Our monthly roundup of this and that from here and there includes news about the winter Olympics returning to the USA, sled dog racing, a prize you can win, an event that set a world record, a new lease on life for a small family-owned area, something about next season, and more. Because there’s always something happening at the winter resorts we love. 

See you on the slopes.

2034 Winter Olympics Likely to Return to Utah

The International Olympic Committee has chosen Salt Lake City as its preferred host for the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games, which all but guarantees its official okay.

Salt Lake City hosted the games in 2002 and reportedly wanted to bid for the 2030 event, but the IOC decided that would be too close to the 2028 summer games in Los Angeles. The preferred bidder for the 2030 winter games is France – which is hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics in and around Paris. 

The IOC will announce its final decision this summer about both the 2030 and 2034 winter games, but it’s pretty certain the preferred host cities will be the official choices.

Read more – click here.  

2024 Idaho Sled Dog Challenge

The West Central Mountains of Idaho will reverberate with the thunderous and athletic spirit of sled dogs as the 2024 Idaho Sled Dog Challenge marks its sixth annual run, Jan. 20 to Feb. 1. Its 300 grueling miles and 36,000 feet of elevation changes make it one of the toughest, and it attracts world-class mushers.  It’s the only such Yukon Quest qualifier in the lower 48 and one of only three such events for the Iditarod in the contiguous continental U.S. (The Iditarod and the Yukon Quest are considered the longest and the toughest sled dog races in the world).

It begins Jan. 20 with the Meet a Musher event in downtown McCall, followed by the 52-mile Warm Lake Stage Race that starts and finishes at North Shore Lodge & Resort Jan. 24-25. The Ceremonial Start, presented by Brundage Mountain Resort at the McCall Activity Barn, is Jan. 28, and the 300-mile and 100-mile races start Jan. 29 at Lake Cascade State Park.

Organizers expect the 100-mile race to end Jan. 30 at the Wye Trailhead & Campground off U.S. Route 95. Mushers and their teams are expected to cross the 300-mile race finish line at the Lake Cascade State Park boat ramp starting in the evening  ofJan. 31 and throughout the next day, Feb. 1.

Visit idahosleddogchallenge.com for more information.

Aspen Wants Your Artwork

Are you an artist, or even an accomplished doodler?  Submit your best illustration to win up to $1,000 and be part of Aspen’s ski racing history.  The 2024 Stifel Aspen Winternational marks the return of a festival tradition, which includes iconic poster art commemorating various events during the festival.

You have until January 15^th to submit your artwork, for a chance to win $200 gift cards or the grand prize of a $1,000 Aspen Snowmass gift card. All finalists will have their work featured throughout the weekend, but bragging rights extend long beyond that.

For Submission information click here.

Jackson Hole Achieves Guinness World Record

Congratulations to JHMR, which has snagged the award for the World’s Most Skiers/Riders in Jeans on a single day.

On Saturday, Dec. 9, 3,114 jeans-clad downhillers showed up for the record books, beating the record held by New Zealand resort The Remarkables by 102 people. 

We previewed the event in last month’s ICYMI.

Hickory Ski Center, Warrensburg, New York

 The family-owned ski center has joined the Indy Pass for the 2023/24 season, which is allowing it to re-open after eight years in a deal initiated by Unofficial Networks.  Hickory Ski Center, one hour from Albany, was founded in 1946 by veterans of the 10th Mountain Division.  In addition to the Indy Pass, there are season passes for the upper or lower mountain.

More information at skihickory.com.

 Looking Forward to Next Season

This season is just underway, but this important announcement can help you start planning now for next season, including which season pass to purchase.

Vail Resorts is acquiring Crans-Montana, one of the largest ski-snowboard regions in Switzerland, joining the Epic Pass for the 2024/25 season. Accessible from three international airports and by train, Crans-Montana Mountain Resort is in the Valais canton of Switzerland, approximately two and a half hours from Geneva and less than four hours from Milan and Zurich. It’s also under three hours from the company’s other owned and operated European resort in Andermatt-Sedrun.

In the heart of the Swiss Alps, Crans-Montana offers breathtaking views of the Matterhorn and the Mont Blanc, and has been recognized as one of the best ski resorts in Europe. It has a legacy of being a renowned outdoor sports destination, with signature events such as the Ski World Cup, Mountain Bike World Cup, Omega European Masters, and other championships, the Caprices Festival and more.

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Evelyn Kanter

Evelyn Kanter is a NYC-based travel and environmental writer and a senior skier who would rather ride a chairlift, river raft or zipline than the subway, and has done so in the more than 100 countries she’s visited, skiing in many of them. In what she calls a “previous life”, she was a TV and radio news reporter for ABC News and CBS News, now a regular contributor to major publications, including airline inflights and AAA magazines, and has written or contributed to more than a dozen travel guidebooks.Her latest are “100 Things to Do in NYC Before You Die”, Fodor’s Essential Germany and Fodor’s New York City. Evelyn's website is www.ecoxplorer.com

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