Ski industry on the lift

With the pandemic restricting the availability of indoor activities, many outdoor means of recreation saw an increase in popularity due to people staying safe and social distancing – one of these being ski resorts. Now, with many COVID restrictions being lifted across the country, ski resorts around the Pacific Northwest hope to see a similar level of interest in this upcoming season. “It’s a double-edged blade,” said Rick Brown, director of skier and rider services at 49° North Mountain Resort in Chewelah. “We saw a real increase in the interest because of the limited amount of activities outside to participate in during the pandemic. There just weren’t a lot of places to go, like entertainment. You couldn’t go to the theater, you couldn’t go to the arcade, couldn’t go bowling.”