Bankruptcy Judge Rejects Pac West Bid

A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge yesterday rejected an Oregon investor's plan to bail out financially ailing Pacific West Mountain Resort and urged the ski area to consider a competing buyout proposal from the owner of three other ski areas on Snoqualmie Pass.

The ruling further jeopardizes the prospect that Pacific West, which has no cash and whose insurance policy expires Monday, will operate this year.

Glover denied a request to approve a $250,000 offer from H Ski Corp. to buy Pacific West's ski slopes and lodge. H Ski is a Portland, Ore., company that owns and operates Oregon's third busiest ski area, Mount Hood Ski Bowl.

Instead, Glover urged Pacific West's owners to consider a $250,000 proposal from Ski Lifts Inc., the parent of Ski Acres, Alpental and Snoqualmie Summit ski areas.

Ski Lifts is headed by David Moffitt, whose family has run ski ars continuously at Snoqualmie Pass since the late 1930s.

``They know this mountain,'' Glover said. ``They're experienced and close by.``

Weather permitting, Pacific West will open Dec. 26 if a deal can be struck soon with Ski Lifts, Moffitt said.

But the area won't open if the bankruptcy court doesn't approve a buyer, Pacific West's president said.

``If we can't find a buyer for the whole area or for the ski area portion of the property, we can't operate this season because of insurance reasons and a lack of funds,'' said Pat Deneen, Pacific West president.

Pacific West filed for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the U.S. bankruptcy code in July 1989, listing assets of $3 million and priority liabilities of $11 million. By law, any sale of its assets must be approved by the bankruptcy court.

Pacific West, located on the east edge of the Snoqualmie summit, is one of the oldest ski areas in Washington. It has been open since the late 1930s, when it began operations as Milwaukee Ski Bowl. The area changed its name to Hyak in the 1950s, a name that lasted into the 1970s.