SUN JOURNAL • August 13, 2024
Contractors and employees have been digging, blasting and felling trees this summer at the Lost Valley Ski & Snowboarding Area, which is making a huge investment in its infrastructure. The investment by owners Scott and April Shanaman — between $750,000 to $1 million — is a testament to the determination of the couple, who bought Lost Valley in 2015, as it faced closure and a dismal start to the 2016 season due to a lack of snow. John Herrick and his team know that they have to make adjustments because climate change, he says, is the new norm. That’s why it’s critical to expand snowmaking — which produces more durable snow but is very expensive.