Ski-Blog.com

April 01, 2008

Opening Day, NBA Playoffs, and the End of the 2007-08 Ski Season

A little time to reflect on the last ski season. This year, I skied Beaver Creek for the first time, skied Wolf Creek for the first time in three years, and got my usual days in at Brian Head. I got in about half as many days this season as last--12 versus 25--but enjoyed it far more.

Couple great memories for me. First was
Jarrett skiing his first black diamond. He isn't even in the same ballpark as Jake, but that is a function of being 7 versus 11. But he discovered a love for skiing this season and now looks forward to it. I am excited about this year and looking forward to going from having two skiing boys to having three kids that rip it up when Lindsey gets a couple years older.

Second was Jake and me going to Wolf Creek with Tim, Erich, and JP. It has been far too long since I took at trip to Wolf Creek and this trip magnified how Jake has improved from our last trip three years ago when he was a Wolf Pup. When we hiked Alberta Peak and he left me behind, I had a new sense of humility and some pride that all the time and money that I have spent on gear and passes and gas and hotels and condos has paid off. We have something that both boys enjoy and that helps us bond.

Finally, there was my trip to Beaver Creek. I have rarely enjoyed a ski day that much.

I am going to try to get one more weekend in before the season is over.

Posted by Justin at 02:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 23, 2008

14 Year Old Dies Skiing Heavenly

Bad news from Heavenly:

A 14-year-old girl died Thursday afternoon following a ski accident at Heavenly Mountain Resort, authorities said.

Emily Clothier, of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., apparently died from blunt force trauma after hitting a tree, although an exact cause of death was pending, said El Dorado County Sheriff's Lt. Les Lovell.

The girl was wearing a helmet and was practice skiing with the Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation, Lovell said. She was found by her coach who was skiing about one minute behind her, he added.

The accident happened on the Nevada side of the ski resort at about 1:30 p.m., Heavenly officials confirmed...

The girl received immediate medical treatment at the scene and then was taken by CALSTAR helicopter to Barton Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 2:39 p.m., Lovell said.

The accident occurred in the ski resort's Stagecoach area. The girl skied off the Stagecoach trail and into a wooded area, according to Heavenly. The resort has begun a routine investigation of the accident, Pecoraro said.

Even helmets do not protect 100%.

When we were at Wolf Creek, helicopters were flying overhead searching for the two snowboarders that got lost (and were not found). Remember that it is a dangerous sport. Trees. Tree wells. Blizzard conditions. Cold. Cliffs. Icy roads. There are lots of dangers.

Talk to your kids about safety. Remember safety yourself. Stay in control and stay safe. Especially be safe about alcohol and drugs. Save the crack smoking for the condo. Every time some a-hole is getting on the lift in front of me and is drunk or I smell the pot smoke, I think about getting clipped from him and tearing an ACL or busting my dome.

Posted by Justin at 12:02 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

February 25, 2008

Powder Skiing Advice from Craig McNeil at Rocky Mountain News

Good beginner advice on skiing pow:

I call "bottomless snow" - conditions where so much snow accumulates that there's no "bottom" or "base" layer. In other words, if you push your ski pole down through the surface layers, it just keeps going. Lose a ski or fall in such conditions, and you'll find yourself wallowing for what might seem like an eternity as you try to get back on your feet.

Where most green and blue runs are groomed, you'll find bottomless conditions on ungroomed black and double- black runs. And that's fitting because, in snow so deep, it's almost impossible to move on less-steep runs; ski a run that's somewhat steep and has a continuous pitch or you'll come to a grinding halt.

And herein lies the challenge for the common skier. It takes confidence, know-how, technique and strength to successfully handle such snow depth...

Tips for success

* Keep your feet together. When your feet are together, they cut the snow as one. When they come apart, either at the beginning of a turn or at any time throughout the arc of the turn, you're headed for trouble because it's easier to lose your balance and fall...

* In deep snow, you must ski off the fall line (down the slope, making continuous turns) in the same manner as a snowboarder. Traversing across the slope only shows a lack of confidence in your technique or timidity in your ability...

* Use a powder ski, which can range from 75 millimeters to more than 100 millimeters underfoot. All-mountain powder skis are wider underfoot and provide greater flotation on the snow. These skis provide more "float" and can make turn initiation and completion much easier in the deep stuff. If you don't have a pair in your quiver, rent them from a ski shop...

* The principles of tipping to the little-toe edge remain the same and are actually more effective in deep snow. Tip the foot in the direction you want to turn and extend your legs through the arc of the turn...

* Using your ski pole is one more way to help maintain balance. Your pole plant, which should be made down the fall line, is your cue to release the skis from the previous turn.

I am so spoiled. Unless there is powder to be had, it is barely worth putting the gear on. I don't like going fast, I like going fast enough through 2' of pow. It is even better on steeps in pow. But it is an aquired taste. I was talking to Jake about our first powder day. There was a two day storm that dropped 4'. We went out and the groomers were great because they were soft and you carved so well. Then we got off the beaten path and got buried. I postholed down and carried his skis while he did the same.

The art of parallel turns and carving as well as rhythm is what is important. It is like dancing. Turn, 2, 3, Turn, 2, 3. Like a Waltz. You pick your rhythm and speed and the motion with your arms and skis becomes second nature. Keep the feet together. Keep them parallel. And stay balanced front to back. Sometimes, that even means adjusting your bindings (if they are adjustable).

Posted by Justin at 11:18 PM

February 19, 2008

Jarrett's First Black Diamond

I took Jake and Jarrett out on Saturday at Brian Head. Jarrett is skiing Jake's old K2's which are probably about 10 cm too big at 125. We are working on parallel turns, but he is still in the wedge / snowplow / pizza stage.

It was really incredible for me to take him out this last time. I have had six years of Jake skiing with me almost every trip. To the point where I don't even enjoy going out unless he is with me. We talk trash to each other and make fun of ourselves and other skiers. We both really learned together because when I got started again in 2002, I hadn't skied in 9 years and wasn't that good even then. It brought back a bunch of memories of Jake and I going up to Sunrise so many times. There was probably a foot or so of powder that we took Jarret down and it reminded me of Jake and me skiing Phoenician at Sunrise on our first real powder day together. Both of us postholing down after about the fourth wreck in the first 50 yards.

Jarrett's experience wasn't a lot different than Jake's. I remember Jake crying and saying "I can't. I can't. I want to go home. I just want to go home. I hate skiing." Jarrett had perhaps the hardest wreck I have seen in a while, right onto his shoulder. After he got over the initial shock and back to the chair, I told him that we have to take the chair back up because The Plunge is on Dunes and it requires a lift ride to the top to ski back to the base. By the time we got to the top, I had convinced him to take another run, this time on a blue. And we finished the day skiing groomers with a little bit of packed pow for another half a dozen runs. He got back up and kept going. And went home and told mom how much fun he had.

After we took Jarrett back to the condo at about 2:00, Jake and I skied the rest of the day. We were laughing about Jake and all the stuff we had done when we sucked. =) I spent most of the trip back to Phoenix daydreaming and thinking back about Jake learning and where he is now. And I kept thinking about what it is going to be like when Jake is 15 and Jarrett is 11. When we are hiking and skiing Wolf Creek and Alberta Peak or the Knife Ridge. And thinking about how exciting it will be when Jarrett is able to keep up on a powder day. Then when he really starts getting it. Making parallel turns and using his poles.

And then I got thinking about all my complaints about Brian Head and how Jake and I have graduated beyond what it offers. But how it is perfect for Jarrett. And why I ski. Is it just about a rush and me and pow and steeps? Or is it about having Jake there by my side, riding the lifts, talking, connecting, and bonding? We learned together and we keep learning together. And for the first time, Tera and Lindsey stayed for 3 days and it was enjoyable. Lindsey stayed out of stuff, hung out, slept in a bed instead of the playpen, and didn't want to come home. And it won't be too long before she is skiing groomers at Brian Head for the first time.

Posted by Justin at 12:16 PM | Comments (1)

January 28, 2008

New Ski Journal Out

The new issue of the ski journal is out. If you haven't read my review on TSJ before, it is pure eye candy. They have absolutely the best ski photos you can find and pages and pages of them. Not a typical ski magazine, TSJ cuts way down on the ads and pimping and delivers a coffee table magazine to show off to friends when they come over.

Wallabies. UFOs. Hoh Chi Minh trails. Dark Matter. Urspruenglichkeit. Frosted and feathered hair. What any of these have to do with skiing is anyone's guess, unless you pick up a copy of The Ski Journal issue #2.2, now shipping to stores and subscribers. From Australia to Alta, the French Alps to Schlap-istan, the 1960s to the present and all points between, the newest issue of The Ski Journal continues the transportive vibe clearly established with the success of the magazine's first two issues.

Aussie Tony Harrington is one of the world's foremost ski and surf photographers. Via his words and stunning alpine images, he adamantly answers the question that plagues him on chairlift rides throughout the world: "How come you can ski that well? There's no snow in Australia!" Turns out the world is wrong. Very wrong. And if you've ever wondered what kangaroo tastes like (hint: not chicken), this story is for you.

In a lengthy interview, French freestyle newschooler Candide Thovex reveals he’s done with competition. “We are not robots,” he says, referring to the limits of the human body, a sentiment he’s acutely familiar with following a near-paralyzing injury last spring at his home resort of La Clusaz. Candide also discusses his future, memories of the past decade, and why he won’t be singing classic rock tunes any time soon.

Other 2.2 standouts: Jake Moe reminisces the decades of love in Sun Valley; Jill Adler profiles the soulful Alta Lodge and its 90-year-old owner, Bill Levitt; six essays on various "Lines in Skiing"; three decades of images by legendary shooter Hank de Vré; a review of the documentary "Steep"; a profile of Theory-3 filmmaker Jeff Thomas; and much more.

Seriously, subscribe. Get rid of the megamagazines that are cluttered with nothing but ads for overpriced gear and puff pieces about the spendiest resorts. This is the one ski magazine that is worth getting.

Posted by Justin at 01:38 PM

Some Statistics on Ski Injuries

Some new figures on ski injuries:

Is the rate of skiing injuries increasing?

Thanks to better equipment, the overall rate of reported skiing injuries has declined by 50 percent over the past 40 years, according to Shealy.

Is the rate of snowboard injuries increasing?

Yes, nearly doubling, according to research, which dates to the 2000/01 season. The rate was nearly 7 injuries per 1,000 visits compared to 3.37 in 1990/91.

What are some trends regarding injuries?

Broken lower legs, once one of the most common injuries to skiers, has decreased by 95 percent from 35 years ago. And after years of an increase in the number of knee injuries, especially ACL, the International Society for Skiing Safety Congress reported that since 2003 knee injuries have been on the decline. The reason for the 35 percent decline in serious knee injuries is believed to be due to the increased use of shorter skis. However, the number of mid-shaft tibia fractures has in-creased over the past 20 years after dramatically declining through the mid-1980s. The reason for the increase in tibia fractures appears to be a function of ski-binding-boot systems. Researchers believe that those numbers could be reduced if more people had their skies inspected by qualified ski technicians.

Where do most fatal acci-dents happen?

