INKOM — When Mary Reichman first invested in the Pebble Creek Ski Area in the 1980s, she had no idea it would lead to a 30-year career as the Inkom resort’s general manager.
Initially, Reichman and her husband, John, were a part of a group of 10 investors who bought into Pebble Creek in the early 1980s. The investors wanted to develop the backside of Bonneville Peak, a popular location commonly utilized by backcountry skiers.
However, Pebble Creek suffered from numerous financial problems, and by the late 1980s, the resort almost shut down.
Ultimately, in early 1988, the Small Business Administration gave Pebble Creek’s investors an ultimatum.
“The SBA said if we didn’t have new leadership, they were going to put a lock on the door,” she said. “That’s because we were making interest payments on our notes but hadn’t made a principal payment in a long time.”
To help turn the dire financial situation around, the investors placed Reichman in charge halfway through the 1987-1988 ski season. A former social worker from St. Louis, Missouri, she said the adjustment to her new job was difficult.
“I really did not know what I was doing, except making sure the ski area stayed here for the community,” she said.
Reichman said the ski resort management industry tends to be male-dominated. When she was appointed general manager in February 1988, she was one of only two women in the United States who were running ski resorts. The other female manager was at Pomerelle Mountain Resort, which is an approximate 115-mile drive west of Pebble Creek.
At the end of that season, Reichman said she went to her first Intermountain Ski Areas Association meeting. She didn’t even pre-register for the event, but she was still welcomed with open arms.
“They said, ‘We are so glad that you are here. We heard there were problems at Pebble Creek, but we will help you in any way,’” Reichman said. “It was nice to know that the big resorts in the region were willing to help.”
Years later, she became the first woman to serve as president of the Intermountain Ski Areas Association.
It was during the 1988-1989 ski season, which was her first full season as general manager, that she started to implement changes. Though she initially invested in Pebble Creek years before to develop the backside of the mountain, the ski area’s dire financial position made such a large endeavor impossible.
Instead, she felt that the best way for the resort to become financially solvent was to rebuild the resort’s image as a family-friendly community ski area. Her background in social work proved beneficial in helping build connections in the area.
Soon, events were added to entertain the ski bums each March, which is normally a time when resort attendance tends to dwindle. Multiple ski runs were added to appeal to beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders.
And, in what Reichman said has made a major impact on Pebble Creek, was the implementation of school skiing programs, where local elementary and middle schools would bring students to the resort to learn the finer points of navigating the slopes.
“School programs serve a dual purpose,” she said. “One is to make it so incredibly affordable that the schools would keep coming up. But we also wanted to create new skiers who would grow up and then bring their families to Pebble Creek, and that’s what happened.”
In the end, the rebranding saved the resort. Approximately six to seven years after she began her tenure, Pebble Creek was financially solvent, and the SBA was no longer threatening to put a lock on the door.
This upcoming ski season will mark Reichman’s 30th year as Pebble Creek’s general manager, and she said it will be her last. Once the ski lifts are shut down next spring, Reichman will retire.
In September 2016, Pebble Creek was purchased by Shay Carl, a popular Internet celebrity from Pocatello. At the time of the sale, Reichman said she would stay on for an additional two seasons to help with the transition of ownership.
Her staff at Pebble Creek, some of whom have worked with Reichman for 20 years, are sad to see her go.
Mike Rodriguez, the ski lift supervisor and the resort’s director of possibilities, said one of his fondest memories is the casual atmosphere during staff meetings in Reichman’s office. It’s not uncommon during these meetings for staff members to take off their shoes to help relieve the pressures of work and to help get the creative juices flowing.
“I have had the pleasure of working on and off at Pebble for Mary for 20 years,” Rodriguez said. “She has been one of my favorite bosses during my working career. Working by her side, I have learned how dedicated she is to the livelihood of the hill and to winter sports recreation.”
Reichman will be on hand at Saturday’s Idaho Music and Wildflower Festival, which will be held at Pebble Creek. The festival serves as a fundraiser for the Pebble Creek Ski Patrol.
