Fresh stash in Colorado: A-Basin’s ‘Zuma Bowl opens

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

‘Every rope drop is a gift this year’

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First-ever day of lift-served skiing in Arapahoe Basin’s Montezuma Bowl. Bob Berwyn photo.

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — As a long-time western skier, I’ve seen several feast-and-famine snow cycles, when every rope-drop becomes a precious gift from the stingy snow gods. So my heart skipped a beat when A-Basin announced it’s opening Montezuma Bowl today (Wednesday, Feb. 13).

The big, generally south-facing cirque opens a whole new dimension at A-Basin, with long traverses and ridge-line glides leading to craggy drops, long fall-line gullies and a variety of  tree slots, with funky fall lines and hidden stashes. Down the center of Zuma Bowl, the cruisers come with wide views of the heart of Summit County, the trails of Breckenridge and Keystone visible in the distance.

A-Basin chief Alan Henceroth skied the terrain last weekend, reporting good conditions in his Sunday blog post, then announced the bowl will open at 12 p.m. with skiing on Columbine, Shining Light, Ned’s Cache, Independence, and Upper Larkspur.

In the past few weeks, snow has piled up at the Basin, with some of the most recent storms favoring the north-facing terrain along the Continental Divide, and another surge of moist air from the northwest could enable the ski area to open more Montezuma Bowl terrain soon, Henceroth wrote.

Filed under: Arapahoe Basin, Colorado, recreation, Ski Resorts, skiing and riding, Snow and weather, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Colorado: Loveland fires up ridge-top snowcat tours

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

First session scheduled for Friday, Feb. 8

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A new ridge-top snowcat service will ease access to some of Lovelend’s best terrain.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — After some trial runs last year, Loveland Ski Area says it’s ready to fire up its new snowcat ridge tours for full-time operation, offering skiers and snowboarders easier access to some of the tasty terrain along the Continental Divide, topping out around 13,000 feet.

Ski area reps said the first snowcat ridge run is tentatively slated for 10 a.m. Friday (Feb. 8), with all operations dependent on weather and snow conditions. Best of all, the cat service is free, although passengers will need to sign a waiver and obtain a special snowcat pass at the base area ticket office. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Ski Resorts, skiing and riding | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Skiing: Kirkwood launches snowcat tours for the season

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Out-of-bounds treks focus on backcountry education

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Kirkwood guests experience some sweet Sierra backcountry with a snowcat tour. Photo courtesy Kirkwood Mountain Resort.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — After picking up more than 260 inches of snow this season, Kirkwood Mountain Resort says its ready to launch its out-of-bounds cat-skiing trips for the late winter and spring season, with E:K Cat Tours taking advanced skiers and riders on an adventure to hunt down fresh turns with a focus on backcountry education and safety.

“Expedition:Kirkwood is the West Coast’s largest avalanche awareness and backcountry certification program, but what we’re really known for are the cat tours,” said Casey Blann, Kirkwood’s general manager. “This program is for the advanced skiers and riders who are looking for a completely unique resort experience. Not only gaining the skills for skiing and riding steep terrain, but hang on as your cat operator navigates his way up a road that’s not for the faint of heart.” (more…)

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Ski gear recycling program to expand

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Old boards, boots being re-purposed

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Your old snowboard may end up somewhere other than the landfill, thanks to an expanding recycling program spearheaded by SnowSports Industries America. Bob Berwyn photo.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Thanks to some grant funding from Colorado and the persistence of industry partners and stakeholders, SnowSports Industries America says it hopes to expand its equipment recycling program with new locations in Boise, Reno, Albuquerque and Phoenix.

The grant funds were recently used to purchase additional equipment needed for the six-step process of separating, reducing down and re-purposing the collected equipment into a material used in construction, landscaping, furniture and fixtures.

SIA created the Snow Sports Recycling Program looking to reduce environmental impact, conserve natural resources and encourage sustainable design within the snow sports industry.  Plus, there’s an added incentive for snow sports retailers — approximately 67 percent of consumers dropping off equipment make some form of purchase, giving retailers a good reason to get involved. (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, recreation, skiing and riding | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Essay: A mountain town Christmas

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

“It’s Christmas. Build community and invite your guests to be part of it. Be real. Hold on to your culture. Don’t be afraid to let your spiritual values shine through. Celebrate the mountains for the joy and comfort they give. Protect the forests and the streams. Nurture your children and give them hope.”

“Kohlmaisbahn” in Saalbach-Hinterglemm (Austria), background:The village and the Schattberg and Zwoelferkogel, the dominant ski peaks in the valley. Image via Wikipedia Creative Commons, Share-Alike attribution.