Well-groomed blue cruiser trails where the average speed of skiers is 25 to 40 mph...

Recently a man reportedly died at Steamboat after fal-ling into a tree well. How common is this?

About 5 percent of all skiing/snowboarding fatalities are caused by people falling into tree wells, which are created where the boughs of low-hanging conifers create wells below them, mostly in un-groomed areas on the edges of groomed trails. The snow is like quicksand, the more the victim struggles, the deeper they bury themselves and usually suffocate, especially if falling in head first, which usually is the case. Colorado accounts for 17 percent of these kinds of fatalities in North America, trailing British Columbia (24 percent) and California (19 percent). Over the past seven years, snowboarders were twice as likely as skiers to be involved in these accidents.

When do most of the tree well accidents happen?

During or just after big snowfalls when skiers and snowboarders venture off of the groomed trails in search of powder. December and January have more of the docu-mented cases due to the loose and unconsolidated snowpack conditions generally associated with early season.

The article also has some interesting statistics on helmet use.

Have the increased use of helmets decreased the number of serious and fatal head injuries?

Helmet use been estimated to be about 40 percent of users and has been increasing about 5 percent annually over the past several years. While the use of helmets reduces the number of head injuries by 30 percent to 50 percent, that decrease is generally limited to the less serious injuries. However, according to Shealy’s research, there has been no significant reduction in fatalities due to head injury over the past nine seasons despite the increase in helmet use. Still, non-helmet users were greater than two times more likely to have died of head injuries among accidents in which helmet use was known. Just more than one-third of the deaths involved those wearing a helmet, with about half of them also suffering fatal head injuries.

Why no reduction in fatalities?

There are several reasons. Helmets are designed to protect your head up to 12 mph, however, most collisions with trees involve the skier/boarder traveling at least twice to three times that speed. Studies have shown that those wearing helmets ski faster than those without helmets. For non-helmeted skiers, 23 percent of all potentially serious head injuries are more serious than a mild concussion. For helmeted skiers, 67 percent of their potentially serious head injuries are more severe than a mild concussion. Another reason is that two-third of fatalities by those who wear helmets are due to multiple causes or injuries. For those who die while wearing a helmet, only about one-third have a head injury as the first cause of death. Basically, the severity of the incident simply overwhelms the ability of the helmet to prevent death.

Always wear a helmet and always ski in control. Know your abilities. The most dangerous place on the mountain is the average blue cruiser. Dumbass kids racing out of control. You don't have to be the idiot to get hit by one. I have hurt my knee twice (thankfully not an ACL) getting hit by someone uphill from me not being able to avoid me because they are out of control. And my brain bucket has saved my dome several times. Helmets are just good things to have, but they work best when you are in control.

Posted by Justin at 10:42 AM | Comments (2)

January 10, 2008

Memorial and Donations for the Victims of the Ski Bus Accident

The Arizona Republic has details about the memorial service for the Deer Valley High School victims of the bus accident:

A memorial service for Deer Valley High School students Jasmine Bowden, Erica Sheffey and Marc Rasmussen is being held Wednesday at the Community Church of Joy.

The service starts at 1 p.m. at the church, 21000 N. 75th Ave. in Glendale, and it is open to the public.

The three students were killed in a bus accident as they returned from a ski trip in Telluride, Colo. on Jan. 6.Six others died and at least 23 were injured in the accident, which happened in southeastern Utah.

Wednesday is a scheduled early release day for all Deer Valley Unified District schools.

Those wishing to make a donation to help with funeral or hospital expenses can make a deposit at any Wells Fargo Bank branch. The "Families of Deer Valley Memorial" account number is 3878909518.

Please offer a small donation to help the families. This is a truly tragic thing that happened and it could be any one of us as I said in what Caroline described a "dark" post earlier this week. And offer them your thoughts and prayers as well.

Posted by Justin at 03:38 PM | Comments (1)

Shaun White, Bode Miller Videos on Sportskool.com

Got an e-mail from a reader, John (and he makes number 6), about (Sportskool.com has some cool instructional videos including some by Bode and Shaun White. I liked this on on skiing trouble situations:

Posted by Justin at 02:25 PM | Comments (2)

January 08, 2008

Reflections on Bus Accident that Killed 9 in Southern Utah

I just drove through Mexican Hat in a blizzard the weekend before Christmas as I was coming home from Denver. My grandfather has extensive business that he does in Monticello and Moab and I have been through the stretch several times. And I spend countless hours and miles driving on snowpacked and icy roads during ski season.

This hit close to home. I thought about orphaning my kids or worse, losing one of them in an accident. Driving on bad road conditions in the middle of the night, tired after a long day of skiing. And the best skiing means the worst road conditions. Blood in the snow. People screaming. No light. Snow and rain falling. Desolate area, no cell reception.

This reminds me to keep my emergency road kit ready. Road flares. Blankets. Flashlight. Bungee cords. First aid kit. Tarp. Some canned food AND THE CAN OPENER. Bottle opener (in case all the beer didn't break during the wreck j/k). Matches. And I love having OnStar. I know it doesn't work a lot of places, but at least it offers far better reception than a regular cell phone.

But the Arizona Republic reported this, which is what makes America, especially rural America great:

Rose June, a clerk at the San Juan Inn, said she rushed to the scene to distribute blankets and towels to people on stretchers. She said many on the bus seemed to be in their 20s.

"They were saying, 'Where's my friend? Where's the ambulance?' " June said. "I tried to keep the rain off their face."...

Danny Palmer, funeral director at San Juan Mortuary in Blanding, about 40 miles northeast of Mexican Hat, came to the scene. He spent two hours helping victims and watching rescue efforts, including those carried out by passengers hurt in the crash.

"People that probably needed their own medical attention were helping those who were more serious," Palmer said. "It was quite inspiring."

Thank you to the people of the Four Corners area that helped save lives and reduce the suffering of those that were affected. Prayers go out to the families, and to the parents of the three high school students that were killed. Erica Sheffey and Marc Rasmussen died at the scene. Joseph DeBolskewas a senior from Saguaro High School.

Posted by Justin at 10:33 AM | Comments (2)

January 07, 2008

Eight Die in Major Ski Bus Accident in Four Corners

Thoughts and prayers for the victims of a major bus accident in the Four Corners area as they were returning from a ski trip:

A charter bus carrying people from a Colorado ski resort ran off a wet road and rolled several times down an embankment in far southeastern Utah, killing eight passengers and injuring about 20 others, authorities said Monday...

“When the vehicle was overturning, the roof of the bus split open and multiple occupants of the vehicle were ejected,” he said...

Roden said the bus was en route to Phoenix after a ski trip to Telluride, Colo.

A manifest showed 51 passengers were on board the bus when it crashed about 10 miles north of Mexican Hat, in the Four Corners region where Utah meets Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. Rescue crews from all four states were sent to help.

The closest hospital was 80 miles north in Monticello. San Juan Hospital received more than 20 people, chief executive Craig Preston said. Ten to 13 still were being evaluated while others with more serious injuries were sent elsewhere.

I had considered driving to Wolf Creek. This is an extremely remote area on or near the Navajo Reservation. Monticello and Cortez are the closest towns and I am betting their hospitals are not even close to being able to handle this amount of traffic/injuries.

Prayers go out. This was a nasty storm and snow and ice had to make things even more difficult.

Posted by Justin at 08:15 AM | Comments (3)

December 29, 2007

A Little Night Poaching

Poach v. - to ride a closed run, a closer area, or to ski without a valid ticket.

Texas Ski Pants n. - wearing blue jeans while skiing

Kodak Courage n. - To do stupid sh** simply because there is a camera pointed at you

I have been whining because I am getting bored taking green runs at Brian Head. Well, I figured out how to entertain myself. Topless night poaching during a snowstorm in Texas ski pants. Video quality sucks because it is completely dark. But commentary is great. Not great conditions, but we have a location that you can drop into from the car and pickup down below. I didn't get to ski Loveland Pass and do the whole hitchiking thing while in Colorado last week, so this was at least worth doing.

Posted by Justin at 02:50 PM

December 11, 2007

Starting the Season and My Neck is Killing Me

The snowstorm that was supposed to dump 2-3' on Brian Head never got completely on track. Turned out to be right around 1'. That said, it helped a ton. BH is about 20% open, not counting the new terrain that cannot open due to the bridge delay. Heard from one of the ski patrol that there is a problem with one of the lift towers on Chair 2 or else Giant Steps would be open providing top to bottom skiing. They are waiting on a part.

I had two things happen that I am not super pleased about. I cut over from Blackfoot towards the Giant Steps run that had not been groomed and had some nice soft pow. Had to take a lower line than I wanted and just raked across a rock and a stump. Nasty gashes. Early season conditions don't like brand new skis. But it didn't get to the core, so a little wax should help.

The second bad thing happened on the last run of the last day. We were coming down and getting ready to grab a bite and roll home. I have a brand new set of K2 Silencer twin tips and was screwing around skiing switch. Almost down the hill. Bam, caught an edge and went down on a man made groomer, backwards. Slammed the back of my head into the slope. And to make things worse, I wasn't wearing my helmet for the first time in forever. Had on a hat instead. I literally saw stars and everything went quiet. My head is killing me and my neck is aching.

The worst falls are never on steeps (unless you are jumping off cliffs or skiing above your ability). They are on groomed greens when you catch an edge. Falling on steeper terrain means that you are hitting the ground at enough of an angle that it is a glancing blow. This was brick wall stuff.

I haven't blogged it so far, but I was 280lbs by the end of last season. I am a naturally big guy at around 6'2" or 6'3". But 280 is just huge. I decided at the end of last season that I was gonna lost 50 lbs over the summer. I started the ski season at 225lbs this year. Last Thursday, I bought new ski pants and a new jacket since none of my old gear fits me. And last season, my K2 Silencer 168's couldn't hold me at all. Way too small. Not anymore. My entire body feels different and I am a whole different skier. I went from XXL pants and jacket to wearing an XL jacket and size LARGE PANTS. And both of these are too loose.

Posted by Justin at 04:32 PM | Comments (1)

November 15, 2007

Think Snow - Nike Extreme Video (h/t Ben Carr)

Welcome to the La Nina year in the Southwest. Ben Carr sent me a link to this video from Nike ACG that is a must watch. That'll be me in February.

Posted by Justin at 10:16 AM | Comments (2)

November 14, 2007

Great Tips on Skiing/Travelling in Megeve (h/t Megeve Mike Beaudet)

Mike Beaudet runs a private ski tour and instruction company based out of Megeve, France. Interesting concept that is missing in the states. Instead of donating $500 for a 4 hour "private" lesson to a resort, plus paying the cost of your lift tickets and gear, you pay what is essentially a private instructor (poacher) who does private lessons and helps facilitate the transaction, plus provides expert coaching. Mike is a Level 3 Certified PSIA instructor, plus has all the European certs, etc., but instead of making $10 an hour plus tips (maybe $15-20 for a Level 3), he does private bookings and group lessons. He saves you enough on the trip to more than cover his instruction fees, plus knows all the local restaurants and MULTIPLE AREA RESORTS, meaning that he can help you find the best lines at a dozen resorts instead of being locked in. Anyway, enough pimping for Mike...

