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Encounter at Alpine Resorts Redridge

The narrator visits Redridge after learning about a bribe related to the town's development. At Alpine Resorts, he meets a representative who shows him around the expansive resort, highlighting its amenities and high prices. However, his visit takes a dangerous turn when he is confronted by a masked man with a gun who threatens him.

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10 views4 pages

Encounter at Alpine Resorts Redridge

The narrator visits Redridge after learning about a bribe related to the town's development. At Alpine Resorts, he meets a representative who shows him around the expansive resort, highlighting its amenities and high prices. However, his visit takes a dangerous turn when he is confronted by a masked man with a gun who threatens him.

Uploaded by

JackXue
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Chapter 7 A visit to Redridge

I drove away from Susan Hunter’s house and back to my


hotel. I thought about my talk with the movie star. Ricky
Klein of Alpine Resorts gave someone in the Government
Land Office a bribe to take the worst plan for Redridge. And
Janine Anderson knew all about it. But who was it, and how
did Janine find out?
I went back to my room and called Gershon.
‘Bill, I want a full list of people in the Government Land
Office since 1996. Can you ask one of your men to get it
for me?’
‘I guess so,’ said Gershon.
Same old Gershon. What was wrong with the guy?
The next morning I woke up early. I picked up my gun. I
remembered Susan Hunter’s question about Redridge:
‘Have you seen it?’
It was time to visit Redridge. I wanted to see it for myself.
I got in the Chevy and drove the thirty miles to the town.
‘Welcome to Redridge, home of Alpine Resorts Colorado’
said the sign as I drove in. The town was busy with people on
vacation. Skiers, mostly. On Main Street there were some
stores and restaurants. Then, at the end of the street, I found
the beginning of Alpine Resorts Colorado. At the gate was a
man in a blue uniform.
‘Good morning, how can I help you?’ he asked. He smiled
and showed very white teeth.

36
‘Well,’ I said, ‘I’m just visiting, you know, and I’d like to
take a look.’
‘Of course,’ he smiled. ‘I’ll ask someone to show you
around.’
I waited. He talked to someone on the phone. A few
minutes later a young blonde woman walked up to me. She
smiled a lot too.
‘Good morning,’ she said, shaking my hand. ‘My name is
Tina Nielson from Alpine Resorts. Let me show you around
our beautiful resort.’
We started walking. Alpine Resorts Colorado was almost
like a small city. When you went through the big gate there
were a lot of different buildings. There were three swimming

37
pools, four hotels, vacation homes, restaurants and ski rental.
It was very, very big.
‘We have the complete vacation here,’ smiled Tina. ‘You
can do everything. You don’t have to leave Alpine Resorts.’
I looked around. Many of the buildings were so big that
you couldn’t see the mountains.
‘Yes,’ she went on. ‘It’s a vacation for the whole family.
And the skiing is very good. We have all the ski runs in
Redridge right here.’
‘You mean,’ I said, ‘if I want to ski I have to stay here?’
‘Well,’ she said, ‘of course you can ski just for the day. But
the ski runs are ours. I mean Alpine Resorts’.’
‘And how much is a ski pass?’ I asked.
‘It’s three hundred dollars a day,’ she said.
Three hundred dollars! That was double the cost of a ski
pass in Pine Crest. Alpine Resorts was very expensive;
someone was making a lot of money!
‘But why don’t you try it?’ she said.
‘Well, I’m a little busy …’ I started.
‘Come on,’ she said. ‘We’ll be happy to give you a half-
price ski pass for the morning. That will be just seventy-five
dollars.’
‘Well, OK,’ I said. I could ski for an hour or two, I
thought. I needed some time to think.
I went to the ski rental, and got some skis, boots and poles.
I went up the mountain on a ski lift and spent an hour or two
skiing the lower runs. It was a beautiful day to be on the
mountains. But from the top I could see how big Alpine
Resorts really was.
At about eleven-thirty, I went into a café halfway up the
mountain. There were a lot of other skiers there. I drank my

