Back home at Heavenly Valley!

After a day that involved 19 hours of travel, sun, rain, snow, and not too much sleep, Julie and I arrived in South Lake Tahoe on Friday night for a 9-day stay in the Blue World. Not unlike last year, we brought the snow with us and Heavenly Valley was blanketed with 2 feet of fresh snow through last night. When we woke this morning, the sun was shining and our third day on the slopes was nothing short of epic with bluebird skies and temps around 40 degrees. Of course at 10,000, that sun packs a punch and I kind of wish I'd put some sunscreen on this morning. Oh well. The extent of my posting this week will be from this beautiful wonderland.

Broken ski is worse than a broken heart!

Regardless of how many skis one has in their quiver, so to speak, everyone has a favorite ski that they love to ski on in almost any condition. Of course, this is also the ski that gets the most abuse and sees the largest variation in terrain and condition changes. I bought my Rossignol B2s two years ago and have been in love with them. In all but five of the 53 days I’ve skied this year, they’ve been at least used part of the day. The moment I dreaded, but knew could happen did, I snapped a ski Saturday. Sure, I’ve been thinking about jumping to a longer and wider Rossi, but not right now. So I suppose it’s a good thing the economic stimulus package passed as I went down and bought a brand new pair of B3s. Thanks to Sunday River Sports for giving me 30% off! It still stings, though!

It's a good thing we got all that snow and cold weather earlier in the season!

While the Sierra Mountains in Northern California and Nevada continue to get pounded with snowstorm after snowstorm, we here in the northeast have taken a step back. After nearly a record-breaking December for most of the region, 2008 has started out warm and wet, forcing many ski resorts to go from 100% open to half that or less. While resorts with a lot of snowmaking can handle the warm weather and recover in a matter of days, some of the smaller areas have a much more difficult time.
This leads me to bring up something I overheard the other evening while racing in the 40 degree weather at Shawnee Peak near the border of Maine and New Hampshire. An individual look at some of the bare patches on the mountain brought about by the accumulation of that ugly "R" word and went on to talk about how it was going to be just like last winter. Really? a week of warm weather that happens every year and the end is near? Come on! I guess I just don't get how people can always be so negative. The fact of the matter is that it's going to get cold, more snow will fall, and the season will continue to be great because people who ski and snowboard share a passion that allows us the freedom to be outside and to slide on snow. How much can be a factor, but as long as there is some, I'll remain happy and upbeat!

Warm weather go away! Don't you know I have to ski?

I am undoubtedly am one of the only people who would make such a request of Mother Nature, but come on. This is Maine and it was in the 60's on the coast yesterday. Mrs. Nature has been very cooperative with us skiers this year and we are grateful, but please don't melt away all the lovely snow you have provided to the mountains by letting it rain on us.
My local ski hill, Sunday River, has received 100 inches of snow this season to date. Not bad for an area that averages 140 inches per season and has a fairly low elevation. Out west things are pretty good these days, too. At my favorite place to play in No. Cali/Nevada, Heavenly Valley has received 15 feet of snow to date for the season with more on the way. This time last year, Jules and I were wondering if the skiing would be better here than there, but then a massive storm dropped 8 feet of snow on the resort just prior to our arrival. While I still hope they get a ton of snow right before we get there or while we're there at the end of February, the 9 feet of snow they received last week is a pretty good start. So now all I really ask is for Mrs. Nature to play nice and let the temps being seasonal.
This won't be the case for my ski race tonight and honestly, I'm a little concerned about racing my new skis in the soft snow. I may be better off with some fat freeride skis, but I think it will be a game time decision as Shawnee Peak may have colder temps by race time. Regardless, it will be day 36 for me, skiing this season. That means that since the first resort opened in New England for the season, I have skied more days than I have not and I love it. What's your passion?

The Maine Coast In Winter

In my humble opinion, all of Maine is special any time of year. The state is unique in that we have both 3000 plus miles of coastline and mountain ranges reaching to the clouds. While either is beautiful no matter what time of year you choose to visit, winter is most special in my book.
One of the most unique places in Maine is Camden. Located in Maine's mid-coast region, Camden is where the mountains literally meet the sea and for winter sports enthusiasts, it is home to the only ski area on the east coast where you can see the Atlantic Ocean from the trails. While the mountain is small by most standards, it has a classic New England feel and a homeyness about it that draws you in. Driving around town, the white colonials are lit up by outside floodlights and Christmas lights in the windows. Bayview Street and Route One are almost empty and the stark contrast from the hustle and bustle of the summer tourist surge makes for a feeling of peace and tranquility.