Mike is doing articles at About.com on skiing and this one is a must read if you plan on skiing in the Geneva area at any of the many resorts:

From Megeve you can easily ski four ski areas in less than a 25 minute drive, (subject to weather and road conditions)! If you’re willing to push your daily drive to one hour you can ski in Italy and get to French ski areas that will give you access to Swiss Alps areas!

A nice little restaurant, at the end of the day, in each ski area you visit is not to be resisted and allows you to taste the local fare which can change due to the specificities of each region and valley!

When renting your car insist that you take possession on the Swiss side "sector" of the Geneva Airport and NOT the French side! When booking online be sure to select Switzerland as your destination country to ensure your rental is at the Swiss side.

This is most important as the car that you hire will be equipped, standard, with: snow chains, a ski rack, and a Swiss Auto Route Pass. This will save you in drop-off charges and tolls, ease of transporting skis, and driving distance as the French side is much farther to get into and out of than the Swiss side is to the destination ski areas.

Should you rent on the French side, all of the above is an extra! Also, try and gas up when possible in Switzerland as it less expensive.

Add in that Mike can find discounts on gear rentals, lift tickets, and certainly food and hotel accomodations, and it is worth talking to him before you travel.

If you are from the states, for comparable airfare costs, you can ski Europe for comparable money as skiing in the Rockies (and comparable travel times from the East coast). And that is with the premium on the Euro due to the Dollar's drop in exchange rate. With some help and planning, you can ski Europe with private lessons, transportation, lodging, food, and an expert guide for far less than it would cost anywhere in the states, even at a budget destination. Have some wine and enjoy some great food at off mountain prices, plus ski a variety of resorts.

I keep saying I am going to Europe to do just that, but it looks like another season is lost for me travelling. Just too much going right now to take the time. Next winter, I am certain that short of financial catastrophy, I will head to Europe for a week. I am also considering a summer trip to Chile. That is actually even more reasonable if you are willing to "slum" it, you can do it for next to nothing. Hostel style living in Chile, but upscale in Europe.

Posted by Justin at 10:08 PM | Comments (2)

November 13, 2007

Tips Up - The Ski Journal's Latest Release

The Ski Journal has a new issue out that includes a couple of the best ski photos I have ever seen. It always does and it is so hard to describe how good the photography in it is. The first 20 pages are "Tips Up" that is nothing but incredible photos.

Check page 64 for a great article on Arizona Snowbowl.

The article says it best. The entire debate comes down to belief. I don't think anybody can be swayed one way or another on whether reclaimed A+ water is a good idea or snowmaking is a good idea or the expansion should occur. And when you really come down to it, usually people don't have a problem with just one part of the plan. It is an all or nothing thing. They either want it or they don't.

The Ski Journal is well worth subscribing to. It isn't nearly as filled with ads as most of the ski magazines. Actually, there are hardly any. It belongs on your coffee table and the combination of the photography and the quality of the magazine give it a completely different vibe.

Posted by Justin at 08:32 AM

November 04, 2007

Chi Tribune has Rundown of Ski Area Improvements in the Rockies

The Chicago Tribune has a list of the major Rocky Mountain ski areas and their improvements in today's edition. A sampling:

Locally popular Arapahoe Basin (888-272-7246; http://www.arapahoebasin.com ) nearly doubles its size with the addition of Montezuma Bowl, located on the backside of the existing slopes. Its 36 new runs range from intermediate through expert in difficulty and offer terrain featuring groomers, chutes, glades and wide-open bowls...

Down the Interstate at Beaver Creek the new Riverfront Express Gondola connects the ski area to the town of Avon...

New proprietors have taken over at Steamboat. Intrawest, owner of Canada's Whistler Blackcomb, bought the resort from cash-strapped American Skiing, and the purchase has ignited a flurry of development. Mountain additions include new lifts, regraded terrain, additional snowmaking, improved parking and redesigned trail signage. Around the base, real estate projects seem to be sprouting faster than dandelions in a spring meadow...

Read the rest. Big Sky, A-Basin, Brian Head, and Alta all have new improvements that I am going to try to hit this year. I might get to Steamboat, but this winter is pretty packed and it is looking like another year of staying mostly in Brian Head until the condo sells.

Posted by Justin at 09:02 AM

November 03, 2007

Ann Arbor News has a Different Take on Affordable Skiing

Jim Carty has a great take on affordable skiing at the Ann Arbor News:

You could, incidentally, get four tickets to a Tiger game, with four cokes and four hot dogs for $40 this year ... just like you can get a Colorado Pass for around $400, or less than the cost of five single-day lift tickets to Vail.

If you adjust for inflation, I'd guarantee that four-for-$40 baseball deal is either as cheap, or cheaper, than you would have paid for a similar combination in 1960.

But unlike our apocryphal baseball purist, Ms. McClure ignores the fact that in many ways, skiing has never been more financially accessible.Season passes are, at most resorts, at an all-time low. Air fares and equipment are historically cheap and car ownership is at an all-time high. It's easier for a kid in Detroit to drive to Mount Brighton or fly to Vail than it was in 1960 or 1990.

The issue isn't really price, though, it's that ski areas and the people who run them do nothing to court urban, or even young, skiers because the big money is in attracting couples who have a combined family income of $250,000 or more and talking them into either paying $500 a night for a room, buying a $50,000 timeshare or fractional, or - if they have the bucks - spending $500,000 or more on a studio slopeside condo.

Is that elitist? I'm not sure. To me, elitism is when you actively limit access to a select few. It's still possible to ski just about anyplace outside of The Yellowstone Club for a pretty reasonable price ... if you plan ahead, buy used equipment and pack a lunch.

I'm going to do some more thinking on this one and update with a few more links later in the week, so check back then.

Agree. He hits a few points I have made for the last two years. First, Season Pass deals are all over. Second, the ski areas aren't doing enough to market to Urban Areas and middle class folks. And third, their biggest concern is keeping the wealthy folks that drop the big money happy and they don't want swamped with too much traffic or lower end customers.

I spend a lot of time highlighting pass deals (Colorado Pass, Big Sky Frequent Ski), lower cost resorts (Wolf Creek, Brian Head), and how to buy gear at the end of the season and on e-Bay. Skiing is accessible if you do all of these things, but you still gotta do pretty well financially to ski even then. But if you do these things it moves the financial threshold from $250,000 per year family income to around $100,000 per year. Still quite a hefty income category.

Just do the math. Family of four. Gotta have coats, ski pants, gloves, goggles, helmets (hopefully), thermals. I know my gear costs around $500 per person and you cannot buy this stuff used. I buy stuff at sales and am always looking for end of season deals, but a good jacket is still $125-150 and a pair of ski pants is at least $50. Gloves are $25 for a good pair. A set of good thermals is $30-40 for a cheap pair. Helmet is $50-75. Goggles are at least $40. And all this is low end to middle quality gear. We are pushing $500 for just the clothes. Let's assume that you own instead of rent. E-bay boots and skis and bindings and poles are going to run another $400 for anything even servicible. Let's call it $750 for per person for a family of four.

Then you have lift tickets. For a week, even getting a pass deal, let's say that you get a Colorado Pass for $400 per person. $1,600 bucks for four. Then you gotta stay somewhere. If you stay in a hotel in the next town, it may run $75 a night, but you have to rent a car. That is cheaper than a condo. Let's assume a week's car rental for a 2WD Camry is $200. Then the hotel is $500 for a week. Stop at Costco from the airport and get your food for a week instead of eating on mountain. We won't count that. Just the $150 you spend on an occasional energy drink, Mountain Dew, burger, slice of pizza, etc., in the lodge. Total of lift tickets and hotel is $2,500. You fly Southwest and get a steal from wherever into Denver. $100 a ticket. That is another $500 after airport taxes (and because I like round numbers). $3,000.

You have $3,000 for equipment (one time, but another $500 a year for replacement stuff that gets worn out or for gear the kids outgrow). Add in $3,000 for food, lodging, car rental, and airfare. We are at $6,000 for a week of skiing (all inclusive).

Now, do the projections. For a family of four at the top 10% of all income earners in the US threshold which is around $120,000 GROSS INCOME (again round numbers), that works out to spending 5% of your total gross income to take your family for a week of skiing, cutting every corner and lowballing it all the way. The only way you can do it consistently is to live in Reno, Seattle, Denver, or Salt Lake City, or any of the other smaller mountain communities where there are few if any jobs that pay $120,000 a year. If you live close, you can avoid most of the travel charges and use your Colorado Pass a lot more.

You cannot make affordable skiing affordable to most folks. If you are cheap like me, you can take your family skiing on $120,000 a year. Otherwise it is day trips to the local resort in Wisconsin or Michigan. You are not getting the Colorado Pass type deals.

I still think that the Sierra Club and rich folks don't want the resorts overcrowded.

Posted by Justin at 12:36 PM

October 31, 2007

Reading for the Preseason - Instant Karma: The Heart and Soul of a Ski Bum

Got a copy of Wayne Sheldrake's book in the mail the other day as now more and more PR folks are using the power of bloggers to spread the word about their products and bloggers like me are using the power of our blogs to get free stuff.

The book is a little dark, especially in the beginning. I guess I never really thought about why folks become ski bums. Usually they are running from something. Maybe it is an ex and a bad breakup or maybe it is a bad childhood or other problems. I think the details sometimes are hard to listen to from people that you think are just free spirirs. Then I think about my uncle Lynnie. I still remember him with a can of Animal Beer in his hands, and usually a dozen in his stomach teaching his nephews to fish and hunt and camp and cuss. He always had a van of some sort and you never knew he was coming until he would show up. Just to stop in and stay a day or as long as your driveway had room for a van. Then just as quick, he would say goodbye and be gone again. He died a week before my son Jake was born. Barely 40. He loved the mountains. You never ask these people what makes them tick because they will have 20 stories for you and never really answer your question. But you will enjoy the 20 stories and forget you asked one.

I wondered about the title--Instant Karma. As I read the book, all of the places seemed so familiar. Wolf Creek. Treasure. Alberta. Even the parking lots at Wolf Creek. The name of the book comes from a story about poaching runs without a lift ticket and the consequences of losing most of a ski season because of a wreck that day. I remember skiing Wolf Creek with Jake (Big, not Little) and Erich and taking lap after lap on Alberta with a couple guys from Summit who were there because an epic blower had skipped the north but dumped on Wolf Creek. The guy was telling me that he was skiing on yesterday's ticket, but as long as you get past the main lift first thing in the morning and get to one of the side lifts (like Alberta), there is usually only one lift operator working it and they never check tickets. Wolf Creek simply stamps the date on the front of their lift ticket or a special word jumble for the day and most times they never check. About midway through the day after cutting fresh line after line through the glades, ski patrol is waiting at the top for him. I was riding the lift with him when it happened. Not a complaint. Just, dude, can we cut through the glades on the way down. It was the last run of his day. But he wanted to make the most of it.

While lots of folks debate the existence of "God" with a Capital G, I always acknowledge and pay tribute to both the snow gods and the football gods. I don't believe that I can change the universe with simple actions. I cannot influence storms to change track. I cannot convince the gods of physics to have that long pass land six inches beyond a receiver's hands. But I never leave that to chance.

