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Show UE a | rere Canyon Reporter, 25 January - 7 February 1995 THE RAY GARDINER INTERVIEW; THE CEO or SNowsinD SPEAKS I met with Ray Girding? on Saturday the 21st of January, shortly after he had He spoke been skiing. quickly about the grooming _with Gerry Giles. His knowledge of terrain at the resort was voluminous. He was very firm about the type _- of grooming he wanted. We talked for close to two hours, and I found him to be an incredibly engaging, warm and intelligent man. His knowledge of the Wasatch backcountry dwarfed mine. He has clearly spent more than his share of time with a _ heavy pack in the Wasatch and high Uinta back country. in the world is Gardener doing now?’ But [’m eas my best. How did you come to Snowbird? About ten years ago when Dick came off of Everest I heard him give a talk up here at Snowbird and it was just after I had been asked to do some legal work and I was invited to hear Dick talk. He said his dream was that he is when main work ~ debt. on ‘the ahiae every day he-is not here. His focus right now is his on restructuring the When not tied up with that his main interests are the over-all planning, the architectural design, the decorative artistic effects of the than just another ski resort. That Snowbird was to be an international Renaissance center for the improvement resort. He wants everything just right. He is also very concerned with the environment. Dick is an environmentalist. When we changed the parking lot we had a tough time getting Dick to approve the removal of three | trees. Ever since the begin- of human ning Dick has tried to pre- Snowbird was to be more understanding OUT. serve every single tree possithrough the enhancement of body, mind, and spirit. That ble. Dick is very concerned - The following are some of _ to see that this resort is envithe questions and topics that _ really struck me. I wrote ronmentally sound. When Dick a letter and told him we discussed during this Ray Gardiner at Snowbint 1995 Snowbird was build, the Alta time. how impressed I was that a Photo by John Bresee — What can you tell me about area and down here was business man would have . Solitude used to be a personwith Solitude and Brighton? nothing but a mass of mine _ your family? that as a goal for his busi_al friend. I was so busy I didn’t even I have a large family. Six dumps and drain fields and ness. I said something like, Is the employee “red get to go to Alta, but I cess pools. When Snowbird _ girls and four boys. Six of “some day I would like to light” policy working (Ed. wouldn’t be opposed to was built Dick Bass insisted them are married. Two in help you accomplish that note: the “red light’ policy is expanding it. In fact, I think college. Two in high school. - dream, that vision.” Well, I - that a sewer line be built. a new system which restricts it’s a good idea. I would be Now Alta is hooked onto it _ My daughter in high school never heard anymore from employees from using the willing to look at that but I and everything is cleaned up. My son in high school “Dick He never even _ would need to take a look at tram on very busy days). played hockey until just last acknowledged the letter, _ Now back in those days the Well I think so. What I’ve the frequency of it. water that came out of Little week when he took too which I have since learned is tried to do is to improve the © How would you rate yourhis way. My legal work for Cottonwood wasn’t that much air at Snowbird and self as a skier? experience of the guests at good. Today the water that the company rarely brought compressed his lumbar verSnowbird. I want the trails to I am only an intermediate me into contact with Dick comes out of little cottontebra. My children get all be beautifully groomed and I skier. wood is better by a very sub- | their athletic ability from me until about two years ago, What i is the biggest cliff | want to reduce the lift lines. stantial margin than any of _ (laughs). I grew up in Salt ~ about this time. Dick and I -you’ve dropped? | We’ ve had days when it was the other sources of water were working on a legal Lake, went to East High, got terrible. Last year we had (Laughs) Oh, I don’ t go off that Salt Lake City has. And problem when he turned to ao. Gegres....40... Us. some huge lines and I feel the rocks. My boys do that, — that is solely a result of me and said, “Do you know Management at University of _ the guests should come first. they are all very good skiers. Snowbird coming up here. that letter you sent me?” Utah, went to law