This evening, Jules and I will hop in the car and head up to my folks' place in Camden for a respite from the sometimes frantic weekends spent at the larger ski resorts.

My time for vacation and the outdoors!

While millions of Americans scramble to get their vacation times in during the hottest of summer months or when the kids are off from school during the year, things move a little differently in my world. Yes, I did take a few days off over the summer and did go on a vacation with my significant other last year, but by-in-large, I tend to take my time off when others don't. I've been blessed to work for a company that provides ample time off and for most of that time, I spend gliding down what I consider to be a winter wonderland. And while I returned to work today, I spent a week and a half enjoying the great outdoors in Maine. Skiing 11 out of 12 days, I took a break to celebrate Christmas with my family. And yet I know full well that this sometimes selfish approach to time away from work will change when I have a family of my own, I feel that until that time, I should take my time doing the things I love - for the most part, that means skiing. Indeed, I was joined on the weekends by family and friends, but sometimes it's those times when I'm alone, gliding above the clouds, over freshly fallen snow, that I feel most at peace.

And while getting back to the office today was like having a bucket of freezing water dumped on my head, I put my nose to the grind with a little notion in the back of my mind that in less than two months, Jules and I will be off to Lake Tahoe for our second straight year - yes, we will be skiing in The Blue World.

Welcoming Back Winter In Maine

In all my travels through the years, I would often tell people that I'm from Maine and the first thing I would hear was, "Wow! It's really cold up there, isn't it?" I'd smile and explain the distinct 4 seasons that Maine offers, but also in the back of my head I'd be thinking that for quite a while, the snowy winters had been only a distant memory. While we have always received huge snowstorms in the latter months of winter and into spring, I have been sad to say that in Portland (along the coast) we haven't seen a 'White Christmas' since the Reagan administration. And that's sad quite frankly as Maine is supposed to be cold and snowy in the winter. I have often said that as long as it's wintry in the mountains, I don't care what it's like on the coast, but that really isn't the case. I love winter and I love the way Maine looks in the winter, especially the holiday season.
Jules and I just wrapped up a 4-day weekend at Sunday River. Having skied 3 days together, she ventured back to Portland this morning while I take the rest of the week off. This time last year, the resort was mostly dry with strips of white where the snow makers had left their mark, but we've already had a couple of substantial storms this month and the skiing has been the best in December in over a decade. After Sunday's nor'easter, we both had to shovel out our cars as 15 inches fell on this western Maine playground. And while it's entirely possible for the weather to change, if the temps remain cold, we'll ring in Christmas with a cover of white in every area of the state. To most, that may be insignificant, but to myself and my family, it brings an extra smile. Happy Holidays.

Sunday River opened for the season a day early!

Upstaging perennial rival and "family member," Sugarloaf/USA, Sunday River Resort, Maine, officially opened full time for the 2007-2008 season at 11:30 today.
While Sunday River had opened for one day on Halloween, most don't consider a resort to be open for the season unless they stay continuously open, therefore, the Halloween opening doesn't really count as Sunday River's opening. Why is this important? Quite frankly, it really isn't in the grand scheme of things, but bragging rights are always the banter of forums and bar stools.
After a long period as king of early openings and late closings, Killington, VT - now operated by POWDR Corp, decided to not even attempt an early opening this year, which is the first time in decades. While this opened the door for Sunday River, who had all along intended to open no later than November 9th, it was recently announced that Sugarloaf would also open on the 9th, bumping up their opening by a week. Not to be outdone by its' sister resort, the mountain operations crew at Sunday River resume snowmaking operations yesterday afternoon and were able to lay down enough snow for today's opening on one trail and one lift.
For the time being, skiing and riding is for advanced only and downloading is required on the Locke triple. So if you're not an expert, please think twice about getting on the lift. No, the terrain is not normally overwhelming, but early season skiing and riding is not easy and a lot of people end up walking down slopes and getting injured. For the full story on this and other alpine news, check out the good folks at Alpine Zone for the lastest updates.

