Stephensons Need You

Finally, Columbia County residents, Touchet Valley businesses and skiers in the region can let out a collective sigh of relief. The future of Ski Bluewood seems secure. Unless there's a hiccough in their inspection of the resort, Mike and Kelly Stephenson and their group of silent inves­tors

from the Tri-Cities will be the resort's new owners by Nov. 1. And if all goes well, the mountain will be open again this year.

The Stephensons, who are longtime skiers and passionate skiing instructors, are a Godsend for Bluewood, its ski com­munity and the valley's economy.

They have the energy, vision, organizational qualifica­tions and financial backing to rescue the aging facility and possibly turn it into a year-round recreational asset for Southeast Washington.

But it's not going to come easily. The couple, who have a great positive spirit going into their complicated new venture, will nonetheless need all the moral and practical support they can get, starting with the resort's imminent re-opening for the 2010-2011 season. They told the Times that getting the mountain ready so late in the year as brand new owners is a bit like drinking water from a firehydrant. "There are so many moving parts to running a ski resort," Kelly Stephenson said. "It's a bit overwhelming. Of course, we know we did the right thing, but it's been harder than we imagined." We asked the Stephensons what the community can do to be of immediate assistance. The first thing they said is for everyone who's so inclined to come skiing and invite all their friends! If you were on the fence about buying a season pass, now is the time to get one. The Stephenson will not be raising the rates. Secondly, they're asking the county to seriously consider taking over the maintenance of about nine miles of road leading to the resort. The commissioners have asked the county engineer to study its feasibility. The sooner the pro­cess moves forward the better. The alternative is for the U.S. Forest Service to either waive its per-visitor fee structure for Bluewood's use of the road or suspend its road-plowing condition for the stretch. A representative from the agency said the fees pay to help maintain the road used exclusively to access Bluewood, and the government has little leeway but remains open to suggestions.

Thirdly, they want the community and participants to keep supporting the various youth skiing programs, includ­ing the race team, the annual Waitsburg fifth-grade ski out­ing and the Bluewood Bombers Special Olympics group to mention a few.

They're playing with the idea of forming a nonprofit that would raise money for youth programs so skiing can be even more inclusive at Bluewood. If they go through with those plans, they'll need help with the nonprofit's formation. Last but not least, the Stephensons welcome offers from volunteers to help with cosmetic improvements to the lodge, brush clearing on the slopes, community focus groups and so on. Although the Stephensons know the mountain well and have a long-range vision for the resort, they thrive on the input and enthusiasm from the community around them. To them, skiing is all about having confidence-building activities for kids and young adults, giving families time to be together and nurturing a recreational community around Ski Bluewood. Their decision to take over the resort, which is much more about heart than money, has already been well re­ceived in Columbia County. Daytonites have come out of the woodwork to be helpful and welcoming. But opening a new chapter in the mountain's history isn't going to happen overnight. So we hope would-be volunteers will make good on their offers, and we hope the community will sustain its moral and practical backing of the Stephensons in the years to come. Meanwhile, we want to wish Mike, Kelly, their families and their investors the best of luck in these busy and exciting days of taking control of a regional recreational asset many of us look forward to using again this winter. We also want to wish the best to Stan and Nancy Goodell. May they finally have a restful retirement. Thanks for two and a half decades of great local skiing!