The Economics of Pebble Creek
The Economics of Pebble Creek
By: sabotjedi
Topics: Pocatello, community, business, Blackfoot, sports, Health, play
Posted by sabotjedi Wed Feb 27, 2008 17:22:36 MST
Viewed 143 times
0 responses 0 comments Every now and then I feel the need to chastise the local inhabitants about their failure to patronize Pebble Creek Ski Area.
I have a personal reason for bringing this issue to the fore. I work for the mountain as a ski instructor. To tell the truth though, it doesn't matter to me professionally whether you ski Pebble or not. We have work coming out of our ears in the winter sports school. We have community education programs, school programs, childrens' programs and we even have trouble squeezing in private lessons for people who want to learn more because we can be so busy at times.
What I am writing about has to do with the fact that the people of our region (Pocatello and surrounding towns) seem so often to choose to take their dollars to other places instead of our own mountain. Our local economy is driven by consumer choice and so many people seem to make the choice to ski or ride elsewhere. That is great for other mountains like Grand Targhee, Jackson, Kelly Canyon or Sun Valley not to mention the resorts in Utah, but what does it do for our own recreation right here within just a few minutes of town? Your choice to transfer your dollars to the bigger resorts owned by people from somewhere else means that the improvements we so desire in our home mountain can never become real. We spend the gas money, the higher lift tickets, and the time just travelling, going off to destinations that don't really need our dollars.
There is a saying that the customer is always right. That means that when you make yourself a customer of something you give them your vote. You make them the winner by giving them your dollars.
So, if you desire to see all of the improvement in winter recreation happen in places other than your own hometown, by all means continue to waste your money and time travelling to those big name resorts. When all is said and done and you have had your fun somewhere else and you wake to wonder what happened to the great "little" mountain that used to be so close to home, you will be able to point to nobody but yourself and all of your fellow "Pocatellans" who chose not to spend on your own grand resource.
We have a wonderful gem in Pebble Creek right here with all of the challenge and grit that any good skier or boarder can deal with right here. Your failure to make it successful is your own fault. Many of us are giving our all to make it work. You can blame nobody else if it doesn't continue and another of our traditions fades away and disappears.
One of the great cliches of Pocatello can continue to shine: "when the last person moves away, please remember to shut the lights off!"
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