Friday, April 25, 2014

Closing Day

Kicking Horse - Mark Bridgwater

After 42 days on snow and dozens of ski articles, I can't believe this is my last blog of the season! I renewed blogging after last summer break at the end of October and I have faithfully posted every week since then, cataloging my adventures around spectacular ski hills in North America. What an amazing season: fluctuations in snowpack and weird weather to make hearts sink but precipitation and powder days to make them (and you) float again! 

 



I skied in nine Canadian resorts, five Utah resorts and two Colorado resorts and managed to get turns in every month of the season – despite living down south. Just goes to show, where there’s a will there’s a way.

 

Good news: I have two assignments already for early season with The Dallas Morning News, another with ABC parenting magazine in the South of England, and a new book contract with Goodfellow UK. This is a huge project focusing on Winter Sport Tourism through the eyes of the people who work in the ski industry – should be worth some entertaining anecdotes as well as informative perspectives, experiences, statistics and marketing tips. 


Please let me know (on louise.hudson2011@gmail.com) if you, or someone you know, has a great job at any level within the ski industry or in a ski town, which should be highlighted in this book. 

Along with all the articles I hope to get accepted in Canadian and US newspapers and magazines, this book will keep me busy ski researching and writing right up to Sept next year and will be published in Nov 2015 – just in time for you all to buy the book for all your ski mad, ski industry friends, colleagues and family! 


Ski Resorts Open in May:

Pic du Midi, France
Alta, Utah open for weekends April 25-27 and May 2-4 
Aspen, Colorado bonus weekends April 26/27 and May 2/3
Killington open into May (date to be decided) 
Nakiska, AB, Canada open for Fri-Sun bonus weekends until May 4 
Marmot Basin, AB, Canada until May 4 
Loveland Ski Area, Colorado until May 4 
Sugarbush, Vermont until May 4 (weather permitting)
Gstaad, Switzerland - glacier open until May 4 
Spring Fest at Whistler Blackcomb
Lake Louise, AB, Canada until Mother’s Day, May 11 
Jay Peak Resort, Vermont until May 11 (weather permitting) 
Snowbird, Utah open daily until May 11 and then Fri-Sun through May 26 (conditions permitting) 
Pic du Midi, France open until May 11
Sunshine, AB, Canada until May 19 (86th annual Slush Cup) 
Mt Bachelor, Oregon until May 25 
Mammoth Mountain, California until May 26 
Whistler Blackcomb, BC, Canada until May 26 plus glacier skiing on Blackcomb from June 21-July 27 

Arapahoe Basin, Colorado until June 1 

Winter Park, Colorado
Here's a re-cap of most of my 2013/14 season published articles (I say most as they keep appearing elsewhere on various syndicated - and, increasingly, unsyndicated - networks so it's difficult to keep up):


Nov 2013 Lake Louise, Fernie and Breckenridge Article

Dec 2013 Revelstoke Article

Dec 2013 Calgary Herald Ski Guide – What the Olympian Says

Dec 2013 Ski Canada Magazine The British Invasion – Vol 42 Issue 3:

Nov 2013 and Dec 2013 Dan Egan Edging the Extreme Radio show:

Dec 2013 Calgary Herald Ski Property Article:

Dec 2013 Calgary Herald Passholders Article:
http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/travel/story.html?id=f777bd5f-3463-4884-bed1-483d2b2c8348&k=49459

What the Olympians Say – BC Resorts Dec 13 2013 Vancouver Sun Ski Guide (Kicking Horse, Panorama and Revelstoke)

Also in:

Jan 22 2014 Calgary Herald

Jan 29 2014 Montreal Gazette (Marmot, Red, Whitefish, Whitewater)

Jan 2014 Leader Post (COP and Nakiska)

Fergus Hudson at Lake Louise: Cam Sadler
Jan 2014
Hopper Blog:



Link to my content/profile on Hopper:

Calgary Herald - What the Olympians Say (Kimberley, Fernie and Castle Mtn)

Feb 2014 Food High Article on Kicking Horse in Eat, Drink, Travel

Feb 22 2014 Calgary Herald Mountain Getaway Options that are also good for you

Links to What the Olympians Say articles on canada.com network:


Feb 24 Houston Chronicle – Ski Gear Article

Feb 24 Houston Chronicle – Senior Skiing

Feb 25 Dallas Morning News – Lake Louise Newborns

March 3 ABC Magazine Sussex, UK – Parallel Play in Canadian Ski Resorts (pp. 114-115)
http://www.abcmag.co.uk/digital/default.asp

Eat Drink Travel – Four Elevated Eateries 4 March 2014 Four Elevated Eateries for Your Next Ski Vacation: http://www.eatdrinktravelmag.com/?s=Elevated+Eateries


Eat Drink Travel – Sunshine: http://www.eatdrinktravelmag.com/banffskisunshinemountain/ 11 March 2014 Dine In, Ski Out at Sunshine Mountain Lodge, Banff




Fergus Hudson at Lake Louise: Cam Sadler 

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog this winter and also for any correspondence I have had with you. I love feedback! Look out for my first blog next season around the end of October. Remember to buy your season's passes at earlybird prices next month and also check out the sales for ski and snowboard bargains off-season. Have a great summer!