Ski-Blog.com

April 27, 2008

Brian Head Still Has Plenty of Snow

I was at Brian Head this last week and it is amazing that on the 24th of April, the resort could easily remain open.

I spent two nights in Brian Head on my trip to Wyoming, one up and one back. I took my grandfather's body to Lovell for his burial service and spoke at another funeral. We did two funerals since we have so many family and friends that could not make the Wickenburg services. It was a little odd to haul him 1500 miles in the back of my truck, but if you knew him, you would understand how much he would enjoy the mere thought of me and my two uncles hauling him back home.

I spent the last three years hoping to take him to my place in Brian Head. The back of the truck in the parking garage was as close to my condo as he got, but I got his old ass up there.

I am slowly settling in to the groove of things again. Sorry for the slow blogging, but it takes a while to recover.

Posted by Justin at 05:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

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

End of the Season Party at Brian Head

The end is near and Brian Head is already getting ready for the end of season party:

End of Season Party on the Snow!
Saturday, April 12th
Lift Tickets 50% Off!
Bounce Back Sunday for the same price
(Must show lift ticket from Saturday)

Come celebrate the last weekend of the 2007-08 Winter Season! Lots of activities and competitions with cool prizes, outdoor barbecue, discounts on food and blowout prices on retail merchandise! Activities begin at 11 a.m. and include:

• Pond Skimming
• Mountain Bike Race
• Rubber Ducky Race
• Rail Jam
• On-Snow Putting Green
• And Lots More!

Sign-ups begin at 9 a.m. on the 3rd floor of the Giant Steps Lodge.

I am gonna give pond skimming a try this season. I gotta do it and if Jackson goes, I am gonna convince him and Jake to do it too.

Posted by Justin at 12:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 17, 2008

21" Last Night at Brian Head

Brian Head got 21" last night which puts the resort over the 300" mark for the year. I got the e-mail powder alert at 8AM as I was heading to chemo. The list of places I would rather be than the VA Hospital is pretty long, but Brian Head is the top of the list.

Things will mellow for me after Easter hopefully and I am going to try to get in one more good weekend.

Posted by Justin at 10:43 PM | Comments (1)

21" Last Night at Brian Head

Brian Head got 21" last night which puts the resort over the 300" mark for the year. I got the e-mail powder alert at 8AM as I was heading to chemo. The list of places I would rather be than the VA Hospital is pretty long, but Brian Head is the top of the list.

Things will mellow for me after Easter hopefully and I am going to try to get in one more good weekend.

Posted by Justin at 10:43 PM | Comments (1)

February 21, 2008

The La Nina that Wasn't

On November 4th, I posted about this season's La Nina and the predicted effects on the Southwest:

"La Niña has been closer to above-normal North and below-normal South trends," Pringle said with regard to snow conditions.

Snowfall in the San Juans could be average or a bit below normal. The National Weather Service predicts La Niña's effect on New Mexico and Arizona to be much more apparent, with less precipitation and higher than average temperatures.

In a word--NO. Not so much. Turns out that Wolf Creek in the San Juans is already sitting at very close to 500" and there are still almost two months left in the season. Sunrise and Snowbowl both opened before Christmas and Snowbowl has already received 200"+ for the season.

I am left to ponder the fact that despite almost 100 years of studying El Nino, the folks that make climate predictions have still been unable to predict weather paterns with any accuracy. Last year was an El Nino year, but despite predictions for record snowfall in the Southwest, we got far below average snowfall, so much so that Arizona Snowbowl barely opened for two weeks. This year is a La Nina year and snowfall is above average at three of the four southwest resorts that I ski (Wolf Creek, Brian Head, Sunrise and Snowbowl).

But we do have a looming climate crisis. It is not rising ocean levels, but rather food shortages and starvation:

The United Nations is stepping in to try to rescue Tajikistan from a social catastrophe brought on by severe winter weather. But even if an emergency UN appeal for assistance generates a robust international response, it is questionable whether Tajikistan will be able to avoid entering a downward spiral, featuring pestilence and widespread hunger...

China’s inflation accelerated in January to 7.1 percent - its rate highest in more than a decade - amid snowstorms that fueled a spike in food costs, according to data reported Tuesday...

But economists have raised their inflation forecasts for the first half of 2008 after freak snowstorms battered China’s south, killing millions of farm animals and wrecking crops.

Chinese leaders are especially worried about the political impact of rapidly rising food costs, which hit the country’s poor majority hard.

The winter even included snow in Baghdad for the first time in a century:

Snow fell on Baghdad on Friday for the first time in memory, and delighted residents declared it an omen of peace.

“It is the first time we’ve seen snow in Baghdad,” said 60-year-old Hassan Zahar. “We’ve seen sleet before, but never snow. I looked at the faces of all the people, they were astonished,” he said.

It has been an odd year. One that has been wetter than expected in the southwest, which we badly need. Somehow, I don't think that the Chinese, when confronted with calls for them to cut greenhouse gasses to combat global warming and when faced with a massive famine crisis because of an abnormally cold winter, will be inclined to take steps to be more environmentally friendly. And I don't think that the myriad of articles promising the demise of skiing are particullarly grounded in fact. Scares like this in particullar:

PARK CITY, UTAH (AP) — Another winter storm headed to Utah could bring two feet of snow and frigid temperatures to the Wasatch mountains. But don't let that fool you.

Utah's trademark Greatest Snow on Earth could be a memory by 2075, say a pair of Colorado climatologists, who warn that global warming could shrink the ski season to a mere two months a year.

Some interesting reading on the subject can be found at Warren Miller's New West Blog. He is skeptical of the global warming hysteria so prevalent in the ski industry too. What if we are wrong about the long term predictions for global warming? 2008's snowfall in Asia provides a disturbing prediction of what global cooling or a new mini-iceage will look like.

Posted by Justin at 02:06 PM | Comments (1)

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)

February 16, 2008

Still Sick with Sinus Infection

I have been slow blogging the last week as the sinus infection has had me feeling like crap. Dizzy. Headaches. Tired. It just sucks.

I am at the condo this weekend and going to put on the skis for a couple hours. Jake said the conditions were great yesterday as the most recent storm dropped a foot on Thursday and today is bluebird and 40.

I got the edges on both my skis and Jake's skis done as well as a good waxing. They were both due. Hoping good conditions hold and that the resort isn't overrun with weekenders here for President's Day. Busiest weekend of the year.

Posted by Justin at 10:47 AM

January 25, 2008

Brian Head and Wolf Creek Both Receive 10" Last Night

Title says it all. Both resorts received nice snowfall totals from the latest storm, with more to come.

Here is where they differ:

• Wolf Creek total snowfall for 2007-08: 300"
• Brian Head total snowfall for 2007-08: 145"

I still cannot get over how great the skiing was at Wolf Creek two weeks ago. This storm has some good snowfall potential for both resorts, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that Brian Head gets some more snow before my trip north after the Super Bowl.

Posted by Justin at 11:17 AM

January 02, 2008

Record Breaking December for Snow at Brian Head

From the Brian Head website:

Brian Head Resort received 99 inches of snow during the month of December, which breaks a 15-year record! And weather reports are predicting a BIG storm coming in this weekend. All 65 runs are now open.

I can tell you that conditions are not "ideal" in that coverage is not complete in some of my favorite areas and remains with early season obstacles, but compared to last New Year's Day, Brian Head is way ahead of the race. Problem with things isn't December's 99" of snow, it is October and November not building a good base.

Expect things to be much better this weekend after the next storm hits. I might be going to Sunrise for the first time in three years to get in some weekend skiing if the storms materialize.

Posted by Justin at 09:11 PM

December 29, 2007

Photos of the Brian Head Trip

The new photos are up in the gallery of the trip. I will be adding more later, but these are what we have for now.

Here is Jake poaching some pow off of the Navajo Bridge today.

And here is Jackson doing the same.

Posted by Justin at 03:55 PM

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 28, 2007

Brian Head Snow Update

I skied yesterday and today at Brian Head with an entire condo full of friends and family. I mean mad house. We packed 9 people into the condo and it was overflowing. We are lucky we didn't get busted for all the noise we made during the first half of the ASU-Texas game which was in part some serious profanity aimed at Rudy Carpenter. You gotta get rid of the ball. Nah, probably more at the offensive line for missing blocks and the defensive ends and outside linebackers that kept losing contain. Unless you missed it, 52-34. But enough about the second whoopin' in three games by a national powerhouse...

We have two first time snowboarders with us and another two guys that have maybe five or six days on the slopes under them. Great news for all of them is that Flint and Cameron wear size 12 and 13 boots and it happens that I have two boards and boots that fit them. Carson fits into my size 12 Nordicas that my dad usually uses and is skiing my K2's and Atomics. We have been switching off during the day. That leaves only Tim that has to rent and he got a smoking deal at Georg's, which is an awesome place to rent gear. $22 per day. And the skis are nice Atomics that appear to be only a year or two old.

