Tag Archive for: perisher

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

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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AARGH!!!! What follows, unfortunately, is the tale of what NOT to do when renting in Salt Lake City through Airbnb or VRBO.

My wife and I decided to take a place for January through March. We know SLC from having lived there. 

The city is a terrific base with easy access to nine fantastic ski areas and more hotel, restaurant, and entertainment options than found in any individual ski resort.

Many have found decent accommodations through the aforementioned Internet-based services. Even if the places weren’t so clean or well appointed, they were there for only a few days.

What a disappointment! Cluttered closets and drawers; grimy bathroom; hooks pulling out of walls; electrical extension cords plugged into extension cords, plugged into more extension cords. And my wife, whose sniffer is more sensitive than mine, swore the master bedroom had the odor of men.

Fortunately, the landlord, a lovely and reasonable man was committed to salvaging the situation. We moved into the much smaller and more comfortable adjacent apartment at a lower rent.

But, the place feels like I’m back in college.

Seeking an alternative to this housing crisis, we found on VRBO a fantastic looking condo at Snowbird for $100 a night, minimum, 30 nights. We grabbed it. Within minutes a fee of $4,380. was posted to our credit card. Seemed like someone had a problem with arithmetic.

After HOURS trying to reach VRBO customer service, someone picked up the phone. He investigated and learned that the condo owner had added a $1000 cleaning fee. VRBO’s fee accounted for the balance. An hour later my wife’s phone rang; the condo’s owner profusely apologizing for our inconvenience and explaining that his HOA wouldn’t allow him to rent the unit.

It took several days to get a full refund.

Speaking with several senior skiers at Alta, I learned than many take three or four month apartment and condo rentals in Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City where rentals are about $1000 – $1500 a month, three month minimum. The places  are newer than many of Salt Lake’s options and the location is closer to the Wasatch Front ski areas (Alta, Snowbird, Brighton and Solitude). 

Remember how my wife thought she smelled men in the bedroom?  She was right. The landlord told us his previous tenants – there for several months – were a group of male oil refinery workers. He agreed its time to replace the housekeeper.

Where The Snow IS

Not this deep…yet!

Last Tuesday, Ski Utah, the marketing arm of Utah’s ski industry, announced that Alta and Snowbird got 6’ in the preceding 7 days. North America’s top ten snow magnet to date: Snowbird: 299”, Alta: 290”; Brighton (UT): 271”, Revelstoke (BC): 259.4”;  Jackson Hole (WY): 254”; Whitewater (BC): 242”; Alyeska (AK): 237”; Castle Mountain (AB): 227”; Solitude (UT): 222”, and Monarch Mountain (CO): 189”.

Snow Guns Fight Aussie Fires

Thredbo and Perisher Ski Resorts are deploying snow guns to prevent wildfires from destroying their buildings and lifts.

Sugarbush Deal Closes

Alterra closed on the purchase of Sugarbush Resort (VT).

Crystal Mountain Ends Walk-Up Ticket Sales

Crystal Mountain (WA) will no longer sell walk-up lift tickets on weekends and holidays. The area will release a limited amount of online sales and continue to honor Ikon Pass holders.

Your Own Ski Area: $1.25MM

Spout Springs, in Northeastern Oregon, is available for $1.25-million. The area has 250 skiable acres (800’ vertical), 14 runs, two double chairs, illuminated slopes, and two X-C trail systems. It is accessible from Walla Walla, La Grande and Pendleton.

Big Dump on The Big Island

Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser 1/14/20

Hawaii’s Mauna Kea received 1-2 feet with snowdrifting to 4 feet. The snow fell above 12,000 feet.

Hand Warmer Advice

This, I never knew: When using hand warmers, place them on top of the hand where they warm the blood vessels and keep your fingers comfortable. This advice is from a helpful salesperson at the Alta Ski Shop at Albion Lodge. And all these years, I’ve positioned them against my palms! P.S. Many skiers extend hand warmer use by wrapping them tightly in food wrap for the night.

Documentary Offer Hope while Warning “Humans  Have Overrun World”   

This trailer for  the new feature-length documentary,“David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet,” features Sir David, 93, warning “human beings have overrun the world.” In the doc, he reflects upon both the defining moments of his lifetime as a naturalist and the devastating changes he has seen. Honest, revealing and urgent, he bears witness for the current state of  the natural world.  The film will be available on Netflix this Spring.

 

 

mikemaginn

Meanwhile In Australia…

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We Have Hurricanes And Wildfires.  Oz Has Big Snow.  Sound Like A Theme?

Early September 2017, Perisher Ski Resort.
Credit: Perisher

The news from Down Under is that the snows are prodigious, the depths of which haven’t been seen in 17 years.

The snowpack in Australian snow fields is up to 97 inches, eight feet, which sounds awfully similar to the monster snow this year in the North American west.

So while we contemplate extraordinary weather conditions from wild hurricanes and fires, it appears Oz and NZ are also having extraordinary weather.

Here’s a video from Threadbo, one of Australia’s most popular resorts.  Looks like they are having fun.

And thanks to Snowbrains.com for the head’s up.