We are all so lucky to enjoy skiing. To enjoy life. I enjoyed the book and it brought out a lot of memories, not just of skiing, but of the faces and people that I have met along the way.

Posted by Justin at 04:14 PM

October 30, 2007

Preparing the Kids for the Season

Went to the condo a couple weeks ago with Jake and Jackson. Every year they outgrow their stuff. I keep buying stuff big and even then they outgrow it. Both hit a major growth spurt this year but it looks like both are good on the boots for another year or two.

Here is my gear checklist:

• Skis - both are in 150's this year with Jake on his new K2 Juvy 150's and Jack on his Salomon 1080 Thruster 150's. Jarrett is gonna either be on Jake's K2 125's or on the 1080 Fish 130's.
• Boots - Jake has new Nordica Supercharger 26.5's and Jack has a year old pair of Rossi 26.5's. They actually have the same size feet. Jake is gonna be a big kid. Jarrett is rolling in Jake's Nordica GTS 23.5's.
• Jackets - Question is whether the trickle down effect from Jack to Jake to Jarrett happens this year or next. TBD.
• Helmets - Jarrett needs a new one, but again trickle down may happen. Jack and Jake both have Giro Bad Lt. helmets and all of us have the Skull Candy headphones to go along with them.
• Thermals - again, gotta check. We got tons of them, but it depends on how much the kids have grown.
• Gloves, misc... - All should still work.

I have dropped 45 lbs since last season. I got pretty big at 275. I was a high school O-lineman and wrestler and it finally caught up with me that I needed to drop considerably. I am down slightly under 230. I have been a 2XL guy for forever but went in to Sports Authority and was trying on XL pants and jackets and they were the right size. My 2XL stuff is like a tent. Debating what to pick up, but got the new Skiing Mag with all their gear stuff and I may spring for some new gear... Just that I can't use it.

This is the nice thing about being a regular. Maybe I have to buy a Jacket, helmet or some thermals and I have three kids outfitted. With almost brand new gear. Every year it is a little bit of stuff, but with three of them, hand-me-downs rock. Plus I e-Bay all the equipment in April when prices are rock bottom. That helps. It certainly keeps costs manageable.

I just can't wait to get Lindsey geared up and skiing. Girl stuff is so cool. I hate to say it, but it really is. Even for women. It used to be that everything was unisex or else it was the old school one pieces in hot pink or jackets with huge fur collars. Now, they have more and more cool stuff.

Posted by Justin at 12:42 AM | Comments (1)

A New Focus for the Season

I got borderline depressed last week when I got the news about the hand. I mean literally depressed. I had a psychologist appointment on Friday morning about 18 hours after I got the x-ray done and could see the bone fragment in the film and well before the doctor confirmed what I already knew. Not quite stick me in the hospital depressed, but more like up my dosage of Welbutrin depressed.

So here are the thoughts going through my head over the last five days:

• If this is the worst God is gonna give me this winter, say a thank you prayer. This is probably the biggest thought. It sucks, but it could suck so much worse. I mean in perspective, this doesn't even suck that much once you get over the initial shock of it.
• It is my right hand. Sucks to be in a cast. Until I think about my cousin Nat and her husband Jeff who got me into Jeeping. Jeff of the Rubicon that pulled my crappy old Wrangler X out of the sand even though I was sporting the 33" tires, lift, and all kinds of toys. Rubicon means business. Jeff lost his hand in a blasting cap accident when he was 21. We are the same age. He never so much as complains.
• At least it is not an ACL. AT LEAST IT IS NOT AN ACL.
• I gotta suck it up and keep making the trip to Brian Head despite the fact that I will be relegated to the lodge or condo. Jake, Jackson and Jarrett deserve that. I can probably sneak in a run or two with them if I am careful and smart.
• My psychologist has been warning me about overdoing it with all the stuff I have going on right now. Tickets to three major sports. Kid in Pop Warner. Wick in the playoffs. Business stuff. Work stuff. Patent work in my spare time. This is my chance to slow down and get back some perspective.
• Chicks dig scars. OK, maybe not, but I will surely get better at lying about how it happened. I wish I didn't have this stupid blog that captures things and basically tells the world about my life. Then it would be so much easier to make up something cool about breaking it in Double A right before September call-ups and it ending my dream of playing first base in the Bigs. Something cool like that. My step brother Josh used crap like that to pick up chicks in bars all his life. =) (Jer will confirm that and will probably leave some comments here about it.)
• AT LEAST IT IS NOT AN ACL.
• How much Vicodin and Percocet can I get for it. Dude, that stuff rocks.

I have an appointment with the ortho tomorrow and I am sure that he will do surgery almost immediately. Cut the damned thing and get me healing. The sooner the better.

Posted by Justin at 12:22 AM

October 28, 2007

Rising Cost of Skiing Article from Tacoma News Tribune

The Tacoma News Tribune has a story about the rising cost of skiing:

According to an NSAA survey, 46 percent of skiers and boarders have a household income of $100,000 or more. Just 17 percent of all U.S. households fall into that same category.

Some people would rather see lift ticket prices increase rather than drop.

“I hear people telling me they want tickets over $60 because it will keep the crowds down,” Kircher said.

At Tahoe’s Squaw Valley USA, a season pass is $1,770. When the resort considered a $299 season pass for those who purchase it a season in advance, regular customers shot down the idea.

“They’re afraid we’d be jammed all season and the mountain would get trashed,” said Squaw Valley spokeswoman Savannah Cowley.

Rachel McClure of Zumiez, a chain of action-sports stores, argued in her master’s thesis at Arizona’s Prescott College that not only is skiing an elitist sport, but also so is hiking.

The subject of her thesis was the need for youth to spend more time in the outdoors.

“A lot of people in urban environments can’t even get to the mountains to ski or mountain bike, let alone ski,” said McClure, who helps run the University of Washington winter sports program.

Freakin' Urban Environmental Hippies. I got an idea, how bout you whine about the rising cost of skiing, then try to shut down the only ski area within 4 hours of the 6th largest city in the country:

Sierra Club is working with the Navajo Nation, Yavapai-Apache Nation, White Mountain Apache Tribe and Dr. Paul Torrence, Professor of Chemistry at Northern Arizona University, to stop the proposed expansion of the Arizona Snow Bowl and to prevent the use of reclaimed water to be sprayed on the ski slopes.

I am crying tears of sorrow for the urban hippie environmentalists that are sending their money to the Sierra Club to fund the Snowbowl lawsuit while Prescott grad Rachel McClure of Zumiez is writing her hard luck story about the rising cost of skiing.

Skiing is expensive precisely because of the Sierra Club. They are funded by rich city folk that want "pristine" outdoors that can only be achieved by keeping costs so high that urban folks cannot afford to go into the outdoors. If people go skiing, it destroys the environment, therefore we want to make it impossible to open new resorts or expand existing ones so that fewer and fewer people can afford to ski.

No hypocrisy here.

Posted by Justin at 09:31 PM | Comments (1)

October 23, 2007

Skiing with Your Kids

I am the father of three, two of which are already skiers. Jarrett far less so than Jake. Jarrett is 6 and this is probably his first "real" winter of skiing. He got a couple of days in the last two years, but he never really got into it.

So here are some lessons learned from my experience as a ski dad with Jake that we get to work on with Jarrett:

• Nothing ends a ski day quicker than being cold. If you are gonna drop $60 on a lift ticket and ski rental for a little one (even one Jake or Jacko's age), spend the money on good clothing for them. Preferably bibs which you can buy a size or two too big and just shorten the straps buying you as many as three seasons.
• Make sure that you are clear on the purpose of the day. If the snow is good, you probably want to spend the extra money on putting them at the kids camp, even if they are fairly seasoned skiers. Until the last two years, I would drop Jake at kids camp on epic days.
• Did I mention keeping them warm? Let me say it again... warm. Buy good gloves and socks--not the cheap cotton gym socks they wear with their skate shoes either. One of the regulars at Brian Head recommends panty hose because it is thin, lets your feet breathe, and will keep you warmer. Hand and foot warmer pockets in the gloves and the accompanying warmers are a good idea. So is hot chocolate periodically.
• Never take them on runs above their ability. You want them to gradually build confidence.
• If you are not the patient type, get the kiddoes lessons. It is worth the money and it is far more fun to ski with them once they are in the green-blue range comfortably.
• Bring games or the old X-box to the condo with you along with plenty of movies. If you like to have a drink or chill or do grown up stuff at night, keep them occupied with the stuff they like to do at home.
• Earplugs should always come with. Maybe the kids need them from the racket in the condo or maybe you need them because extremely tired kids snore, but you want to make sure the kids get a good night's sleep.
• Plan meals to keep the kids happy and bring lots of snacks. I stop at Costco and get a case of individual Oreos and Granola bars.
• Helmets are a must. Start them young and make them wear a helmet.

I made some serious mistakes with Jake. Like him screaming at me that he cannot do it and make it down because it is too cold or the run is too steep. Matter of fact, there I was ready to choke him and pissed because my ski day was getting ruined and he needed to suck it up. And he was 6. The problem with oldest children. They are like first cars. You are poor and want to do mechanical work which usually results in breaking stuff. You can always sell a car though. I was lucky not to ruin Jake on skiing by being a bad ski dad.

But don't let that discourage you from bringing the kids with you. 6-7 years old is a good time to start them. Earlier if they are OK staying in the kids camp. By the time they have 3-4 days of skiing, they will be able to hit most of the good blues and you can ski with confidence with them.

Jake is bordering on whooping my butt at it and the day is coming soon. But it is because I took him almost every time I went skiing since he was 6. Focus on small things and using good technique and they will learn it young. Now if I could just stand his sass and little mouth. But I taught him most of the smack talk too, so I am reaping what I sow.

Posted by Justin at 12:37 AM | Comments (3)

October 18, 2007

Injuries and Workouts Article at Rokovoko

Rokovoko has an interesting article on workouts and injuries to check out. Interesting stuff on an ACL injury:

Stay in shape, stretch, train, eat right, be cautious, and guess what -- injuries still happen sometimes, as Steven Cohn, of Bethesda, Md., found out a few years ago skiing at Whitetail in Pennsylvania.

“I was carving turns down the mountain,” he recalls. “I was pleased about the natural, fresh snow, my body’s performance and ski equipment. Suddenly, my forward visibility was limited by the rapid decent of the terrain before me. I was airborne. Not a problem. However, in direct line of my landing stood three young ladies … chatting (probably about their cell-phone reception) in the middle of the trail.”

Among the thoughts that flashed through his mind, Cohn says, were “What the #*?!” and “avoidance mid-flight maneuver.”

“I tried the later,” he says. “My landing was harder than anticipated. My left leg (downhill) didn’t get the message and didn’t hold its edge. I fell forward and toward my left. My bindings didn’t release and I felt and heard two distinct pops in my left knee. Ouch! [Deleted expletives.] That was special! I was dragged off the mountain and given an ice pack. After being asked to sign liability release forms ... I got in my car and my wife drove me home.