The snow the first day was sketchy at best. Windblown and icy. We tried out the new Interconnect and I have some issues. There are some serious flat spots, some even uphill, that you have to get through and there isn't enough vertical to build speed to get across them. My chest is sore from using my poles over and over. The worst is between Navajo and the new chair 1. We headed over to Bump and Grind, grabbed some lunch, and took a run or two in the PM. An entire day of maybe 8 runs. It was cold, but nothing compared to Thursday.

Yesterday redefined cold for me. Standing temp was zero with a 20 mph wind. Wind Chill approached 20 below. My nice Burton gloves (and while I am not a Jake Burton fan, their gloves and some of their other gear are so well designed that I gotta use them) that couldn't keep my hands warm, even with warmers in them. I called it a day when my fingers stopped hurting and went numb because given my blogging and job, having fingers is a real plus. I have a fat pair of polypro thermals that Outersports.com hooked me up with in April. They are the warmest thermals I have ever used and well worth the price. They run under $20 for the black heavy weight ones that I have and they are well worth the investment. Unfortunately, they are in Phoenix because I decided to bring them home and wash them last trip. Note to self, never wash ski gear... wait, that probably wasn't the moral to the story. Blame Tera... nope, still not the point. Perhaps I should be a little more careful about packing. At least I brought the towels back from the house. Upside was almost a foot of fresh, which kept me fighting the cold and taking runs.

Cameron and Flint were in ski school, but the line for lessons was so long that they missed the cutoff for the AM lessons and were stuck in the lodge for half the day. Jarrett spent his second straight day in ski school and Amelia, his instructor, was absolutely awesome. I am figuring early 20's and an SUU student, but I didn't ask. She got him two days in a row and had a class of two kids in Level 3. Note to readers, TIP YOUR SKI INSTRUCTORS WELL. $10 is decent. You are gonna drop that on lunch and it at least buys the instructor their lunch and gas for coming up to their $7 an hour job.

Speaking of instructors, Carson and Timmy got Justin as their personal instructor. Private lessons baby. Timmy is tearing it up. Carson is really starting to get it. A little bit of a struggle with his right hand turns and a little struggle to stay carving on steeper stuff. I took them down Wild Ride that has about a 100 foot vertical drop that is the steepest thing on the mountain (which is sad in and of itself). That didn't end so well for them, but I gotta take them places that are more difficult every once in a while. After they fell four or five times, they both ass slid down. I took a different approach. Since it was a powder day, I got a good start, and dove face first with skis up and front slid down. Powder conditions rock.

It brings back fond memories of when I was at that stage and Jake was about where Jarrett is now. It has been 5 solid years of 20+ days and I am finally completely bored of Brian Head. Don't get me wrong, on a powder day, I would ski a corn field with a rope tow made out of a pickup truck, but unless the snow is great, the only reason to go out is to coach friends and hang out.

So here is the summary--it was cold. 10" of fresh, but at the top, it is almost completely gone from the wind and icy as can be. I stayed away from Giant Steps because of the cold and wind, but Roulette was decent once you got past the top where there was minimal coverage. Navajo was great and this is the first real time I have skied over there. I did some postholing when I tried to ski through the trees and hit some flats. The Interconnect makes life easier when changing mountains, but if you snowboard and don't like stepping out and walking/kicking, the shuttle still runs between mountains and isn't a bad idea. Chair 1 was on wind hold for a while yesterday (and that may be a recurrent theme) so the Interconnect wasn't an option until around noon. The condo realistically sleeps 6-7, 9 is pushing it. All around, a day that is memorable only because of the cold, not because of the skiing.

Posted by Justin at 07:37 AM

December 20, 2007

Running the Numbers

I use Beaver Creek as an example, but in reality I am referring to any major megaresort--you know, the ones that the ski magazines drool about. This is more an illustration of the pros and cons of major destination skiing at a high end resort (Vail, Aspen, Beaver Creek, Breck, Keystone, Park City, Whistler, etc.) versus skiing at a smaller resort in the Rockies that costs half as much but also offers less. I am going to run down the resorts that I have skied and compare and contrast them:

Colorado - Wolf Creek, Beaver Creek, Loveland, and A-Basin
Arizona - Snowbowl, Sunrise
Montana - Red Lodge, Big Sky
Utah - Alta, Brian Head

What you find is that once you find a place that you really like, you tend to go there until you find a better deal, get bored, etc. So I am an Alta guy because I just like it so well because of the price, location, skiers only policy, snow quality, and experience that I never drive to the other resorts in the area. Now, I am probably going to have a tough time ever going to Vail because Beaver Creek is so awesome and I have yet to even scratch the surface of all that is there. I am not sure how to compare Beaver Creek to Vail to Keystone to Breck when you couldn't touch all the mountain on any of them in a week or solid skiing.

I am assuming that for folks with the Colorado Pass, they choose their resort based on snowfall numbers, location, or just plain familiarity. So since I haven't skied all the resorts, I leave it open for more comments and info. This is somewhat generic, but there are just too many resorts to know everything about. For the most part though, the mega resorts are that way for a reason--they have a lot to offer and all compare very favorably to the next tier or resorts.

In my mind, there are three categories of ski resorts. Megaresorts. Midsize resorts (and this is a broad category). And places that just plain blow. First, let's talk about the mega resorts. You are going to get a well developed base area, great restaurants, touristy bars, lots of high end shops, and a few high end hotels. Expect lots of folks that are crazy rich and have really nice stuff. Expect people in $1000 jackets riding $2000 worth of gear on groomers who look crazy pimped sipping lattes at the base area. Folks from the East Coast can't get this kind of snow or experience so expect most folks are destination skiers or locals that get really good pass deals or work at the resort. Lots of folks from Europe, etc. Just a different kind of guest. But folks don't come for just the base area. The mountains are massive, but you gotta have the skills to relly enjoy it. And the money to spend because it ain't cheap. EVEN WHEN YOU GET A GREAT DEAL.

The next category is the smaller Rocky Mountain resorts and most East coast resorts. Places like Wolf Creek or Bridger Bowl or Brian Head. Usually these resorts are smaller mountains and do not offer the same level of amenities as the big guys. Not as much vertical. Off the beaten path. Poor airport access. No development rights. Less snowfall. But far lower prices. So then it is a matter of what you are willing to sacrifice. All of these resorts are missing something and it is up to you to decide what you are willing to sacrifice. I am willing to sacrifice shopping, dining, amenities, and nightlife but not snow. I would rather ski powder at a small resort that offers nothing (i.e. Wolf Creek) than ski crap snow at a more developed resort.

I won't get into the third category of places that just plain suck, but they are out there. Usually they have a couple old doubles that some other resort took out 20 years ago.

Beaver Creek was the first place that I didn't have to worry about a sacrifice. I look at the things that I usually am willing to give up. First, I give up base area amenities. I like to stay in town where I can afford it anyway. Then I give up nightlife. Then I give up some of the massive areas and vertical. What I usually don't give up is snow.

I can't get over the $92 price tag. So now it really highlights how good the Colorado Pass is. Season pass at Key, Breck, A-basin, and then the free days at Vail and Beaver Creek. I am just hating that I don't live in Colorado. The Beav and the Colorado resorts are so affordable for locals due to VRI's passes. I can't help but sing their praises. If you want to ski these resorts, you just have to look for deals and I am able to ski Vail and the Beav for the same price as Brian Head.

Posted by Justin at 09:40 AM | Comments (3)

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)

December 06, 2007

Grand Opening of New Lifts at Brian Head

Got an e-mail invitation from Brian Head Resort. Not sure if I am supposed to post it, but I am anyway. The resort is throwing a party in celebration of the new lifts and runs. You must RSVP for the party, but I think all of the other events are open to one and all.

Brian Head Resort would like to cordially invite you to join us as we celebrate the inauguration of the much anticipated expansion of our ski area. We’ve connected our Giant Steps and Navajo Mountains with two new chair lifts and a beautiful new skier bridge over the highway. Oh yes, we’ve also added nearly 35% more terrain to play on! Please join us in our celebration, and Come Ski What’s New.

EVENT SCHEDULE
ALL EVENTS HELD AT THE BASE OF OUR NEW SKIER BRIDGE.
(Please remember to wear winter clothing.)

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14

1:00 P.M. Catered lunch.

2:00 P.M. Inauguration ceremony – Grand Opening of the new chair lifts and skier bridge.

5:00 P.M. Special holiday event at SUMMIT, Brian Head's newest master planned community.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15

9:30 A.M-4:00 P.M. LIFT TICKETS 50% OFF when you bring four cans of food to benefit "Iron County Care and Share".

12:00 P.M. Free BBQ for the public at the base of the new Wildflower chair lift. Music and ongoing fun activities including a visit by Santa, snowman building contest, a special display by Land Rover of Las Vegas, and a snowboard "rail jam".

3:30 P.M. Apres ski begins. Live music and refreshments.

5:15 P.M. Torchlight parade followed by a fireworks extravaganza.

Posted by Justin at 12:01 PM

December 04, 2007

Brian Head Expecting Big Storm This Weekend

Note that the link will update over time, but as of now the National Weather Service is predicting snow all weekend:

Thursday Night: Snow likely. Cloudy and windy, with a low around 27. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Friday: Periods of snow. High near 27. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday Night: Periods of snow. Cloudy, with a low around 20.