By Bob Berwyn

Christmas and skiing have been inextricably linked for me ever since I was an “army brat” growing up in Frankfurt, Germany. The classroom Christmas party on the last day of school (yes, we called it that back on the pre-politically correct days) wasn’t nearly as exciting as the thought that we’d soon be on starting our annual two-week ski vacation to Austria.

Sometimes there was snow on the ground; slushy, dirty city snow that splattered as the cars passed by. But more often than not, it was just gray and dreary, and my heart always skipped a beat when that finned, white 1960 Chevy Impala rolled up. Everything fit in the trunk of our classic American car, even our two-meter-plus skis, so there was plenty of room for my brother and I to sprawl in the back seat. No fast food stops for us — there was no McDonalds or Burger King along the way, so we ate well; cold schnitzels  my mom had made earlier that day, or open-faced sausage sandwiches with tangy pickles, carrot sticks and wedges of green bell peppers.

Sometimes we dozed, but more often than not, we were still awake when we slowed to a stop at the border, where customs officials in long, thick wool coats decorated with epaulets scanned our green U.S. passports, then waved us through with a friendly smile and a “Merry Christmas.”

The mountainous frontier south of Munich was the gateway to snow country.  By the glow of the headlights, we gauged the depth of the berm alongside the road to get an idea of how the skiing would be. Here the road narrowed and twisted through a river-carved canyon, mysterious and new each time we made the trip. Our destination was Saalbach, then a small, up and coming ski village that has since succumbed to the same development pressures that have afflicted so many mountain communities during the past few decades. (more…)

Filed under: skiing and riding, Summit County Colorado, Travel, writing | Tagged: , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Ski industry wins water rights lawsuit against Forest Service

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Bob Berwyn
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A judge rules this week that the Forest Service can’t force ski areas to transfer water rights to the federal government. Bob Berwyn photo.

Judge orders Forest Service to go back to the drawing board on developing permit language to govern water originating on national forest lands

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — A long-running dispute over water rights at ski areas operating on public land was resolved — at least temporarily — this week, as Federal District Court Judge William Martinez ruled that the U.S. Forest Service violated its own regulations and other federal laws when it adopted a new water rights clause to be added to ski area permits.

Martinez stayed away from the takings issue raised by the ski industry, but slammed the Forest Service for issuing a new rule without providing a chance for formal input and public comment. Read the ruling here.

He vacated the water rights clause, enjoined the Forest Service from enforcing it and remanded the matter back to the agency for further action to be guided by the court ruling. Specifically, Martinez said the Forest Service failed to develop the new water rights clause under formal public processes required under federal regulations.

He also ruled that the Forest Service violated federal regulations because the agency did not evaluate the economic costs of forcing some smaller ski areas to to assign their water rights to the Forest Service without compensation.

“Given how critical and valuable water is to ski area operations, we are pleased that the court has stopped this unreasonable and unlawful policy in its tracks,” said Michael Berry, president of the National Ski Areas Association. “We look forward to working in cooperation with the Forest Service to develop a water policy in the future that respects property rights and state water law.” (more…)

Filed under: business, Colorado, ski industry, Ski Resorts, skiing and riding, US Forest Service, White River National Forest | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Colorado: Judge rejects Vail Resorts’ claim that avalanches are an inherent risk of inbounds, lift-served resort skiing

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Vail will have to produce avalanche safety documents for trial

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A jury trial may determine whether Vail Resorts has any liability for the Jan. 22 avalanche death of 13-year-old Taft Conlin on Prima Cornice.

By Bob Berwyn

* some discusssion of this story on the Telemark Tips forum.

FRISCO — Vail Resorts failed last week to convince a judge that avalanches are an inherent risk of skiing on the company’s flagship mountain. Broomfield District Court Judge Patrick Murphy declined to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the family of Taft Conlin, who was killed by a snowslide on Prima Cornice in January 2012.

The company’s argument that avalanches are an inherent risk of skiing inbounds at ski areas may surprise a great many skiers, most of whom probably assume that they won’t be exposed to avalanche danger when they’re riding resort lifts and skiing on marked trails. Read Vail’s motion to dismiss here.

Advocating on behalf of Conlin’s family and for all skiers, attorney Jim Heckbert urged the court to reject Vail Resorts’ claims.

“If one is to accept the Defendant’s arguments, a ski area operator is permitted to negligently or knowingly expose skiers to the danger of death by avalanches with impunity. Because the risk of avalanche on January 22. 2012, could have been eliminated through the use of reasonable safety measures, the risk was not an inherent danger of skiing,” Heckbert wrote in the response to the the Vail Resorts motion to dismiss. Read the entire response here. (more…)

Filed under: avalanches, Colorado, recreation, ski industry, skiing and riding, Vail Resorts | Tagged: , , , , | 5 Comments »

Skiing: Sandy dampens early season gear sales

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Uncertain snow, looming fiscal cliff make for shaky retail outlook

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Hurricane Sandy had a huge impact on early season ski gear sales. NASA Photo.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Coming on the same day that NOAA announced that 2012 will most likely the warmest year ever in the U.S. and a study describing the cost of global warming to the ski industry, another report suggests that the climate disruption from Hurricane Sandy was a factor in an early season sales decline.

