Notes from the hill.
Plain-spoken lessons on operations, finance, team, and strategy for independent mountains. No jargon, no fluff — just what thirty years of doing the job actually taught me.
How to improve ski-resort profitability: a practical guide for independent mountains
Roughly 78% of North American ski areas are still independently owned — but the smallest ones are falling behind inflation while costs climb. Here are the levers that actually move the needle, and the ones most operators overlook.
Read the post
The heart of the ski industry: passion, innovation, and opportunity
The ski business runs on grit and optimism — but passion alone won't balance the books. Why so many great mountains are missing the basic business tools that would let them thrive.
Read
Mastering the unpredictable: essential budgeting tips for ski-area operators
Weather will always throw curveballs. A flexible budget framework — baseline costs, rolling reviews, scenario planning — is how you stay profitable through the chaos.
ReadMore field notes are on the way.
New pieces on operations, marketing, and strategy drop through the season. Subscribe below so you don't miss them — or browse the full archive.
Visit the full blogGet the field notes before anyone else.
One email every other week — a single lesson worth your time, plus the occasional tool or template. Written by Josh, read by people who run mountains.