Saturday: Snow likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 26.

Saturday Night: A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16.

We are taking our first ski trip of the year this weekend to grab my gear for the trip to Denver and to finish some minor work at the condo.

Posted by Justin at 06:26 AM

December 02, 2007

Brian Head Storm Total is 25"

Brian Head rec'd a total of 25" from this current storm. Not enough to do more than cover the smaller rocks, but every little bit counts. This will compact and start forming our base. I am estimating that another 36" or so and at least half of the resort will be opened with groomed terrain. This just augments the snowmaking and allows them to open terrain much faster.

Sticks and Stones may break my bones, and that is why I don't ski near the edges of the White Ribbon of Death.

Posted by Justin at 08:00 PM | Comments (1)

December 01, 2007

Brian Head gets First Real Snow

The first real storm of the year strikes Brian Head:

Brian Head Resort is now open for the 2007-08 season, and Mother Nature has given us 17" of fresh powder overnight! Current base depth is 15", and we're expecting more snow today. Chair 3 is running today with 3 runs open, and a terrain park with some boxes and rails. Lift tickets this weekend are $15 for adults, children and seniors, and children under the age of 5 ski free with a ticketed adult.

The WROD might only last a few days. Let's hope this storm drops another 20" on the resort before it moves on. Build that base baby.

And hopefully this does not delay the bridge.

Posted by Justin at 06:47 AM | Comments (1)

November 29, 2007

Brian Head Video Contest - Part II

I kinda busted Brian Head's chops a couple weeks ago.

So they drop me a shout out and update the rules:

Here are a few changes to the rules for the contest:

First, if you have background music in your video, it will need to be removed before submitting the video unless you can provide written permission by the musician(s) to broadcast their music over the Internet royalty-free.

Second, if your video is posted to YouTube or another website, you can e-mail a link to webmaster@brianhead.com along with your contact info (thanks to Justin at www.ski-blog.com for the idea!). We will, however need a copy of the original video on CD or DVD in one of the formats listed below if you are one of the winners.

This is way cool.

What is not cool is using YouTube for CNN debates. I won't even comment on what happened at the debates, because others have done it already.

YouTube--cool for video contests, not cool for legitimate political debates.

Posted by Justin at 01:55 PM

Brian Head Interconnect Update

Brian Head's latest newsletter is out with updates on the Interconnect:

Chairlifts 1 and 8 are completely finished.

Great progress is being made on the Skier Bridge. The steel beams are in place for the center section and the decking is going into place. The supports for the outside sections will be finished this week and the steel will be put into place soon after. Despite the obvious drawback of not having much natural snow up to now, it's really helping to speed up the construction of the bridge.

We are planning an Interconnect Project launch in December. The date hasn't been determined yet, but when it is, it will be announced on brianhead.com and an announcement sent out to Brian Head Connection subscribers.

I spoke to someone close to the resort and our conversation was basically this--if Brian Head failed to deliver the bridge and interconnect this season, they would completely lose face with the town, the folks from NV, the local homeowners, and the taxpayers that built the bridge. That is why they have pushed and pushed to get it done. The lifts are in and load tested. The bridge is the hold up. The resort has less control over the bridge than anything else, so it isn't like there is a lot that can be done. We are now about two weeks overdue for completion, but given that we are still in White Ribbon time, it is less of an issue.

My concern has always been that I was almost bit by the folks at the Lofts at Brian Head that have failed to deliver as promised. There are a half a dozen other proposed condo or housing projects that are shelved due to lack of interest or lack of ability to come up with the money. I want credible results before I start jumping up and down and throwing $1M of taxpayer money at a project.

And all of this brings me back to the new proposed upgrades to the base area. Now, the resort has delivered on something major to upgrade the place. It isn't a bunch of 30 year old triple chairs anymore. And next year, they are planning to update Giant Steps with a High Speed Quad. They have some street cred that they can deliver on their plans. That makes me more inclined to trust their ability to improve the resort and invest in improvements that benefit the town, the homeowners, and the day trippers that come up.

And I am praying for the Pioneer Cabins lift to go in and open some more challenging terrain.

Posted by Justin at 01:42 PM

BRIAN HEAD TO OPEN DEC 1

AMEN:

Brian Head Resort announced today the opening day for its 2007/2008 winter season. The Resort will open this Saturday, December 1st with limited terrain on its Blackfoot chairlift (also known as Chairlift #3) located at the base of the Giant Steps ski area. The Resort hopes to have a freestyle terrain park featuring rails and boxes available if not this weekend, as soon as possible. The Giant Steps day lodge will also open with full services, including equipment rentals, retail, food and beverage, and ski and snowboard lessons.

“We are excited that we’re finally able to open this weekend and offer some skiing and snowboarding for our guests”, said Henry Hornberger, the Resort’s General Manager. “We know our guests have been patiently waiting, and with the recent colder temperatures, we’ve been able to make enough snow to open for the season." " We will continue with our snowmaking efforts, and open additional lifts and terrain as conditions permit."

Brian Head Resort is Utah’s best-kept secret, but not for long. Nestled within the Grand Circle of National Parks, this Alpine destination provides unparalleled scenery and outdoor recreational opportunities. Located just 14 miles from Interstate 15 at exit 75, Brian Head is a convenient getaway for families from the Southwestern desert region. Fantastic snow conditions, uncrowded trails, and affordable lodging make the Resort the ideal ski retreat. In the summer, the mild climate and pristine mountain terrain offers the perfect haven from the heat. Brian Head Resort is undergoing a far-reaching renaissance that includes new infrastructure, new amenities, new terrain, and new housing opportunities. It is the perfect place to escape and get in on the ground floor of a whole new Resort experience.

White Ribbon o' Death. But it is skiing. A little late, but it is a La Nina year. There is supposed to be a storm brewing, but it looks like it is moving to the east and going to dump on CO while skipping Utah.

Posted by Justin at 01:36 PM

November 21, 2007

Brian Head Polka Dots Turning to Ribbon

It looks like the White Polka Dots of Death as off-piste dubs them are turning into a ribbon at Brian Head.

The Kraft Family has a great timelapse webcam setup that gets most of the Giant Steps mountain. You can really see the progress on the main BH webcam and on Kraft Fam.

Still several good snowmaking days or a good storm away, but they are making snow as weather permits. Looks like there may be a good storm brewing over the next week that will at least turn the mountain white. I am hopeful that skiing will be open BY CHRISTMAS. I am trying to be optomistic, but we have had zip for early snowfall.

Posted by Justin at 10:52 AM

November 20, 2007

New Goings on at Brian Head

It is happening. There is an interconnect. Bridge is going to be done shortly. Lifts are already in and being load tested.

The resort is requesting town approval to build the new village at the Giant Steps base area. The MDP already has two more lifts approved that will create extensive new advanced terrain.

It is an interesting dillema that the town and the resort are in. There is a contingent of folks in Brian Head that would almost prefer that the resort go away ala Elk Meadows. Because most homeowners are Vegas residents, locals that live in Brian Head are the only ones that have a vote and a say in what the town does. And the resort is in the process of trying to improve, constantly dealing with the forces that like things the way they are.

I am still trying to get the Master Development Plan. I have some generic details from Ski area citizen.com, but this is a group dedicated to STOPPING NEW IMPROVEMENTS.

Here is what I know:

• Brian Head lacks extensive Advanced and Expert terrain
• Brian Head makes up for that lack of terrain by providing a great family atmosphere
• Brian Head has plenty of uphill capacity to serve their current customer base
• Brian Head is the closest "real" resort to Las Vegas and is the only Utah resort within a day's driving distance of Phoenix
• Brian Head is undergoing a huge new expansion push of new condos
• The resort just completed the Interconnect which increases skiable terrain by 50% and provides probably 50% more uphill capacity

So this begs the question--why is the resort increasing uphill capacity by 50% and adding terrain? It isn't like there is a problem with not enough skiable terrain or lift capacity, except maybe on holiday weekends and when lift closures happen. Why are developers building condos? Why put in an expensive base area?

We are seeing that some real "flakes" are trying to develop condo projects at Brian Head. The Lofts made promises they cannot keep and are over a year behind schedule. Maybe a year and a half behind. Have barely moved dirt on the second phase that was supposed to already be done. The real estate bubble and lots of other factors are probably going to hinder a project whose condos start at a half a million bucks at a resort that has no real rental market.

And I assumed that a resort that had not made a single improvement in 30 years wasn't committed to building the Interconnect or installing the new lifts. That the town was going to build them a bridge to nowhere. That all of this amounts to a gift to the resort with no benefit back to the town. But my lifts are done and my bridge is in and there is a bunch of new snowmaking.

I am so stoked to eat my words. I want to eat my words about skier visits and market share increasing, but it is too early to tell and this is a La Nina year and that probably means lack of snow is going to derail a lot of the early traffic. I am not sure what all the expansion is going to do from here, but this is a good sign for a sleepy resort in a sleepy town.

