Ski Cooper Bids Farewell to Dan Torsell After 14 Years at the Helm

A long-serving leader is leaving one of Colorado’s most distinctive ski areas. Dan Torsell has retired as president and general manager of Ski Cooper, the community-owned mountain on Tennessee Pass near Leadville. During his 14 years, the small area left behind a financial loss and became a rare example of a thriving independent. As the 2026/27 season approaches, the mountain has a new boss and a long-term plan, and it is aiming to keep what makes it different.

A farewell and a handover

The announcement came in October. Ski Cooper thanked Torsell for his 14 years at the independent ski area. A farewell video recorded his reflections on his time at the mountain, the projects he helped deliver and the people he worked with.

The leadership change is complete. Jake Webster was hired to succeed Torsell as president and general manager of the nonprofit ski area. He started on 24 September and completed a five-week handoff alongside Torsell. Webster has more than 15 years of ski resort operations experience and moved to Leadville in September 2025.

From a loss-making year to a model

Torsell took over in 2012. He took the reins of the Lake County-owned ski area after a season in which it posted an annual loss of nearly $500,000. He came from Vermont, where he had been general manager of Mt. Ellen at Sugarbush, and had worked in and around ski areas for 30 years. He had known Ski Cooper only as a visitor. He had once told his son he wanted to be part of the area if the opportunity ever arose.

By 2020 the Colorado Sun described a very different picture. It said the publicly owned nonprofit was thriving in the shadow of clashing giants that are transforming the ski industry. Restaurant, retail, rental, ski school and summer revenue were peaking. Torsell’s pitch was a craft-beer comparison. He said people want something more unique, and likened Cooper to the beer market.

What he changed

Torsell’s initiatives were practical. SAM Magazine says he introduced a streamlined pricing structure for lift tickets and a single entry point for better access control. The area also made itself part of a network of small independents. It had deals for three days of free skiing with 42 small resorts around the country, including Loveland, Monarch, Powderhorn, Sunlight and Purgatory. That approach helped Ski Cooper stay independent without joining a mega pass.

His biggest project was terrain. Customers had often asked whether Ski Cooper could ever have steeper terrain, Torsell said, and the plan for the east-facing back side had been in place for a long time. The result was the Tennessee Creek Basin. It added 70 acres of challenging terrain served by a new T-bar. Ski Cooper paid the $1.8 million cost from cash reserves. Torsell said the area had saved for about three years to afford it. The expansion opened in January 2020.

A mountain with a military past

Ski Cooper’s character is rooted in history. It opened as Cooper Hill Ski Area in 1942 and served as a training site for the 10th Mountain Division, based at nearby Camp Hale during World War II. It continues to host a Memorial Day celebration for the division’s veterans. Torsell’s farewell reflected that. He hoped the area would keep developing while protecting its history as a training ground for the Army’s 10th Mountain Division.

The ski area is modest in size, with five lifts serving 64 runs on 480 acres, with 18% beginner, 26% intermediate, 32% advanced and 24% expert terrain. Its Chicago Ridge snowcat operation offers access to backcountry glades and powder bowls. It is run by a nonprofit with a volunteer board, and markets itself as an affordable family area.

What comes next

Webster inherits a success story with an ambitious plan. The 2025 Master Development Plan spans roughly 15 years and totals over $40 million across three phases. Phase 2, an expansion of Chicago Ridge costing an estimated $12 million, is expected to drive most future growth. The timeline depends on federal environmental approval and finances.

Webster has signalled continuity. He found during due diligence that Ski Cooper was already successful, and intends to continue its traditions while finding small improvements that keep the mountain affordable and customer-friendly. He said development should complement the surrounding area rather than dramatically changing the mountain’s character, and described his style as hands-on. He named infrastructure, wastewater systems, and expansions of the base lodge and ski school facilities as places where he could jump in. He acknowledged the challenge of following Torsell. He called him a leader in the industry who built an amazing team.

Closing thoughts

Torsell leaves a ski area in better financial shape than he found it, and one that kept its identity while the industry consolidated around it. That is a hard balance to strike. The test for Webster is whether Ski Cooper can grow into its master plan without losing the affordability and community feel that made it successful. For now, the signals are of a quiet handover and a mountain that plans to stay true to its roots.