If you were one of the 2,000 applicants trying to buy Bruce Willis's former ski area, we're sorry to break it to you, but the deal has closed. Curbed Ski reported on the deal of the century a few weeks back, when the nonprofit that runs Idaho's Soldier Mountain Ski Area announced that it would sell the ski area for what it owes the bank in order to get the lifts running this winter. The ask? $149,000. It seemed too good to be true, especially because $150K in many ski towns will only get you fractional ownership in a one-bedroom condo. Now, two snow lovers are the happy new owners of their very own ski resort.
Compared to many local ski hills, Soldier Mountain is actually huge. Operating on Forest Service land, Soldier Mountain has 1,147 skiable acres and a vertical of 1,425 feet. In size, that puts it somewhere between Stevens Pass and Sugarloaf.
When Soldier Mountain announced that it was for sale in mid-October, the story went viral, picking up steam as people dreamed of owning a little piece of ski country. According to the ski area's Facebook profile, over 2,100 people requested a sale packet and hundreds traveled to scope out the place. Then, on November 3rd, Soldier Mountain announced:
"We are thrilled to announce our chosen buyers of the ski operation. They are Matt and Diane McFerran of Bend, Oregon. We look forward to them joining the community and to a smooth transition and many years of skiing, boarding, and biking at Soldier! Stay tuned for further reports from Matt and Diane. Jim Johnston, President, SMSA"
Not Matt or Diane? Better luck next time.
· Soldier Mountain Ski Area [Official site]
· An Entire Oregon Ski Area Costs Just $1.25 Million [Curbed Ski]
· Is the Nonprofit Route Right for Small Ski Areas? [Curbed Ski]
· Inside the Fight to Reopen Wyoming's Antelope Butte Ski Area [Curbed Ski]
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