Tag Archive for: Mt Hotham

Dave Chambers

Look Ahead: Report From Australia

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The Virus Is Contained, Resorts Anticipate Regular Openings.

Mt Hotham in mid-season. This year, the resort awaits eager visitors after closing in 2020.

We, the skiing public here in Oz, are quietly excited about the prospect of finally skiing again after a year off. While we wait for government decisions and confirm opening dates at Mt Hotham, Falls Creek and Mt Buller here in Victoria and similarly for the resorts in NSW at Perisher and Thredbo. There is a very good indication that with virus levels in Australia at zero the official opening date of Friday June 11 will happen. The ski resorts are all hiring this year.

Opening, that is, except for only a couple of people in quarantine.  There are no cases in the general community. Yes, you read that correctly. Through management (and I use the term loosely), Australia, with a little diligence, has reduced Corvid to literally just a few cases. So, our various state governments figured out, finally, that hotels and strict quarantine for returning travelers has stemmed the transmission.

Contrast this with 2020, and the disaster that unfolded then for the ski industry. By July 9, 2020, it was confirmed that two popular Victorian ski resorts had closed effective immediately due to the corvid virus in the state. They made the difficult decision to suspend operations at Mt Hotham and Falls Creek, “effective Thursday July 9 through to at least August 19,” Vail Resorts, the US company which owns the ski fields, stated. NSW followed quickly with the same decision.

Perisher in NSW is the largest ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere, opening in mid-June

We were in a bad space last year after devastating wildfires in January and February and yet the announcement about the then coming season was all rosy. “Mt Hotham welcomes the State Government’s announcement that the 2020 snow season can commence with a delayed start in late June, just in time for the Victorian school holidays.” said an official. Further adding, “Mt Hotham has experienced some fantastic early snowfalls, so we’ve been eagerly awaiting news on whether the winter 2020 season would proceed,” said Amber Gardner, CEO, Mt Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board. “We are excited about the Premier’s announcement yesterday and look forward to celebrating the season opening with our mountain community at the end of June.”

The excitement continued. Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend traditionally marks the start of the snow season in Australia, but last year it was to be a low-key affair, as Mt Hotham continued to plan for scaling-up in June in accordance with Victorian public health guidelines. The usual explainer of carrying snow chains, resort entry fees, etc. was also confirmed. During this period, the ski field would be closed to downhill skiing and snowboarding. But the resort’s cross-country trails will be open in alignment with recreational trails around Victoria, albeit under a reduced grooming regime and with limited Ski Patrol support. A limited intra-village transport service would also be available. And yes, Mt Hotham board spokesman said staff had been inundated with calls. “Please keep in mind that our staff may not be in a position to immediately answer your questions,” he said.

Here’s an interesting fact about the extent of the snow area in Australia in winter, a fact I find hard to comprehend: Australia has more snow than Switzerland. And, according to the Australian Ski Areas Association (ASAA), ski resort visits in Victoria had a $1,076 million impact on gross state product in 2018. So, you can understand how devastating another closure will have on this industry in 2021. A spokesman stated that, “People in the mountains and surrounds in Victoria continue to progress programmed summer projects ready to greet their first guests this the coming 2021 Winter.”

We wait. I am quietly confident that an opening will happen. We are seeing larger groups allowed with some isolating for crowds at sporting events still. But with vaccinations ramping up across all the states, confidence may be restored. Could I be sliding down a snow-covered slope at my favorite ski hill soon? Since skiing in Canada last year in January and February, I am yet to put on the planks. A La Nina has visited us in the Pacific and unusually large rain events have occurred across the Eastern States. But we are long in the knowledge that rain alone will not increase the snow levels. It maybe cold and wet, but I will be happy enough to just be amongst the snow guns again, real snow or not.

Mt.Hotham before the virus closed her down. Credit: Dave Chambers

Dave Chambers

Ski Club Work Weekend In Oz

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Before The Snow Flies, Members Gather For Work Party And Find A Reason To Talk Skiing.

Heiner’s Bakery’s curry pies are in demand in Myrtleford on the road to Mt. Hotham, Victoria, Australia.

