I will be posting some pics on the gallery shortly.

Enjoy the 4th of July and God Bless Our Troops that are fighting to defend it and spread freedom throughout the world.

The United States Supreme Court on Monday turned down a request by several Arizona Indian tribes to stop a Flagstaff ski area from making artificial snow from treated wastewater on the San Francisco Peaks.

The case has bounced through federal court for several years, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals considered the case twice, first siding with the Native Americans, who revere the mountains as sacred sites. Last August, the Appeals Court reconsidered in favor of the management of Arizona Snowbowl.

At issue is whether religious groups can trump the mandated multiple uses of federal land by the general public. Snowbowl sits in the Coconino National Forest, not on Indian land.

Several Native American tribes, including the Navajo, who were the lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit, the Hopi, Hualapai, Havasupai, and Apaches, believe using reclaimed wastewater there was tantamount to dumping sewage on their sacred sites.

The Indians and supporting environmental groups took the case to the Supreme Court, which discussed the case in closed conference last Thursday. On Monday the news was posted that the court had turned down the case, letting the lower court decision stand.

The decision essentially clears the way for Snowbowl to make artificial snow, although it won't happen this season.

The only real surprise in the whole thing was the first 9th Circuit ruling that likened snowmaking with treated wastewater to using sewer water at a Christian baptism. It makes you wonder what crack that judge was smoking.

Congrats to Snowbowl and cannot wait for them to get snowmaking installed and open the new terrain.

I am officially out of work as of probably next week and am living off of severance while looking for a new job. It isn't a bad deal and has given me some time to think about and prioritize my life some. Gone is the condo and the overpriced house. Casualties of the housing collapse in Phoenix and Brian Head as well as of my downsizing.

One real plus of the developments has been that I have been able to cut my fixed monthly expenses significantly and this will make it easier for me to travel. I am also unloading the place at Brian Head which will make it more likely that I will be able to ski more at Wolf Creek and in Utah at other resorts.

The economy ain't great my friends. But as will most addicts, I will find a way to get to the slopes as often as time and money permit. The plus side is that I can focus on deals even more... if that is a plus side.

Not much else is new. Just preparing for our annual camp trip to Shell Lake, Wyoming, and watching the snowpack sensors drop every day. Leaving in three weeks.

Skis: At the very least, thoroughly wipe down skis (bases and edges) with a dry towel to prevent summer rust. I also strongly recommend applying a coat of wax to your bases so they aren’t deprived of moisture while they hibernate in your garage all summer.

However, if your skis were good to you this season and you’d like a repeat next year, I would suggest the following:
1 – Stone edges to remove burrs and rust that may have accumulated over the season. Sharpen with file so they are razor smooth and ready to rip next winter.
2 – Scrape any remaining wax from your bases, then clean with a base cleaner or citrus solvent (available at many ski/snowboard, bike, and automotive shops, or online)
3 – Apply a liberal coat of wax to bases using a hot iron (preferably not your mom/girlfriend’s clothing iron; waxing-specific ski/snowboard irons actually exist! Check it out). Lightly run iron over side edges to coat with wax to protect against rusting. No need to scrape skis; simply let the bases soak for the summer.
4 – Strap skis together and store.

Boots:
Infinitely easier than caring for skis, but undoubtedly more important. (It’s possible to salvage rusty, dry skis, but there is no salvage for moldy, rotting boots.)

1 - Remove boot liners from shells.

Great read and good info.

Snowbird just extended its ski/ride season through June 14th, making the 2008/09 ski season the second longest in resort history with a total of 200 days. The longest occured in 2004/05 when Snowbird stayed open until July 4th.

Of course, this extension will only happen if conditions in the Wasatch Mountains will allow for it, but folks at Snowbird seem optimistic that the massive amount of snow that fell this winter has left a snowpack that will last through June.

Currently the resort is only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with limited lifts operating including the Tram, Little Cloud, and Mineral Basin.

Even though there is enough snow to keep the ski season alive, summer operations begins on May 22, meaning that foot passengers are now allowed on the Tram from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Downside is that southern Utah got Jack this winter.

PORTLAND, Maine - The economy may have fallen off a cliff last year, but the ski industry's drop was a lot more gentle.

Preliminary figures show there were 57.1 million visits to ski slopes across the country during the past winter, a 5.5 percent decline from the record 60.5 million visits the year before.

It could've been worse without favorable weather in most parts of the country that helped offset the slumping economy, the National Ski Areas Association said Friday.

The figures were released as ski executives attended the association's annual convention and trade show in Florida, where spokesman Troy Hawks said many ski managers felt they had dodged a bullet.

"The positive thing is that it was a fairly strong snow year," Hawks said. "Many of the resorts said they would probably rather have a bad economy and a good snow year, versus a good economy and a bad snow year."

