Locals fear closed public ski resort will become billionaire havenA long-standing public ski resort nestled in Lake Tahoe's 'winter paradise' is closed as a bitter fight over public access between billionaires and locals has reached a stalemate.Opened in 1961, Homewood Mountain Resort has been a winter escape for the public to access, boasting more than 1,200 acres of mountains and over 60 snow-covered runs for skiers.

My local ski mountains in the Adirondacks, Whiteface and Gore, are state owned. This has kept them accessible to the public and less swanky. The smaller mountains up there have a wide range of funding. Some are owned by locals, some are treated as town facilities. Indy Pass provided a lifeline for Hickory Mountain in Warrensburg which was founded by guys from the 10th Mountain Division after they got done shooting Nazis.

Adirondack Legend Hickory Ski Center Returns to Full Operations | Adirondacks

 We have access to Vermont's centers from our place as well. Mad River Glen is a sketchy mountain drive away. From our current home Elk Mountain in PA and Greek Peak in NY are the local hills. Both have a ton of snow making when weather permits but temperatures are fickle. 

It's interesting what the mix of models are. The hollowing out of rural America is reflected in these little ski towns, but it has created a movement among locals to go back to more voluntary associations. The town up North has a growing network of mtn biking trails built by volunteers and largely used by locals. Ski mountains have facility expenses but they can run be a lot cheaper than they are.