People I’ve met love the Mountain Collective Pass

For those prepared to travel, it’s a no-brainer. Two day passes at any number of well-known ski resorts for $399. I purchased one a few weeks ago for next season and quickly encountered the dark side of this attractive product: weak Customer Support. I made the non-refundable purchase and was then prompted to register. That process didn’t function properly. I notified Customer Service, which, in turn, sent unhelpful automatic responses.  Despite this, I’m looking firward to using the pass next season. Has anyone else had an issue with customer support? 

CALIFORNIA

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows reached 700″ of cumulative snowfall for the 2016-17 season, the second greatest on record. First was 2010-11, with 810″ inches. California Department of Water Resources declared 2016-17 winter northern Sierra Nevada’s wettest. Average annual snowfall at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is 450 inches.

LESOTHO, AFRICA

Believe it or not, there’s a small ski hill in Lesotho, the tiny African monarchy surrounded by South Africa. For readers who might want to check this one off the bucket list, click here for more on this Southern Hemisphere oddity.

 SIBERIA

Sheregesh is a Siberian ski resort with a long season. It is a great distance from anywhere, but each Spring, thousands of scantily clad women and men travel to Sheregesh to party on skis. These Google Pictures make our costumed Spring pond-skimmers look tame.

UTAH

Onno Wieringa, Alta’s GM, is retiring following a career that started as a liftie, advanced to ski and avalanche patrol, and went on to manage one of North America’s iconic resorts. He started in 1972, the year my wife and I got hitched. 2017 is his 45th anniversary (ours, too). We started skiing there in 1973, and it’s a rare season I haven’t returned. I never met Onno, but his reputation is that of a down to earth, competent manager. See Harriet Wallis’ article this week for more on Onno.

Utah’s elected officials openly disdain protection of public lands. It’s the main reason that the Outdoor Retailers are pulling their twice annual gathering from the state. OR, in association with Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), The Conservation Alliance and Outdoor Alliance are organizing a march and rally during the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market to express support for federal public lands. Participants in the This Land is Our Land march will walk to the Utah State Capitol and hear Utah tribal leaders, outdoor industry leaders, athletes and policy makers speak to issues related to public lands.

VERMONT

The federal court appointed management team managing fraud-fraught Jay Peak and Burke Mountain was commended for stabilizing the resorts’ operations and accounting practices and increasing profits by nearly 500% since taking control of the properties a year ago.

 OTHER

Jeremy Jones, founder of Jones Snowboards, is an executive with a social conscience. His essay on the perils of climate change presents a perspective of the younger generation. It’s worth reading.

Panda Poles are bamboo and they’re terrific! I bought a pair at an end-of-season price. They feel good on three counts: they function well; they look great, and they are made by a company committed to sustainable materials. These poles also are nostalgic. I’m old enough to remember switching from bamboo to aluminum. Now I’ve gone full circle. Want a pair? The Panda Pole website has a 30% discount through April 22.