Snowblog Grok

Colorado Highways Reopen; Win Your Own Montana Mountain

By Matthew Frank, 10-27-06

Hundreds of miles of highway have reopened in Colorado after a storm leaving up to two feet of snow forced their closure, the AP reports. Around 90,000 people in the Denver area alone lost power and 110 flights were cancelled, but skiers and snowboarders certainly aren’t complaining. The ski season in Colorado has begun in earnest.

The Rocky Mountain News has a story today by Penny Parker about an octogenarian “ready to rip up the slopes.” Gene Haas skied all 24 Colorado ski resorts when he turned 70, and he’s ready to try it again 10 years later -- only now most resorts no longer offer free skiing for people his age. Haas was quoted in the article as saying, “I'm going to ski as long as my legs are still good, but I'm not making any promises when I turn 90.”

Skiers and riders who’ve pined for an entire mountain of virgin powder and yet-to-be-carved corduroy all to themselves have their shot with the “Win Your Own Montana Mountain” sweepstakes. The winner, selected by a random drawing, along with five of his or her friends, will have full access to Showdown Mountain in the Lewis & Clark National Forest for two days and three nights with no one else allowed on the slopes. But there's more: “We’ll even throw in airfare, lodging and gourmet meals, as well as a shred-ready clothing system compliments of The North Face,” the website states.

According to First Tracks!! Online Ski Magazine, this season Big Mountain in Whitefish, Montana, as part of its $10 million expansion, will show off its new digs: a 35,000 square foot Day Lodge. Also in the works is a new chairlift, more beginner terrain, a Super Pipe, and more.

Did you miss yesterday's Snowblog Grok? Check out "Backcountry Death Reported; Avalanche Experts Convene in Colorado" by Bob Berwyn.

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