Halloween skiing at Sunday River even drew Tony The Tiger!

Even if it was only for one day, Sunday River, Maine turned some heads with the surprise last minute opening for Halloween day. New outlets from all over New England and even the Weather Channel wanted in on the action. After a few blustery nights, the renowned Sunday River snowmaking crew had laid down enough of the white stuff to cover the T2 trail and operate the Locke Mountain chairlift. While downloading was required from mid-station, the opening of the upper part of the lift and the T2 trail itself was a throwback to the 1990s when resorts like Sunday River, Sugarloaf/usa, and Killington all vied for bragging rights of first to open in the east. While the Sunday River "treat" had already been decided to be a one day affair, the media outlets are still buzzing about skiing in Maine on October 31st. The mountain operations crew deserves a lot of credit for allowing this special event to happen while Sunday River PR guru and director of Communications, Alex Kaufman, was busy attending to the media. When word got out Tuesday afternoon about the event, folks were already making plans to make their first tracks. Unfortunately this kid was stuck in the office. Sunday River is officially slated to open for daily skiing and riding on November 9th, weather permitting. For more on this event and anything having to do with Sunday River, check out sundayriver.com.

Sunday River to open for Halloween!

While daily and top-to-bottom skiing is still likely two weeks away, Sunday River ski resort in Bethel, Maine plans to fire up the Locke Mountain Triple for 5 hours on Wednesday marking the earliest skiing in 13 years. With temps at the higher elevations dropped this past weekend, Sunday River was able to utilize some of the new and improved snowmaking equipment brought in by Boyne USA to open for this one day event. Regular skiing and riding operations are slated to begin on November 9th, weather permitting.

The Weatherman is making me giddy!

Okay, so that really isn't the case. If the weatherman made me giddy, well, never mind, but it's that time of year when I bring my skis into the shop and have each pair ground. While I normally do my own tuning, I recommend at least one stone grind a year for your bases, even if you do your own edges.

So anyway, if the prediction holds true at Sugarloaf/USA, well be skiing in a few weeks. That said, the high elevations are might get the first coat of the season this weekend. Snow in October is nothing new here in Maine, but the first flakes are always so sweet.

Out west, our friends have already had the fortune of a few days with white gold dustings at Heavenly. The picture was shot on Friday October 5th and is the 3rd snow of the year. The season way still be aways off for Mott and Killebrew, but expect to hear the SMI cannons and snowguns getting revved up real soon on some of the higher elevations around Comet and Dipper. Go to skiheavenly.com and check on the three webcams for updates!

Okay, so now I'm giddy!

Peak to Peak Gondola

It doesn't matter if you're a die hard skier or snowboarder or if you never seen snow before in your life; what's being built at Whistler/Blackcomb, British Columbia is one of the most amazing architectural feats in North American history.
At well over $100 million the Peak to Peak Gondola may be more of a tourist attraction for the upcoming Olympics, but it's practical use is will cut the time it currently takes to get from 2/3 of the way up Blackcomb to the same height on Whistler from about an hour and a half to about 10 minutes.
Being somewhat of a ski lift buff, I watched the update videos on the Whistler site and have been blown away by the sheer magnitude of this Gondola.
For Doppelmayr, it will be the 5th installation of the 3S Gondola and the first in North America. It will also be the highest Gondola in the world (Over 1300 above the creek) and at 1.88 miles between towers, will have the longest unsupported span in the world. This lift will be like have a loop of 28 cable cars (trams)!
And just another side note, this is not a sponsored post, this is just one absolutely amazing lift being built in Canada. Check out the Whistler Peak to Peak site for facts, media, videos, tons of pictures, blueprints, and more.

And more from SKI Magazine

Okay, so I've already covered how I feel about SKI's "reader's poll" results from the west, but I'm not done. Who knows? This may be ongoing, but quite frankly, it's taken me longer to sift through the pages as other ski magazines that have come out with their own rankings and ratings have MUCH more viability.

