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By Eri <br />11 <br />A tiny ski area that operated for just one <br />season 50 years ago introduced snow- <br />making technology to Colorado, blazing <br />the trail for a tool to fake out Mother <br />Nature and provide economic stability <br />for a $1.5 billion industry. <br />Magic Mountain Ski Area, west of <br />Golden, opened in 1958 and closed <br />in 1959, says ski historian Pat Pfeiffer. <br />Then-new Ski Broadmoor, near Colorado <br />Springs, bought some of Magic <br />Mountain's used equipment. <br />"Ski Broadmoor was the area that all <br />other ski areas kept a close eye on to see <br />how the new technology worked and if it <br />was profitable," says Pfeiffer. <br />Pfeiffer, who is also a board mem- <br />ber of the Colorado Ski Museum, viv- <br />idly remembers her first experience <br />with snowmaking in 1960. She and her <br />husband were so excited about Ski <br />Broadmoor opening that they planned a <br />nocturnal ski party on the slopes. <br />After a few good runs, they got back <br />on the lift and "they turned the snow <br />machine on and it spewed out water, <br />drenching all of us who were riding the <br />lift," says Pfeiffer. "You might say that put <br />a damper on the ski party." <br />The soaked skiers spent the rest of <br />the adventure inside the warming house <br />trying to dry out, and finally left early. <br />"Never has a hot buttered rum hit the <br />spot more!" says Pfeiffer, who is now in <br />her late 70s. <br />The Broadmoor worked out its prob- <br />lems with the snowmaking equipment <br />and went on to serve skiers for 30 years. <br />Today, the majority of ski areas in <br />Colorado use snowmaking regularly. Even <br />the highest areas, such as Loveland Ski <br />Area at 13,010 feet above sea level, uses <br />snowmaking, and die-hard powder fans <br />know it's typically the first to open. The <br />ski area's management is so confident <br />snow enthusiasts will be satisfied with the <br />9 <br />HEADWATERS <br />0''r_ <br />RW <br />._qsvl <br />490 <br />-MOOP- <br />7 <br />