s any worry,\u201d he said. \u201cI think there\u2019s enough safety nets.\u201d<\/p>\n
The need to close Colorado\u2019s ski areas was dire, health officials say.<\/p>\n
Ski resorts draw people from all over the country, even the world, who congregate in lodges, restaurants and bars. Locals intermingle with travelers, and the chance for spreading the coronavirus is significant.<\/p>\n
The four counties with the highest cases per capita all have ski resorts: Chaffee, Eagle, Gunnison and Pitkin. And, Eagle and Gunnison, home to Vail Resort and Crested Butte Mountain Resort, respectively, had rates eight times the state average.<\/p>\n
Glenn Mays, a professor at the University of Colorado\u2019s School of Public Health who specializes in large-scale public health threats, said ski resorts essentially function as \u201csuper spread entities,\u201d accelerating widespread outbreak.<\/p>\n
\u201cResorts are fairly small, with a diverse population funneled into limited areas,\u201d he said. \u201cThat plays a special role in accelerating disease spread.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liane Jollon, executive director of San Juan Basin Public Health, said it was important to close Purgatory before spring break brought an uptick in tourists to the Southwest Colorado resort.<\/p>\n
Purgatory brings in about 300,000 guests a year, Rathbun said, with a significant portion of that amount during the spring break weeks.<\/p>\n \u201cWe prevented a lot of spread,\u201d Jollon said. \u201cWe did the right thing by not having three weeks of a packed ski area.\u201d<\/p>\n As of Tuesday, 23 positive cases of coronavirus had been recorded in La Plata County. But even health officials say that\u2019s likely a drastically low reflection of the actual amount of people with the virus in the community because of the lack of testing.<\/p>\n And though health officials are tracking the past interactions and travels of people who do test positive, SJBPH declined to say whether any of the confirmed cases had a connection to Purgatory.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do not have info on that and we are not allowed to report out details like that,\u201d SJBPH spokeswoman Claire Ninde said. \u201cIn small communities, it is easier to identify individuals with data that may result in identification than in larger communities.\u201d<\/p>\n Unraveling how the closure of Purgatory affects the local economy is nearly impossible, as additional state orders in the ensuing weeks forced all \u201cnonessential\u201d businesses to close to prevent further spread of the virus.<\/p>\n But there\u2019s no denying Purgatory is one of the main tourist draws in winter, Rathbun said. Throughout an entire season, he said the ski resort is responsible for an economic jolt that is likely hundreds of millions of dollars.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s significant, there\u2019s no questions about that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Dave Woodruff, president of the Colorado Restaurant Association\u2019s Durango chapter, said the restaurant industry feeds off the resort\u2019s winter tourism.<\/p>\n \u201cPurgatory is a great draw, and we are reliant upon them in both summer and winter,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Chris Linsmayer with Colorado Ski Country USA said the economic impacts across the state are going to be substantial. Last year, 14 million people visited a Colorado resort, with the industry generating $5 billion to $6 billion.<\/p>\n \u201cMarch is a busy time, so to be shut down is unfortunate and a challenge,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd the economic impacts are going to be substantial in our resort communities.\u201d<\/p>\n Congress recently signed a $2 trillion relief bill to deal with the impacts of the coronavirus. Ski resorts, however, are not eligible for any financial assistance as part of the package.<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly, we\u2019re in touch with the congressional delegation,\u201d Linsmayer said.<\/p>\n Ski resort operations across the state are suspended until at least April 6. But despite the doom and gloom, Rathbun is still dreaming of skiing the slopes.<\/p>\n \u201cI think everybody knows James (Coleman, owner of Purgatory) pretty well, and if we get a chance to reopen, and there\u2019s still good snow and we can offer a safe experience, we\u2019d consider it,\u201d Rathbun said.<\/p>\n Options across the region to ski are limited. Ski resorts are closed and prohibiting uphill travel access. San Juan County closed its backcountry. And search and rescue personnel are asking people to stay home to avoid emergency situations.<\/p>\n Holding out hope for a few more runs this season, however limited or short, is at least something to look forward to in these unprecedented times, Rathbun said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re just going to hang tight and be ready,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re skiers at heart. If we can do it, we\u2019ll do it.\u201d<\/p>\n