Tag Archive for: Burke Mountain

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Snow Has Arrived Around The West.

Utah first snow. Ski Utah

Half-Price Subscription to realskiers.com: Jackson Hogen, publisher of realskiers.com, publishes short essays related to the the sport. The current one, about older skiers, is titled “Not Dead Yet.” You can sign up for the essays and receive them free. I recommend getting a paid subscription where, among other things, you’ll find intelligent and comprehensive ski reviews (including the best skis for senior skiers). Subscribers also are entitled to one-on-one consulting with Jackson. That comes in handy when considering your next equipment purchase. Youngsters pay $19.95 for a year’s subscription. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers pay $9.95. To sign up, visit realskiers.com. Scroll down to/click on “Subscribe Today!” Then click “Sign Up” in the “Annual Membership” box. Complete the form and enter SS17 in the field under “Coupon Code.”

COLORADO

Area developments for 2017-18 follow: 

  • Arapahoe Basin: 371 acres of difficult/extreme terrain to be accessible by hiking; 4 person lift to be added next summer.
  • Aspen Snowmass: Snowmass celebrates 50thAnniversary with $6.50 lift tickets (opening day 1967 lift ticket price) on December 15, plus other activities throughout season. Aspen to host Olympic qualifying events when the U.S. Grand Prix stops in Snowmass January 10–14, 2018. Breathtaker mountain coaster opens at Snowmass in December. 
  • Cooper: Celebrates 75thAnniversary New Year’s Eve.
  • Copper Mountain: Hosts Olympic qualifying events December 6-10. New Kokomo Express Lift and Koko’s Hut serves beginner terrain in West Village. Rocky Mountain Coaster opens this Fall.
  • Eldora: New six-person high speed detachable Alpenglow Express lift ready for action.
  • Loveland Ski Area: Celebrates 80thyear of operations; adds snowcat skiing in Dry Gulch.
  • Purgatory: Expanded terrain with new intermediate and expert trails on the back- and front-sides; adding new gladed skiing; installed a mountain coaster.
  • Silverton: will celebrate 50+” powder days with area-provided snorkels.
  • Steamboat recently opened its Outlaw Mountain Coaster, the longest in North America.
  • Telluride celebrates its 45th anniversary.

 MASSACHUSETTS

BOSTON: 36thANNUAL SKI & SNOWBOARD EXPO kicks off season, NOV. 9-12, at SEAPORT WORLD TRADE CENTER. ADMISSION:$15 adults; Under 12 free. Paid admission includes one-year subscription to SKI magazine and a $10 Gift Card from GetSkiTickets.com.  Purchase tickets online at www.skisnowexpo.com/boston-expo or at door.

MICHIGAN 

Ishpeming: Eight skiing athletes/others to be inducted to U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame next April . They include freestyle icon “Airborne” Eddie Ferguson, freestyle’s somersault king Herman Goellner cross-country coach Marty Hall, ski mountaineers twin brothers Mike and Steve Marolt, and (posthumously)130 mph alpine speed skiing world record holder, Steve McKinnney. Ceremonies to be held at Squaw Valley.

MONTANA

 Big Sky reported snow above 6500′. National long-range forecasts for the 2017-18 winter season predict average temperatures and above-average precipitation in the Rocky Mountain West.

PENNSYLVANIA

 “First-Time Ski/Snowboard Program” gives beginner ticket, lesson and rentals for $59. Click here for more.

TEXAS/FLORIDA

NOAA reports that Harvey delivered 49.32″ of rain and Irma, 16″. At 30°F, 1″ of rain falls as 13″ of snow. The snow amount could be as much as 50″ dry powder under certain conditions. Using the 30°F/1″rain =13″ snow formula, the amount of rain from Harvey would produce 641.16″ snow; the amount from Irma would equal 208″.

Dick Brooks with Hurricane Harvey debris in Houston

Dick Brooks is a SeniorsSkiing subscriber who lives in Houston and Durango, Colorado where his home resort is Purgatory. He reports that his home was dry and that he and wife, Claire, have volunteered by preparing food for those impacted and by carrying damaged items to the curb. Dick sent this photo of nearby damage.

 

 

 

UTAH

Deer Valley, which Ski Magazine readers just named the #1 resort in North America, will host the 2018 Visa Freestyle International, January 10-12. The event determines the freestylers who will represent the US at the South Korean Winter Olympics in February. The event is held at night under lights. The steep slope is covered in bumps. It can get chilly, but it’s a terrific thing to see.