“The following morning I visited the neighborhood hospital. The physicians confirmed my diagnosis of a torn anterior crucial ligament (ACL). The next week was spent obtaining second-through-seventh opinions. Some physicians advised to learn to live with a locking knee or a knee that had unlimited swiveling capabilities. Some advised me to wear a knee brace. However, without surgery there would be no more skiing. Others said they could operate and rebuild the joint. I’m an active guy and wanted to ski again.”

My mom does Canine Agility and about four months ago tore her meniscis. She is having trouble with her ACL after the surgery and her knee is severely weakened. We were talking about strengthening exercises last night as I was coming home from the Condo.

Check out Highly Obsessed for Adam's horror story about Canadian healthcare and his ACL injury.

Posted by Justin at 06:05 PM

September 24, 2007

First Snow in UT and CO (h/t Jon Wade and First Tracks Online)

First Tracks Online links to this story:

Salt Lake City, UT - A strong cold front combined with moisture from a Pacific storm to bring the first snows of the season to Utah's ski and snowboard resorts overnight. As temperatures in Salt Lake City dipped to the mid-40s this morning behind the front, snow was falling at elevations above 7,000 feet, decorating even the base areas of the higher-elevation ski areas with a fresh coating of snow. The system left up to eight inches upon the Wasatch Mountains before it's scheduled to start exiting the state later today.

Jon Wade over at Steamboat Springs Blog sends this little note:

It rained all day yesterday and I awoke to this beautiful sight...

According to CBS News in Denver Eisenhower Tunnel was closed last night due to a brief but intense snowstorm. Let it snow.

I checked the Kraft Family Webcam at Brian Head and there was a skiff of snow on the mountain there too.

Posted by Justin at 02:15 PM

September 14, 2007

Helmet and Season Pass Use (h/t First Tracks)

This from FTO regarding helmet and season pass usage:

Among the most prominent trends noted in the 2007 National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) National Demographic Study is the continued aging of the visitor base, with strong growth in skiers and snowboarders aged 45 and older. The fact that older participants are being retained in the sport in significant numbers is a welcome trend for the ski industry, while at the same time raising concerns about introducing the next generation to the sport.

The average age of participants has risen steadily from 33.2 in 1997-98 to 36.6 in 2006-07. Specifically, since 1997-98, the proportion of visitors aged 45 to 54 has increased from 14.0 percent to 19.4 percent; the proportion of visitors aged 55 to 64 has almost doubled from 4.6 percent to 9.4 percent; and the proportion of visitors aged 65 and older has also almost doubled, from 2.4 percent to 4.2 percent.

Age differences across different regions of the U.S. are dramatic. The Midwest has the youngest visitor base with a median age of 22, followed by the Southeast at 28, Pacific West at 32, Rocky Mountains at 39 and the Northeast at 40.

This year’s study also indicates a continued increase in helmet usage. Overall, 40 percent of survey respondents were wearing a helmet when interviewed, up from 38 percent last season and 25 percent in 2002-03.

Season pass usage also continues to rise. Thirty-one percent of respondents owned a season pass this season, up from the 26 to 29 percent levels during the prior five seasons.

First, I am a huge proponent of helmet usage. I like my grape. My kids wear helmets. I make them. They have never really skied without one, so it becomes second nature. And with the cool helmets now days and the add-ons like my Skull Candy ear phones, skull caps, and so forth, I actually prefer having my helmet to the years and years of wearing a hat.

It is also good that the sport is retaining older skiers. These folks buy real estate, spend more, and usually are bringing their kids skiing with them, helping the long term viability of the sport. And folks are skiing enough and resorts are pricing passes like the Colorado Pass low enough that folks view season passes as a good investment.

All of these trends are positive for the sport.

Posted by Justin at 08:55 AM

August 31, 2007

Megeve Mike Has More Info on Skiing Europe

Mike Beaudet is an American expat that runs a private ski school in France specializing in ski tours for Americans and Brits. Upside is he speaks both French and English and being that he is American and certified as both a French and PSIA ski instructor, he brings a wealth of knowledge and a ton of experience both instructing and guiding skiers.

Mike sends this update on skiing the Alps:

I often talk to my American clients and friends that fly into Geneva International Airport (GVA) from most any city off the East and West Coast of the US. They tell me that it is less expensive (much cheaper), and takes less time to ski in the French Alps than to fly and then drive 3 hours to some of the better known resorts in Colorado and Utah. The flight is only 6 to 7 hours! A short 1 hour drive from Geneva will get you to Megeve and you’re on the ski slopes.

I have a Private Ski School " Ski Pros Megeve " in Megeve, France and can assure you that even with a dollar at $1.35 to the Euro;

• The cost of lift passes are half what you would pay back home in the US.
  
• Ski Equipment rental is less... even for top of the line models.
  
• Food on the hill is unique, has taste (tastes good) and at about $28. for two, including wine, won’t ruin you.
  
• The hotels (at the bottom of the slopes and center of town) can be reserved for anywhere from $148. And up!
  
• A taxi transfer from the airport to Megeve will cost about $160 per person or you can take a bus for a quarter of the cost and get to the same place, in the same amount of time.
  
• People are super friendly and the atmosphere is like nothing back home.
  
• Private ski lessons are half the price that you would pay in the Rocky Mountains.
  
• A good supper, (and plenty of it) at a good restaurant can start at $25. Including wine, desert and tips!
  
• It is not just the price there is a lot more… it’s easy to get to also!
  
• You can ski several ski areas in short drives ( 20 min. ) frome any one area. Where else can you go to ski into one, two or even three different countries in a ski trip if not in a day?

I tried to free up some time to travel to France last year, but got crazy busy with work. I am hoping to get over to Europe (for the first time) this year. I am also hoping to go to Chile next summer, and have enough airline miles to do one or the other. I want to take Tera to Europe with me, but since she does not ski and that is the main reason I am going, she would be crazy bored. Jake will for sure be going so that he can ski with me. Spoiled little brat. =)

Check Mike's website out and drop him and e-mail if you are interested in skiing Europe. He can score some awesome deals since he works closely with the local resorts and can get you a guide, passes, hotels, meals, and so on for considerably less than a travel agent can.

Posted by Justin at 12:03 PM

August 30, 2007

Condo Rental Etiquette

It is Labor Day weekend and I am heading to Utah on another holiday. There will be countless other folks up there to see the leaves changing colors hoping to enjoy one more mini-vacation before the weather turns cold. I want to highlight some of the things that have happened in the two plus years that I have owned my condo that have just pissed me off. If you own or rent a condo, here is a little lesson in how not to be a gigantic a-hole to the other people that use the condo complex:

• Don't drink beer in glass containers near the pool. I know this is retarded to even have to mention it, but glass containers near a pool are bad news. I have seen too many people do this to count and usually it is at night when management is no where to be found. And they are always renters.
• If you are gonna get trashed, do it in your own unit, not in the hall or the pool.
• Don't run up and down the halls. Walk. Running makes way more noise and the walls are usually paper thin.
• Stay in the same unit as your kids. If they are so rotten that you cannot stand to stay in the same unit with them, they are gonna be even worse if left alone.
• Don't cook fish or anything else that smells nasty. It smells up the entire floor. If you want to have a fish fry, use the barbeque outside or at least make sure you open all your windows. In the winter, it is too cold to open the windows, so just don't do it. I don't want to know what you had for dinner.
• When you bring a group, make sure that the kids know which room their friends are staying in. At midnight, having some idiot ring my doorbell while I am in my boxers (which are usually not the good sexy kind with hearts and silk) and making me climb down the stairs to hear "Uh, I thought this was Bobby's room) is enough to make me want to beat you and then find Bobby and beat him too.
• Don't leave your trash outside your door. Take it to the garbage. Again with the whole smell thing.
• Don't make out in the hottub. Have some class. You got a room, use it. My kids don't want to see that--or maybe they are old enough that they do. Either way, I don't want them to see it.
• Close the damned windows and leave the heater on low when you leave. Don't freeze up the complex and bust pipes because you are an idiot.
• Put your pool towels in the dirty linen bag. Don't just leave them by the pool.
• If your dog doesn't fit in a medium sized women's handbag, leave it at home. If your dog is named Kujo or Killer or Mauler, etc., as opposed to Bit Bit or Fe Fe or Gigi (as Lindsey's favorite toy poodle is) then you are good.

Now, for the worse offenses I have seen at Timberbrook:

• A couple guys rented a unit with no credit card on deposit and then set a tire on fire in the garage, which of course filled with dark black smoke and evacuated the entire building.
• Someone got the shietes and crapped all over the men's restroom and didn't clean it up. They wiped some of it up with a pool towel, simply smearing it.
• Someone took that a step further and took a dump right in the middle of the floor randomly, probably on a dare.
• Some kids were using a potato launcher to hurl water balloons at their friends 100 feet down the hall.
• Some renters broke into a bunch of the ski lockers and stole several snowboards.

This is such no brainer stuff. I figured that people that can drop a grand and a half for a week condo rental would have at least half a clue on how to conduct themselves. I expect the kids that come up on their school ski trips to be little spoiled pricks, but not the average renter.

BTW, best group of kids ever to stay at the complex--kids from Saddleback Church in CA. They literally could be seen every evening after the mountain closed walking to a Bible study in the clubhouse. They were polite and they had plenty of supervision. Two weeks later, from Huntington Beach, some kids ski club came up and half the kids were drunk.

My worst offense of etiquette--Jeremy and me watching the Broncos-Pats playoff game two years ago.

Posted by Justin at 11:02 AM

July 14, 2007

South America Info from Unofficial Andes - Las Lenas

New blog on my blogroll - Unofficial Andes.com which has some good stuff on South America including this post about Las Lenas:

Las Lenas was opened in 1982 and has since become the premier Argentinean ski resort. There is no town within an hour of Las Lenas but there are plenty of shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Most people who come to ski Las Lenas stay at one of the hotel/apartments that are located right at the base of the mountain. However, if you are looking to stay for the season or are on a budget you can try and land a bed in one of the gringo ski bum apartments.

Terrain
Las Lenas is known for having some of the most extreme lift accessible terrain on the planet. From the top of the Marte chairlift you can access hundreds of chutes descend in all directions that open up into wide-open faces. Below this there are groomed runs which fan out on Las Lenases front side. Grooming here, like most South American resorts, is OK at best. Don’t be surprised if you see a major wipeout on every lift ride. This is largely due to low intermediate skiers skiing on very inconsistent groomed runs. If you don’t mind hiking or are one of the nut jobs who enjoy it, Las Lenas will offer you truly spectacular runs which seem to go on forever. If you dont feel like hiking, Las Lenas also provides heil-skiing and cat-skiing.

Nightlife
The Nightlife in Las Lenas goes on 7 nights a week till around 9 a.m. If you are looking to party as much as ski Las Lenas is the place for you.

I still want to take a trip to South America, but money just ain't there right now. From what I understand, a week trip down there and a stay in the apartments (read hostels like accomodations) is dirt cheap. Transport, lodging (with 20 sweaty dudes in bunks), lift tickets, and food can be had for under a grand. Portillo has bunks for around $80 per night.

