The Dirtbag Diaries A Snowball's Chance Part 1
Oct 31, 2025
Chris Porter, a dedicated high school teacher and community organizer, teams up with Dan Cochran, a local home inspector, to discuss the grassroots movement to buy Mount Bachelor ski resort. They share how a simple Facebook post ignited a massive campaign backed by $100 million from locals. The duo dives into the resort's cultural significance, the challenges of corporate ownership, and the looming impact of climate change on skiing. It's a captivating tale of community spirit rallying against corporate giants.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Mountain Drew Families And Careers
- Dan Cochran moved to the Bend area specifically because of Mount Bachelor and raised his kids there due to the mountain's pull.
- He describes the mountain as a core reason people choose to live in the region and build their lives around it.
Founder Built A Community-First Mountain
- Bill Healy founded Mount Bachelor in 1958 and intentionally structured community ownership and local benefit early on.
- His approach made the mountain a regional asset that supported Bend's post-timber economy and local businesses.
Postwar Boom Created Today's Ski Industry
- Postwar tech, rising middle-class leisure, and snowmaking sparked a boom in U.S. ski resort development from the 1940s to 1970s.
- Those decades created the infrastructure that later enabled corporate consolidation and mass-market pass products.
