Short Swings!
POW POW
Not every reader has experienced the joy of powder skiing. Showing skiers scribing graceful lines on blank fields of bluish white is part of our skiing media culture. As those of us who pursue the experience well know, finding untracked, especially in a resort setting, is elusive. Powder is ephemeral and eagerly sought out. When there’s a dump in the Wasatch (and there have been many this generous season), you need to arrive early to get a shot. You’re competing with those who arrived even earlier, and they’re competing with powder hounds living, vacationing and working at the resort. Outside the area are backcountry options, and places serviced by chopper or cat. Backcountry is too strenuous for me. Chopper and cat are pricey. Even when you make it to the mountain with still enough to go around, it’s doesn’t last too long (unless you ski at a place that gets the goods but not the skiers). The other day I arrived at Alta 15 minutes after the lifts opened. What I saw from the lot was already chewed up so I headed to a more remote part of the mountain. A few tracks were present but still separated by broad untouched expanses. The snow was fresh, light and about 18 inches deep. I’ve had the experience when it reached my waist, but even at 18 inches it feels bottomless. After descending a snow field, I entered the trees where it felt even deeper, then out into another snowfield, hardly tracked. The rest of the day was dedicated to finding more untracked stashes. Others were hunting for similar game. On my last run I found one—about 15 turns—where only one other skier had been. A great day. More snow is forecast for the next seven.
CALIFORNIA
With a base snowpack of 21 feet, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows plans to operate July 4th. The resort has received 565″/47′ of snow, already surpassing its annual average of 450″!
UTAH
Once its contract expires in 2018, Outdoor Industry Association will not return to Salt Lake City where it has held its twice annual Outdoor Retailer show for 20 years. The group decided not to include Utah as a bidder for its convention venue following a teleconference with Utah Governor Herbert, who is leading the state’s opposition to protecting federal lands and who is promoting development by coal and other extraction industries. The Outdoor Retailer show delivers 40,000 visitors and $45 million annually to the local economy. Conservation Colorado placed a half-page ad in Salt Lake’s two dailies urging the event to move to Denver.
VERMONT
Vail Resorts will be acquiring Stowe for $50 million. When the acquisition is completed it will be Vail’s first in the East. The deal, subject to administrative review by the State of Vermont, includes all assets related to Stowe’s mountain operations including at Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak.
OTHER
International Skiing History Association’s annual Skiing History Week (Snowsport History Week) will be in Stowe, April 4-9. It’s a fun event with skiing (conditions permitting), parties, tailgates, history lectures and award banquets. More info: https://snowsporthistory.com/event/schedule/
Coming Attractions — For a peek at ski innovations starting in 2018, visit realskiers.com, where ski industry prognosticator, Jackson Hogen, shares industry intelligence in one of his frequent free postings. realskiers.com is a wealth of everything skiing, well worth the $19.95 annual subscription fee.
Sierra Nevada Blowout Version 2.0
And The Snow Just Keeps Piling Up!
Credit: Homewood Mountain Resort
A month ago I wrote that, barring a barrage of rainstorms, 2016–17 would be going down as an epic ski season in the Sierra Nevada.
What’s a word that’s greater than “epic”?! Stupendous? Mammoth? Ginormous?
Credit: Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows
All apply to the Sierra’s burgeoning snowpack that just keeps growing, thanks to another string of snowstorms in February. This last Wednesday ski resort operators could stick their heads out the window for the first time in weeks and not see snow falling. The respite will last only until the weekend, however, when another storm is forecast to hit the mountain range. In the meantime, resorts will have a couple of days to dig out buried chairlifts and clear the decks before it starts snowing again.
Like the snow itself, snowfall records across the Sierra keep falling.
To get an idea of just how, uh, stupendous this season has been, consider the snowfall statistics to date at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. As of Wednesday, the resort has surpassed its annual average snowfall of 450 inches by an additional 115 inches—and this a week before March! Since last Friday, more than seven
Credit: Mammoth Mountain Resort
FEET of snow have fallen on top of the already prodigious snowpack, bringing the season’s total snowfall to the aforementioned 565 inches. As of today, the base clocks in at 138 inches (11.5 feet) and the top of the mountain has 243 inches (20 feet).