The resort is a great place to teach your kids. It is a great place to go and relax. I hope someday it will be a great place for advanced skiers, will have a booming condo market, and will be more than a daytrip resort for Vegas folks. Apparently that is what the resort hopes too, and what the developers hope. I am not sure it is what a bunch of the locals that vote and run the town want, but the only thing I can do is register to vote in Brian Head and cast a ballot.

Posted by Justin at 05:11 PM

Brian Head Skier Village (h/t Scott Byrd)

I remember the A-Team from the 1980s. "I love it when a plan comes together." Well, it looks like Brian Head has a master plan and they are trying to get it to come together.

Scott Byrd at Brian Head Insiders Blog reports on the new plans being laid for the skier village at Brian Head (all pictures courtesy of Scott):

The Brian Head Ski Resort seeks approval from the Brian Head Town Planning Commission to develop a new 500,000 square foot development consisting of commercial, residential and just plain old prime recreation and luxury resort property. This development is known as the Brian Head Skier Village and seeks to be the focal point of Brian Head. Although its economic benefits for the town are something almost nobody can dispute, locals are torn, finding it difficult to accept the proposed development, making the Skier Village a controversial discussion.

The Skier Village will bring potentially 270 additional condos that will be sold as a condo/hotel project. An additional 60,000 square feet commercial space will represent the central focus or “hub” for retail shops, ticket windows, ski schools, rental shops, deli(s), coffee shops, etc. Included will also be a skier cafeteria to handle 300 skiers with outdoor and fine dining with a lounge. You will also find a state-of-the-art fitness facility with pool and private club for members, owners and guests.

Giant Steps is in the background and this would replace the lodge at the base area of Giant Steps.

The map of the area looks like this:

More to come in my next post.

Posted by Justin at 04:40 PM

Where is my White Ribbon of Death

It is Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Normally, I am dreading the WROD, but this year, it actually is more appealing than the alternative--no skiing yet at Brian Head.

I guess that is just one side of the equation. The other is that I have two alternatives to drive to Brian Head. I can go via Page and cross Lake Powell or I can go up via Kingman and Vegas and cross Lake Mead. Both are pretty scary places right now. I am not saying they are empty, but I am saying they are going to be if we don't end the drought.

Colorado is still slow to open most places. Many of the major resorts are struggling to get their WROD open including Vail. Check Caroline at Eagle Valley Blog's post on that:

Vail, Colo. – November 15, 2007 – Vail Mountain resort officials announced today that they are moving the resort’s 2007-08 season opening day from Friday, Nov. 16 to Wednesday, Nov. 21. Snowmaking crews have been making snow on Born Free trail since Nov. 1, but early November snowmaking temperatures have been marginal. Last evening a cold front dropped into the region producing the first significantly cold temperatures that allowed for a great night of snowmaking.

She has dozens of pictures of the mountain. And it ain't good.

This is from the Brian Head Resort Webcam:

Posted by Justin at 10:40 AM | Comments (1)

November 19, 2007

Brian Head Video Contest

Brian Head is running a new Video Contest without using Youtube.

We want to see all the great video that you've shot out on our mountains, so we're having a contest to see who's got the best of the best footage. First prize will be a 2007-08 adult season pass (or a voucher for a 2008-09 pass if you've already got yours), second prize will be a $100 Snow Dough Gift Card, and third prize will be a $50 Snow Dough Gift card. The winning videos (and maybe even some non-winning videos, if they're good enough) will be featured throughout the Winter season on the brianhead.com website, and the winner's photo and a short bio will be posted on the site.

Here are the rules...

2. Footage may be submitted on a CD or DVD in .avi, .mp4 or .mov format.; or you may send ftp information to webmaster@brianhead.com...

All entries must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, December 7, 2007. The winning entries will be announced on Friday, December 21, 2007. Send CDs or DVDs to: Video Contest, Brian Head Resort, P.O. Box 190008, Brian Head UT 84719.

First, cool idea. I am really surprised that this is not user interactive and posted on Youtube. Local Phoenix Radio Station 98 KUPD did a Youtube video contest a couple months ago.

I have offered to assist Brian Head with online marketing via my site, similar to the posts that I did for Deer Valley Resort promoting their freestyle competition via Youtube and even provided the Marketing Manager for Sunlight Mountain Resort an account to post information to the site. I have sent e-mails to Brian Head since I provide tons of content about the resort, to have them add me to the press releases list and contact me when they have something interesting and want to put the word out.

I find it odd that they blow me off. I mean blow me off. Nada. Don't even return e-mails. I offer to provide assistance helping get the word out about the resort and even informed them that when you put in the Google search terms "brian head interconnect, my site is actually listed higher than theirs. Nada still.

Information exchange is not a one directional thing anymore. Blogs and things like Youtube are changing the way people get information. Let's hope Brian Head wises up. Erin Grady at Deer Valley gets it. She actually returns my phone calls and e-mails. So does Dax at Big Sky. Dave Smith at Snowbowl. Try Googling "snowbowl snowmaking" for instance.

Why is it that if you want information about Snowmaking at Snowbowl or about the Interconnect at Brian Head, you are gonna get both via my page? Why do I pop up on Google above Brian Head and just below Snowbowl and Savethepeaks?

But Brian Head continues to blow me off.

UPDATE: Spoke to Ron Burgess at the resort. Great conversation. I might have just been talking to the wrong people. Ron was genuinely interested in what I had to say and had actually read the site before we talked. Like I said, I have never met a person up there who isn't friendly. I think there is a lot of optimism about things and after talking to Ron, I am genuinely optomistic. I thought for a while that the expansion was a smoke screen because the town had stayed unchanged for so long. Progress is being made and plans are moving forward. The Interconnect is just the start. And it is done. I will be skiing on it in December if the Snow Gods cooperate.

Posted by Justin at 10:13 AM

November 09, 2007

White Ribbon of Death is Coming to Brian Head

The new Brian Head Connection is up.

Friday, November 2, 2007: Brian Head Resort has officially begun its snowmaking efforts in anticipation of another great winter season. Early Friday morning, temperatures dropped low enough to allow the Resort to start up nearly 30 snowmaking machines to help out Mother Nature in the snow department. Snowmaking efforts will continue as temperatures permit...

“We hope to have the expansion project wrapped up later this month and ready to go for December.”

I won't concede that my pessimism about the Interconnect being done by the opening of the season wasn't warranted. Fact is that the season opens on November 17th. That is the date. And the Interconnect is not going to be completed by that date. But if you don't open on time, you buy yourself a couple extra weeks and we fully expect that the Interconnect will be done by the first couple weeks of December. The hangup is the bridge. I have been saying that is the sticking point all along and that it was probably behind schedule. Not as much as I thought, but part of that is that the weather has been very mild and they are making good progress.

If it had been a good early snow year and the resort was opening on time on both sides, the bridge would be further behind due to weather and the resort would be open on time instead of probably opening the end of November or early December--at least opening in a meaningful way.

But again, credit where credit is due. I didn't think that the resort would be done this year at all when they originally pitched the idea of a taxpayer funded bridge back in the fall of last year. I am still not sure that the town is going to get a huge bump in sales tax revenue from the bridge/interconnect, nor that these specific improvements increase the property values or spur enough development to justify a million dollar bridge that realistically only helps the ski resort, if it does that right away. I think it helps get the resort sold or makes it more attractive to investment companies, but that is more of a philosophical issue than a practical issue.

Reality is that whatever philosophical disagreements I have over the role of government, how tax dollars should be spent, and whether this is a good investment, I am seriously stoked about some new terrain on the mountain and the ability to ski between mountains and not ride the bus.

I am thinking snow right now. Damned this La Nina anyhow. But the Snow Gods need to reward my faith and my tithing via property tax to resort improvement projects. I am at the point that Pedro Cerrano was in in Major League:

I pissed off now, Jo-Buu. I good to you, I stand up for you. If you no help me now, I say f*** you, Jo-Buu. I do it myself.

Snow Gods better come through. Man made White Ribbon of Death isn't what I want for the Interconnect.

Posted by Justin at 12:37 PM | Comments (1)

November 01, 2007

Brian Head Revisited - The Positive Side

I was speaking with an acquaintance from Brian Head earlier. I said, hey stop by the site and check out what I have to say about Brian Head, the Interconnect, etc. The response:

Not so flattering.

I have spent a lot of time paying attention to the negatives lately of the resort. I went back and read most of the 90 or so posts I did about Brian Head and it strikes me, most are either about the snow (or lack of snow), the Interconnect, the Real Estate market, etc. Very little is about why I just purchased my season pass, own a condo, and am looking forward to the season. It is time that I go back and highlight what I like and don't about the resort. This is gonna be long, so let's start at the beginning. First the positives:

1. Proximity. Location, Location, Location. Brian Head is 3.5 hours from Las Vegas, about 7 from LA, and 7 from Phoenix. It is the closest resort to Phoenix (not counting Sunrise and Snowbowl). It is Interstate the entire way from Vegas and only the last 45 miles ever has snow.

2. Great Snow. Not legendary like Alta. But 400" and the snow comes early. Not A-Basin early, but usually they have a good base by Thanksgiving and the entire mountain open by mid-December.

