Telluride Ski Resort remains closed as ski patrollers continue a labor strike during one of the busiest weeks of the winter season. The Telluride Ski Patrol union began picketing after months of contract negotiations failed to reach an agreement. Union members say wages have not kept pace with the area’s high cost of living and that the dispute raises broader concerns about worker retention and community stability. Resort officials say they are working to reopen limited terrain and are recruiting temporary staff to meet safety and medical requirements. The closure is being felt beyond San Miguel County, as many resort workers commute from Montrose, Olathe, and Delta.
The newscast also highlighted troubling snowpack conditions across Western Colorado. Data from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service shows snow water equivalent in the Gunnison Basin is in the 7th percentile of the 30-year average for late December. Warmer-than-normal temperatures have caused many storms to fall as rain, raising concerns about spring runoff, soil moisture, and water supplies.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has ordered national park gift shops to remove items that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Department of the Interior says a review is underway, prompting concerns that regional history — including books about Japanese American incarceration during World War II — could become less accessible to the public.