The statistics are no less impressive across the Sierra. In the past week, most resorts around the Tahoe basin have received six to seven feet of new snow and have already gone past their snowfall averages for the entire season. Even Homewood Mountain Resort, which sits on the western shore of weather-moderating Lake Tahoe, accumulated five-and-a-half feet of snow in the last week and now has an impressive 95 inches at its base and 201 inches on top. In the central Sierra, Dodge Ridge
Credit: Homewood Mountain Resort
added another five feet of snow to its pack in the last week and now has 83 inches at its base and 132 inches on the summit. Most importantly, temperatures have stayed low, so fluffy light powder is currently ruling the day throughout the Sierra.
Ski and snowboard until the Fourth of July!
Although many Sierra resorts have yet to post a closing date (Easter weekend, this year April 15–16, is usually when most resorts wrap things up), a few have already extended their mountain operations well past that. Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, for instance, plans to stay open well into June and then crank up the lifts on July 4th, conditions permitting. Mammoth Mountain, which currently has 200 inches at its base and 350 inches on top, plans to stay open through the 4th of July weekend and beyond, if possible. As of today, Heavenly
Credit: Sugar Bowl Ski Resort
and Northstar plan to extend their operations one week past the Easter weekend. As long as temperatures stay cool through the spring, other resorts will likely join the ranks of resorts remaining open beyond Easter. For Northern California skiers and riders, who have suffered through a five-year string of utterly abysmal ski seasons, this record-breaking season has been a long-overdue gift from the heavens.
Now, if there was only a way to save snow!
Credit: Northstar California
SnowSports Leaders: Melanie Mills, CEO, Colorado Ski Country
Last Season, Colorado Accounted For Nearly 25% Of All Skier Visits In The US, More Than Any Other State.
The Rocky Mountain High state has iconic areas like Aspen, Steamboat, and Telluride. But it also has a well-developed trade and marketing organization, Colorado Ski Country USA, currently headed by Melanie Mills. The group’s scope is widespread, covering public policy, domestic and international marketing, and communications for the 22 ski areas it represents.
Melanie Mills, CEO, Colorado Ski Country USA
Mills, who has been President and CEO of Colorado Ski Country USA for 9 years, has worked in the ski industry for more than twenty. She arrived in Colorado in 1990, after meeting her future husband in the lift line. In her role as CEO, Mills works closely with CSCUSA’s member resorts, its board, and other associations and state tourism and economic entities.
Great skiing can be found in many states. Why does Colorado consistently get more skier visits than the others?
Many people associate Colorado with skiing and vice-versa. The state gets great snow, and great snow contributes to the number of skiers who choose to visit. Our areas offer something for every type of skier or boarder, as well as a broad range of on and off-mountain recreational, dining, and entertainment experiences. Member resorts also are family friendly. These are what keep our annual visits so high.
What is the economic impact skiing has on Colorado’s economy? Is it trending up or down?
The ski industry is a huge part of Colorado’s economy. It’s deeply ingrained in the state’s brand. Our most recent economic impact study showed Colorado’s ski industry contributing $4.8 billion annually and supporting 46,000 year round jobs. Last year was the third year in row we set a record for the number of skier visits.
What is Colorado doing to preserve its many skiing assets during this time of global climate change?
Colorado Ski Country ski areas and the ski industry generally have and continue to lead when it comes to mitigating our impact on the environment and fighting climate change. Many of our resorts participate in the National Ski Areas Association’s Climate Challenge and advocate for policy measures to address climate change. We also work with a wide variety of industries, non-profits and advocacy groups on public policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the threat of climate change to our industry. A page on our website is devoted to sustainability, and includes ways for people to get engaged and find other organizations we work with on these issues.
Does Colorado appeal specifically to the older vacation skier? If so, how?
Seniors are an important segment of our market. Visiting seniors will find skiing contemporaries enjoy discounted tickets, including lessons and mountain tours with other seniors.
This year, we welcomed the return of the Winter Park Express, which is a train running Saturdays, Sundays and Holiday Mondays during season from Denver’s Union Station to the base of Winter Park Resort. It’s a scenic two-hour ride through 28 tunnels. It’s the only place in the US where you can travel, car-free, to the area without setting foot in a car. We also have a train that runs from Union Station to Glenwood Springs, a short trip from Sunlight ski area, which offers some incredible hot springs as well.
What would you recommend to older skiers planning a two week ski tour of the state?
Colorado is home to many great ski towns with a range of skiing and other recreational and cultural offerings. They could stay in one place the entire time, get to know the mountain and explore the town and surrounding area, or they could ski multiple areas for a day or two while travelling our beautiful state, something to consider for those who may want to rest between ski days. Options are available at www.coloradoski.com. We also have a travel page with information about different airports and transportation options for the state.
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