My road trip from Melbourne in my Skoda AWD has been a pleasant morning drive. With two and half hours peeling away quickly, the freeways were unusually devoid of cars today on this Friday in March. My mate Terry phones to ask me, “Is it Heiner’s Bakery, just off the main street, where they sell those fantastic curry pies?” “Yes. Remember you always get the last one available,”

We meet at Heiner’s Bakery, where the stars have aligned; they have baked more curry pies, maybe sensing our visit. Arriving in Myrtleford, the large alpine service town on the edge of the two main Victorian snowfields, is an occasion. The large trees in the wide streets are yet untouched by autumn’s cold fingers. Summer is only a week or two passed. La Nina in the Pacific has blown moisture laden winds across our state; the rain makes for benign and balmy heat levels. The previous year, devastating wildfires lit up the whole state. Every paddock and forest seemed to be on fire. It’s a stark memory still, but not this year. It’s been a year of growth and recovery in the forest and the mountains. The fields in these alpine valleys are green and nearby mountains creep up with eucalyptus trees to their summits. Summits that in a few short months will be snow covered.

Our ski club requires us to work a weekend each year. My friend Terry, an electrician, offers his services to the work party. He has missed the easy banter and mateship above the snow line since retirement. Retirement is an itch that is uncomfortable at times for him, he is someone used to being busy. He is offered work credits towards accommodation at the ski lodge. He is happy to work for no reward; it is his nature to help out.

Early snow at Gravbot Ski Club welcomes work party in Mt. Hotham. Credit: Dave Chambers

We arrive at Gravbrot Ski Lodge, Mt. Hotham, and bump in to Dave, a fellow member, here for the work party. he is somewhat surprisingly dressed in lycra and bike shoes.

“Dave, that is interesting dress for a work weekend.” I say. “Don’t you own work boots.”

Dave replies, “I have just ridden down and back from Omeo, this afternoon.”

Now to be kind to Dave, his best days and youth are well behind him.  I am very impressed. These are what we call mountains in Australia, and, while they aren’t as lofty as Aspen, they are mountains that rise to over 6,000 ft.  Dave has not only ridden down but has returned back up to the top in the thin mountain air. This fitness becomes more useful when we have to remove forty bags of cement that someone stored under the lodge five years ago. Advice to anyone contemplating this, don’t. The cool moist mountain air and cement are easy bedfellows. And the product of this union is a very large heavy brick.

We light the fire to warm the frigid air. A warming glow will greet the next couple of work party participants. Our gum trees are the scourge of summer when the temperature rises above 100F. Wild fires are all too common place now in Australia. The sap in eucalyptus trees explodes at extreme heat levels fueling the wild fire fronts. But now more benign the dry branches gathered from the base of Snowgums around the ski lodge make great fire starters. A warm glow fills the lodge quickly as we remove the corks from some very fine Cabernet Sauvignon. A cheese platter offers some aged gouda and vintage cheddar to accompany the fine red wine from Black Cat Winery, in the Yarra Valley, Victoria. Others amble in over the following two hours. A busy weekend is planned, says the Works Leader, and we need volunteers to remove forty bags of cement to the truck for disposal.

“Hey, Dave did you bring work gloves,” I call out.

Terry and I contemplate and recall stories about life above the snow line and experiences over a couple of decades of skiing Australia and the world. We make some new friends. We chat into the night, all of us hoping that 2021, this year, we will get a start to the ski season now just a few months away.

March brings autumn in Australia and an early snow in the mountains. Credit: Dave Chambers

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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I don’t know how it happened, but between last season and this one I lost my custom foot beds. They were made about 15 years ago when I purchased my first Surefoot customized boots and, like the boots, they were pricey. Those beds stayed with me over the course of three or four subsequent boots. Then they were gone.   

Foot beds can improve ski performance by stabilizing the feet in a way that helps maximize the ski boot’s primary role: transferring energy from body to skis. That, admittedly, is a gross oversimplification. There are master boot fitters with medical-grade knowledge of foot anatomy, especially as it relates to skiing. I plan to solicit an article or two from one of these experts about the intricacies of creating an effective foot bed.

