Colorado-based ski resort ownership company purchases Brian Head Resort

Colorado-based ski resort ownership company purchases Brian Head Resort

(BHR Marketing)


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BRIAN HEAD — A Colorado-based mountain resort group announced Tuesday it has acquired Brian Head Resort in southern Utah, adding to its portfolio of outdoor recreation resorts in Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.

Terms of the deal weren’t released and the deal will remain confidential, Burke Wilkerson, Brian Head's vice president, general manager and chief financial officer, told KSL.com.

In its announcement, the resort’s new owner, Mountain Capital Partners, touted Brian Head — located a little more than 30 miles northeast of Cedar City — for its near 30-foot annual snowpack, its proximity to Utah’s national parks, and even how relatively close it is to Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and other western cities.

Since it opened in 1964, Brian Head has had several different owners. James Coleman, managing partner of Mountain Capital Partners, thanked the resort’s previous owner, John Grissinger, who had purchased the resort in 2012, for pumping more than $16 million into the facility to make improvements. Some of the upgrades added since 2012 include high-speed chairlifts, night skiing and improvements to lodge facilities and dining.

“Utah has some of the best powder skiing on earth. Brian Head’s family-friendly vibe and proximity to Southern Utah’s famous red cliffs and national parks greatly enhances our portfolio and supports our mission to make skiing and riding more accessible and affordable,” Coleman added, in a statement.

Wilkerson noted that changes to staff heading into the 2019-20 ski season aren’t expected in the foreseeable future.

“I believe Mountain Capital Partners’ intention is to come in and operate the ski resort as is with the existing staff,” he said.

However, there is one change regular Brian Head customers will notice. Mountain Capital Partners announced that anyone who purchased a Brian Head Resort Unlimited pass for the 2019-20 season will have access to nearly all of the Mountain Capital Partners’ other resorts with that pass. That includes:

  • Nordic Valley Ski Resort in Weber County
  • Hesperus Ski Area in Hesperus, Colorado
  • Pajarito Mountain Ski ARea in Los Alamos, New Mexico
  • Sipapu Ski and Summer Resort in Taos County, New Mexico
  • Spider Mountain Bike Park in Burnet, Texas
A Brian Head Unlimited pass also includes three bonus days to:

  • Arizona Snowbowl in Flagstaff, Arizona
  • Purgatory Resort in Durango, Colorado
They will also be given the option to upgrade to Mountain Capital Partners’ Power Pass for $150, which has access to all of the resorts. According to its website, an adult Power Pass costs $799. Anyone who had already purchased a Power Pass for Nordic Valley or the other resorts will now have access to Brian Head Resort.

Wilkerson hopes being added on the Power Pass will lead to new visitors to the resort and the area. He added he expects more growth for the resort in the future.

“We’ve done a great deal of improvements over the past several years … and it’s a great place for families to come, and we offer a whole variety for everybody,” he said. “Mountain Capital Partners, with all the other resorts they’ve acquired, they’ve improved those resorts and have made some significant improvements to their other resorts. I anticipate they’ll do the same here at Brian Head."

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Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter who covers general news, outdoors, history and sports for KSL.com.

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