3. The weather. It isn't that cold compared to other resorts. That is good and bad. It is bad for snowmaking and for spring skiing, but is good becuase there are fewer nasty cold days than some of the resorts farther north.

4. People. I have yet to meet anyone from Brian Head or the resort that weren't friendly and outgoing. Most homeowners and condo owners don't own for the prestige of having a place (see Vail, Aspen), they own because they like Brian Head. There are some investors and you get idiot renters and dumb kids like all resorts, but Brian Head generally has good folks that will sit and talk and treat you well.

5. A Family Friendly environment. Jake and Jackson feel safe and take the shuttle between the mountains and back to the condo. The kids programs are outstanding. The instructors are great. Everyone down to the lift ticket sales people are great. A few of the lift operators are more on the punk kid college student side, but certainly not as bad as most resort's lift attendants and a lot of this comes from the fact SUU attracts a different kind of college student.

6. A clean lifestyle. I guess that probably hails from the Mormon influence, but Utah's smoking bans and alcohol laws tend to annoy some of my friends, but more often make the trips more pleasant (as I don't smoke and don't really drink myself).

All of these things have a flip side of course, but I wouldn't own at Brian Head if not for all of these major positives.

Posted by Justin at 02:13 PM

October 16, 2007

Local Politics in Brian Head

I have about three or four local sources of information about the goings on at Brian Head. I tend to talk and talk and talk, so my local friends are other folks that tend to do the same. Talk about the resort, the town, the real estate market, and so on.

One of my friends is Tony from Pizanos Pizza at The Mall near the base area of Giant Steps. First, Tony makes a mean pie. No doubt. He is a Dodgers fan and if you are looking to have someone to talk baseball with, you better have an afternoon to spend at Pizanos. His wife grew up in west Phoenix and went to one of Wickenburg's rival high schools. They are just good people.

So Tony and I are talking Interconnect and town and base area and growth and condos and development and baseball. Tony owned a place five units down from me in Timberbrook. I mentioned that I have such a big investment in the town, that I consider myself a local. Then I showed him my Utah Drivers License. 464 N HWY 143, Brian Head, UT. His eyes lit up.

"Are you registered to vote up here? Because if you are, I am running for Town Council."

So I am running down to Parowan to get registered.

I never stop into Brian Head without stopping by and seeing Tony. Whether it is to grab a slice or to talk baseball or to just BS, he is one of my favorite people on the mountain. I am not in the business of endorsing politicians, but I have known Tony for two years and he consistently has the same vision for the town that I do and sees the same challenges.

If you get up to Brian Head, stop in and get a slice and talk to Tony about the goings on. He pays attention and loves to talk. I mean LOVES TO TALK. But so do I.

Posted by Justin at 03:28 PM

October 11, 2007

Interconnect Updates at Brian Head Website

New updates are available at the Brian Head website on the Interconnect project. I am heading to BH this weekend for a few days with Jake and Jackson and will post some pics of my own later.

The new Snow Making System has been installed, and the Lift Towers and motor rooms for Chairlfts 1 & 8 are installed! A helicopter flew in the lift towers and motor rooms with precision and ease. The foundations for the Skier Bridge are currently being constructed.

The Interconnect Skier Bridge, a project funded jointly by the Town of Brian Head and Brian Head Resort, has been making steady progress behind the scene.

Posted by Justin at 02:35 PM | Comments (2)

October 07, 2007

Snow on the Mountain at Brian Head

Brian Head got a little more than a dusting last night. Maybe a couple inches. I could see it had some decent whitening on Giant Steps via the Kraft Fam webcam.

I am heading to BH next Sunday to put in our new ladder for the loft and to finish some painting. The place is ready to rock for ski season.

Sorry for the light blogging. Jake is playing Pop Warner. The Dbacks had two home games that I went to. Wickenburg is still winning. ASU and the Cards are playing. Suns training camp is starting. Just been busy.

Posted by Justin at 12:27 AM

September 26, 2007

New Interconnect Photos up at Brian Head Resort

Brian Head Resort has updated their interconnect page with new pictures and info that the project is still on course for an on time completion. The lift towers are in and the project appears to just be waiting on the terminals and the bridge.

Posted by Justin at 11:30 PM

September 19, 2007

Brian Head Interconnect Still Iffy

I went up to Brian Head for a short trip to finish the drywall and heater/fan in the bathroom. Got a chance to talk to a couple locals including one at the resort and they keep saying the lifts are going to be done by opening day. It is now less than two months away and the bridge still is not in and the terminals are not set. Foundations are poured and the lift towers are ready to go in, but the bridge and the terminals are the show stoppers.

I got a ton done on the condo and it is actually ready for the winter. Bathroom is finished (except a little paint), tile is done, and we added a new thermostat, fixed the fan, and put in a new heater in the bathroom. It looks absolutely awesome.

I am planning another trip north to finish the paint before the ski season starts, but finally, the place is done. No more mess. No more projects for quite a while. Here is my wish list of stuff to do that is left:

• New entry door and redesign the entryway to make it more usable
• New sliding glass patio door to better utilize the space and get more light in
• New fireplace

I am in no hurry to do any of these and honestly am putting the place on the market in the next couple months. I hate to even think about selling it, but I have a couple of business deals that are going on and it is going to get harder for me to make it north enough to be worth the $1500 a month that it is costing. Plus I am not sure that the market up there will appreciate enough to make it a good investment.

I say all that, but in reality, I am probably putting it on the market just for show so that Tera will think I am trying to be responsible. In the meantime, I am gonna ski as much as I can until March when the business really gets going. From there, let's hope I am successful and don't need to even think about selling it.

So if you know anyone that wants a pristine, remodeled condo that sleeps 7 plus another 3 kids comfortably, lemme know.

Posted by Justin at 11:19 AM | Comments (1)

September 02, 2007

New Interconnect Photos and Info

I am in Brian Head for the weekend and have an update on the Interconnect. First, the bridge is not done and we are already in September and a little over two months away from the start of the season. The lift situation looks a little better. Most of the equipment is already up the mountain, but the terminals don't look like they are here yet. Everyone seems pretty confident that the lifts will be done and the bridge ready by opening day in early November. I am still not 100% that it will be done in time.

Here are some pics posted in photo gallery:

Posted by Justin at 10:12 PM

August 17, 2007

New Winter Trail Map for Brian Head

Brian Head Resort has just released the new trail map for 2007-08.

I am not sure what to make of the interconnect on the Giant Steps side of things. I don't like cross-traffic flows and it seems like the resort added some trails that aren't really new in an effort to bump their stats on new runs.

But the changes are welcome. I want to check the new runs off of the ridge on Giant Steps as looking at the face under the lift, the ridge looks about as steep as anything on the mountain. The other runs off of the new Giant Steps lift look like they were put there simply for less skilled skiers because under the lift is so steep.

Anyway, check the PDF's at the link for more details.

Posted by Justin at 10:54 AM

July 28, 2007

Brian Head and Market Share

I have been on a little bit of a tangent about Brian Head the last couple days because of their interconnect project. Started looking at the statistics on Utah Skier Visits that I have posted on my site.

Some numbers for you:

• 4.7
• 4.9
• 4.7
• 4.6
• 4.5
• 4.6
• 7.2
• 4.5
• 3.8
• 3.7
• 3.3

That in my book constitutes a trend. That happens to be Brian Head's market share of total Utah Ski Visits for the last decade.

The amazing part is that Brian Head is a pretty good place to ski. It is close to Vegas. It is closer from Vegas than Sunrise is from my house and it is twice as close as Sundance that is the southern most SLC area resort. But for the closest resort to the fastest growing city in the nation, one would think that Brian Head would be gaining market share, not losing it. Brian Head has a 400" annual snowfall. Never has a lift line.

I have met several of the folks in the marketing dept at the resort and many/most of the other staff at one time or another. They are good people. The resort is a good resort and is friendly and clean. Good kids program. Good learn to ski. But something is missing. I am just not sure it is a high speed quad (due next year) and a little more blue-green terrain. The MDP has a ton of new terrain approved in the Pioneer Cabin area that can be developed. I think the combination of that terrain and the current expansion might make a difference, but then, the resort is tapped out.

Lots of potential there. Let's hope the results start coming.

Posted by Justin at 10:33 PM

July 27, 2007

Brian Head Condo Projects and the Interconnect

I keep waiting for the stange voice that says "If you build it, they will come" to be listed as the motivating factor in Brian Head's expansion. But who will come? The new Lofts at Brian Head, the Black Diamond at Brian Head, the White Bear Condos, and Sojorn at Brian Head are already building. The lofts is almost a year behind schedule on phase one. The story gets worse for phase two. Do the new improvements enhance the resort enough to generate additional interest in owning condos at Brian Head? Maybe some. I don't see buyers tripping over themselves to rush to Brian Head. Vegas, LA, and Phoenix as well as the new housing market are just dead right now. Because of the housing market slump, many of the condo projects will not begin their phase two's of their projects and some may struggle to sell their phase one's. At least until the housing slump reverses. Current owners of smaller, cheaper condos will still have a market, but that is decidedly slower than it has been.

