Echo Mountain Ski Area for sale

The owner of Echo Mountain Ski Area has announced that the Squaw Pass attraction will be sold through a sealed-bid auction this summer.

Racebrook, the New York-based private investment firm that owns the ski area, said in a news release Thursday that the bids will be due Aug 2. Echo Mountain, which has one chairlift and about 80 acres of developed terrain, opened in 2006.

The ski area has been marketed recently as a family-friendly venue that offers the closest downhill skiing to the Denver area, and also as a venue for weddings, events and mountain biking. It reported an 80 percent jump in lift-ticket sales in January compared to the previous season.

“To have a ski resort situated on 100 percent private land is unheard of in the ski industry, so Echo Mountain provides an extremely rare opportunity for a local or international buyer to purchase the property and continue its evolution into a unique winter and year-round sports destination,” said John Cuticelli, CEO of Racebrook.

The auction will be handled by Racebrook affiliate Sheldon Good & Co.

Racebrook said the ski area includes two multi-purpose buildings, cafeteria, retail and rental shop on 226 acres of land. It also has lighted slopes and a liquor license.

Check out the June 13 print edition of the Courier for more details.