SnowSports Industries America announced that sales for the August through October period were down 2 percent compared to last year. For October alone, sales declined 5 percent from 2011.

Sales of snowsports-related gear totaled $616 million, the retail trade group said, acknowledging that Hurricane Sandy caused significant disrutopns in the South and Northeast. Uncertainty in the face of the fiscal cliff, and lack of momentum from the snow-challenged 2011-2012 season presented additional challenges.

In late October, Hurricane Sandy disrupted lives and retail sales with blizzard conditions, severe flooding and wind damage to much of the Eastern Seaboard. In the South and Northeast regions retail was shut down for days. (more…)

Filed under: business, climate and weather, Colorado, economy, recreation, ski industry, skiing and riding | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Colorado skiing: Catch a free ride to the slopes Dec. 15

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Bob Berwyn
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The Front Range Ski Bus at Keystone Resort. Photo courtesy FRSB.

Local bus company offering a free demo day; season bus passes, four-packs and discounted ski tix also available

SUMMIT COUNTY — Who say’s there’s no free ride?

To celebrate the start of full winter operations, Front Range Ski Bus is running a free bus from Denver up to A-Basin, Keystone, Loveland and Copper next weekend, right after what looks to be one of the first real snowy and wintry weeks of the season.

The bus has already been running on a limited schedule and will start operating four days per week (Thursday – Sunday) on Dec. 14, with basic round trip tickets for $35, down from $39 last year.

“Riding the bus up to the slopes is a great way to make new ski and snowboard friends before you even get to the slopes,” said  said chief marketing officer Martin Beran, who frequently rides the bus to ride up at A-Basin. “It’s a relaxing way to get up to the mountains.” he said. “This day is a great way for Denver residents to try out Denver’s best ski bus service without spending a dime.” (more…)

Filed under: Arapahoe Basin, Colorado, Copper Mountain, I-70, Keystone, recreation, skiing and riding, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news, transportation | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Vail Resorts dials back earnings expectations

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Bob Berwyn
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Will the early season snow drought affect Vail’s bottom line? Only time will tell. Bob Berwyn photo.

Colorado’s second consecutive early season snow drought may be affecting pass sales and advance bookings

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — Vail Resorts stock swooned a bit, but then started to recover, after   CEO and chairman Rob Katz, said this week that it may be a challenge for his company to achieve its previously stated earnings goals.

MTN dropped as much as 12 percent and ended the day down 8 percent, at about $52 per share, after Katz said that early season booking trends are not as strong as they could be. The stock price started to recover Wednesday, climbing back up about 2.5 percent, perhaps with investors, just like skiers, taking a wait and see attitude.

That was Katz’s line, too, as he told investors that the holiday season will likely tell the tale.

“We will know more about the season after the holidays and intend to address our fiscal 2013 guidance when we release our ski season metrics in mid-January,” Katz said in the earning statements released to investors early Tuesday morning.

For the first quarter of fiscal year 2013, the company reported a net loss of $60.6 million compared to a net loss of $55.7 million in the same period in the prior year, a decline of 8.7 percent.

Season passes helped drive revenue in the quarter, with sales to-date (including 4-Packs) up about 5 percent in units and approximately 8 percent in revenue compared to the same period in the prior year, and adjusted as if Kirkwood were owned in both periods.

But lack of early season snowfall in Colorado may be affecting overall sales. Katz said current weather conditions are a concern for skiers who have delayed their pass-purchasing decisions.

“The total growth of the (pass) program is slightly below our expectations, as we believe that the amount of sales that we pulled forward to earlier selling periods was somewhat larger than expected,” he said. “Sales in Tahoe and international markets continued to show the most strength. We expect the final results of the program will be generally consistent with these percentage increases as final sales conclude in the coming weeks,” he added.

Overall,  lodging reservations are slightly down from last year, but a kids-ski-free with lodging program at Keystone has helped drive strong early bookings at that Summit County resort. Based on historical averages, less than half the winter season reservations are on the books this time of year.

With the ski season just ramping up, Katz said the earnings figures from the first fiscal quarter generally reflect late summer activity at the company’s properties, and that there were “positive trends” in summer mountain and lodging operations, with improved visitation driving increased revenue from summer activities and dining.

The company sold four luxury condos at the Ritz-Carlton Residences in Vail and reported a positive net real estate cash flow of $5.5 million for the quarter.

Filed under: business, climate and weather, Colorado, global warming, Ski Resorts, skiing and riding, Snow and weather, Summit County snow and weather, tourism, Vail Resorts | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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