The Giant Resort Companies You Hate Are Saving Skiing

If there's one thing you can count on in life, it's change. Change is inevitable and we've seen our fair share this year with Vail's purchase of Crested Butte Mountain Resort. For years skiers have complained about the big corporate buyouts. However, it just might be that the giant resort companies you hate are saving skiing.

Often what we end up seeing when these corporate buyouts occur is job stability, better benefits and the opportunity for resort employees to advance. We also tend to see lower season pass costs. Now who can complain about that? Of course there is the downside of overcrowding. With the increase in visitors comes longer lift lines and the slopes being groomed to death.

Overall, cheaper season passes means more people can afford to ski. We are seeing many first time visitors to the valley with the addition of the Epic Pass and Epic Local Pass. Lower costs means that families can pass the love of skiing down to their kids, keeping the sport alive for generations to come.

Photo Credit: What overcrowding looked like at Vail in 1964 (Slim Aarons/Hulton Archives/Gett)