BREAKING TRAIL AT RED MOUNTAIN RESORT
In 2016, RED Mountain Resort took a stand.
Instead of reaching out to banks or multinational corporations for funding, they opened their doors to investments from the skiers and snowboarders on their lifts.
With the ‘Fight the Man, Own the Mountain’ initiative, RED Mountain Resort became one of the first resorts owned by the people on the slopes.
“At the time, there was a lot of assimilation of other resorts by big corporate,” Don Thompson, President and General Manager of RED Mountain Resort, said. “We felt that it might be interesting to offer up a share structure to see what it was like out there and if there was passion for the independent resort.”
The result was a resounding yes, with 800 new, independent shareholders.
Since then RED has been making fresh tracks forward, focussing as much on the people, culture and nature they’re surrounded by as on profit.
So when the owners wanted to develop a new restaurant on the hill, they got creative.
Instead of building on site, Don and his partners reached out to us with an idea for an entirely new commercial use for a DROP Structure – connecting two Duos with their taco stand to create a mini, on-mountain chalet.
Flyin’ Phil’s X DROP Structures
Named after RED Mountain Resort’s next-door neighbour (and local legend), Flyin’ Phil’s is a taco stand with a view.
The mini chalet sits at the base of RED’s new Topping Creek Chair, where visitors can watch skiers and snowboarders fly past against a backdrop of snow-covered trees and rugged mountains.
Anchored by the old taco stand trailer, the mini chalet offers both indoor and outdoor seating options.
“The mean temperature here is only minus five,” Don said. “So in the winter, it's quite a usable space, as opposed to just, you know, building a complete lodge.”
The taco stand has been a hangout spot at RED Mountain for a while. But previously, they hauled it up to the bottom of the Grey Mountain chair, where the air was chilly and the outdoor seating got a bit cold. So when Don and his partners decided to install a new chair, they moved it to take advantage of the weather lower down the mountain, where al fresco dining would be more comfortable.
“It's been a hit,” Don said. “Everybody likes it.”
Experimenting with prefab
Flyin’ Phil’s isn’t the RED team’s first project with prefab.
In fact, it’s been an important part of their development philosophy.
During the ‘Fight the Man, Own the Mountain’ initiative, part of the owner’s pledge to new shareholders was a mid-mountain chalet and accommodations, called The Constella: A Cabin Collective. The RED team prefabricated these cabins at the base by converting old sea cans. Then, they hauled them up the hill to where they now sit.
So naturally, the RED team turned back to prefab when they decided to move the taco stand. But this time around, their timelines were much tighter.
The decision to move Flyin’ Phil’s came at the end of the 2021/22 season, and the team wanted it ready for the next season.
“We knew we had a lot of work to do to get the site prepped and the foundations in place and the programming and take the old food cart and refurbish it,” Don said. “We had a lot to do on our side. So the ability to have another group of people build the unit was an ideal option for us.”
Ready when you are
With multiple setbacks along the road to getting the site prepped, the project fell behind about a month. With a traditional build, that could have pushed the project back into the ski season, or beyond. But, despite the setbacks on the hill, the two Duos were completed on time.
“The Duos were ready way before we were ready,” Don said. “And that was also a good feeling. We knew it was sitting in the yard , just waiting for us when we're ready to go.”
With the Duos waiting in the wings, the RED crew was able to finish the site prep in time. Then, all they had to do was make the call and the Duos were shipped across the Rockies to their doorstep.
Increased reliability, decreased impact
Heading off the beaten path is an inherently stressful endeavor. When you add in hard timelines and short build times, every unforeseen issue threatens to de-rail projects entirely.
By relying on DROP Structures, Don and his partners offloaded much of the stress.
“There's a psychological component to it,” Don said. “It's like something arriving in a box, you know. Here it is, let’s set it up and we can just turn it on.”
That quick delivery and setup also minimized off-cuts and other waste on-site, which is a big part of RED’s conservation mandate.
Innovative conservation
As an independent resort, RED sets its agenda based on the needs of its community and the mountain itself – not just on the demands of investors for a larger return.
This has led the leadership team to expand their definition of what success for the resort looks like.
“We now participate in a responsible stewardship program with other ski resorts and the Canada West Ski Areas Association,” Don said. “And part of that, a segment of that responsible stewardship program is to endeavour to reduce our impact on waste streams.”
That drive to balanced development continues from their respect for the nature which makes RED Mountain so special, to the culture that makes the resort so unique.
This creates a two-pronged approach to conservation:
Ecological
RED Mountain Resort is leading the way in sustainable development, including public transportation, watershed best practices, and embracing new, low-impact build methods.
“Modular is, I think, a big piece of minimizing our waste stream,” Don said.
As they move forward, the RED leadership team is committed to exploring new options for development and waste management to ensure the hill remains the place of beauty it is today.
Community
Big corporations have a way of toning down local flavor in favor of best practices and corporate design. But, RED Resort is committed to conserving their century-old ski culture.
“We think about ourselves being more stewards and custodians,” Don said. “We are obviously a development company, and we are continuing to grow, but the social, cultural, and environmental aspects that were started by the early pioneers are really important to us.”
From Flyin’ Phil’s to the Rafter’s Bar and the old lockers under it, RED Mountain Resort’s respect for the deep-rooted ski culture is obvious everywhere on the hill.
By combining both these conservation tactics, RED Mountain will continue to forge its own path forward, and DROP Structures is proud to be a part of this legacy.