Does the resort gain some additional daytrip visits from Vegas? Probably. It really helps that market. It may help the rental market. But Demographic growth in Riverside, CA, Clark County, NV, and Maricopa County, AZ, will do that anyway. Does it allow the resort to charge $55 or $60 for a lift ticket? Yep. Expect that for certain.

Long lines have never been an issue. There is plenty of uphill capacity so in that sense the new lifts aren't needed for uphill. Does an interconnect improve things that much? I don't think so. Navajo is a kids and beginner's mountain anyway. It has longer lift lines but that is because it really only has one lift. Maybe this improves that piece, but for me who skis off of Dunes, Roulette, and the top of Giant Steps, this is just a mid-mountain lift and has no impact. And to enthusiasts who actually enjoy skiing and are not casual occasional skiers, they won't notice it either. The lack of vertical and lack of advanced terrain hurts because the major ski publications have no interest in a family resort with 1400 feet of lift served vertical, under 1000 acres, and no real challenging runs.

In 2005-06, the last year stats were available, I have a table of skier visits for Brian Head and the rest of Utah. Brian Head had 135k skier visits. The best year in the last decade was 2001-02 with 212k visits. A 155k visit year is a good year. A very good year as in would be the best year in the last decade that didn't involve the Olympics being held in Utah. And we might see that this year. There is some serious buzz and that would be a 15-20% improvement over last season. Heck, we could see it spike to say 170k visits. That would be monumental.

Net is that local businesses will see some tangible benefit because a bunch more daytrippers will come up and there will probably be a spike in condo renters. Condo owners and new condo projects will still see a slow market and have a tough time moving their places because of a nationwide housing slump. It allows higher lift ticket prices (and it better yield either more skier visits or more revenue from existing ones in order to pay for an $8M expansion). But I still don't see how this benefits the resort enough to repay their $8M off of new business. Maybe, MAYBE, it increases the value of the resort's real estate holdings (1700 acres) but that increase is only realized as they sell the holdings and there have to be buyers. And future condo complexes or homes are not going to immediately flock to Brian Head and start a bidding war over the resort's land.

So what is the real business motivation to make an $8M improvement to a resort that gets 140k visits per year and has had stagnant growth despite the fact that Utah as a whole is growing as a ski destination? How do you get return on investment? I think the real question is does it finally allow the current owner of the resort to sell Brian Head to a ski corporation (ala Intrawest or someone of that nature)? That has to be what they are banking on. There is no other explanation. Either that or the resort manager needs shot for convincing the owners to invest $8M.

Posted by Justin at 08:20 PM

July 22, 2007

Brian Head Expansion Updates

Brian Head has new updates on the Interconnect Project complete with pictures:

After years of careful planning, the resort is poised for dramatic expansion...

This summer Brian Head Resort is installing a new interconnect lift and ski trail system that will join the two mountains. Skiers and snowboarders of all abilities will now be able to enjoy both mountains by skiing/riding instead of driving. The Interconnect System consists of two new lifts and a ski-over bridge. Chair Lift #1 will cross over State Highway 143 to Navajo Mountain replacing the historic Chair Lift #1 that was removed from service in 1993. A new second chair lift, Lift #8 will start near the bottom of the new Lift #1, and will transport skiers to mid-mountain of Giant Steps. Skiers will cross over Highway 143 via the skier bridge under Chair Lift #1. The Interconnect System will expand the Resort’s existing trail capacity by nearly 35% and will allow skiers and snowboarders to circulate freely between Navajo and Giant Steps Mountains. The Interconnect System will also dramatically increase accessibility by creating expanded lift access to the entire Resort.

The entire interconnect project, including expanded snowmaking on many of the new runs, is on schedule to be completed by the start of the 2007/2008 ski season.

I was at the resort two weeks ago and dirt is moving. Not sure about schedules and so forth, but my concern would be the bridge more than anything.

This is going to create a lot more green and blue terrain, which BH is not in need of. They need more steeps. And some more trees to cut down on the wind. In a perfect world, there would be no such thing as a bark beetle and Brian Head would have 3000 ft of lift served vertical. But I will take what I can get and this should create some new buzz for the resort.

Posted by Justin at 09:16 PM | Comments (2)

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)

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)

March 19, 2007

Maybe Some More Storms Brewing

There is a storm coming through on Wednesday that may drop 6" or so at Brian Head and possibly one next Tuesday on that may bring some more snow.

Tera and I are planning to head up over Easter and possibly one other trip sooner, but waiting to finalize. She has not been up since Thanksgiving... It finally hit me that she keeps saying she will go next time and never has.

She is putting Bookends on the season to be there for opening and closing but not in between.

Posted by Justin at 02:48 PM

February 28, 2007

16" Last night at Brian Head

Title says it all. And it is still snowing. I am debating with Tera whether to head back up there this weekend. I was there last weekend and it was epic, but this weekend is gonna be all bluebird with fresh.

I will update.

Posted by Justin at 11:57 AM | Comments (2)

February 26, 2007

Three Footer Coming This Week to Brian Head

Never count your chickens, but this is the weather report for the next three days at Brian Head. These forecasts change frequently, but this appears to be a major storm coming through.

We are not sure if we are going up this weekend, but had planned to. Will update with actual totals.

Posted by Justin at 09:31 AM | Comments (2)

February 24, 2007

Two Footer and Bluebird Day at Brian Head

Title says it all and I don't have much time to spend blogging while I am getting ready to head up the mountain.

Took a couple of runs yesterday and it was awesome. Blinding storm though.

I am still having inner ear and sinus problems that are affecting my balance. I fell over while standing still again. Weird. Makes you wonder.

Posted by Justin at 08:57 AM

February 12, 2007

Brian Head Trip Last Weekend (and Video of Jake)

This last weekend Jake, Tim, and I went up to Brian Head. Conditions were better than we expected. It hasn't snowed much over the last few weeks, but the snow was fairly soft and had good coverage on the runs (although some bare spots here and there that you had to be careful of).

I took the camera out with us and grabbed a quick video of Jake on Wild Ride off of Roulette. Had a blast skiing with him all day as opposed to letting him and Jackson do their own thing.

My old Atomic Beta Carve 8.18's have basically become my dad's skis. My mid-fats are my usual fare, but because of the packed conditions, I took out the old skis. Hadn't used them in almost two years. My mids are miserable on groomers, so consequently I forgot how fun it was to ride groomers. What a difference. My new skis are unstable at speed and don't carve on ice or packed very well, and I had gotten used to the way that they feel and perform. Moral of the story--use the right gear. I have two sets of skis for a reason and forgot how different a good set of all mountain carvers feel on groomed runs.

Posted by Justin at 02:24 PM

February 07, 2007

Brian Head Trips This Weekend

About time I get back up to Brian Head. Jake, Tim and I are heading to Brian Head and taking some closets with us. I bought three new IKEA closets for the loft so that we get some storage room up there. They are crazy heavy so Tim is gonna be hating me. But free lodging is still free lodging.

Not a lot of snow on the way this weekend, but hopefully some. Next week might be better and Tera and the kids are planning on going up with me the following weekend.

I am really hating life because the place is finally done, but the snow sucks so bad that I don't want to spend 16 hours in a vehicle to ski groomed ice. Let's hope that this weekend and next week the storms start rolling in.

Posted by Justin at 04:29 PM | Comments (2)

January 20, 2007

Skiers versus Snowboarders - Brian Head Horror Story

I am talking to Cynthia, my neighbor down the hall at Brian Head. Way cool lady from Vegas who we run into most busy weekends including over Christmas and this last weekend.

Turns out that some jerks broke into her ski storage closet between Christmas and MLK weekend. Get this--they stole two Burton boards, but left about $2500 worth of skis behind. They didn't even want to waste time with the skis, just the boards.

I pulled my powder skis into the condo and brought the Burton board into the condo too. Sure, they can get stolen from the condo too, but I have double deadbolts on both the condo and the storage closet. She only had one lock. I checked my closet and some jerk with a screwdriver had tried to break into mine too.

So not to sound like a two plank wank, but why the hell do all the gear thefts involve snowboards, not skis? Cynthia didn't have condo insurance, which double sucks. I do, so if someone steals my gear, it isn't going to hurt as bad. I left the old kids skis in the gear locker, so if you want a four year old of K2 Jr. Escapes in a 125 or a pair of crusty Rossy 109 kids skis, have at it. I hope you have fun busting into my locker and wish you well if you want to tote them down the three flights of stairs.

If you dig on stealing stuff or if you need to steal to afford your snowboarding habit, I offer three alternatives to fix the situation--charge the kids on the football team a little more for their reefer; get into the more lucrative side of theft and crime; or stop wasting your money on the ganj unless you are willing to make a career out of being a lowlife.

Disgusting. Gear thiefs are the lowest form of life their [damn that grammer and my inability to use there and their] is and I hope that karma bites you for it. I hope that you steal an avalance beacon from someone's locker and it is defective while you are in the backcountry and that a freek sluff sends you to meet the ski Gods who will punish you for your lack of faith. There is no repentence for being a gear thief and eventually the punishment will catch up with you.

