MOUNT CRESTED BUTTE — The mountains closed early. The skiing was not great. Workers dependent on ski crowds didn’t bank the cash they wanted to cover things like the soaring cost of health insurance and housing.
The pressures on mountain-town workers are high this spring as the high-country transition season descends.
“There is a lot of anxiety. People are stressed and they are anxious with limited resources,” says Meghan Dougherty, the executive director of CB State of Mind, which helps Gunnison County locals better address their mental health. “I’m worried.”
Her peers in other mountain valleys are equally concerned this offseason as a growing tangle of stressors take root. Demand for counseling is high, with a surge in the first months of this year. That’s a good sign that people are recognizing their own need for help and seeking assistance but it also indicates that trouble is brewing.
The offseason is typically a tough stretch in ski towns. Businesses close and a lot of people leave for a change of scenery. The isolation can push people into dark places. Without work or skiing, substance abuse climbs.
The Vail Health Crisis and Community Support Team conducted 17 interventions with locals who called the crisis line in January. That number climbed to 34 in February and 31 in March.
More than one evaluation a day is “a significant uptick” from previous shoulder seasons, said Dr. Paige Baker-Braxton, the director of outpatient behavior health for Vail Health.
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