Opening dates for Utah resorts:

  • Alta Ski Area: November 22
  • Brian Head Resort: November 17
  • Brighton Resort: Early As Possible
  • Cherry Peak Resort: December 18
  • Deer Valley Resort: December 2
  • Eagle Point Resort: December 21
  • Nordic Valley Resort: December 9
  • Park City Mountain: November 17
  • Snowbasin Resort: November 22
  • Snowbird Resort: November 22
  • Solitude Mountain: December 2
  • Sundance Mountain Resort: December 8

VERMONT 

OOPS. Ski Vermont recently announced that Parker Riehle, e group’s head, would leave that post to lead National Ski Areas Association. Citing personal reasons, he decided not to take the new position. Long time NSAA president, MIchael Berry, will remain in post until a new replacement is identified and transitioned.

Snowmaking and grooming improvements will improve the experience this season at Bolton Valley, Burke Mountain, Mount Snow, Okemo Mountain, Stratton Mountain, Sugarbush, and Suicide Six.

Okemo Ultimate season passholders now qualify for $49 lift tickets at Stratton Mountain Resort during the 2017/2018 season. Limited to one per day, non-holiday periods only, this special offer is non-transferable, and can only be used by the passholder. Stratton Summit passholders receive this same benefit at Okemo.

 

 

 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Something Old. Something New.

I just read two books about trails.

The old one is American Skiing, published in 1939. It’s author, Otto Schniebs, was one of the Arlberg Technique pioneers in New England and contributed to the development of several areas.  He founded the American Ski School of Boston and coached at Dartmouth College and later at St. Lawrence University.

When was the last time you saw someone do this?

The first chapter, “Adventure on Skis in the Colorado Rockies,” is a colorful account of a Spring visit to the Elk Mountains between Aspen and Crested Butte. This was ’39 and Aspen didn’t start as a ski area until ’46; Crested Butte in ’62. Schniebs and his companions encounter a variety of terrain, snow and avalanches. The text is fun to read and is richly illustrated with photos. Throughout are page references to technique, which is covered in the next section, where he uses motion picture stills to explain a full range of ski moves ranging from those for beginners to achieving jump turns, and somersaults!

This is followed by ruminations about organizing ski areas, building trails and slopes, a single sentence on mechanical lifts, longer sections on ski patrol, developing instructors, ski schools, and equipment.

The book has many photos, including a fold-out panorama of the northern Adirondacks (Whiteface to Mt. Marcy to Redfield in Winter), a classic shot of Dick Durrance, skiers in Tuckerman’s Ravine, etc.

I’ve had my copy since 1962. Google shows first edition copies for less than $50.

The new book is On Trails: An Exploration, by Robert Moor. This New York Times Bestseller is a wonderful read. The information — it does not cover ski trials — is fascinating and presented with graceful and engaging prose. We accompany the author as he explores a multitude of ancient and modern trails. His observations take us into the realms of natural and human history, economics, philosophy, and literature. Who knew that studies of how ants travel have been digitized and the results used to inform flows in factories and warehouses? The trail and road walkers he encounters range from amusing to weird. I highly recommend On Trails. The pages turn on their own.

New Zealand

Mt Hutt has a 120″ base, and plans to remain open through October 15. The 6800’+ resort is one of the highest in New Zealand.

Vermont

Listed below are the deadlines for lowest season pass prices in Vermont. Note the threshold ages for skiing free (some may require a small processing fee).

  • Bolton Valley: September 25 Ski Free: 75
  • Bromley Mountain: October 15
  • Burke Mountain: October 9
  • Jay Peak Resort: October 9
  • Killington Resort: October 12 Ski Free: 80
  • Mad River Glen: October 15 Ski Free: 70
  • Magic Mountain: October 15
  • Middlebury Snow Bowl: November 30 Ski Free: 70
  • Mount Snow Resort: October 18
  • Okemo Mountain Resort: October 9
  • Pico Mountain: October 12 Ski Free: 80
  • Smugglers’ Notch Resort: October 31
  • Stowe Mountain Resort: October 8
  • Stratton Mountain Resort: October 9
  • Sugarbush Resort: September 13; Boomer Pass (Age 65-89) Price: $139; includes midweek, non-holiday skiing at Lincoln Peak and Mt. Ellen. Ski Free: 90

Other

Take five minutes and give yourself a treat. The Man at the End of the World is a beautiful video about an older couple living in Tierra del Fuego, Chile. If you enjoy the clip, click “like’ in the lower right corner to help it score well in a video competition.