SAM Magazine—Boise, Idaho, Aug. 30, 2018—Ripe for a no-frills ski/ride/telemark/cat ski ownership opportunity? You’re in luck: Soldier Mountain, Idaho, is up for sale—again. The area could be just the ticket for an enterprising individual or family who wants to run a ski area and earn an income that allows them to enjoy a skiing lifestyle.

The current owners, Matt and Diane McFerran, purchased the 1,150-acre, 1,400-vertical-foot resort in 2015 for $149,000, and have pumped in more than $600,000. They pursued the dream, but are now seeking a new lessee to take on the Forest Service lease, one with the capital sources to continue operations and make the additional investments the resort needs.

Previously, the area was owned by actor Bruce Willis for several years. He eventually gifted the area to a local non-profit, but it was unable to generate the necessary visits or the capital required, and it sold Soldier to the current owners.

Located in south-central Idaho, between Boise and Sun Valley, Soldier has two chairlifts (with updated drive controls), a beginner’s conveyor lift, some first-rate snowmobiling trails, and a cat skiing operation that accesses high-elevation terrain. The terrain is not heavily forested, so tree skiing is possible across much of the resort, which sits between 5,700 and 7,100 feet of elevation. The cat skiing terrain climbs up near 9,000 feet. All this presents a unique combination of features that could appeal to guests ranging from young families looking for an inexpensive way to enjoy skiing and riding to better skiers looking for untracked snow. So there’s potential.

“However, the current owners have experienced the typical start-up challenges that come with operating a ski area that has been undercapitalized, under-managed, and under-marketed for many years,” said Mike Krongel, whose Mirus Resort Advisors is handling the sale.

The area needs some specific improvements, to snowmaking in particular, and a greater commitment to marketing, he believes. The existing snowmaking system has not been used since the 1990s; it includes in-ground water lines and nearly 35 hydrants, but no air lines, and no guns. The water intake from a nearby creek needs reinstallation, and the system itself needs testing—and likely, some refurbishing. It will take an updated system, along with more aggressive marketing, to raise visits above the area’s 28,000 high-water mark.

“Soldier Mountain ownership is well suited for skiers/riders/Nordic participants with capital and passion,” said Krongel. “A new owner operator must be well capitalized to provide for immediately necessary improvements, long-term in vision to grow the skier visits to a profitable revenue number, and be approved by the U.S. Forest Service to take over the lease under which Soldier Mountain operates.”

Learn more at www.mirusresortadvisors.com.