The Man In The Middle

Marketplace reports on a guy who owns land between Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows ski resorts:

No. What would be really convenient would be a chair-lift that connects one resort with the other. That’s likely to happen eventually. But it all depends on local landowner Troy Caldwell.

Troy Caldwell: We own a piece of property. It’s 460 acres. It lies between Squaw Valley ski area and Alpine Meadows ski area.

He paid less than half-a-million dollars for the land more than 20 years ago. To raise the money, the Caldwells liquidated everything.

Caldwell: We basically got rid of our home and our spec house and whatever we could to make it work. We ended up living in a trailer when we moved on the property.

That trailer was without electricity or running water for about six years. But no matter the hardship, Caldwell resisted offers to sell.

Caldwell: We’ve been offered in the $45 million category for it.

That’s right. He turned down $45 million so he could build his own minimal ski resort. He has no partners. Caldwell is building it on a budget of $50,000 to $60,000 a year.

Caldwell: But I own everything. I don’t have any mortgages. We’re able to make $50,000, $60,000 kind of work for us.

The whole thing is entertaining.  Turning down $45 million?  Wow.