Posted by Justin at 12:55 AM | Comments (3)

January 15, 2007

Major Power Outage and -15 Degree Temps at Brian Head

How do you top the misery of riding the lift in sub zero temperatures? Why having a power outage while you are doing it. Bad things at Brian Head today. Not sure what caused the problems, but the power went out at around midnight last night and did not come back until after 11:00 AM. The it was spotty for the rest of the day with brief 10-20 minute outages. Cable did not come back until after the Seattle-Chicago game was over, so we missed it.

Brian Head had all the lifts but Giant Steps closed down until power was restored (since I believe Giant Steps has a diesel generator). Because Navajo was shut down, there was no place for Jarrett to go today. We sent Jake and Jackson over to Giant Steps while I took care of Jarrett and nursed what appears to be a case of the flu with my second sinus infection of the year. I slept for 16 hours on Saturday and came home at around 1:00 PM from skiing feeling horrible.

Conditions are still sketchy in many places and I still bottomed out on some rocks yesterday on Dunes. The latest snowstorm only dropped about a foot of snow and the base still isn't where it needs to be. Combine that with -10 degree temps, power outages, and the holiday crowds, it isn't exactly epic conditions. The snow is good in spots, but choppy from the wind, the traffic, and the lack of a good base.

We are going to give it a go tomorrow since the power problems and the crowds seem to be improving. Good news is that we got a lot of work done on the condo today and got it buttoned up earlier than expected. Painting and drywall texturing. Good times.

Posted by Justin at 12:43 AM | Comments (2)

January 11, 2007

Huge Storm Coming to Brian Head

A major Arctic blast is on its way. Temps in the single digits and below zero. 30+ MPH winds. Oh yeah, and did I mention 2-3' of snow.

If you have never skied in below zero temps with a 30 mph wind, it is like heaven. You have the slopes to yourself. Every single inch of you is cold, but anything that is exposed is frozen. You take one run and then spend 45 minutes in the lodge thawing. The lift rides seem to take an hour and every time a lift stops, you have thoughts of killing someone and hiding the body under a drift. Real fun times here.

My son Jarrett usually wants to stay with Mom (yeah, he is a momma's boy) but last night he tells me that he "wants to go skiing with Jake and Jackson". My conditions are simple--don't fight the entire time while we are driving and don't whine the whole time we are there. Last time I took him to a Suns game, he needed earplugs and by the 4th quarter kept saying "I want to go home" and crying.

I am going over to Sports Authority to buy some long underwear for the kids. They are gonna need it. Hand and foot warmers are a must. Part of me is looking forward to a powder day, but the other part of me is from Arizona and my body isn't prepared for this kind of cold yet, if ever.

Posted by Justin at 09:44 AM | Comments (1)

January 06, 2007

24" in 48 Hours at Brian Head... And I am in Phoenix

Brian Head finally got the big snow storm we have been waiting for to complete the base and keep me from spending all my hard earned money on p-tex. 24" in 48 hours and it is straight up bluebird today. It is supposed to snow Wednesday and Thursday of next week and I am planning to head up for the weekend with Jackson, Jake and my dad.

Last night I hit the Miami Heat vs. Phoenix Suns game and next week I have tickets to see the Lebrons on Thursday. The Suns just destroyed the heat minus DWade and Shaq. The high point of the night came with :02 seconds left and the Suns up 25. Pat Burke. 6'10" way back up center dropped the bomb from 3 as the game ended. The crowd went wild when he got up off of the bench with 4:00 left, but when he hit the three it went nuts.

The Phoenix Suns are scorching hot right now and have won 23 of their last 26 games. I have tickets to two games this week coming up, then don't have tickets again until Feb 21. I backloaded my season tickets by selling most of the games in Jan, Feb, and March. I didn't want to be stuck in Phoenix when Brian Head was having major powder days. Yeah, that worked out.

Posted by Justin at 12:28 PM | Comments (1)

December 29, 2006

Powder Day, Rocks and Stumps, Wind Holds, and Core Shots

Still early season conditions, but plenty of fresh. Last night it snowed roughly a foot which was almost enough to cover the rocks that were still poking up. Worse yet, the entire upper mountain had gusts of up to 75 MPH overnight and into the morning which means two things--lifts on wind hold until 2:00 PM and whatever snow came down had relocated into wonderful drifts. So the upper mountain went something like this: lift, rocks, drift, rocks, drift, rocks, stump, rocks, drift.

We spent most of the morning until Giant Steps opened off of the Blackfoot lift poaching powder runs through the trees between Yaz and Desbah. We hit some great powder through the trees, but I also hit some nasty stuff below the surface. Stumps, rocks, all kinds of stuff that you would expect early in the season. Around 3:00, I stopped and took of the skis and had a nasty core shot that needed some Ptex and came fairly close to blowing out an edge.

Another great day on the mountain. Left a little early because my skis were in the shop, but my quads certainly got their workout in. By the last couple of runs, I was struggling to keep my skis parallel and burning through the powder. Jake and Jack continued to surprise me with their ability to hit almost anything on the mountain. I kept stopping to look back and they were right on my hip no matter how fast I was going.

Posted by Justin at 10:19 PM | Comments (1)

December 27, 2006

A Day of Instructing

Up here at Brian Head and it is finally snowing although not as much as I would like. I brought up two buddies who are total Noobs and put one of them in "Learn to Ski" for the morning since I do not have the patience or ability to teach how to get on and off the lifts. Take the 2 hour lesson and then we can start working.

By the PM, we were taking runs together and working on technique. Just little stuff, but honestly, it was so much fun to work with new folks to the sport and get them excited.

I am actually hurting pretty bad because one of them took me out pretty hard. Probably as bad of a day as I have had injury wise in a while. I was riding switch trying to coach and caught an edge and twisted my knee, plus got wiped pretty bad when my buddy got cut off and could not stop and hit me. It was refreshing in a way because after two 30+ day seasons, you never ski with noobs anymore and rarely ski bad conditions. It just isn't that fun unless it is a dump. Today, we closed the lifts down and I can't remember the last time I did that when it wasn't epic. It is a good feeling.

It finally happened today for the first time. Jake was skiing with me and I got behind him and was just watching him come down off of Giant Steps. Knees touching. Skis completely parallel. Using his poles perfectly in his turns. For the first time, he looked like a better skier than I did. Jackson is damned near there himself. And both of them were just fluid. Hitting jumps. Making turns. My dad went out with us and got to watch them tearing it up.

Jake got in his sixth day of the year and will be at nine before New Year's Day. Jack is a day or two behind him for the year. I was coaching my two buddies today and working on linking turns. They are both at the point where all they need is time on the snow. I get jaded when I don't even want to go out unless the conditions are great. I am spoiled. But conditions are improving and I have a couple of good long days in which will pay dividends when we get our powder dumps later on and my legs are already under me.

I am a little worried about my right knee from getting sideswiped and from wrecking. I haven't had a good twisting fall in a while, but it seriously is so dangerous on groomers when idiots think they are Shawn White or Bode and cut you off. In this case he cut off a first dayer with no concern for anyone else and it got me hurt. I wanted to chase the dude down and give him a smackin', but instead was walking uphill 40 feet to get my ski.

Posted by Justin at 10:40 PM

December 24, 2006

Brian Head is Now Almost 50% Open

Just in time for Christmas, Brian Head is now almost 50% open. I was getting worried because the place gets crazy busy over the Holidays and if Giant Steps Lift and the main mountain are not at least half open, the lift lines will be insane.

I am waiting to see how open Roulette is because it usually does not have lines since it is a mid-mountain to the top lift. Dunes will not be open and is my favorite lift, but has a south facing exposure which I think hurts snowfall and snow retention.

The Navajo lift and most of the runs on it and Pioneer are open also. We are heading up with two friends from Wickenburg, one of which is a first timer. The other has been a few days. I am probably going to do more coaching that personal skiing, which is probably good for me anyway since the conditions are mostly corduroy.

Other news is that there is a storm expected mid week next week, but I am getting conflicting reports from the different weather sites. I am going to finish most of the work in the loft, the painting, and get the place completely put back together including finishing the carpet and tile in the loft this trip. Tera and I may go back the following week, but we are not sure yet.

Posted by Justin at 01:27 PM

December 19, 2006

Brian Head Receives 21" in Three Days, Set to Open Giant Steps

Brian Head is finally getting some snow. And it is about time. If BH does not have decent snow for Christmas, they lose a key period for their business. Christmas is one of the most important times of the year for resorts and at Brian Head it is by far the busiest time of year.

The only chair that is not expected to be open by this weekend is the Dunes, which happens to be my favorite lift. All of the beginner runs and most of the intermediates should be open, we are just waiting on the top areas of the big mountain.

I am heading to BH on the 26th with about 20 people. I swear it is going to be packed. We are taking three friends from Wickenburg, plus my dad, Jackson, Jake, Liz, and possibly Wil and Chris from 120 Days are going to stop by for a day or two. We are talking almost a dozen people in the condo. Plus the whole complex will be totally full. Plus the remodel work is not done so we have to bust the work out the day we get there and get the carpet laid. Plus we have no closet space because we don't have the remodel done.

