When a group backed by prominent Spokane businesspeople took over the Mount Spokane Ski Area four years ago, its goal was to make the ski hill more inviting to kids here so more of them would learn how to ski.


The group, Mount Spokane 2000, has cut through that goal like it was soft powder, and now its going to get a chance to continue its efforts longer than had been expected.


Two weeks ago, the Washington state Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously approved a 10-year extension of the concession agreement held by Mount Spokane 2000 to operate the ski hill, says Jim Meyer, president of the nonprofit organization. The ski resort is situated in Mount Spokane State Park, about 15 miles northeast of Spokane.


The extension, to a total of 30 years from 20 years, allows the organization to reorganize a loan to lower its payments, freeing up about $36,000 a year, Meyer says. Thats about the same amount of money it takes to run a chairlift for a year, which will mean the resort will be able to provide better services to skiers and snowboarders, Meyer says.


When Mount Spokane 2000 took over operation of the resort from Mount Spokane Ski Corp., the groups focus was clear, Meyer says: Every kid in Spokane should learn how to ski, and were well on the way to making that happen.


The number of people taking ski lessons at the area has skyrocketed over the past four seasons, according to a report to the commission written by Wayne McLaughlin, a Washington state parks staff member. The report says that the first year Mount Spokane 2000 was running the resort, 1,100 people took ski lessons. That increased to 4,400 people the second year, 12,000 the third year, and a staggering 18,000 last winter.


Also since taking over, the nonprofit group has increased the resorts annual gross revenues to more than $2 million from an average of less than $1.4 million, McLaughlins report says.


New snow grooming machines, acquired at a cost of $540,000, allowed the area to stay open last winter with a lower snow base than in the past, the report says. The snow base was only 36 inches when the area closed for the season this past spring, compared with 84 inches the year before, it says.


McLaughlins report also said that: food services were improved and expanded; the lodges were painted, the furniture was upgraded, and many deferred maintenance projects were completed, at a total cost of $300,000; Chair No. 4 is now open five days a week, instead of the former weekend and holiday schedule; $120,000 has been spent on 400 pairs of shaped rental skis, and $90,000 has been spent on 300 rental snowboards; and more than 100 ski and snowboard instructors have been hired.


With last years drought, overall visits by skiers to Washington ski hills were down 10 percent, but Mount Spokane matched its total of 85,000 visitors from the year before, the report says. The low snowfall, however, did put a chill on anticipated growth, says Meyer.


For the first time, when Mount Spokane wrapped up its 2000-2001 ski season, it had a last-minute cash flow problem that McLaughlins report attributes to the dry winter, fewer skiers than expected, the cost of capital improvements made during the summer of 2000, and the financing obligations from buying the resort. The organization was $35,000 short of meeting its financial obligations and got a deferral from the parks department on that payment, with a repayment schedule that includes a one percent per month interest charge.


After a lean year, were continuing on, says Kirk Duncan, general manager of Mount Spokane Ski Area.


Mount Spokane 2000 still has a lot of goals it wants to reach, Meyer says, but needs about $8 million to accomplish them. Planned short-term improvements, which Meyer says wont take extensive capital, include providing night lighting for as many runs as possible, opening up more areas for tree skiing, and reopening old trails that have become overgrown, the report says. The groups long-term goals are to improve road access to the area, install updated and more efficient chairlifts, and replace the two current lodges with a single lodge to centralize services and parking, the report says.


The nonprofit group is seeking support from people in the community who view the resort as an asset and want to help keep it competitive, Meyer says.


Members of the Mount Spokane 2000 board of directors are: Meyer; Duncan; Tammy Jensen, vice president of operations; Larry Wyatt, treasurer; and directors Allison Cowles, Rob Crick, Caren Furbeyre, Don Hurst, Sheldon Jackson, Steve Lamberson, John Morrow, Gail Stevenson, Merle Switzer, Bruce Toillion, and David Rowand.