Nonetheless, I think we should talk about the rankings for the east. I guess I don't have too much of a problem with Mont Tremblant at number 1. They've got great lifts, over 2K in vert, and Intrawest has poured a ton of money into making this a destination resort, but the rest of the rankings are seemingly meant to be pleasing to a wide audience instead of catching the vibe of the skiers and riders.

Don't get me wrong, Smuggler's Notch is a great resort with good trees, out-of-bounds, vert, and their famous family program, but #2 in the east? Apparently the voters skipped skiing anywhere that has been updated in the last 30 years. I'm not saying that new is better and quite frankly don't like over-crowded slopes, but with that much vert, you can't rely on old double-chairs - Too slow and too cold. Having these types of lifts serving expert terrain is great, but when they are your primary people movers... Yikes!

Second, I think it's pitiful that Holiday Valley, NJ was included. Is there a really good reason why they have to throw a mid-Atlantic area in there each year and put it above places like Sugarloaf and Killington? No. It's absurd. I don't care how good your nightlife is, 750 feet of vert doesn't compare and it doesn't matter how far you spread it out.

As for the other areas that were included, you can probably mix them around each year as favorites are subjective, but they have to make some sense. The Bretton Woods golf course doesn't cut unless you are a beginner or intermediate. It's great if you are, but variety is key and BW doesn't have it. They do get props for lifts and views though.

And now to get really subjective. Yes, I'm from Maine and grew up skiing Sugarloaf and Sunday River, but I ski everywhere and that being said, have a really hard time with Sunday River being left off when places like Holiday Valley and Bretton Woods are considered the best. To rank Holiday Valley higher than Sugarloaf is basically spitting in the face of people who actually go to a place to ski or ride. And Sunday River's variety, snow making, and grooming can't be ignored.

That's all for now, but check back after I've read a few more pages.

Think Snow!!!

SKI Magazine screws it up again...

Yep, SKI magazine has done it again, they've made a mockery out of ski resort ratings in the most recent issue. It's no surprise, they do it every year. The magazine says that the rankings are all based on readers votes and I can see it to some degree, but there need to be some disclosure when ranking the tops 25 resorts in the country. There's the obvious aspect - I'm not overlooking - which is that resort ranking are are completely subjective, but even still, I SOOOOO find it heard to believe that a majority of the readers polled chose Deer Valley as the number one resort in the land.

Better than Whistler/Blackcomb... REALLY?
Better than Vail... REALLY?
Better than Aspen, Telluride, Snowmass, Heavenly, Squaw Valley... REALLY????

I think that the problem is that out of all the categories, SKI gives a lot more points for bed turn-down service than it does for say, skiing. They put more weight into valet parking than say, variety of terrain.

I think you get my point. Yes, Deer Valley is a wonderful resort that offer the very best of everything, but unless you are Joe Millionaire, it's not the place for you. Head over to Park City Mountain Resort for much better terrain. Another 5 minutes to the Canyons for the most terrain. Hell, get out of PC and head to Cottonwood Canyon for the BEST snow, but please, leave Deer Valley off such lists. Your magazine losses a lot of credibility with such nonsense.

Boyne USA $4.8 million into Sunday River for the 2007-2008 ski season

While only in it's possession a little over two months, Boyne USA has already begun the process of revitalizing some of Sunday River's assets. Not counting the $2.5 million it has spent to repair damage caused by flash-flooding this spring, Boyne has sunk nearly $4.8 million into Sunday River, with a high concentration towards snowmaking and grooming. Already know for offering "The Most Dependable Snow In the East," Sunday River will benefit from new fans, low-energy guns, and 3 new Prinoth cats. As reported on Alpinezone.com, the mounted fans will be primarily used for high-traffic lower trails like Monday Mourning and Lower Sunday Punch, both of which need re-surfacing many times due to the convergence of other trail filtering into them. The fans on Monday Mourning may signal the mountain's intentions to once again have it be the top-to-bottom early season option.

Bring on the snow guns!

