Sleeping Giant to remain closed for second straight season

By: 
Mark Davis - Powell Tribune Via Wyoming News Exchange

Plans to reopen for winter of 2025-26

 

POWELL — Sleeping Giant Ski Lodge will not open this season, as the management team is still dealing with fallout from spring flooding, the lack of the workforce necessary to run the facility safely and vandalism to lodge equipment, said Nick Piazza, owner of the company near the East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park. 

“We don’t have the team right now to launch in a way that we would want to do it, and the insurance claim [for the flood] has taken a lot longer than we thought it would,” Piazza said in an interview with the Tribune. 

Piazza said the staff will take the next calendar year to focus on training and putting a new team together.

“Rather than do something that we might regret, we decided that we’re going to wait through this season,” he said. 

The lodge’s 10 permanent employees will remain on staff to make repairs and prepare for the next season. 

The interior of the lodge will undergo renovations on the interior and a major power control line now needs to be replaced due to vandalism. 

The lodge will return funds received selling 2024 season passes and has also offered to return a $48,000 grant to the Park County Travel Council if an extension is unavailable. 

Piazza has also been in contact with Red Lodge Mountain officials and hopes to announce further cooperation with the competitor in the region in the near future. 

“Some people in Cody seem to relish trying to take us down during this tough time, whereas our competitors in Red Lodge have been super supportive. They supported our season pass holders last winter and … we’re talking about working on the possibility of cooperating in the future,” he said, adding “out of this trouble, it’s been nice to see Red Lodge step up. They’ve been a good friend.” 

Piazza said he knows this announcement will tap into some negative emotions but hopes they can turn “all that emotion and interest in Sleeping Giant into a more successful business.” 

“I understand people are going to be upset. I’m upset,” he said. “But you know, we can’t solve everything. If Sleeping Giant has taught us anything, it’s that you can’t solve all problems with money — and that is what we seem to run into over and over again.” 

Piazza continues to see the facility as a great resource and a chance for Cody and Park County to balance out its economy. 

Sleeping Giant is much better today compared to where it was in 2020, he said. About $1.5 million has gone into infrastructure and salaries since Piazza took over the skiing facilities and lodge. 

“Those lifts are in way better shape than they were when we found them. It’s the same with most of our equipment,” he said. 

He also said holes in the local workforce are a “big question” for the business. 

“I don’t think we’re the only ones in Park County facing it,” he said.

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