EDEN, Utah — A community is coming together to try to help a beloved Eden ski resort and its mainly seasonal employees get back on their feet after a damaging fire this week.
"It’s hard it’s really hard," said Nordic Valley General Manager Pascal Begin.
Begin added that the fire is just the latest in a number of challenges they've faced this season at the decades-old resort.
"It’s been extremely hard and the entire team is just sort of pulling it off, every step of the way, every challenge, they overcome," he said. "They keep pushing and moving the ball. We have an amazing team here."
Monday's fire forced the closure on what is the resort's most lucrative time of year, leaving many employees without a job — some temporarily and some for much longer.
"That is such the sad part. Most of the mountain jobs or lift operators, lift mechanics, groomers, snowmakers, they’re going to return business as usual," said Begin. "But those who were working in the barn — working in f&b, working in retail, the bar, those might not return to work. We might not have anything to them, depending on a few things. So it’s really tough having to make those calls."
Nordic Valley is bringing in trailers to run ticketing and get the lifts rolling as soon as possible. They are also working on possibly reassigning employees to food trucks and other options.
"It’s been awesome to hear that the community is with us. My phone has been blowing up with people just wanting to help," Begin said.
One nearby business posted on social media that they were offering jobs to anyone in need of work right now because of the closure at Nordic Valley.
"Hey, if you all need a place, at least temporarily!" said Laura Guthrie, general manager at nearby Powder Ridge Village which has available jobs.
Guthrie said it's also Powder Ridge's busy season and knows how these employees rely on these earnings this time of year.
"We do have a place for some folks, in maintenance clearing snow, front desk operations, housekeeping and more," she said.
Guthrie's heart goes out to Nordic Valley and the management and employees as she learned about their fire just hours after dealing with their own trouble.
"I actually had a lot of empathy because the night before their catastrophe, we actually had a big pipe burst in our clubhouse, totally flooded," she explained.
Guthrie believes working in the tough conditions of this mountain community is just part of why this area is so tight knit.
"We all really try to come together in times like this and help," she said. "Let’s see if we can help them find a home.
"They plan on winter money from their jobs here. A lot of them have worked there a long time and we’d love to welcome them here if that’s something we can help them with."
Anyone looking to reach Powder Ridge Village can find them online or call 801-745-3772.