The industry makes its money off of all of the ancillary items like lodging, food, entertainment, etc. It isn't just skier visits that matter, but apparel sales and so forth, but given how bad unemployment is and a host of other factors, just being down 5% isn't too bad.

1. Scenic Gondola Ride – Visitors are carried past sweeping views of the Minarets, the Sierra Crest, and dozens of sapphire blue alpine lakes on a gondola ride to the summit of 11,053 foot Mammoth Mountain. Admire the panoramic views, learn interesting facts about the area at the interpretive center, or tour the summit with a naturalist. Cost is $18 for adults. Up to two children 12 & under ride free with a paying adult.

2. Mountain Bike Park – Mountain bikers of all abilities can take the ride of their lives, experiencing the exhilarating 3,000-foot descent from Mammoth Mountain’s 11,053 summit. Mammoth’s Mountain Bike Park offers 100 miles of single-track trails with everything from water stops in shaded areas, to a scenic gondola that transports bikers up to the summit, to bike rangers to answer questions and assist with gear. Use of the mountain bike park, which includes a lift ticket on the gondola, is only $39.

3. Red’s Meadow Valley and Devils Postpile National Monument (the“Mini-Yosemite”) — A shuttle ride ($7 for adults, $4 for children 3 to 15 years) leads visitors to a geologic wonderland. An easy .4 mile one way walk leads to Devils Postpile, a rare sight that ranks as one of the world’s finest examples of unusual rock formations. Nearby, Rainbow Falls plunges over a 101-foot-high cliff. A moderate 2.5 mile one way hike leads to the falls.

Some stuff to do if you want to get away to the mountains for a weekend. I am waiting to get some other deals on lodging and happenings in the area.

Everyone is hurting, so now is a great time to get deals and save money.

Following a 15-inch storm over the weekend, Utah's Snowbird Ski Resort surpassed the season-to-date snowfall total of 600 inches for the second straight year. Crossing the mark on Saturday, April 25, 2009, puts this season a full month ahead of last year's pace when the 600-inch total was passed on May 26, 2008.

The Little Cottonwood Canyon resort averages 500 inches a season. Dating back to 1980, the biggest season on record was 1983-84 with a total of 688 inches, according to Jared Ishkanian, Snowbird public relations director.

Snowbird is the only resort in Utah still open for spring skiing and snowboarding. With a total snowfall of 612 inches and a mid-mountain base of 137 inches, there should be ample snow to ride on through Memorial Day. Snowbird generally stays open much later than other Utah resorts thanks to its primarily north-facing exposure and high altitude. Snowbird's lift-served terrain tops out at 11,000 feet.

“The mountain is remarkably still in mid-winter form,” said Snowbird President Bob Bonar. “This season we experienced the resort’s second-earliest opening ever, and we are excited to push the season through May and possibly beyond thanks to all this March and April snowfall.”

I only wish that I could have gotten more than one day for the season at Alta.

Can you believe one more weekend????????

Yes, Wolf Creek is reopening May 2 and May 3rd! Nova, Bonanza and Treasure will be operating from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM! Alberta will be open only if conditions are appropriate.

The Ski School and Ski Rentals will be open along with the Upper Lodge serving a limited menu. There will be a big sale in Treasure Sports with up to 40% off of Fashion wear and 25% off of all T-shirts and beanies!

On Saturday, San Luis Valley Brewery will be offering a selection of their finest beers on the Upper Lodge deck! Also a Rail Jam on Nova Lift will start at 1 PM. Registration is in the Upper Lodge starting at noon on Saturday. Registration is $30.00, this includes a a free lift ticket for Nova only and prizes for winners!!!!! All proceeds go to the Skate Board Park in Pagosa Springs. For more info call Charlie at 970-759-5960.

Lift tickets will be the locals‘ appreciation rate of $31.00 for Adults and $18.00 for Seniors and Children! All season passes from 2008 - 2009 will be valid including weekday only and employee.

450" for the year and open in May. Good for the folks in the Pagosa area.

Whistler – The latest round of cutbacks at Whistler Blackcomb (WB) is hitting year-round, salaried employees this time, with the announcement that wages will be rolled back to last year’s levels and incentives will not be paid.

In response to questions about reports of significant losses at WB this winter, President and Chief Operating Officer Dave Brownlie wouldn’t release any dollar figures but said skier visits are down 15 to 16 per cent so far for the 2008-’09 season compared to last winter.

Meanwhile, Tourism Whistler statistics are showing an approximate decline in hotel room nights of 11 per cent through February — somewhat welcome news after early-season projections indicated a potential drop of up to 20 per cent.

“We don’t talk about our numbers externally but certainly we’re sharing with staff the challenges,” Brownlie said Tuesday (April 14). “It has not been a good year for Whistler Blackcomb or, quite frankly, Intrawest (WB’s parent company).”...

