Dear Friends, 

Last week, a nurse who directly cares for Covid-19 patients wrote to us.  While visiting Snowbowl, she was dismayed by the resort's blatant disregard for public health.  Please read her letter to see how Snowbowl prioritizes profit over people during the pandemic, which disproportionately impacts Indigenous peoples.  (name of the author withheld for professional and safety concerns)

Feb. 1, 2021

To Whom it May Concern,

I am contacting you due to an experience I had at Arizona Snowbowl this past week.  My name is ___ and I am a nurse who works closely with Covid-19 patients, resident of Flagstaff of 15 years, and season pass holder of Arizona Snowbowl.  I purchased this pass, as I do annually, with the impression that safety guidelines implemented in the City of Flagstaff would be enforced heavily at the ski area for the safety of our community.  This has not been the case.

Covid-19 has been extremely hard on our community since March of 2020, greatly due to our proximity to the Navajo Reservation. Many of our nurses have left due to the emotional and physical distress that this disease has caused.  Since March, we have been dealing with this disease heavily and it has been almost a year now since our first Covid case. 

Last Wednesday I went to ski at Arizona Snowbowl and was in awe that they were not taking this virus seriously.  In fact, it seemed as though the pandemic did not exist. They are putting financial incentives over Flagstaff resident’s community health and human lives. Lift lines were packed, there was no social distancing, masks were not enforced, people were drinking in line in a hub of people, and staff of Arizona Snowbowl were encouraging sharing lifts with people outside of their party.  The lines were longer than when I skied last year on a weekend without a pandemic.  With my limited research, I have learned that there are ways for them to operate at a higher volume with various loop-holes in their system.  I learned from their Facebook page that you can get buddy passes from season pass holders, which many pass holders are selling to people for marked up prices, and anyone can still buy any sort of seasonal pass.  The only thing that seems to be restricted is the number of tickets sold per day.  Additionally, many of these people are from Phoenix, where Covid-19 is certainly a hot spot.  It concerns me that tourism and recreation is more important than our own local community, the people who pay taxes, own homes, and support local economy year-round.  Not only does this put more stress on our healthcare professionals when they're already at the end of their rope, but it also creates burdens for the children in our community who need to someday go back to school. 

I have seen many establishments running their businesses safely in Flagstaff.  Many outdoor recreational operations have put the time and effort to create safe environments for their clients, and Snowbowl is lacking in this area.  Arizona Snowbowl must be held accountable for their impact on our community. I value recreation just as much as most of our community does, now more than ever. Our staff is working tirelessly to serve our community, and all we are asking is for our community to do their part as well in helping us move forward.

Thank you for your time,

___, MSN RN