Las Lenas offers apartment style accomodations that if you sleep 7 in a huge apartment, the price per day for lift tickets, transport, and lodging runs around $600 per day FOR SEVEN PEOPLE. That is about $85 per person to stay and ski. Food is extra. Not sure if they have other arrangements for individuals to share housing like Portillo's dorms, but Unofficial Andes probably has more info.

Posted by Justin at 12:04 PM

July 10, 2007

Skiing in Iraq

Some just plain crazy stuff:

Despite all the negative news coming out Iraq, there is a glimmer of hope. It’s early days, but an investment and construction boom underway in the largely unreported, relatively peaceful northern part of Iraq, has led to a wave of development proposals, including the country’s first modern ski area.

Neighbouring Iran contains about 20 ski areas and has a long history of winter sports dating back to the era of the Shahs and the first half of the 20th century. Despite the image of both nations as desert countries, Iran actually has several entries in the list of the world’s 20 highest ski areas.

The many ranges of the Zagros mountains extend along southern and western Iran and into northern Iraq. Many peaks exceed 3000m (9,000ft), with the highest point being Zard Kuh at 4548m (14,921 ft).

The rumors of a ski resort for Iraq come on a wave of development projects in the relatively peaceful Kurdistan sector in the north of the country, which has been protected by a no-fly zone since 1991. Although this “nation within a country” still has many deprivations for most of the population, foreign investment and money from wealthy Iraquis is going in to new malls, housing developments, casinos and mosques at levels measured in the billions of dollars.

A New York Times article “Pointing to Stability, Kurds in Iraq Lure Investors,” on 27th June 2007 notes that The Kurdistan Regional Government is investing $325 million in a modern terminal at the Erbil International Airport to handle, officials hope, millions of passengers a year, and a three-mile runway that will be big enough for the new double-decker Airbus A380.

“We’re not saying Kurdistan is heaven,” Herish Muharam, chairman of the Kurdish government’s Board of Investment told the NYT. “But we’re telling investors that Kurdistan can be that heaven.”

Get them Hummers uparmored for the trip to Northern Iraq. This is gonna be a slightly difficult sell for the Kurdistan Tourist Bureau. I am booking my trip now.

UPDATE:Jeremy sends this update:

I am thinking that the avalanche would probably need a few aftermarket upgrades to make that trip possible. Does chevy offer a "gun turret" option for that year, or is that only available on the 07' and up Avalanches?

I think the other major problem would be all of the hoodlum Iraqi snowboarders smoking hash and blowing sh*t up. Nobody wants to share the slopes with snowboarders carrying a-k's, grenades, and RPG's. Bad part is if the resort takes the alta approach and bans snowboarders from the mountain, it's jihad time buddy!!!!!! Waiting in long lift lines sucks. Waiting in long lift lines with suicide bombers..... probably sucks a little more. On the bright side, I am thinking that the Iraqi national team will probably win that olympic event where the skiers shoot at targets, hands down every time...

Jer hits the nail on the head. I am adding the gun turret and up-armor on the Avy now and buying Kevlar body armor.

Posted by Justin at 11:40 PM | Comments (1)

June 18, 2007

Hokey Websites for Resorts

The whole Interweb thing is gettin' awful popular nowadays. But 2003 was a long time ago. In web years, which work kinda like dog years, 4 years is about three lifetimes ago. But 4 years ago was the last time Sunrise updated or redesigned their website and their design pretty much sucked 4 years ago too. I actually think their design was done about six years ago because I remember the page being roughly the same as far back as 2001.

I want to use my forum as a quick shout out to the worst designed and oldest web pages for resorts that I have found. Maybe encourage them to hire some college kid for $10 an hour (which is almost double what they pay their lift operators and ski instructors) to do some updates. I mean it ain't expensive to do some site updates every once in a while. And adding a webcam isn't really a site update. I am not talking crazy flash animation like Vail, but rather some simple, clean site design.

Some are much worse than others, and the last two really aren't that bad. Not meant to offend anyone, except for the designers of the first two sites because I consider it personally offensive that they can go around calling themselves "Web Designers". Here are the worst two with a couple of other suggestions (but I will update with reader input):

• Sunrise - oh, where to start. The use of tables with thick borders that serve absolutely no purpose. Then you have randomly sized pictures and announcements that have absolutely no theme. The background is just the same image over and over that serves no purpose either. In short, this looks like a web page that some kid taking Web101 at the local high school designed as a pet project. I hope that he got a D or F for it. I have a 10 year old and a 12 year old brother that collectively could do a better job. And since it is the 5 year anniversary of the 500,000 acre Rodeo-Chediski fires, I will suggest that the tribe hire Leonard Gregg who should be learning some good vocational skills in prison after he felt the unemployment situation on the rez was so bad that he decided to start the largest wildfire in Arizona history to secure some part time employment as a firefighter. How about creating a non-casino job for one of your tribe members?
• Wolf Creek - not nearly as bad as Sunrise, but still in major need of an overhaul. What is up with the color scheme? Whoever signed off on these colors needs shot. But at least the links work. I don't like the redundant use of navigation on both the sidebar and the bottom of the page, especially that the links are not in the same order.
• Rock Dodge - not a bad site, for having a copyright in 2002. I don't really like their use of tables and I hate them using white text in colored table cells. But they have a consistent color theme. Their navigation links are too small to see and get around on and the white text contributes to that.
• Brian Head - Their new summer site is not much to look at. They did a redesign last year of their winter site and I am not a huge fan of the light green text against a dark green background. Again, minor quibbles. Their navigation is easy to use. This site was just redesigned this last year, but their old site was not bad at all. I really wish the site had more information about the new ski lift improvements.

The last two don't even belong in the same category as the first. Brian Head's and Red Lodge's sites are well laid out and well designed, except for the color schemes. And even at that, they could be much worse.

Please Wolf Creek and Sunrise, fix your crappy sites. There are lots of folks that design web pages for a living and do it pretty cheap. Give it to a college class as a class project. But it is time. Well past time. Sunrise can afford to pay lawyers to put their competition out of business (Snowbowl) with all their casino money, why not spend a little on the resort website?

Posted by Justin at 09:23 AM | Comments (1)

May 14, 2007

Bode Says F-U to US Team, Would Rather Party

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) -- Former Olympic medalist and World Cup champion Bode Miller is leaving the U.S. ski team, ending his contentious relationship with the federation that oversees the sport in this country.

The fiercely independent Miller has been at odds with the association for years, and there long had been rumblings that he would leave the team. U.S. officials have been unhappy with Miller's late-night partying and his outlandish public comments...

The 29-year-old Miller won two silver medals at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, but was shut out at the 2006 Turin Games despite being a favorite in nearly every Alpine discipline. He was criticized for spending too much time in local clubs...

Miller told U.S. men's coach Phil McNichol of his decision to leave the team following a meeting at the headquarters of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association in Park City.

"Bode is a great athlete and we hope he will continue to have athletic success," U.S. Alpine director Jesse Hunt said in a statement released Saturday by the federation. "We had a serious discussion with Bode about his responsibilities as a team member, and he later advised us he was choosing not to join the team."...

"There have been a lot of specific issues out there -- the RV, alcohol issues and so forth," Kelly said in a telephone interview. "None of those were talking points in this meeting. This was about the philosophy of the team, what it means to be a member of the team."...

"In my mind, I'm better than any other racer," he said. "I've been racing against those guys for five, 10 years. Given equal conditions, I feel I can beat those guys any day."

He criticized the association for not coming to his defense at the Turin Olympics instead of offering a public apology for him.

"Everybody parties," Miller said. "There's too much emphasis on winning."

Miller entered the Turin Olympics as a major focus of attention, as much for his attitude as his talent after saying on CBS' "60 Minutes" program: "If you ever tried to ski wasted, it's not easy."

Although a flop on the slopes, he left the Games in an upbeat mood.

"It's been an awesome two weeks," he said at the time. "I got to party and socialize at an Olympic level."

As a skier, Bode is phenomenol. As a person, he leaves much to be desired. As a teammate and representative of our nation, he is a piece of trash.

He has a show on Sirius and spends his time talking about how much he likes European culture and prefers it over the US. A man that travels the world, shows no respect for his sport or the uniform he wears for the US, and would rather show up wasted than dedicate himself to upholding his reputation as a role model and most recognized US athlete in the sport is perhaps the reason why the world views Americans with so much disdain. Bode has it all. Money, fame, and so on. Yet instead of feeling privileged and greatful to his fans and country, he chooses to party his way through life.

What happens when he leaves skiing and there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to respect him? What happens when he fails to be a great athlete and is nothing more than a wealthy, famous American that does nothing but party?

Bode is Tara Reid, Paris Hilton, Courtney Love, and Robert Downey Jr. all rolled up into a skier. It is a disgusting waste that such a great athlete offers my kids who love skiing absolutely no role model at all.

Jeremy Bloom is someone to look up to. Bode is just an a-hole kid blessed with a lot of athletic talent. Maybe Dennis Rodman is a better comparison.

Posted by Justin at 12:33 PM

May 08, 2007

Changes in the Ski Industry

A few months ago, I posted about the top skiing innovations. There is an article in the Spokane Review (registration required) that talks about some other things that one futurist sees coming:

In his new book, "The History of Modern Skiing" (University Press of New England), Fry addresses the past: "Americans produced many of the innovations that transformed the sport — including the chairlift, the metal ski, the plastic boot, the modern ski pole, snowmaking and grooming, professional head-to-head racing, the waxless cross-country ski, the freestyle movement, and snowboarding."

He offers only one look ahead: "There are strong indications that some skiers who took up snowboarding will be going back to wide, short skis that can carve a turn. That was the big attraction of snowboarding in the 1990s — you could arc a pure curve turn on the snow. Now, you can do that with skis."

Here is where it gets interesting for me:

Imagine a skier from 50 years ago surveying the scene in a modern lift line. What would he think of iPods wired into jackets? GPS wrist units? Cell phones with cameras? Digitally scanned lift tickets? Polarized contact lenses designed to cut snow glare? PDAs that allow skiers to check in at the office while they're on the lift? These innovations have shaped the sport and will continue to do so, believes Jim Carroll. Carroll, a noted futurist who lives outside Toronto, says the concept of a work/life balance is a major trend that will continue.

He shares this story: "An engineering company was trying to hire this engineering student in British Columbia, near a bunch of (ski) resorts. He turned their offer down. They called him back and were mystified. He said, "You talk about your 9 to 5 culture; that would mess with my powder time."

The way younger people define themselves has changed, Carroll says. "They don't tell you what they do for a living, but what they do." Carroll sees a ski area in the future "with a lot more people hanging out at the hill with a little portable office, doing their thing."

I cannot imagine skiing for me as being a once a year trip to a resort using my vacation time. Telecommunications has come so far. It enables me to work from home or from the condo seamlessly. I can catch a couple of runs during lunch and check in with the office on my cell phone. (I still don't have a Blackberry yet) Even resorts are getting in on the concept and expanding their business centers to allow folks to keep in touch while on the mountain.

I think that I am a part of several of the new trends in skiing. I am in my early 30's. I work remotely via high speed internet and am a huge consumer of technology. I am a twin tip skier (though not much of a jibber). All of these things are part of the trends we are seeing on the mountains. These things are good for skiing because they help replace the baby boomers with new participants.