He said WB officials have worked to reduce operating costs at two other points in the season — in November and again in February, when a chunk of seasonal ski and snowboard school instructors were laid off.

This is more in line with what I expected for Vail.

BROOMFIELD - Vail Resorts on Saturday reported some numbers from the beginning of the 2008-09 ski season through April 12. As expected, most of those numbers were down from last year's record season.

• Season-to-date total skier visits through April 12 for the company's five mountain resorts were down 6.2 percent compared with last year.

• Season-to-date total lift ticket revenue through April 12, including an allocated portion of season pass revenue for each applicable period, was down 8.7 percent compared with last year.

I was expecting 10-15% so this is good news. Next season may be the worst of it because today's unemployment numbers indicate no real end in sight to the recession.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. served up the most broad-based changes to Utah's alcohol policy in four decades Monday, signing legislation doing away with the state's one-of-a-kind private clubs law and changing the way restaurants can serve drinks.

Since 1969, patrons at Utah's bars have been required to be members of a so-called "private club," a construct designed with the strong involvement and backing of the LDS Church and aimed at restricting the flow of liquor.

"We made a little bit of history today," Huntsman said after signing the bill in The New Yorker, an upscale bar in downtown Salt Lake City.

Tourism officials in the state said the change will have an impact on the state's $6 billion a year tourism industry, but you won't see ads enticing tourists to "Come Get Drunk In Utah."

Ha. =)

Interesting changes that are much needed. As someone that does not drink (though this has only been the last couple years), Utah's laws are confusing and irritating. My friends have to go to private clubs and places like Applebees and Chilis have odd rules at the bar.

This will bring Utah into a more mainstream position and will help tourism.

Lots of the Mormon rules in Utah are good things--especially their driving laws for teenagers--but others are oppressive to non-Mormons. Just the nature of the state. You go there and deal with the culture the best that you can.

Vail Resorts Inc. says it will require all on-duty employees and children 12 and under in ski-school lessons to wear helmets while skiing or snowboarding next season.

Broomfield-based Vail Resorts (NYSE: MTN) operates the Breckenridge, Vail, Keystone and Beaver Creek winter resorts and Heavenly at Lake Tahoe, Nevada-California.

In a statement Monday, the company said its on-slope employees will be issued a helmet as part of their uniform.

In addition to children enrolled in group lessons, helmets will be a required part of the ski or snowboard rental packages for children 12 and under next season unless a parent signs a waiver.

Vail Resorts said it is imposing the helmet rules for safety reasons.

"We firmly believe when children are participating in our ski and ride school programs that we must provide them with the proper equipment that promotes enjoyment of the sport while also reducing the possibility of injury," Blaise Carrig, co-president of Vail Resorts' Mountain Division, said in a statement.

"Even though we will now require children in our ski and ride schools to wear helmets and make them a mandatory part of every child's rental package, we strongly recommend the use of helmets for all of our guests, regardless of their age or ability level," Carrig said.

And good for them. I won't let Jake, Jackson or Jarrett ski without a helmet. If you start wearing a helmet, you get used to it and it becomes a part of your equipment that you cannot go without. Mine is comfortable and warm, plus has built in earphones and a port for my Motorola radio.

Skiing is an expensive sport. Let’s look at the numbers - $90/day lift tickets or a $400 season pass; $30/day ski rentals or buy your own for $600 (don’t forget another $400 for boots); $500 snow apparel; $20 parking for the day - and that’s if you live within driving distance of a ski area.

As the economy tanks how can people still afford it?

Apparently people are wondering the same thing themselves. Skier visits and overnight lodging occupancies (along with room rates) have dropped significantly in Colorado. Though the season is not quite over and totals are not yet available, the Mountain Travel Research Program estimates at least a 5 percent drop in skier visits from last year. Worse, occupancy for the 2008-09 season is down 16.3 percent, even though accommodations have slashed rates by nearly 9 percent. Ouch.

However this slide in skier visits seems to be limited to the western slopes. Ironically the ski industry on the east coast appears to be profiting from the slumping economy. Although international and destination markets suffer, smaller resorts benefit because they are more affordable and often closer to home. High travel expenses and increasingly inconvenient airline situations deter skiers from visiting Colorado, but nothing will stop them from skiing. Nevertheless skiers everywhere are conserving where they can. More than ever, people are ‘brown-bagging it’ in order to spend less while on the slopes. PB& J sandwiches and cans of PBR beat $12 burgers and $10 après-ski drinks.

Places like Brian Head and the local resorts should fare better than the major destination resorts for visits. Occupancy is down. Condo sales at Brian Head are nonexistent. Nothing is moving at all. I am sure that more people are brownbagging things.

Good article.