Brannock Device

But this week I needed new foot beds and visited the Dale Boot store in Salt Lake City to have them made. The whole process took about 20 minutes. The fitter started by measuring my feet with an old-fashioned Brannock, the same device that fascinated me as a kid in my grandfather’s shoe store in Schenectady, NY.  Next, I placed my feet in a Masterfit machine that took an impression of the contours of my foot soles. He then placed Masterfit foot beds in the machine where they took on the shape of the bottoms of my feet. That was followed by cooling the beds with cold packs and trimming some excess material before placing them in the boots. 

Patrick, the boot fitter, clearly knows his stuff and approaches his job with the same quiet pride I’ve noticed among other boot fitters. Boot fitting is a craft in which many of its practitioners appropriately treat it as a profession. He attends educational workshops including Masterfit University and related courses. He mentioned the pleasure he gets sharing war stories about helping all kinds of people with and without foot problems to get the most out of their boots.

Quality ski and boot shops provide boot fitting as a service built into the boot’s cost.  Getting foot beds customized (typically a $100 – $200 add-on) or purchasing boots with the help of a professional boot fitter is clearly a smart step to greater comfort and performance. A resource for well-trained boot fitters is America’s Best Bootfitters.com.

A few months ago, Jackson Hogen of RealSkiers.com, suggested rewarding the work of these pros with a gratuity. Given the critical service provided by fitters like Patrick, I could not agree more. 

Fire Claims Aussie Ski Resort; Others Threatened

Australia’s devastating fires destroyed Selwyn Snow Resort, the country’s most northerly ski area. The New South Wales resort employed 60 during the season.  Falls Creek and Mt. Hotham  in Victoria are being evacuated. 

Bait and Switch at Northstar?

Two older skiers are suing Vail Resorts for breach of contract and fraud. The essence of their complaint is that Vail, which owns, Northstar Resort (CA), sold non-refundable season passes before announcing a parking fee. According to the claimants, the cost of parking will add thousands of dollars to their cost of skiing at Northstar. Each is seeking free parking and $200,000+ in damages.

Good News For Taos Skiers

Taos Air is now servicing the Carlsbad-San Diego and Hawthorne-Los Angeles airports, starting at $125, one way. The service is available Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holiday Mondays through March 29. The airline started last season with daily direct flights to Taos from Dallas Love Field and Austin-Bergstrom International. The airstrip is 30 minutes from Taos Ski Valley.

Tree Well Safety

Courtesy Ski California

Suffocating in deep snow is a concern for many Western skiers. Evergreen branches capture snow, cusing deep pits to form around the tree’s base. Skiers falling into these “tree wells” are subject to breathing in powder snow. The problem is exacerbated by landing head-down or injury. It’s extremely difficult to get out, even with help from others. I had the experience years ago catskiing in the Canadian Selkirks. Fortunately, the well wasn’t too deep and the person I was with got me out quickly. Fifteen tree well deaths have occurred in California since 2001, the most in the nation. Tree well safety advice is available from Ski California, the state’s ski area trade group. Click here for more.

Winter PrideFest Jan 30 – Feb 2

Winter PrideFest, the multi-event weekend celebrating diversity and inclusivity of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies, will hold its third annual gathering January 30 – February 2 in Bend, OR and Mt. Bachelor. Activities include  skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice skating, panel discussions, and evening social functions. For information or to register, click here.

Senior Deals at Belleayre

Belleayre, the venerable Catskills ski area north of New York City has great deals for senior skiers during the second week of January, February and March. Skiers and boarders who are 65 or older get a lift ticket for $10, when they go with anyone with a paid lift ticket, and they can purchase coffee for $1 and breakfast sandwiches for $2.

Happy 80th Harriet!

Harriet Wallis, a prolific contributor to this publication, celebrated her 80th birthday at Alta earlier this week. What a silly helmet cover!!!

Alta Old Timer Celebrated in New Video

Lloyd Johnson moved to Utah for work in 1973, having never skied before. One Sunday, after an Alta church service, a friend convinced him to give skiing a shot. Now, at age 87 and almost five decades later, Lloyd is still making beautiful tele-turns at Alta,  His kids and grandkids follow his tracks. This short video tells his story, one that reflects the lives and loves of many dedicated skiers.