Good times. The more the merrier, I guess. I just hope the mountain is open so we don't spend all of our time in lift lines.

Posted by Justin at 11:06 AM | Comments (1)

December 17, 2006

5" at Brian Head Last Night

Title says it all. Still hardly any terrain open, but hopefully with the additional snow on the way, the Giant Steps chair will open soon.

I had to come back to PHX for the Cardinals - Broncos game and just got home. Waiting to see when I am going to get back to the condo.

Posted by Justin at 07:01 PM | Comments (1)

December 15, 2006

Storm Coming to Brian Head, and It Is Needed

We are at the condo as we speak. Jake and Jackson both skied yesterday and today, plus hit up the mountain for night skiing too. It is mega-ice. But they don't seem to mind. I enjoy being able to walk and move in one piece too much to ski these conditions.

A major storm is heading this way and forecasts are for possible two to three feet. I spoke to one of the operations guys for the resort and he said no new terrain is going to open until next week at the earliest after this storm comes through. It has been too warm for snowmaking several nights last week.

We are finishing up the drywall in the condo today and doing taping and texturing. We put in the ceiling in the downstairs bathroom, finished the drywall in the main loft, and finished the upper loft. We have carpet ready to install as soon as we finish the texture. As usual, early season ain't fun for us to ski, but we work while the boys ski the ice and man-made groomed stuff. It has been a pretty productive trip.

Posted by Justin at 09:22 PM

December 10, 2006

Heading to Brian Head

Got the Green Light from my dad to take Jake and Jackson out of school and head to the Condo Wednesday through Saturday night. We are going to be working in the mornings and evenings and trying to get some skiing in between. OK, less work and more skiing than I am leading on.

Conditions still pretty much suck, but it appeared that today's snow is going to linger a little bit and hopefully leave a foot or so of fresh, which may permit opening some more runs. If we are still basically down to a couple of runs and crap snow, I will not spend a ton of time navigating things, but on a weekday before the Christmas Holidays, the place should be dead so that helps.

Goals for this trip::

• Finish tape and texture of drywall in loft
• Paint loft
• Fix wood floor in loft
• Install carpet in upper loft
• Possibly put up drywall in downstairs bathroom.
• Ski 3-4 days, conditions not sucking

This should close the work for the year up. And it is just the right time for it. The following week, Tera, Jake, and Jarrett are going up with me sans our 2 year old who is staying at Grandmas. Then the week after, Jake and Jackson as well as my dad plus some friends from Wickenburg are going. That gets us through until the New Year.

I have a ton going on next year, but as long as my job situation allows me to, I am going to stay in Utah as much as possible. I am hoping for a 30-40 day winter again, so I gotta get going.

Posted by Justin at 10:31 PM

December 07, 2006

Finally Some Good News From Brian Head

Brian Head posted the following on their website:

Chair 6 will be open with all terrain, Chairs 3 and 5 will be open with limited terrain.

All-day lift tickets will be $28 for adults and $19 for children and seniors until more chairs and terrain are open. Night skiing starts Saturday, December 9 with a lift ticket price of $12.

I believe I am heading up the week before Christmas with my Dad, Jake, and Jackson.

There was supposed to be snow this weekend, but that has been downgraded.

Posted by Justin at 10:30 AM | Comments (1)

November 29, 2006

14" Last Night at Brian Head

Brian Head got their first big storm of the season last night. 14" of new snow fell. That is almost enough to cover the rocks.

They are still close today through Friday so that they can groom the snow and get it ready for a decent opening of some more runs. It is important that they compact this base down so that they can build up for the season, but they continue to make snow on top of the new snow that has fallen.

I am hoping for a top to bottom opening on Giant Steps this weekend.

Posted by Justin at 12:10 PM

November 27, 2006

Brian Head Expecting First Major Storm--But Closing This Week

Snow is on the way for Brian Head, but the resort is closing to focus on snowmaking. This should be good news for the rest of the seasona as temps are expected to drop (meaning snowmaking can take place during the day) and there is a major storm on its way.

Last Wednesday was somewhat anti-climactic. I played around on the two open runs and hit a couple nice jumps and tried my hand on the rainbow they had set up, but all in all, I hate the thought of tearing an ACL/MCL on the opening day, and hate the thought of getting taken out by some schmuck going all Bode.

Still, the condo is coming together nicely and we are working at things. It was a nice trip to get some plumbers up there and get some things buttoned up for the season. We are starting to plan for our weekends this year with friends or family and have several different people that are going to use the place.

Gonna head up sometime in the next week or two, but have a Doctors Appt next week and some other plans going on. Probably wait it out for more snow so that my dad and Jackson can come up and we can finish the tape and texture on the drywall as well as finish the carpet, wood repairs, and closets for the winter and focus on what the place is for--skiing.

Posted by Justin at 01:08 AM

November 23, 2006

Day One - Ski Season Starts at Brian Head

Yesterday, Brian Head opened for the season. Conditions were EPIC. Two runs on manmade snow. Snowboarders that sat 15 wide across top of the runs gawking and watching as the other snowboarders that were halfway decent. The rest would wait and then ride down missing every jump but cutting off anyone that did want to hit anything.

You always want to set the tone for the season right. And Jake did just that. First run, getting off the lift. Took a header. So for the entire season, he gets to hear it.

Not a lot of skiing to enjoy, but it was still a day on skis. I took a good fall off of a rainbow. And man is ice hard. You know, it isn't a glass is half full or glass is half empty situation. After seven months, it certainly wasn't a bluebird powder day, but it was a start to the season. And it still felt good.

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

November 17, 2006

Season Passes Printed, but No Season Yet

Yesterday, I went in and talked to Tracy at Brian Head who handled the season passes. Got the passes all printed up and ready to roll. Only problem with me being early to get all my goodies in anticipation of today's opening--there is no opening.

Looks like Wednesday at the earliest. Hardly any snow and what is there is man made, but they are making it as fast as they can. Temps are a little warmer than optimal though.

Dad and I did some major remodel work and were putting in outlets for a Washer and Dryer. Will have pics posted shortly. Better news is that we redid the upper loft and we have improved livability in a major way. Check back for the pics.

Posted by Justin at 10:07 AM | Comments (1)

November 09, 2006

Still Little Snow at Brian Head

Brian Head is still struggling to get enough snow to make opening more than the usual white ribbon of death. But good news is that hopefully there is some new snow on the way.

Two weeks from today is Thanksgiving and unless the snow really starts coming down, it may be a very weak opening.

Pray for snow!

Posted by Justin at 04:31 PM | Comments (1)

October 19, 2006

Snow at Brian Head

What a long week. I got up to Brian Head on Sunday evening and demo'ed the old upper loft and the closet in the lower loft. My dad came up on Monday at around 2PM but was beat so we only got a little bit done. By the time we finished taking out all the old framing and drywall, we were too tired to go down the 3 flights of stairs and take a load to the dump that night.

BIG MISTAKE. We awoke to find an entire truckload of 2x4's and now wet drywall covered by almost a foot of powder.

It absolutely dumped on Monday night at Brian Head and it made the place look so much better. It always looks better when there is snow on the mountain.

Posted by Justin at 11:33 AM

October 11, 2006

Wolf Creek gets 22" During Latest Storm

Wolf Creek has already received 42" of snow so far this year and got another 22" the last couple of days.

Today is my birthday and for my birthday, it appears that both Brian Head and Wolf Creek got some snow. But the best part is the news from Arizona Snowbowl:

Ski fans will rejoice to know that while it will be a sunny day in the Valley today, a light dusting of snow last night added to the about 2 inches of snow that fell Sunday night and Monday morning at higher elevations outside Flagstaff. The Arizona Snowbowl ski area reports snow at about the 9,500 foot level.

Snowbowl Marketing Director Dave Smith said, "Hopes are high here among all of us that this snow is the first sign that we're going to have a great season. It would be terrific if we could be open by Thanksgiving."

Let us hope.

Posted by Justin at 09:52 AM | Comments (1)

October 02, 2006

Brian Head Summer Photos Posted Including Proposed New Terrain

Pictured below is a view of Giant Steps looking toward the proposed site of the bridge and the new terrain (across Highway 143).

For more pictures of Brian Head taken this summer including details pointing out the new Brian Head Lofts condos and the Cedar Breaks Lodge / Timberbrook condos from the top of the peak, check the gallery.

Posted by Justin at 02:14 PM

September 27, 2006

Picking on Brian Head

The Employment Listings for Brian Head for the Upcoming Season are out. Let's make a bold career move and leave IT to work at the resort:

Position	Department	Hourly Pay Rate
Ski & Snowboard Instructors	Winter Sports School	$6.50
Strong communication skills & ability to teach others. Patient & friendly personality. Intermediate or above skiing or snowboarding ability required. Ensure guest safety and guarantee a good time on the slopes for your clients. Employment is dependent upon applicant passing an on-slope ability test prior.

I will save time and space by summarizing... lots of jobs for line cooks, lift operators, rent