school at People think it was my idea, How often do you ski? Now we have these huge Well I had no idea what he the University of Michigan “Oh that’s Ray.” Well it wasLast year I only got out 10 hotels, we have all this was talking about. I thought and got my law degree. After n’t my idea, but I think it is a times. This job is very mountain, and yet we make it was some legal opinion I _ that I practice law in SLC for great one. In past years we demanding. I put in 14, 16, had given him, but he : something better. They also a number of years and were giving too much away. 18 hours a day. It is a tough, put in a natural gas pipeline. Snowbird was a-client. Met ~ reminded me of my personal The ticket voucher policy tough job. I am trying this This building is all heated Dick Bass through that and | letter. He asked me if I was was crazy. Even now with year to get out on the mounwith natural gas. There is no still interested in helping him came to Snowbird; I no the new restrictions I think tain at least three times a pollution. The electric is prowith his dream. That is how I | longer practice law. we have a very liberal policy week. vided by out co-generation. ended up where | am. _ Are you and Dick Bass. for employees. Certainly What is your favorite part We have revegetated the How involved is Mr. Bass in still close friends? much better than most > of the mountain? mountain. We have made it day-to-day operations? Well I hope I’m still a The Wilbere life and mountains. (Vail locals pay better than when we started. He does not mess around close friend (laughs). You Harper’s Ferry, Harper’s $850 a year for a pass that is Most people don’t underwith day-to-day stuff, but is never know. I’m sure there restricted 14 to 21 days of Ferry east and lower Backstand that. What we need to intensely involved with the are some things that I do Ackward. I prefer to ski_ the season. Team Stowe. make people understand is where Bass wonders ‘what © resort when he is here, and passes are similarly restrictwhen it’s groomed. _ that we can open this canyon ed. Part time employees of Outside of Snowbird, to recreation to everybody Mt. Mansfield co. are what is your favorite resort? Can you ski High Rustler and we can keep it beautiful. allowed only one ticker per JT haven’t skied a lot of from top to bottom? If not The radical, extreme envifull eight hour shift. His | _. other resorts. It isn’t Squaw, ronmentalists who want to call for FREE Consultation. I can tell you that. ’ ve never point is well taken.) : block expansion of this ski _ seen such a crazy system of © How do you feel the drug resort are crazy. What we are lifts going every-which way. testing policy has worked for doing is opening the forest, FF CO2o2 0 T H 1 Snowbird? I guess I’d have to say Alta. opening this up so that peoI think that it has been a Or Vail, I like the bowls but I 801 484-2828 ple can use it and enjoy it very positive experience for. don’t like the glitz at Vail. — FAX 484-1042 but we still preserve it’s What can we do to Snowbird. I can’t say that it RES. 269-9467 beauty and its environmental TLabsing fitness to a whole neu level has been a positive experiincrease the sense of comintegrity. Between Alta and ence for some of the employmunity in the canyons? 2350 SOUTH FOOTHILL DRIVE SLC, UT 84109 Snowbird there are probably ees. I can’t say who has been There is a very good rela‘over a million people who. - tionship between the Alta > caught in it. But this is use it, but it is better, not another case of people saySki Lift Company and worse, for that use. ing, “Ray, Ray.” Well the Snowbird. I speak with Serving Customers Far Life! _ After the success with the _ drug policy was in draft Onno at least twice a week. ‘Alta/Snowbird employee form, proposed by Hoopy exchange days (Employees © Our ski patrols and snow Larry H. Miller Subaru Hyundai (former CEO Kent safety people all work closeat the two mountains have Hoopingarner), when I came. ly together. I know (Brighton - 5680 So. State St. / Murray, Utah 84107 / 801-264-3400 two days during the season — to the resort. And we were General Manager) Randy in which their passes work at — the last major resort in the Doyle, I knew Randy’s the other mountain), how do father, Zane Doyle. Most of country to go to a drug poliyou feel about expanding Mark S. Shubin cy. Every major business has my kids learned to ski at that to one day a month Sales & Leasing Home 943-6425 a drug policy of some kind, Brighton. Judge Grant of _ and/or working on a program — FY PERSONAL TRAINING KATHLEEN LEOPARD! ESE ACSA |
