What goes into getting a ski area ready for opening day? We discuss snow making, maintaining & operating chairlifts, and ski area culture and sustainability with Taos Ski Valley’s chief operations officer, John Kelly. TOPICS & TIMES: John’s role at TSV (4:57) Starting out as a Lifty (5:12) The lead-up to opening a ski area (6:56) Early season snowmaking variables (10:40) How snowmaking has evolved (14:18) Why do lifts end up closed? (18:27) Catering the ski experience to folks from various economic backgrounds (27:51) Wearing beacons & avy gear inbounds? (38:24) Climate change: what’s TSV doing? (42:01) Electric snowcats (45:25) What can ski areas collectively be doing to improve things? (46:46) What else is new at TSV? (51:33) What’s your personal favorite ski run? (54:41) RELATED LINKS:  Get Yourself Covered: Become a BLISTER+ Member 2024 Blister Summit: Learn More Our 23/24 Winter Buyer’s Guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.