I guess the real question is--what will things be like for the industry when Jake is my age in 20 years? I assume that by then I will have had both knees replaced from years of skiing abusing them. I will be semi-retired and live in a nice resort town. Probably wearing a sweater with trees on it and trying to look cool. I am hoping not bald. I try not to think that far in advance though...

Posted by Justin at 12:45 PM

May 05, 2007

Say Goodbye to Independent Ski Schools

Seattle Weekly has this article about local non-resort ski schools:

It sounds like the plot for a bad Jason London movie: A ski mogul with an eye on the bottom line takes over a local resort and cancels contracts with the community-based ski schools that have traditionally served the slopes, then asks the ski bums to join the corporate ranks. Lessons double in cost. Longtime skiers and snowboarders are outraged. The National Forest Service washes its hands of the matter. Will the underdog community schools yield to big business? Can snow-loving families afford the increased cost of lessons? Will the feds step in?...

In a letter sent two weeks ago to a handful of schools that have served the resort since its inception (Crystal refuses to comment on matters directly related to the decision), Kircher states that cutting ties is the result of tough times in the ski industry, with problems including increased fuel costs, lack of qualified staffing, low customer-retention rate, and erratic weather. Herein, Kircher writes: "In times like these we are forced to come up with new and creative ways to manage our business," later adding that the change, "[w]ill allow us to create standards of excellence based on specific skiing/riding models and customer service models." The letter concludes by inviting schools to "[b]ecome part of our family and share the Crystal Mountain experience," an offer the now-unemployed instructors took as an invitation to work for Crystal's in-house school...

For Kevin McCarthy, president of the White Pass ski area (located west of Yakima on Highway 12), which cut ties with its concession schools shortly before he started running things in the early '70s, consolidation is simply good business. "Why give business that's occurring on your property to someone else? You need every penny you can get. They're making a good call." he says.

It is akin to owning a movie theatre and letting someone set up a vending boot inside your theatre and sell popcorn and soda without giving you a cut. Resorts make a huge portion of their money (and an even larger portion of their profits) off of their ski school. Ski schools have little long term fixed assets associated with them meaning that most of their cost model is variable costs as opposed to fixed. This allows flexibility to increase or decrease costs according to demand. In short, this is a necessary and smart business decision, but it hurts locals that don't want to make the $9 an hour that most resorts pay their instructors.

Something that really bothers me though is this:

Further complicating matters is the fact that Crystal is located on government land and operates under a "special use permit" issued by the National Forest Service. In addition to a percentage of Crystal's profits going to the National Treasury, this means that the NFS has a significant say over business decisions that are made at Crystal and other local slopes, to the point that the resorts must seek approval for details as specific as the color and style of their buildings.

But in the case of the spurned schools, the NFS has chosen not to interfere. "Things we do have say over are safety and what kind of services are provided," says Washington's Forest Service director, Rob Iwamoto. "Obviously, ski school is one of those—but how business is arranged isn't one of those. In general, who provides [the ski-school service] is a business decision. We just expect a level of service to be provided. We are not there to micromanage a business."

You mean any time a business makes a decision that someone is unhappy about the government must choose whether to interfere or not? Well, it is on forest service land that the ski resort has a special use permit for. So surely the special use permit gives the government the right to choose whether to interfere with business operations. The article should have mentioned that the government also chooses not to interfere with ticket prices or food prices in the cafeterias. Typical Seattle type attitude. Before the government concerns themselves with local ski instructors, we need the government to choose to interfere with the price that I pay for a latte from SBC or Starbucks or choose to interfere with how much Windows or MS Office costs. (SBC, Starbucks, and Microsoft being Seattle based companies)

No, the only thing the government needs to choose to interfere with is the amount of THC that is soaking in to this man-ponytail wearing, latte sipping, Seattle based, hippy brain. Damn, dude, put on a flannel, put on some Pearl Jam, and either chain yourself to a tree or protest the World Bank's next conference bro. You gotta be somewhat objective and the use of a single word detracts from the point that the situation sucks for the folks involved. But no business has a "right" to exist. The government does not have an obligation to sit as the judge of which of the two competing business models should be allowed simply because the ski resort happens to be on public land.

Posted by Justin at 08:34 AM | Comments (2)

May 02, 2007

Get Your Lazy Butt in the Gym

About.com has a good article on offseason workouts for skiing:

The most efficient and thorough strength workout is on Nautilus type exercise machines. "Nautilus" has become a generic term for any brand of exercise machine that isolates individual muscle groups. These machines are usually grouped so that moving from one machine to the next is a progression, or circuit of working related muscle groups.

These circuit machines have become very popular and you will surely find them if you belong to a YMCA, or most any modern health or fitness club.

At first the machines may seem a little complicated or torturous looking, but be assured after a short while you will get the hang of bouncing from machine to machine for a some good strength training.

Then more info about specific exercises. Worth reading for some generic info about a good all around workout routine for building the muscles that enable stonger skiing.

I have a couple of very specific weak points. First, and I don't know their exact name, the muscles that oppose the calf muscles on the front of the shin are weak. This causes pain and soreness after a long ski day because you are constantly using your lower legs to shift weight on your skis. Second, my quads get fatigued late in the day.

I have decided for a variety of reasons (read my fat ass) to begin a consistent workout routine. Our local YMCA is brand new, cheap, has great childcare, and is a few miles away. I am trying to spend four days per week there. It is a month now and I certainly feel stronger and more fit. I am also walking and biking more.

I ain't exactly serious enough be calling Victor Conti for the cream and the clear yet, but I am hoping that I can build working out into my pattern during the week. It takes some dedication, but I genuinely feel better lately.

Posted by Justin at 03:04 PM

April 16, 2007

Much Love for Vermont April Dumps (h/t Sparkie at Say Anything Blog.com)

First off, Sparkie over at Say Anything Blog.com posted this and offered the following caption:

Killington, Vermont - Noon on Saturday. That is not manmade snow either. The last two thurs/fris up there have yielded 24” and 18” respectively. Currently that area is about 8” into a 30” dump scheduled to end sometime tomorrow. The skiing on Saturday was f**king brilliant. The only thing like this I can remember recently was 2001 when that area got approx 48” during the first week of April. Anyone on the eastern seaboard who skis - Monday/Tuesday might be a sweet time to come down with a ‘48 hour flu’. Wink wink.

Say is my first stop in the morning as far as blog reads and Sparkie offers some great commentary. Never knew my boy was a two planker who suffered from similar bouts of the flu as your truly.

Posted by Justin at 11:12 AM | Comments (1)

April 12, 2007

Settling in for the Off Season

This weekend is the last ski weekend at Brian Head. I talked to Tera yesterday about making one last trip up, but this weekend won't work. Jarrett has a field trip to the zoo tomorrow, she has to work, Jake has AIMS testing to make sure No Child Gets Left Behind. All of the fun things that we put off for the last six months are catching up with us.

It was a great season. The skiing wasn't great and the snow didn't come down in nearly the amount we wanted (half the average annual snowfall for Brian Head), but this year was better than last and we made several trips that were very enjoyable. Jarrett got his first couple real days skiing in and Jake and Jack got at least 20 days (they don't mind light coverage and hard packed conditions because they don't have to pay to get p-tex work done or for waxes).

So now it is time for my offseason routine. Here is what I have going on:

• New workout program at the local YMCA. Started a couple of weeks ago because I am fat and out of shape--well, I am in a shape, but round is the wrong shape.
• Suns Post-season. This should keep me busy until June when they win a title.
• Wickenburg football season. Wick is coming off back to back seasons when they went deep in the playoffs including a state title loss to Coolidge this last season. I am once again working the chains and spending my Friday nights watching football.
• ASU Football. Dennis Erickson. Great returning talent. USC at home on Thanksgiving Day. Roses would be nice, but even the Sun or Holiday Bowl would be an upgrade.
• Cardinals Football. Despite my better judgment and my bitterness over the last 20 years of underachieving (except for 1998), I renewed my season tickets.
• The Annual Cards Training Camp Trip. Every year in August, we head to Flag for a day.
• Maybe a Diamondbacks game or two. I am still upset over the loss of purple and teal in the unis.

Got some work projects to catch up on, some house projects, and am getting ready to open another business this coming spring. Lots on my plate, but it is always good stuff. The condo needs two things done still--the closet doors hung upstairs and the downstairs bathroom finished. Not a lot of work to do, so next season should be even more enjoyable. All the work is done, so there will be more time for skiing and relaxing.

All in all, I am looking forward to the summer and fall and cannot wait for the snow to start coming down again. I will keep updating and posting throughout the summer with more information related to my doings as well as skiing.

Posted by Justin at 10:28 AM | Comments (1)

April 10, 2007

Statistics on Utah Skier Visits

I have added a new page with detailed statistics of Utah skier visits from the state's Demographic and Economic Analysis Department. Check out the new page and info. Here is the chart:

Some interesting info, but Skier Visits have increased dramatically since 2001.

Utah still lags far behind Colorado as a national ski destination, but the state has a ton to offer. I rec'd an e-mail today that said the following:

I was lucky enough to ski Breck in January and Snowbasin in March. What are your thoughts on Snowbasin? Skiied it on a Wednesday and Thursday. No lift lines and the two gondolas were awesome. Different atmosphere than Breck.

Check the stats for Snowbasin:

• Vertical rise: 2,959 ft (902 m)
• Average yearly snowfall: 400 in (10 m)
• Total lifts: 12
  • 1 Tram
  • 2 Gondolas (high speed detachable)
  • 1 Quad chair (high speed detachable)
  • 4 Triple chair
  • 1 Double chair
  • 1 Magic carpet
  • 2 Hand rope tows
• Total lift capacity: 14,650 people per hour
• Skiable area: 2,650 acres

Compare this to Breck that receives roughly five times the number of skier visits on the same acreage. Here are Breck's comparable stats:

• Vertical rise: 3,398 feet (1,036 m)
• Average Annual Snowfall: 300 in
• Total Lifts: 29
  • 2 high-speed 6-passenger SuperChairs
  • 7 high-speed quad lifts
  • 1 triple lift
  • 6 double lifts
  • 1 8-passenger gondola
  • 4 surface lifts
  • 8 carpet lifts
• Total lift capacity: 37,880 people per hour
• Skiable Area: 2358 acres

Utah is nearly untouched. Colorado gets 12M + skier visits per year to Utah's 4M. Alta-Snowbird is absolutely massive and Snowbasin, Solitude, Brighton, and the West Side resorts getting half as much traffic as Park City.

Long story short--Utah has far fewer people than Colorado and the resorts are much less crowded. Down side is that the nightlife is lacking (save Park City) and the beer flows like water--but it has the same alcohol content and tastes like water too. Utah has a very different feel than Colorado, but as far as pure skiing, I prefer Utah. No, I take that back--I prefer Alta, and it happens Alta is in Utah. I have yet to try Snowbasin, but plan to early next year. Just been spending almost every day at Brian Head this season.

Posted by Justin at 03:44 PM

April 08, 2007

The Year That Was in Utah

The SLC Tribune has an article on the year that was in Utah:

"We got some good early snow," he said.

