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Snowblog

According to the Denver Post on January 7, “Snow Trumped Recession” when it came to the holiday ski season. In fact, even more people visited Vail during the holidays this year than last year. According to the story, “‘History has shown us that skiers are devoted to their sport and even in a slippery economy they will find a way to get out there, especially if the snow is really good,’ said Jennifer Rudolph, spokeswoman for Colorado Ski Country USA, which has 22 member resorts.”

However, the Bulletin in Bend, Oregon, reports dismal holiday numbers. The weather was bad (who wants to ski in “frozen fog” anyway?) but the poor economy took its toll as well. According to Alana Audette, the President and CEO of the Central Oregon Visitor’s Association, “Central Oregon’s lodging community reported occupancy declines ranging from 10 to 30 percent over the holiday period.”

I’m curious. Is snow or recession the stronger motivator? [more]

Skiing and Business

Ski film legend Warren Miller, who at age 84 continues to write for the NewWest.Net Snowblog and other outlets, likes to tell the story of how he lived in a tiny trailer in the Sun Valley parking lot and started his film career with a camera bought on borrowed money. In fact, his childhood and teen years are full of stories of how he made a few cents - and eventually a few bucks - on various entrepreneurial ventures.

That experience helped lead Miller and his wife Laurie to focus their charity, the Warren Miller Freedom Foundation, on teaching entrepreneurship to kids. In February, the first Montana program of the Foundation will kick off at C.S. Porter Middle School, with the aim of teaching not only the nuts and bolts, but also the values of being your own boss and building your own business. [more]

Guest Commentary

Santa Claus has come and gone and left the best present of all, powder snow in abundance all over the west.

Here in Montana, the skiing is beyond description as in perfect.

Our guests have come in from a day of skiing with frost-bitten gums from smiling so much, because “The snow covers any blemishes that the earth might have.” And it does! [more]

Guest Commentary

When I walked out of the Round House on Sun Valley’s famous Baldy Mountain in 1947 I was followed Gary Cooper, his wife Rocky and their ski Instructor to ride the single chair to the top. Several times during his vacation Gary said to me, “be sure and come visit me in Hollywood when the snow melts. I’ll even get you onto a movie set where I’m working.”

I was instinctively aware that once the snow melted we would have absolutely nothing in common, other than the fact that we both lived in Southern California. After World War II, successful and rich unfortunately became very closely associated and rich became a very negative term to many people who weren’t.

I think that the definition that fits rich better is ‘Economic Stratification.’ [more]

Generation Recreation

The tragedies from the mountains keep rolling in. As much of the Rocky Mountains battle an incredibly unstable snowpack and dangerous avalanche conditions, ski patrollers and avalanche forecasters are on the front lines trying to protect the public. In certain snow conditions, it's impossible to make a ski resort like Jackson Hole completely safe, no matter how many bombs are thrown. At the same time, many recreational skiers have been lured into a false sense of safety regarding the dangers that lurk in the mountains. [more]

Skier Buried, Survives

The following was written by one of the people involved with the "Little Water" incident in Utah where a backcountry skier was buried four feet deep after being swept into the trees and was rescued. See a slideshow showing the aftermath by clicking here. Slideshow by Bruce Tremper.

On Dec 26 I left the Mill D lot solo and skied a run with a ton of other people on Tom’s Shoulder/Wuthering (“Weathering?) Heights. The skin track was a few hundred feet down canyon from where it “usually” is, but I felt that I would follow it until I didn’t like it anymore – if indeed that happened – but it seemed to be ok and a quick pit (an addition to what someone else had done) on the steepest roll in there indicated that the new snow – at least – was relatively stable. Of course, it wasn’t the new snow that everyone has been worried about; it was the near-ground crust/facet/crust/facet/ground silliness that was now pretty well loaded. However, that line is low angle enough that I felt it was unlikely to slide, as did the rest of the 10-15 people on that slope. [more]

A Few Thought for the New Year

At the risk of perpetuating a cliché, snow teaches me that life is short. The winter lasts only so long. Eventually, the flakes on the ground are the only flakes we have, and once the little spot of Earth on which I’m riding tips back toward the sun, those flakes will return to their original form, filling creeks, rivers and lakes, continuing the cycle. I need to spend less time indoors longing for snow, and more time outdoors enjoying it. [more]

Epic Steeps on Opening Day

At 10:50am on December 30, cheering crowds of skiers and snowboarders strained against the ropes at Arapahoe Basin’s famed Montezuma Bowl. Folks lined up at the 12,472-foot entrance to “Zuma” starting half an hour before the ropes dropped, leaning into the fierce wind whipping up and over the Black Bear and Larkspur runs. [more]

News Brief

A Wilson, Wyoming man died this weekend in an avalanche at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

David Nodine, 31, was skiing the Paintbrush, an expert trail, with a friend when the avalanche started. Rescuers found him after about six minutes, but he was buried for 10 minutes before they could uncover him. Teton County Bob Campbell tells the Jackson Hole News&Guide that Nodine died of suffocation. He died at the scene.

Nodine is remembered today on the News&Guide Web site, where there's more details on the story. And for information on avalanche conditions in the Bridger-Tetons -- which continue to be dangerous today -- click here.

Two people also died over the weekend in northcentral Colorado while snowmobiling on Gravel Mountain. Firefighter Brian Kopp and 19-year-old Mark Goetz died on the mountain. More details at the Rocky Mountain News. The Gravel Mountain avalanche was one of three in Colorado. Another one, also caused by high-marking snowmobiles, happened at Vail Pass, but no injuries resulted. A natural avalanche near Loveland Pass closed U.S. 6. [more]

Record Snowfall Nationwide

Various toupee-clad television weather forecasters have predicted massive amounts of snow in Colorado Springs, but so far the streets are dry. In some places, however, this has been the snowiest December on record. And winter just started. [more]

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