There’s been a bit of a flap not too far from here about a resort developer’s plans for a new ski resort in a potentially environmentally sensitive area. The whole issue got me wondering about the basics of ski resort planning.
Apart from the general location (close to a source of skiers, natch), what factors govern a developer’s decision to set up a resort in a particular spot? Does the architect start by visiting scenic spots; do they care more about the mountain’s topography and overall shape; or do they just try to work with whatever land is available? Once a site is chosen, how much “sculpting” of the mountain’s surface is done to produce runs for beginning, intermediate, and expert skiers and snowboarders? And just out of curiosity, what happens to the trees that get cut down - are they sold as lumber or discarded?
Just a WAG on site location, but I’d have to say that they pretty much take what they can get. There aren’t too many mountains for sale these days in locations close enough to a population base to be profitable.
Check out this site. It looks to be a design proposal for an expansion to a Canadian ski area. It has sections dealing with “Ski run and forest glading design” and “Tree removal.”
It’s tough to get a read on the construction aspect of things, as these guys are creating glades to minimize impact, but, even for this, they do mention having to carry out ‘terrain modification.’ Also, tree-wise, they sell everything that is ‘merchantable.’
This site is also interesting. In compliance with the Canadian Environmental Assessment (EA) Act, this site goes into great detail as to the selection and desirable characteristics of a ski resort.
Section II, B and III, B are the most interesting. After skimming this article it occurs to me that the greatest environmental concern surrounds the village/lodge. It appears that mountains are indeed selected for their proximity to people and scenic characteristics but avalanche danger and pre-existing slope gradients also seem to be important.
Hope this helps, I learned something today in reading this.