But starting in November, a high pressure ridge parked itself over the West until about February.

That weather pattern acted as a bubble, forcing snowstorms to other areas, he said.

Utah's loss was Canada's gain, as many storms shifted to the north, McInerney explained.

Meager snowpacks, which reached about 50 percent of average in northern Utah, are not only bad news for skiing, but they also spell trouble for the Salt Lake Valley's water resources in the summer.

This season sucked in a bad way for me. Early snow, but no mid season snow at all. I finally had my place done and Brian Head got 225" of snow (and a huge chunk of that came in March). Normal snowfall is over 400".

But take what you get and thank the Ski Gods for the wonderful sport. It still was a ski season and the laws of averages mean that sooner or later we will have another 600" winter like two years ago.

Posted by Justin at 11:21 PM | Comments (1)

April 07, 2007

Viewer Mail

I have taken a principled stand against Global Warming Hypocrisy as well as the infringement of Native American Rights upon property owners with the following posts:

• Native Americans using the Religious Freedom Reformation Act to take control of Federal Lands
• And several posts including this one related to Global Warming

Today I rec’d the following e-mail [excerpted for length}:

Without taking up too much of your time, I just wanted to express my sincere regret for your lack of education, and the poor-upbringing your children must be getting from their male role-model if those pictures on the website are in fact them.

As I write this message and look at a picture of a family in front of a trail map sign, I want to specifically state that I do not feel everyone in the US must finish grade school, high school, or go to college to be “educated”. The problem lies when one speaks strongly and they do not have any education about the subject they are speaking to, but ascertain claims as if they were experts.

However, from your telling of the recent Casino situation, global warming, to your details about the Arizona Snowbowl case, its very clear you have never studied anything related to ecological functionality, culture, the history of the US, and specifically Native American History.

Sir, your racism is reminiscent of the civil rights movement in the 60’s. You are one of the micro-reasons racism still exists as your white supremaced attitude leaks through almost every article I’ve read on your blog in the last couple of hours.

I’ll see what my SOAN 630/680 class thinks of this blog in the coming week or two as we may focus a case study on your particular blog as a real world example of neo-colonialism, as well as bounce this off the others at the environmental justice center in Washington that I work with specifically to address such issues as you raise in these articles.

Perhaps we’ll be in contact in the future. Until then I hope your readers distinguish the horrendous hateful tone you express in this blog through the beauty that is skiing, and readers recognize that this perspective is no more than ultra right wing conservative GW Bush type propaganda, hidden under a veil of skiing, creating a neo-colonial platform for white folks to continue to hate Indians so YOU CAN GO SKIING (!?).

Wow. Please read my hate filled racist blog about skiing.

My response:

While you may disagree with my tone, opinion, or writing style, the purpose of my site is to encourage discussion of issues that are important to me and to the sport. And in that respect, I have accomplished my mission. People are reading my site and it is encouraging discussion. While we may disagree on the issues, I appreciate the fact that you believe my opinion is so hateful, racist, neocolonialist or whatever that you would choose to include my writings in your class. I cannot encourage discourse without taking sides and without writing passionately about the issues that I care about. Your note demonstrates that our political system is about making your voice heard, whether that be at the ballot box or in the general discourse. Perhaps you mistake passion with anger, racism, hate, etc., but they are merely rhetorical tools that draw attention to the cause. Without my site, folks would be less informed about the issue. You may not like what I say, but it is precisely the impact of blogging that allows the average citizen to make their voice heard.

I encourage you or your students to post comments in an appropriate manner that attacks my positions without attacking me or my family. I also would appreciate if you make your comments about the issues, not about the upbringing of my children.

Thanks for reading my blog and for your feedback.

This is the response. No debate on the merits of the Snowbowl decision or Global Warming, but rather, to attack me as a Racist, Neocolonialist puppet of the Right Wing Hate-mongers like George W. Bush.

Let's get back to the issues. Like it or hate it, the Snowbowl case is not about Native American history, it is about the San Francisco Peaks and the role of the executive branch of government to administer their lands. Global Warming is about the impact of climate study and the quality of the science on the political system. It is about how we as Americans change our habits or impact our economy to fix a problem that we are not even sure how much is man-made.

Nope, this is really about me and how I raise my kids.

Posted by Justin at 01:54 PM

April 06, 2007

Some Jackson Skiing to Tide Me Over During the Offseason

Dude, this is just sickness. Check it.

Posted by Justin at 10:15 PM

April 02, 2007

How to Stop Global Warming - Hollywood Style (h/t Rob at Sayanything)

I am not gonna let this go. I am disgusted by the elitist "do as I say, not as I do" style of Environmentalism by the wealthy in the US. This story is exactly the attitude that makes me want to vomit everytime an actor mentions "Global Warming" and the need of average Americans to cut back while they continue to live their priviledged lifestyle. People that live in 20,000 sq. ft. glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

This story about John Travolta from the UK should highlight how hypocritical Hollywood is about Global Warming. But at least they gave Al Gore an Oscar, right...

His serious aviation habit means he is hardly the best person to lecture others on the environment. But John Travolta went ahead and did it anyway. The 53-year-old actor, a passionate pilot, encouraged his fans to "do their bit" to tackle global warming.

But although he readily admitted: "I fly jets", he failed to mention he actually owns five, along with his own private runway. Clocking up at least 30,000 flying miles in the past 12 months means he has produced an estimated 800 tons of carbon emissions – nearly 100 times the average Briton's tally.

"It [global warming] is a very valid issue," Travolta declared. "I'm wondering if we need to think about other planets and dome cities.

"Everyone can do their bit. But I don't know if it's not too late already. We have to think about alternative methods of fuel...

Travolta's five private planes – a customised £2million Boeing 707, three Gulfstream jets and a Lear jet – are kept at the bottom of his garden in the US next to a private runway.

Posted by Justin at 09:53 AM | Comments (3)

March 30, 2007

Vail Resorts and the Colorado Pass

I have several other posts about the Colorado Pass, but now that it is nearing the end of the season, it is the best time to start thinking about and/or purchasing your season pass for next year. I want to cover the Colorado Pass again, as well as highlight what I think about the CO Pass, Vail Resorts, and the impact of the two on affordable skiing in general.

First, the Colorado Pass--last year the pass ran a little under $400 (even less if you bought early) and got you unlimited skiing at Breck, Keystone, and A-basin plus 10 days at Vail and Beaver Creek. Compare that to roughly the same price (regular price) for a season pass at Brian Head that is for one resort as opposed to three plus two more with bonus days.

Second, Vail. Well, it is Vail. Ten days at $85 a day peak price is more than double the cost of the pass. Hell, even a week at Vail is more expensive than the pass.

I am on a ton of mailing lists, but VRI is has a new Colorado Pass Club that gets you all kinds of offers and discounts. It is important to be an informed consumer and look for deals. If you do that, VRI has about the best deals in the industry. Their lift tickets and prices aren't cheap, but when you use the CO Pass it makes skiing at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breck, and so on actually LESS EXPENSIVE than at many of the smaller resorts around the country... and you are skiing at the finest resorts in the world for reasonable prices.

Utah has nothing that even comes close to the CO Pass. A season pass at Alta is several hundred dollars more than the CO Pass and just covers Alta, and so on. I am big on keeping skiing affordable and Vail Resorts is certainly doing their part.

Posted by Justin at 02:48 PM | Comments (4)

March 26, 2007

New Link - Reclaim the Peaks.com

I can't do justice to the entire Snowbowl debate, but I want to direct your attention to my new link--Reclaim the Peaks.com that is run by the Snowbowl Ski Club.

Arizona has two resorts. One owned by the White Mountain Apache tribe, Sunrise, and Arizona Snowbowl. Snowbowl leaves some things to be desired. It is small. The snow coverage can be lacking. Lift lines suck on busy days because the college kids swamp it. But it is one of two resorts serving the two fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country as well as the country's fourth largest county:

WASHINGTON - Maricopa County gained 696,000 residents between 2000 and 2006, the largest numerical increase of the nation's 3,141 counties, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

This increase surpasses the total population of all but 15 U.S. cities.

Pima County added an estimated 21,362 residents from 2005 to 2006 to end up with 946,362 as of July 1. It grew that year at a rate of 2.3 percent, placing it ninth among Arizona counties in growth rate.
Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, has 3.8 million residents, making it the nation's fourth largest county.

"The dramatic increase in Maricopa County's population is the main reason Arizona became the nation's fastest-growing state between 2005 and 2006," said Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon, referring to the state population estimates released last December. "Maricopa's growth has been remarkable, adding nearly 3 million residents since the 1970 census."

Maricopa County also added the most people - nearly 130,000 - from 2005 to 2006, the bureau reported. It was followed by Harris County, Texas; Riverside County, Calif.; Clark County, Nev.; and Tarrant County, Texas.

Pinal County ranked as the second fastest-growing county in the country from 2005 to 2006 among those with a population of more than 10,000. The county had an estimated 270,000 people and saw a 12.9 percent increase.

But Ski resorts and recreational opportunities do not need to expand just because the state is exploding with growth.

Reclaim the peaks is accepting donations for legal appeals and this issue is about far more than our local resort. This case has major implications for the entire industry as well as for all federal land.

Posted by Justin at 01:45 PM

March 24, 2007

Rocky Celebrates

I grew up in Billings and went to school at Highland Elementary, just about a mile from Rocky Mountain College. My first job ever was delivering papers for the Billings Gazette. Matter of fact, I started college at Eastern Montana College (about two miles away). Today, the Billings Gazette has an article on Rocky Mountain College in Billings winning a national ski racing championship:

Rocky Mountain College saluted its national championship men's ski-racing team Friday afternoon with a reception in Prescott Hall's appropriately named "Great Room."

Friends, fellow students, faculty and administrators gathered to hear written statements from Gov. Brian Schweitzer, senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester and congressman Denny Rehberg congratulating the Bears on winning their second United States Collegiate Ski Association championship in three years.

"As a ski coach I never thought I would hear that kind of recognition," Rocky coach Jerry Wolf said of all the kind words flowing from Helena and Washington, D.C. "I was just trying to put together the best team I could and the fastest team I could to try to win."

And win they did, in Winter Park, Colo., sweeping the giant slalom, slalom and combined standings in topping the 19-school field when the competition concluded on March 10.

Good times. Rocky is about a half a mile from my mom's house. Congrats on winning a title.

Posted by Justin at 07:00 PM

March 19, 2007

The Sierra Club and the Environmental Movement's War on Skiing

Today, a reader called me a racist for being a little sensitive to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision on Snowbowl.

I am truly saddened by the messages written by Justin, the facilitator of this so called ski-blog. The fact that such racism can be freely exchanged in this manner is so indicative of the institutionalized racism of American society. Unfortunately those that bask in the privledge to ski that can't see how privledged we are to connect with the snow and mountains in this way, when so many other social ills are rampant in many peoples day-to-day lives, are missing the soul of this sport.

Recreation to some, a way of life for some folks like myself, I sincerely hope you can stop and check yourself Justin, at some point, and look to the history of Native Americans, how this country was founded, and what thi