The crisp, autumn air that hovered over New England will subside for a few days as less seasonable temps take over, but with the ski season so close, resort all across the country are getting ready to fire up their sun guns and fans and start laying down the white stuff, as soon as Mother Nature permits.
With the recent announcement from Sugarloaf/USA that they will go for an October 26th opening, they will try to stake claim to a prize that for many years had been held by Killington.
In the 1990's, both Sunday River and Sugarloaf tried competing with Killington each year for the first to open. Each were successful couple of times, but the reigns quickly were handed back to Killington as ASC got into financial trouble.
And yet the big surprise came a few year back when Killington again got beaten to the punch. This time is wasn't another eastern giant, but a hill in Connecticut called Ski Woodbury. Woodbury had flown under the radar and was able to surprise everyone in the industry. The same mistake would certainty not happen again, until the very next year.
Some don't count such openings are Woodbury's due to the fact they are not able to sustain warm November spells and almost always end up closing. This was the case last year when Ski Cataloochee in North Carolina was the first to turn it's rope tow for skiing. Like most others, this small, but high altitude ski area had to close before re-opening for the season, but for a couple of weeks, "The Cat" was the buzz of the eastern ski world.
In a few short weeks, the guns and fans around the east will start to roar. Powdr Corp, the new operator of Killington and Pico, have said that early skiing and riding is not an option for their them, but one wonders if this is just a ploy to get Killington back on top. Or maybe Boyne really will deliver the goods in western Maine and having us skiing Tote Road on Halloween.

Sugarloaf's got fans, literally

Not to be outdone by virtually anyone in the east this year, newcomers Boyne USA made one of their biggest announcements to date when they held a press release stating that Sugarloaf/USA will get more than $4 million in capital investments for the upcoming season.

While Boyne work with strategic developers to determine the future of Sunday River, also in Maine, they knew that before such action could happen with Sugarloaf, there was work to be done to the crumbling infrastructure, which hadn't seen so much money infused into it since the Wiffletree SuperQuad was installed and the fixed-grip quad it replaced was moved to it's current location as the Timberline Quad.

Aside from some much needed brick and mortar upgrades around the base area and in the Sugarloaf Mountain Hotel turned Grand Summit Hotel turned back to Sugarloaf Mountain Hotel, Sugarloaf is slated to increase it's snow making output by 20% this year alone. Boyne will add no less than 70 traditional snow guns to the arsenal, but the real fire power will come from the installation of mounted low-energy, high output fan guns.

To show the east they mean business at Sugarloaf and at all their resorts, Boyne has announced that if weather cooperates, they will shoot for an October 26th opening.

Boyne Set To Make An Impression On Eastern Skiing

Just a couple months after the announcement came that Boyne USA had outbid Les Otten to become the new owner/operators of Sunday River and Sugarloaf/USA ski resorts in Maine, the rumors started to fly about the future of said ski resorts. The resorts, the last remaining eastern holdings of the now de-listed American Skiing Company, are two of the largest and most popular resorts in the east and draw skiers from as far away as Britain. Both resorts are sorely in need of upgrades in almost all areas, but with the closing of the sale not coming until July, things such as new lifts, lodges, and trails are just not feasible. It's a good thing Boyne and it's President have a handy drawing board.

At an August town council meeting in Bethel, just to the west of Sunday River, Boyne announced their desire to light three trails for night skiing. Locals, second home owners, and long time patrons were taken aback. Such an idea had been thought of before, but the capital wasn't there. Instead, Sunday River hosts two lists for lit snowtubing, which let's just say, hasn't been a big draw, but there in lies the problem with these two resorts. After the lifts close, the options are limited, especially for people staying there with kids. While there has been some dispute over how much light would be seen from various parts of the region, the vibe at this resort is good. Not just because Boyne has taken a step in the right direction, but mostly because they have solicited the thoughts of the people who live in the area.

While night skiing may not come to fruition for the 2007-08 season at Sunday River, Boyne has already begun work at Sugarloaf, increasing snow making capacity and beginning to address long term needs. The big news came this week when it was learned that Boyne has gathered a group of 21+ people from various industries to form a committee to set forth the direction for the two resorts. The marketing and development company said to be chosen to lead this endeavor, created the long term plans for resorts such as Whisler/Blackcomb, Statton, and Mont Tremblant. Said to be done in a matter of months instead of years, this is an exciting time for eastern skiers and the future with Boyne (and financial backers CNL) looks very bright!