38
coffee, took my ski run map out of my pocket and looked at
it. Up above the café there were some difficult, ‘black’ runs
with interesting names like Mad Dog and Killer Run. I
wanted to try them. And I wanted to get away from the
people. I needed to think.
I took the Mountain Tops ski lift up another 1,000 feet.
Here, at 10,500 feet, the world was white and quiet. It was
very cold. There were almost no people, just a few figures far
away. Most skiers stayed down below. I felt alone. I put my
hand in the pocket on the inside of my coat and felt my gun.
I wanted to go up even higher, to 12,000 feet, almost to
the top of the mountain. I started to walk slowly to the
Summit ski lift. Suddenly, I heard somebody behind me.
‘Detective Laine,’ said a man’s voice.
I turned around. The man was wearing a black ski mask. I
couldn’t see his face. Just his brown eyes.
I moved away from the man quickly. But the man came
closer to me and said in my ear: ‘Turn around, Detective.
We’re going to get on the ski lift together.’ I felt something
hard in my back. It felt like a gun. There were no people,
anywhere. Just the man with the gun and me.
‘And don’t do anything stupid,’ he said, ‘or I’ll kill you.’

39

Common questions

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The interactions, such as the detective's conversation with Tina Nielson, reveal a sales-driven approach that highlights profitability over the preservation of public accessibility. Tina's attempts to upsell a ski pass signify the resort's commercial focus. Additionally, the mysterious man with the gun suggests hidden criminal elements threatening the protagonist and the integrity of the development .

Alpine Resorts charges $300 daily for a ski pass, which is double the cost at Pine Crest. This pricing strategy restricts accessibility to wealthier individuals, making it prohibitive for average tourists. Despite the high cost, the offer of a half-price pass at $75 for a morning suggests attempts to attract less committed visitors .

The development of ski resorts such as Alpine Resorts is controversial because it entails environmental disruption and prioritizes profit through high pricing, limiting access. Ethically, offerings like bribes to influence land development choices further embroil the enterprise in controversy, as they signal potential governmental corruption and prioritization of private over public interest .

The potential conflict of interest in the development of Redridge by Alpine Resorts is suggested by the allegations of a bribe given by Ricky Klein to someone in the Government Land Office to promote the worst plan for Redridge. Janine Anderson's awareness of this bribe further complicates the situation and implies deeper knowledge or involvement .

Detective Laine encounters risks, including personal danger from individuals protecting corrupt practices, as evidenced by being threatened at gunpoint. Ethically, he faces dilemmas related to balancing public duty with personal safety while navigating potential corrupt officials in influential positions .

Alpine Resorts' design isolates visitors from the local culture by offering a contained experience where all amenities are provided within the resort. This model encourages limited engagement with the external environment and local community, shaping a perception of the area solely through the lens of the resort's amenities and offerings .

Detective Laine's method involves gathering lists of personnel from government offices and recognizing connections like Janine Anderson's awareness of bribery. His investigative journey — engaging various stakeholders and risking confrontations — illustrates the complexity and danger inherent in tackling corruption across intertwined public-private relationships .

Janine Anderson's knowledge of the bribery at the Government Land Office might suggest her role as either a whistleblower or a complicit participant. Her awareness implies potential insider information, possibly motivated by personal gain, professional advantage, or a moral impetus to expose the corruption .

Alpine Resorts reflects a broader trend of transforming natural landscapes into commercial hubs, featuring extensive hospitality facilities such as numerous hotels and ski runs that engulf the natural scenery. This approach maximizes profitability by creating a comprehensive leisure environment, emphasizing convenience and exclusivity over environmental conservation .

Alpine Resorts' expansive development, including multiple large buildings, pools, hotels, and restaurants, obstructs views of the mountains, indicating significant alteration of the natural landscape. The resort functions like a self-contained city, potentially diverting tourists and economic activities away from the local community of Redridge itself .

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