Auden Schendler is my new hero. The Vice President of Sustainability at Aspen Skiing Company has taken Aspen to the top of the list for environmental friendliness and won numerous awards over the years for his writing, speaking, and consulting on sustainability.

I learned of him when an Insight Weekly reader asked what ski resorts would be like in 2050. I thought hard, gazed into my crystal ball and, by george, there was Google. Lots there! 

The best report is from Outside Magazine. It asked 10 leaders of the U.S. ski world - equipment and clothing manufacturers, star athletes, and resort managers - what they thought skiing would be like in 25 years. Their answers range from "more skiers than ever - no climate change" (Klaus Obermeyer) to Schendler's call for a slower pace, reliance on natural snow, and "leading a lower carbon life."

Generally, the 25-years-into-the-future article points to fewer big resorts, less snow-making, and greater reliance on finding snow wherever it is: Heading into the backcountry, heli-skiing to remote snow-covered peaks, or flying to Russia; using high-tech equipment to make remote skiing challenges safer and more manageable; and resurgent small, local ski areas that can open instantly for snowfall when it occurs. Glen Plake (Hall of Fame skier) sees a creative twist in thinking: from seeing skiing as a "winter" sport to seeing it as a "snow" sport.  

There will also be increased emphasis on year-round access to the untrammeled, non-amenitied, inexpensive outdoors for recreation (mountain bike trails, ziplines) and exploration - bringing relief to skyrocketing resort and skier expenses. Fortunately, amazing vistas will always be the hallmark of a mountain setting - whether or not covered with snow - and these will be the primary draw in the resort-based future.  

European ski areas, especially those at mid-level altitudes, are already adjusting to global warming. "Resorts Prepare for a Future Without Skis," a 2007 article in the NYTimes (published then in Jigsaw Weekly), described the changing offerings of European high-end ski resorts. Mostly aimed at the wealthy, they include outdoor swimming pools, spas, sunworshipper amenities, spectacular architecture and food, and a luxurious lifestyle in a breathtaking setting. At the other end of possibility, ski areas will close. Abondance in France was the first to do this after 40 years of action - with consequent local economic decline.

California has struggled this year. Decreasing water supplies threaten snowmaking, the chief short-term response to global warming. A NYTimes article quotes one ski area manager's self-reference as a "snow farmer." "This is a very serious and as strategically significant a topic as you can get," according to Andy Wirth, president and chief executive of Squaw Valley. Bob Roberts, president and CEO of the California Ski Industry Association, adds, "I don't know of anybody in the industry who is saying that climate change is not an issue for us. If you're below 6,000 feet, it's a real challenge."

A few years ago at Sun Valley Economic Development's (the old SustainBlaine) annual summit, I publicly asked a Sun Valley Company executive about the resort's sustainability initiatives. He hesitated and then described the new environmentally friendly laundry facility. That was pretty much it. Fortunately, as I mentioned last week, sustainability efforts have increased at the resort since then. Taking the ethic all the way might be hard, however, given Sun Valley's reliance on oil dollars. 

I know, however, that many here would dearly love Sun Valley Company to take a greater leadership role in environmental friendliness. It is fitting for a resort that was the first in the United States to establish a destination ski area with state-of-the-art resort amenities. On a more practical level, it might raise our declining skier day count and strengthen the local economy!

Until next week.....Jima Rice